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☆ Exclusive: China to name finance veteran Zhu as new forex chief, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The building of State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) is pictured in Beijing, China, January 11, 2017. Zhu's appointment to lead the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) is expected to be announced as soon as this week, said one of the sources. Zhu, 55, would also be named a deputy governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), which oversees the foreign exchange regulator, said the source. Zhu will take over the forex regulatory head role from Pan Gongsheng, who has held the post since 2016 and who was named the central bank governor in July. An engineering graduate from the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Zhu has also been a deputy central bank governor, and vice governor of Sichuan province in southwestern China.

Persons: Jason Lee, Zhu Hexin, Zhu, Pan Gongsheng, Goldman Sachs, Sumeet Chatterjee, Muralikumar Organizations: Administration of Foreign Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, CITIC Group, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, People's Bank of China, Communist, Reuters, SAFE, Bank of Communications, Bank of China, Shanghai University of Finance, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, HONG KONG, Sichuan, outflows, Hong Kong

The country's canned seafood industry is moving well beyond tuna sandwiches, a pandemic-era trend that began with Americans in lockdown demanding more of their cupboard staples. U.S. canned seafood industry sales have grown from $2.3 billion in 2018 to more than $2.7 billion so far this year, according to market research firm Circana. “I was eating the same canned fish that my great grandmother Rose in Brooklyn was eating in the 1930s," she said. “I thought that was just insane.”Her company, Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co., set out to offer high-quality, sustainably sourced seafood. “Our mission is really to just galvanize the canned fish industry and transform and make it what we think it can be,” Millstein said, adding that means offering much more “than tuna fish sandwiches."

Persons: Fishionado, Kris Wilson, Becca Millstein, coronavirus, “, ” Millstein, Rose, ”, Millstein, “ They’re, Simi Grewal, Manel, ” Maria Finn, John Steinbeck's, John Field, he's, ___ Watson Organizations: FRANCISCO, West Coast, Conservas, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Greenpeace, National Marine Fisheries Service Locations: Europe, U.S, Danish, San Francisco, Houston, New York, tastings, TikTok ., Los Angeles, Spain, Portugal, Brooklyn, West, canneries, Oregon, Washington, Chengdu, Pacific, Bay, Patagonia, California, Monterey, San Diego

☆ ‘Faces of Sanxingdui’: Bronze Age relics shed light on mysterious ancient kingdom
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hong Kong CNN —A golden face with patinaed turquoise eyes stares out of the darkness. Currently on display at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, they may appear Mayan or Aztec to the untrained eye, but these over-3,000-year-old sculptures weren’t unearthed anywhere near Mesoamerica’s ancient civilizations. Archaeologists from the Sanxingdui Museum say the city was established some 4,800 to 2,800 years ago, until it was abandoned around 800 BC for unknown reasons. 'Kneeling figure with a twisted head', bronze, at the Hong Kong Palace Museum in Hong Kong, China on September 26, 2023. A figure on display at the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

Persons: Shu, Sanxingdui, Noemi Cassanelli, Shen Bohan, China’s, Qin Shi Huang, Wang Shengyu, ” Wang, would’ve, what’s, Qin, ”, Henry Tang, Ian Johnson, ’ ”, CNN Johnson, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong, Hong Kong Palace Museum, Sanxingdui, CNN, Sipa, Army, Palace Museum, UNESCO, Kowloon Cultural, Hong Kong’s, China Studies, Foreign Relations, Chinese Communist Party, People’s Locations: China, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Sanxingdui, China's Sichuan province, Noemi, Sichuan, Shu, Kowloon, People’s Republic, People’s Republic of China, Republic of China

☆ T’s Holiday Gift Guide: Chile Flakes, Cookie Candles and More
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Jameson Montgomery | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

One of my go-to gifts over the years has been flavored salt — always useful on popcorn or around the rim of a margarita, I figure — but this season I plan to present my loved ones with a different addition to their pantry: chile flakes. Easily slotted into a stocking or attached to a larger gift (a backyard pizza oven, say, or a spice drawer organizer), chile flakes are another one of those kitchen staples that can be noticeably improved when done thoughtfully. Pizza Marvin, a Providence, R.I., pie shop that combines a nostalgic neighborhood feel with careful attention to ingredients, makes its own fragrant mix using locally grown peppers. The Athens-based herb purveyor Daphnis and Chloe sells a jar of flakes made out of Karatzova peppers that have been smoked for 10 days before being crushed by hand. (If your recipient becomes obsessed, next year you can give them a bulk jar.)

