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☆ Pope Francis doing well after first night in hospital, Vatican says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A nun kisses the hand of Pope Francis during the weekly general audience on the day he is due to undergo abdominal surgery, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, June 7, 2023. REUTERS/Yara NardiROME, June 8 (Reuters) - Pope Francis was doing well on Thursday morning after his first night in hospital following abdominal surgery, the Vatican said. "The night went well," the Vatican said in a brief statement, adding that more information would be released later in the morning. Fancis underwent a laparotomy, or open abdominal surgery, and a mesh prosthesis was used to reconstruct the abdominal wall. It is the third hospital stay for Francis since cardinals chose the Argentinian in 2013 as the first Latin American pope.

Persons: Pope Francis, Yara, Francis, Sergio Alfieri, hopsital, Alfieri, Fancis, Federica Urso, Gianluca Semeraro, William Maclean Organizations: Vatican, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: St, ROME, Rome, Portugal, Fatima, Mongolia

☆ Elon Musk discussed a possible Mongolia expansion with the country's prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Mongolia's prime minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene and Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Monday discussed possible expansion and investments into the Asian country over a virtual meeting. A statement from the cabinet secretariat of Mongolia's government added that the country's prime minister emphasized his support for the use of electric cars and urged Mongolian citizens to use such vehicles. Musk and Oyun-Erdene also spoke about bringing Starlink — a satellite communications terminals and services provider operated by the Musk-founded SpaceX — to Mongolia. Starlink was registered as a company in Mongolia in 2022 and is expected to launch regionally this year. The Tesla CEO complimented China's technological advances and visited the Tesla gigafactory in Shanghai.

Persons: Mongolia's, Luvsannamsrai, Elon Musk, Erdene, Starlink, Ding Xuexiang Organizations: Tesla, SpaceX, U.S Locations: Mongolia, Mongolian, Mongolian Government, China, Beijing, Shanghai

☆ Pope Francis in hospital for second abdominal surgery in two years
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Pope Francis greets a nun during the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, June 7, 2023. REUTERS/Yara NardiROME, June 7 (Reuters) - Pope Francis was admitted to a Rome hospital on Wednesday for another abdominal operation under general anaesthesia, this time to repair a hernia most likely caused by scars from surgery in 2021. The pope's medical team had decided in recent days that surgery was required because the condition was causing painful, intestinal occlusions. Francis is known to be afraid of the negative effects of general anaesthesia, which are also more common in older people. The statement said the pope would undergo a laparotomy, or open abdominal surgery, and that a prosthesis would be used to reconstruct the abdominal wall.

Persons: Pope Francis, Yara, Francis, Vatican, Keith Weir, Federico Maccioni, Crispian Balmer, William Maclean Organizations: Vatican, REUTERS, Fiat, Catholic, Argentine, Thomson Locations: St, ROME, Rome, Mongolia, Portugal, Lisbon

☆ Travel news: Best airlines, city break inspirations and ambitious bridges
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —In CNN Travel’s latest news roundup, we bring you the world’s best airlines for 2023, city break inspiration from Texas to Mongolia to Ecuador and why China might have overstretched itself by building a 15-mile, $6.7 billion bridge. Air New Zealand – which just topped a list of 2023’s best airlines – is on the case by asking all of its international departing travelers to hop on the scales as part of a passenger weight survey, the results of which are thankfully anonymous. Destination inspirationPop quiz: What was the world’s first capital city be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site? And now that the country’s president has vowed to revitalize the city, the future’s looking bright, too. Here’s our roundup of 20 of the world’s best nude beaches.

Persons: CNN —, CNN Travel’s, Genghis, Kublai, it’s, Richard Linklater’s, Matthew McConaughey’s, San, Trevi Fountain, Venice, ”, Mount Everest’s Organizations: CNN, Air, Zealand, Federal Aviation Administration, Airbus, UNESCO, Developers, Pride Locations: Texas, Mongolia, Ecuador, China, United States, America, Rome, Athens, Quito, Inca, Karakorum, Austin , Texas, Bay Area, San Francisco, New York, Rwanda, Kigali, Dubai, Nantucket, Mount

☆ Pope to visit Mongolia, home to just 1,300 Catholics
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Last August, Francis named Archbishop Giorgio Marengo, an Italian, the first cardinal to be based in Mongolia, where he is the Catholic Church's administrator. According to Fides, the news agency of the Vatican's missionary activities, there are about 1,300 baptized Catholics in Mongolia among a population of about 3.3 million people. Although the number of Catholics in Mongolia is smaller that most individual parish churches in many countries, the country is significant for the Vatican. Mongolia, once known as Outer Mongolia, was part of China until 1921, when it achieved independence with the help of the then Soviet Union. Francis is due to visit Portugal from Aug. 2-6 to attend the World Youth Day in Lisbon and visit the Shrine of Fatima.