Persons: margarita, Pizza Marvin, Chloe, chiles Organizations: Los, Chengdu Locations: Providence, R.I, Athens, Los Angeles

☆ US would welcome back any pandas from China, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The United States would welcome back any giant pandas China decides to send, the White House said on Thursday after Chinese President Xi Jinping hinted he might return some of the cuddly-looking black-and-white bears as a friendship gesture. And we respect the sovereign decision that China made to remove some of the pandas," White House spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing. "And certainly should a decision be made by the PRC (People's Republic of China) to restore some of the pandas to the United States, we would absolutely welcome them back." He said he also learned that the San Diego Zoo and people in California look forward to welcoming pandas back. "Pandas have long been envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples," Xi said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, John Kirby, Xi, Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Doina Chiacu, Michael Martina, Chris Reese Organizations: PRC, People's, San, Economic Cooperation, San Diego Zoo, Pandas, World Wildlife Fund, Zoo, Thomson Locations: United, China, People's Republic of China, United States, San Francisco, Asia, California, Washington, Sichuan

The pandas, accompanied by three zookeepers, will travel to a reserve in China’s mountainous Sichuan province, where an estimated 1,800 pandas are still found in the wild, according to the National Zoo. "It's a moment of joy because this is one more step in 50 years of a successful giant panda conservation program and hopefully the beginning of 50 more years of successful giant panda conservation," she said. Mei Xiang, 25, and Tian Tian, 26, arrived at the National Zoo in 2000. The trio, made famous by the zoo's "Giant Panda Cam" with more than 100 million views, were part of a fading legacy in which giant pandas served as animal ambassadors. Kimberly Blalock, a young visitor at the National Zoo on Tuesday, was among the last to see the pandas on display in Washington.

Persons: Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, munch, Brandie Smith, It's, Mei Xiang, Richard Nixon's, Kimberly Blalock, Kevin Fogarty, Kia Johnson, Rich McKay, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Boeing, FedEx Panda Express, Dulles International, National Zoo ., National Zoo, U.S . Pandas, China Wildlife Conservation, U.S, Georgia's Zoo, Thomson Locations: China, Sichuan, U.S, Memphis, San Diego, Georgia's, Georgia's Zoo Atlanta, Washington, Atlanta

☆ Chinese authorities crack down on dogs after a Rottweiler mauls a toddler. But some say they’ve gone too far
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —A shocking video of a Rottweiler mauling a 2-year-old girl in China has prompted a crackdown by local authorities on stray dogs that some argue has now gone too far. Since then, local authorities in a raft of provinces including Shandong, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Hunan, Anhui have stepped up law enforcement, some more heavy-handed than others. Stray dogs are the main targets, but pets who are unleashed can also be subject to control measures. The country is home to 40 million stray dogs, according to the 2021 China Pet Industry white paper. In defense of stray dogsThis is not the first time Chinese authorities have been accused of being heavy-handed with animals.

Persons: netizens, ”, Kevin Frayer, Xiao Huang, Shepherd, Cya Liu, “, Bo Ai Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Authorities, Weibo, Industry, Beijing, Hong Kong, Bo Ai Animal Protection Locations: Hong Kong, China, Chongzhou, China’s, Sichuan, Shandong, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Hunan, Anhui, Beijing, Yanzhou, Chongqing, Weibo, Shanghai, Guangyuan

☆ China’s newest museum is straight out of science fiction
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

It looks like something straight out of science fiction. Which it is, in a way: it’s the brand new Chengdu Science Fiction Museum in the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. The museum was commissioned in 2022 to host this year’s 81st annual World Science Fiction Convention, nicknamed Worldcon. The Science Fiction Museum is part of a larger “Future City” development in the Pidu district, outside of the city. Known as Chengdu Future Science and Technology City, the 4.6-square-kilometer (1.8-square-mile) site will house multiple new universities, laboratories and offices.

Persons: ”, Paulo Flores, Flores, Sydney Opera House —, Zaha Hadid, Satoshi Ohashi, Ohashi, ” Ohashi, Dave McCarty, ” McCarty Organizations: CNN, Chengdu Science Fiction Museum, Zaha, Architects, Science, Sydney Opera House, Fiction, Chengdu Future Science, Technology City Locations: Sichuan, Southwest China, London, City, Chengdu, Pidu, China, Asia, ”

Beijing CNN —China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu was fired on Tuesday two months after he disappeared from public view, becoming the second high-profile minister to lose his job recently without any official explanation. Li, who was appointed defense minister in March, has not been seen in public since late August, fueling intense speculation about his fate. Li’s ousting, ironically, has removed a major roadblock for the resumption of high-level military talks between China and the United States. The Financial Times also reported that the US government believes the defense minister has been placed under investigation, citing American officials. Li is believed to be a protege of General Zhang Youxia, Xi’s childhood friend and closest ally in the military.

Persons: Li Shangfu, Li, Xi Jinping, –, outranks, Qin Gang, Qin, Xi, Li’s, won’t, “, General Zhang Youxia, Zhang Organizations: Beijing CNN — China’s, Central Military, National People’s Congress, Foreign, Qin, Communist, of, People, Xinhua News Agency, Getty, PLA Rocket Force, Street Journal, The Financial Times, Defense Ministry, Central Military Commission, Development Department, Rocket Force, Equipment Development Department, Security Forum Locations: Beijing, China, United States, Sichuan, Africa, Russia, Belarus

☆ The culinary delights hidden inside Hong Kong’s markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Maggie Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Hong Kong CNN —Offering everything from Michelin-endorsed dim sum to juicy smoked goose served in a world-renowned restaurant, Hong Kong is home to some of the finest culinary experiences on the planet. But don’t fret – we have put together a list of eight top-quality Hong Kong markets along with some of the best dishes to try. Queen Street Cooked Food MarketQueen Street Market serves some of the most authentic Chiuchow -- a regional Cantonese cuisine -- dishes. Maggie Wong/CNNA foodie haven in the north of Hong Kong, Yuen Long is a hub for both modern and traditional eateries. The relatively run-down look of the Fa Yuen Street Cooked Food Market inside only adds to the charm.

Persons: ”, Lui Ka Chun, Kongers, Lui, “, Wai Kee, Maggie Wong, Kau Kee, ngau, jyu beng, Kan, Hong Kong’s, Lok Yuen, yuen yeung, Tsang Kee, Chan Chun Kee, suckling, Tai Po Hui, Lam Kee, Tung Kee, Ping Kee, Ng Zai Kee, Bon, Tsun, CNN Kwun, Long, Tim Kee, Yuen Long, it’s, Kee’s, Fa, Mui Kee Congee, Shau Kee Wan Organizations: CNN, Hong Kong CNN, Michelin, Lok, Market, Queen, Thai &, Thai & Vietnam Cuisine, ABC, Tai Po Hui, Food, hawker, Hong Kong’s, Fa Yuen, Kitchen Locations: Hong Kong, Hong, hawker, Kong’s, Kan Kee, Kowloon City, Kowloon Walled City, Lok, Beijing, Thai, Thai & Vietnam, Tai Po, New Territories, Shanghai, Kwun Tong, CNN Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Sichuan, Yuen, Mong Kok, Aldrich, Aldrich Bay, Shau

☆ Earth's inner core is more like a ball of butter than a solid metal sphere, a new study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Scientists have long thought Earth's inner core is like a huge solid metal ball. It could help explain why Earth's magnetic field is so weird. Jung-Fu Lin / UT Jackson School of GeosciencesThe Earth's inner mush revealedA 2021 study had already started to question the big-iron-ball assumption. Seismic waves, they found, weren't really going through the Earth in a way consistent with a fully solid core. AdvertisementAdvertisementIt recreated the intense pressure and temperature conditions found in the inner core inside a lab, and combined that data with a much more advanced computer model.

Persons: Youjun Zhang, We've, that's, Jung, Fu, Lin, Fu Lin, weren't, Jessica Irving, Zhang Organizations: Service, University of Texas, UT Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Bristol, Science, National Academy of Sciences Locations: Sichuan, shockwaves, England

☆ 5 ways China's trying to get people to have more babies — from cash incentives to cracking down on the 'bride price'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In 2022, China's population started shrinking for the first time in six decades. The push for marriage and babies comes after China last year saw a record low of 6.83 million marriages registered. Here's how China has tried to get its people to have more babies over the past two years. Wenzhou, a city in southeast China, is offering would-be parents up to 3,000 yuan in subsidies per child. In August, a county in eastern China started offering couples 1,000 yuan in cash if the bride was 25 years old or younger, according to a post on its official WeChat account.