Persons: Pope Francis, Matteo Bruni, Francis, Archbishop Giorgio Marengo, Marengo, Fides, Keith Weir, Toby Chopra, Mark Potter Organizations: CITY, Roman Catholic Church, Vatican, Catholic, U.S . State Department, Fatima, Thomson Locations: Mongolia, China, Rome, Africa, Soviet Union, Inner Mongolia, Western Europe, Portugal, Lisbon, India

☆ Reaction: Biden, McCarthy debt ceiling deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, May 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy have reached a tentative deal to raise the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, ending a months-long stalemate. DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE TED LIU"Tonight, I have been informed that there is an agreement in principle between the White House and House Republicans. This was a House Republican manufactured crisis. REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE BOB GOOD "I am hearing the 'deal' is for a $4 trillion increase in the debt limit. "If we didn't reach a deal … the average American person would clearly see a hit ... we had to reach some kind of conclusion here."

☆ Russia predicts trade with China will hit record $200 billion in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Trade between Russia and China is expected to hit a new record level of $200 billion this year, according to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin during his trip to China, as Moscow faces growing isolation from the West. Last year, bilateral trade jumped nearly 30% to a record $190 billion, mainly boosted by China buying Russian energy. This year, their trade continued to surge, up 41% in the first four months, according to Chinese customs figures. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Chinese Premier Li Qiang attend a welcoming ceremony in Beijing on May 24, 2023. The two countries have also planned to build the Power-of-Siberia 2 pipeline to deliver more Russian gas to China via Mongolia.

☆ 'Deepfake' scam in China fans worries over AI-driven fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, May 22 (Reuters) - A fraud in northern China that used sophisticated "deepfake" technology to convince a man to transfer money to a supposed friend has sparked concern about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to aid financial crimes. China has been tightening scrutiny of such technology and apps amid a rise in AI-driven fraud, mainly involving the manipulation of voice and facial data, and adopted new rules in January to legally protect victims. "This shows that photos, voices and videos all can be utilised by scammers," one user wrote. "Can information security rules keep up with these people's techniques?" ($1=6.9121 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Ella Cao and Eduardo Baptista; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The G7 is accusing China of 'economic coercion.' Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US has accused China of "economic coercion" and plans to take steps to counteract Beijing. What is "economic coercion" – and what can the West actually do about it? So what exactly is "economic coercion" – and what can the G7 do about it? According to Sullivan, this will involve measures that could enhance economic security for G7 nations. The West needs to work with Beijing on a range of issues that likely go beyond the countries' desire for economic security.

LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) - More than half of the world's large lakes and reservoirs have shrunk since the early 1990s, chiefly because of climate change, intensifying concerns about water for agriculture, hydropower and human consumption, a study published on Thursday found. Climate scientists generally think that the world's arid areas will become drier under climate change, and wet areas will get wetter, but the study found significant water loss even in humid regions. Scientists assessed almost 2,000 large lakes using satellite measurements combined with climate and hydrological models. Scientists and campaigners have long said it is necessary to prevent global warming beyond 1.5 degrees Celisus (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change. Water levels rose in a quarter of the lakes, often as a result of dam construction in remote areas such as the Inner Tibetan Plateau.

☆ Karakorum: Mongolia’s ancient capital is a cultural delight
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Breanna Wilson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Karakorum, Mongolia CNN —Karakorum is known by many names and even more reputations. Where to Stay in KarakorumThe new Silver Tree Guest House offers a variety of sleeping options including traditional yurts. Silver Tree Guest HouseWhile Karakorum is often considered a stop along the route to somewhere else, this culturally rich city deserves closer attention. The hotel is within walking distance to Erdene Zuu Monastery, Karakorum Museum, and the Erdenesiin Khuree Calligraphy Center. While Silver Tree Guest House is still in its opening phases, staying here feels like you’ve been invited into someone’s home.

☆ ‘The Diplomat’ vs. Reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Lauren Jackson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Here’s what other ambassadors told my colleagues working in Mexico, Australia, China and elsewhere:What the show gets wrongPart of the fun of “The Diplomat,” as with any workplace show, comes when it departs from reality. “I have a different memory of the confirmation process,” Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, told my colleague Motoko Rich. “The show may get the diplomatic life right, but their grasp of American politics and the U.S. Senate? “The speeches every diplomat wants to give his or her boss. Not exactly the daily course of business.”A Vogue photo shoot: Multiple former ambassadors said the racks of outfits in the show were unrealistic.