Persons: —, Trip.com Organizations: Service, United Nations, Technology, QiaoYin City Management, China Women's Federation, Authorities, Bloomberg Locations: China, Hangzhou, East China, Wenzhou, Shanghai, Shanxi, Beijing, Zhejiang, Provinces, skewing, Jiangxi, Hebei —, Sichuan, Western China

☆ Siemens is case study in China de-risking dilemma
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Pamela Barbaglia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

That’s unsettling for the likes of Siemens, $62 billion carmaker Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and $39 billion chemicals group BASF (BASFn.DE). Factor in the German group’s 32% stake in Siemens Energy (ENR1n.DE) and 75% holding in Siemens Healthineers (SHLG.DE), currently worth 46 billion euros, and it adds up to 156 billion euros. The unit and Siemens’ Airport Logistics unit, which press reports say could be another divestment candidate, may only be worth 4 billion euros combined. Moreover, Kaeser already tried to boost Siemens’ valuation by partially spinning off subsidiaries. As of September, Siemens had bought back 2.5 billion euros of shares since starting a 3 billion euro share repurchase programme in November 2021.

Persons: Roland Busch, France’s Legrand, Busch, Joe Kaeser, he’s, Kaeser, Germany’s Bundesbank, Siemens, Goldman Sachs, Judith Wiese, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Siemens, Germany’s, Barclays, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Volkswagen, BASF, Software, Dassault, Automation, ABB, Smart Infrastructure, Siemens Energy, Siemens ’ Mobility, France’s Alstom, CRRC Corporation, Siemens ’ Airport Logistics, Siemens Healthineers, Toshiba Corp, Energy, BNP, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Thomson Locations: China, Brussels, Beijing, Germany, EMEA, Swiss, Middle Kingdom, Republic, Shenzhen, Sichuan, Chengdu, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand

☆ Mid-Autumn Festival holidays: Millions of Chinese tourists are going on holiday again -- many headed for Thailand
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Kathleen Magramo Kocha Olarn Berry Wang Carina Cheng | Kathleen Magramo | Kocha Olarn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Only 2.2 million Chinese travelers arrived between January and September 10 this year, according to data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin greeted travelers on the first day of the government's visa-free scheme for Chinese tourists. “Competition is really intensifying in the region to attract Chinese tourists amongst all countries, and you have to make it as easy as possible,” said Bowerman. Chinese tourists pray in front of Thai dancers at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand on September 22, 2023. Rumors, film complicate efforts to lure back touristsPrior to the announcement of the visa-free policy this month, Chinese tourists had been slow to return to Thailand.

Persons: Srettha Thavisin, It’s, ” Sretta, “, Chiang, Wang Wenbin, Peerapon Boonyakiat, pare, Gary Bowerman, ”, Bowerman, Huang, “ I’ve, coronavirus, Trip.com, Jin Junhao, Joanna Lu, Anusak, Wolfgang Georg Arlt, “ There’s, Thailand ”, Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn Organizations: CNN, China’s, Tourism Authority of, Thai, Civil Aviation Administration, China Railway, Asia, Tourism Research Institute, Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism, Sports, Thai Travel Agents Association Locations: China, Shanghai, Bangkok’s, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, ”, Beijing, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Asia, Sichuan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, United Kingdom, Erawan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Weibo

REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Global production of primary aluminium hit an all-time high in August, with the world's smelters running at an annualised rate of 71.2 million metric tons. It now estimates national output rose by 1.3 million metric tons. Global production in August came in at 6.0 million metric tons, up 1.6% on August last year, while cumulative production of 46.5 million metric tons was up 1.7% on the year-ago period. The country's annualised run-rate has increased by 2.1 million metric tons since March and registered a fresh all-time high of 42.4 million tons in August. Everything depends on rainfall levels in Yunnan, which has emerged as a major aluminium production hub due to its "green", low-carbon credentials.

Persons: Stringer, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, International Aluminium Institute, IAI, Institute, Shanghai Futures Exchange, London, Exchange, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Binzhou, Shandong province, China, Malaysia, Iran, Yunnan, Sichuan

Asia's hydropower output fell 17.9% during the seven months through July, data from energy think tank Ember showed, while fossil fuel-fired power rose 4.5%. In India, hydropower generation fell 6.2% during the eight months ended August in the sharpest decline since 2016. In some cases, the hydropower output plunge was a result of efforts to conserve water and alter supply patterns. "This trend of rapidly increasing wind or solar power generation in China could push for hydropower playing this critical regulating function, instead of operating whenever there is water," he added. However, unlike hydro, wind power is harder to forecast and control, as it varies by local weather conditions.