☆ Pope says Vatican involved in secret Ukraine peace mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Pope Francis holds a news conference as he returns to the Vatican following his apostolic journey to Hungary, aboard the plane, April 30, 2023. Vincenzo Pinto/Pool via REUTERSABOARD PAPAL PLANE, April 30 (Reuters) - The Vatican is involved in a peace mission to try to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis said on Sunday, declining to give further details. When it is public, I will reveal it," the pope told reporters during a flight home after a three-day visit to Hungary. Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met the pope at the Vatican on Thursday and said he had discussed a "peace formula" put forward by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Pope Francis, 86, has said previously that he wants to visit Kyiv but also Moscow on a peace mission.

SHANGHAI/SINGAPORE, April 28 (Reuters) - Chinese banks are ramping up efforts to promote international use of the yuan, and reporting a surge in cross-border yuan business from the country's booming trade with Russia and deepening ties with the Middle East. Harbin Bank Co (6138.HK), in China's Heilongjiang province neighboring Russia, saw its cross-border yuan business grow nine-fold last year to a record, as the Sino-Russia trade grew briskly after the Ukraine war began. Industrial Bank Co (601166.SS), whose cross-border, corporate payment business jumped 50% last year, has also been actively promoting CIPS, China's own global payment system. The bank said it currently helps 153 foreign and Chinese banks connect to CIPS, to advance China's yuan internationalisation strategy. "Increasing the use of yuan in pricing, and settling cross-border oil and gas trade will give a boost to yuan internationalization."

☆ SpaceX Starship’s explosion is not the failure it appears to be, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Rocket launches are like opening a box of chocolates, only riskier — you never know what you’re going to get. When a rocket is set to leap off the launchpad, there’s a good chance of seeing a stunning liftoff or a spectacular failure. The lead-up to this week’s launch of SpaceX’s Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, was a dramatic roller coaster. The rocket blasted off from the launchpad in South Texas and roared 24.2 miles (39 kilometers) over the Gulf of Mexico. Now, researchers have a new theory about why the Vikings abruptly departed in the mid-15th century: rising sea levels.

☆ Ancient DNA reveals secrets of empire that pushed China to build its Great Wall
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Known as the Xiongnu, the empire saw conflict with great rival imperial China that resulted in the construction of the Great Wall, parts of which still stand today. Now, ancient DNA evidence, combined with the fruits of recent archaeological digs, is spilling the secrets of one of the era’s most powerful political forces. Excavation of the Xiongnu Elite Tomb 64 contains a high-status aristocratic woman at the site of a cemetery at Takhiltyn Khotgor in Mongolia's Altai Mountains. Golden icons of the sun and moon, symbols of the Xiongnu, decorate a coffin found in Elite Tomb 64 at the Takhiltyn Khotgor site. “And it was this potent legacy…that the Mongols took up when they created their own empire many more centuries later.”

☆ 19 Unique Gifts for Women Who Have Everything
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +10 min

“There’s something a little decadent about wearing a matching cashmere set when you’re traveling by plane, for example,” Deyette notes. Note: The earrings can also be purchased as singles if you or your recipient like to mix and match. Constructed of 100% Australian sheepskin upper and footbed, they feel incredibly luxe and confer the benefit of breathable, moisture-wicking materials. “I love lighting this candle when I take a bath or just want to relax with a good book,” she says. It comes with a 72-ounce pitcher and an ice-crushing blade, as well as two single-serve blender cups for beverages on the go.

☆ China could start building a moon base with lunar-soil bricks in 5 years, amid NASA fears of a moon territory dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Marianne Guenot | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

China could be ready to start building its lunar base within five years, scientists said. China has made major strides in space exploration, recently launching its own crewed space station. "We will be using real moon soil to make the first brick right there on the moon," he added, per SCMP. These could be used to make habitats on the moon using traditional Chinese building techniques, he said. The agency wants to build its own station orbiting the moon, as well as an Artemis lunar base.

☆ Sandstorms, dangerous pollution return to Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A woman poses for pictures near the Forbidden City, as the city is shrouded in smog amid a sandstorm, in Beijing, China March 10, 2023. The capital Beijing has seen regular air pollution and an unseasonal number of sandstorms over the past few weeks. On Tuesday morning, smog and misty grey clouds could be seen enveloping Beijing and the city's real-time air quality index was at a serious pollution level, according to the website of the Beijing Municipal Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center. The concentration of fine particulates in the air in Beijing is currently 46.2 times the World Health Organization's annual air quality guideline value, according to IQAir, a website that issues air quality data and information. Beijing has regular sandstorms in March and April as it is near the large Gobi desert.

☆ Great Wall of China: Six sections with beautiful views
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Whether you’re planning to visit the Great Wall for the first time or the 50th, the following destinations are sure to make your trip to China even more worthwhile. The juxtaposition of its ruins against the rammed-earth Great Wall makes Bataizi a unique place to spend a morning or afternoon. Laoniuwan (aka the Old Ox Bend Great Wall)Laoniuwan, where the Great Wall and the Yellow River meet. Alex SherrAs the locals say, Laoniuwan is where the Great Wall and the mighty Yellow River shake hands. The piled-stone wall at Dushikou is unique, as many other sections of the Great Wall close to Beijing were constructed using kiln-fired bricks.