Persons: Carlos Torres Diaz, Rystad, Lauri Myllyvirta, Myllyvirta, Ember, Victor Vanya, Sudarshan Varadhan, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National Bureau, International Energy Agency, Centre for Research, Clean Energy, Air, Thomson Locations: Qiaojia, Yunnan province, Ningnan, Sichuan province, China, Rights SINGAPORE, Asia, India, Vietnam, India's, Philippines, Malaysia, Ember

☆ Apple is 2 years into its hybrid work pilot and still doesn't know the right balance
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Apple's hybrid work pilot program is still going two years after it was first proposed. It started after employees pushed back against a plan to bring them back to the office three days per week. "So what we decided to do was run a pilot where people come into the office three days a week. Apple first announced the pilot program Cook spoke of in June 2021 as pandemic restrictions wound down and people came out into the sun squinting their eyes. In mid-2022, Cook told employees that the pilot program wasn't set in stone and expected aspects to be adjusted.

Persons: Tim Cook, Cook, Tayfun, —, Marc Benioff Organizations: Service, CBS, Apple, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Employees Locations: Wall, Silicon, Cupertino , California, United States, Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province

☆ Turbulence in China’s top ranks raises questions about Xi Jinping’s rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Defense Minister Li Shangfu has not been seen in public for three weeks, sparking speculation he is under investigation. Both Li and Qin serve among China’s five state councillors, a senior position in the cabinet that outranks a regular minister. Li also sits on the Central Military Commission, a powerful body headed by Xi that commands the armed forces. China's Defence Minister Li Shangfu gives a speech during the Moscow Conference on International Security on August 15. Last week, as speculation mounted over the whereabouts of the defense minister, Xi called for unity and stability within the military during an inspection in China’s northeast.

Persons: China’s, Li Shangfu, Weeks, Qin Gang, Xi, Li, Qin, outranks, “ What’s, ”, Drew Thompson, Xi Jinping, James Char, Lloyd Austin, Alexander Nemenov, Xi’s, Deng Yuwen, ” Rahm Emanuel, Agatha Christie’s, “, –, Craig Singleton, General Zhang Youxia, Zhang, He’s, Thompson, they’re, ” Thompson, Mao Zedong, Char, …, ” Char, Jinping Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Defense, Foreign, Central Military Commission, People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, Wall Street Journal, Communist Party, National University of Singapore, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Belarus ’, US, Singapore’s Navy, China's, Conference, International Security, Getty, Twitter, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Washington DC, Development Department, Rocket Force, Equipment Development Department Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, Washington, Beijing, Singapore, Moscow, Belarus, Minsk, AFP, Japan, Soviet, Sichuan, “

☆ Morocco earthquake lights: strange light phenomenon before some quakes is a long standing mystery
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Reports of “earthquake lights,” like the ones seen in videos captured before Friday’s 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Morocco, go back centuries to ancient Greece. He has coauthored several scientific papers on earthquake lights, or EQL. To better understand earthquake lights, Derr and his colleagues gathered information on 65 American and European earthquakes associated with trustworthy reports of earthquake lights dating back to 1600. Other theories about what causes earthquake lights include static electricity produced by the fracturing of rock and radon emanation, among many others. At present there is no consensus among seismologists on the mechanism that causes earthquake lights, and scientists are still trying to unlock the mysteries of these outbursts.

Persons: there’s, ”, John Derr, Juan Antonio Lira Cacho, Derr, Antonio Lira, Freund, Derr’s, “ Organizations: CNN —, Friday’s, Geological Survey, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, CNN, Geophysics, San Jose University, NASA Ames Research Center Locations: Morocco, Greece, Pisco, Peru, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, China, Sichuan, Earthquakes, Guayaquil, Ecuador

☆ ‘Earthquake lights’ phenomenon is a long-standing scientific mystery. Here’s what experts think is behind them
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Persons: there’s, ”, John Derr, Juan Antonio Lira Cacho, Derr, Antonio Lira, Freund, Derr’s, “ Organizations: CNN —, Friday’s, Geological Survey, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Geophysics, San Jose University, NASA Ames Research Center Locations: Morocco, Greece, Pisco, Peru, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, China, Sichuan, Earthquakes, Guayaquil, Ecuador