Persons: CNN —, I’ve, Alex Sherr, ”, Alex Sherr Mutianyu, you’ll, William Lindesay, Pan, Zuoyun, You’ll, Simatai, Yatou’s, Emperor Jiajing, Lamb Organizations: CNN, Tourism, UNESCO, Northern Barbarians Locations: Beijing, China, Turtle, Gansu, Sitan, Jingtai County, City, Jingtai, Lanzhou, Gansu province, Turtle City, Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport, it’s, Mutianyu, Jiankou, Xizhazi, Bataizi, Datong, Shanxi province’s, Zuoyun, Zuoyun County, Laoniuwan, Pianguan County, Xinzhou, Shanxi province, Inner Mongolia, marveling, Pianguan, Tangjiazhai, Beijing’s Miyun, Miyun, It’s, Dushikou, Chicheng, Hebei province, Hebei, Liuliqiao

☆ Commerce officials heading to China to lay groundwork for possible Raimondo trip later this year, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Kayla Tausche | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Gina Raimondo, US secretary of commerce, speaks during an interview in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, March 2, 2023. Senior officials from the Department of Commerce will be traveling to Beijing and Shanghai next week as part of an effort to lay groundwork for a potential trip by Secretary Gina Raimondo later this year, according to people familiar with the planning. Elizabeth Economy, a senior advisor to the secretary on China issues, and Scott Tatlock, the deputy assistant secretary for China and Mongolia, will assess whether such a meeting between Raimondo and her Chinese counterparts would produce results to justify the visit. A visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, set for early February, was postponed indefinitely as tensions escalated during a Chinese surveillance balloon's cross-country trip. Since then, Commerce has taken an ad hoc approach to sensitive trade issues.

LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) - China’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports fell sharply in 2022 because of the disruption caused by lockdowns to control the coronavirus epidemic and the massive exit wave of infections when they were lifted. But the import rebound could be smaller than some analysts anticipate because domestic gas production is rising strongly and the country has mostly completed its transition to natural gas for urban residents. Both LNG and pipeline imports remained subdued in the first two months of this year with any rebound delayed until later in 2023. China’s LNG purchasers have proved price-sensitive and will likely wait for prices to decline before increasing imports and refilling storage. PIPELINES NOT LNGThe shift from LPG and especially gasworks gas has turbocharged consumption of natural gas over the last decade.

☆ Why 2023 is the year to visit Mongolia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Breanna Wilson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia CNN —Due to its remoteness and short summer season, Mongolia has long been a destination overlooked by travelers. Here are 10 reasons travelers should start planning their long-dreamed-of Mongolia visit now. A growing visa-free listWith the government of Mongolia declaring 2023 through 2025 the “Years to Visit Mongolia,” citizens from an additional 34 countries can now visit the country visa-free through the end of 2025. Celebrate Naadam as it turns the centuryThe annual Naadam event has always been a great reason to visit Mongolia, but now that the festival has just celebrated its 100 year anniversary, 2023 is as good a time as ever to attend. Yeruu LodgeNestled in the heart of Selenge province on the Yeruu River, Yeruu Lodge is the brainchild of Norwegian founder Eirik Gulsrud Johnsen, who first visited Mongolia in 2017.

☆ World Bank raises 2023 growth outlook in developing East Asia as China reopens
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Xinghui Kok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Growth in the developing economies of East Asia and the Pacific will accelerate in 2023 thanks to China’s reopening and economic rebound, but high inflation and household debt will weigh on consumption in some countries, the World Bank said on Friday. FILE PHOTO: A participant stands near a logo of World Bank at the International Monetary Fund - World Bank Annual Meeting 2018 in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, October 12, 2018. The stronger forecast was due to China’s reopening, which the World Bank expects will help its economy rebound to 5.1% from 3% last year. Countries in developing East Asia and the Pacific include Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Mongolia, plus island nations like Fiji, Vanuatu and Palau. “While still small compared to the advanced economies like the U.S., China has become an increasingly important source of knowledge for innovation in other East Asia and Pacific countries,” said the report.

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - The United States is working hard to counter China's influence in international institutions and in lending to developing countries, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Wednesday. Yellen said she was concerned by some of China's activities globally, particularly in lending to developing countries. China has lent hundreds of billions of dollars to build infrastructure in developing countries, but lending has tailed off since 2016 as many projects have failed to pay the expected financial dividends. China is negotiating debt restructurings with countries including Zambia, Ghana and Sri Lanka and has been criticised for holding up the processes. In response, it has called on the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to also offer debt relief.

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