☆ China's Chongqing to remove marriage requirement for maternity benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreHONG KONG, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Chongqing, a sprawling municipality in southwest China, announced this week that insured residents no longer need to provide marriage certificates to get maternity benefits, the most recent move to encourage women to have children. China's fertility rate is estimated to have dropped to a record low of 1.09 in 2022, state media reported. China's fertility rate is already one of the world's lowest alongside South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Young Chinese women cite factors including high childcare costs, career hindrance, gender discrimination and not wanting to get married as key reasons for not having children. Low consumer confidence and growing concerns over the health of China's economy are also key factors cited by young Chinese for not wanting to get married and have children.

Persons: Farah Master, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: South, Singapore ., Thomson Locations: Xujiashan, Haitang, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan province, China, HONG KONG, Chongqing, China's, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Hunan, Jiangsu, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Singapore . Young, Beijing

☆ Is the bride 25 or younger? Couples get cash reward to promote earlier marriage in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Cheng Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A newly-wed couple pose with their marriage certificates at the marriage registration center during '520 I Love You' Day on May 20, 2023 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province of China. Local Chinese officials trying to encourage earlier marriages are offering an incentive that all newlywed couples can appreciate: cash. The reward, which is restricted to couples marrying for the first time, is meant to promote "age-appropriate marriage and childbearing," the notice said. They include abolishing the "one-child policy" that reigned from the late 1970s until 2016, which was designed to limit the number of births to prevent China's population from growing too quickly. The China Population and Development Research Center, a government-backed institution, said the number of children per woman in China was the lowest among countries with populations over 100 million.

Persons: Couples Organizations: Development Research Center, Ministry of Civil Affairs, Young, Social, Twitter Locations: Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, Local, Changshan county, Zhejiang, Weibo

☆ China bill aims to make preschool more accessible amid flagging birth rate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The draft Preschool Education Law includes measures to curb excessive profit-seeking by preschool providers, the state-backed China news service reported. Children applying for preschool places should not be subject "to any form of examination or testing except for necessary physical examinations," the official Xinhua news agency reported. The draft law comes as China's fertility rate is estimated to have dropped to a record low of 1.09 in 2022, one of the world's lowest alongside South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Concerned about its rapidly ageing population, Beijing is urgently trying an array of measures to lift the birth rate, including financial incentives and improved childcare facilities. The draft preschool law will now be reviewed by the National People's Congress Standing Committee.

Persons: Huai Jinpeng, Farah Master, Conor Humphries Organizations: Xinhua, of, South, National, Thomson Locations: Xujiashan, Haitang, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan province, China, HONG KONG, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing

☆ China's Sinopec's interim profit down 20.1% on lower oil prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese refiners overall benefited from cheap crude oil supplies from Iran, Venezuela and Russia, as Western sanctions forced those producers to sell oil at deep discounts to keep revenue flowing. Although state majors have shied away from Iranian and Venezuelan oil, Sinopec has been taking in Russian supplies, traders have said. Sinopec produced 139.68 million barrels of crude oil during the six months, up 0.02% year on year, while its natural gas output gained 7.6% to 660.88 billion cubic feet. Capital expenditure for the half-year came in at 74.67 billion yuan, versus 64.65 billion yuan a year earlier. Its Hong Kong-listed shares have risen 14.4% year-to-date, outperforming Hang Seng Index (.HSI) which has fallen 10.9% during the period.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Sinopec, Chen Aizhu, Judy Hua, Robert Birsel Organizations: China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, REUTERS, Rights, China Petroleum & Chemical, Sinopec Corp, Thomson Locations: Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, Iran, Venezuela, Russia, Sichuan, Hong Kong

☆ How I Turned My Errands Into Exercise
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Andrew Leonard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The 11-mile round trip left me with dead legs, a sore back and the sneaking suspicion I had made a mistake. What started as a necessity — I had no car, so I must bike — became a strategy: Errands are an opportunity for exercise. I began seeking out new errands just for the exercise they would provide. Running low on Sichuan peppercorns spurred me to cycle the nine-mile round trip to the Chinese supermarket. Earlier this year, I learned that the public library stocked a book about an ancient tomb I was researching, and my first thought was: Excellent, that’s a 4,000-step round trip!

Persons: reframing Organizations: Costco Locations: Sichuan

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