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Retail sales, a gauge of consumption, also increased at a faster 4.6% pace in August aided by the summer travel season, and was the quickest growth since May. The upbeat data suggest that a flurry of recent measures including property support policies to shore up a faltering economic recovery are starting to bear fruit. "Despite signs of stabilisation in manufacturing and related investment, the deteriorating property investment will continue to pressure economic growth," said Gary Ng, Natixis Asia Pacific senior economist. Ng said confidence remains the root of most problems requiring larger "constructive policy and regulatory changes" to boost growth momentum. For August, property investment extended its fall, down 19.1% year-on-year from a 17.8% slump the previous month, according to Reuters calculations based on NBS data.

Persons: Gary Ng, Ng, Albee Zhang, Liangping Gao, Kevin Yao, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, National Bureau of Statistics, Natixis Asia Pacific, Thomson Locations: Wuhan, Hubei province, China, BEIJING, U.S

☆ Trump criticizes UAW leadership amid strike, warns autoworkers' jobs are moving to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"The autoworkers will not have any jobs, Kristen, because all of these cars are going to be made in China. The electric cars, automatically, are going to be made in China," Trump told NBC News' Kristen Welker in an exclusive, wide-ranging interview set to air Sunday on "Meet the Press." "The autoworkers are being sold down the river by their leadership, and their leadership should endorse Trump," added the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination. The strike marked the first time the United Auto Workers union targeted the three automaker titans simultaneously. Read more: Why the United Auto Workers want big raises Trump specifically criticized UAW President Shawn Fain.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kristen Welker, Kristen, Trump, autoworkers, Read, Shawn Fain, he's, Fain, Joe Biden, Matthew Hatcher, Biden, Xi Jinping Organizations: GM, NBC News, Press, WASHINGTON —, United Auto Workers, General Motors, Ford, NBC, Republican, SAIC General Motors Co, automaker titans, Workers, Trump, UAW, Ford Assembly Plant, AFP, Getty, White, U.S, China Locations: China, Wuhan, Wentzville , Missouri, Wayne , Michigan, Toledo , Ohio, Washington, Beijing

☆ China August industrial output, retail sales growth beat expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An employee inspects a circuit board on the controller production line at a Gree factory, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province, China August 16, 2021. The data released on Friday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) beat expectations for a 3.9% increase in a Reuters poll of analysts, and marked the quickest rate since April. Retail sales, a gauge of consumption, also grew at a faster 4.6% pace in August aided by the summer travel season, and was the quickest growth since May. Fixed asset investment expanded 3.2% in the first eight months of 2023 from the same period a year earlier, versus expectations for a 3.3% rise. Reporting by Albee Zhang, Ellen Zhang and Joe Cash Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Albee Zhang, Ellen Zhang, Joe Cash, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National Bureau of Statistics, Thomson Locations: Wuhan, Hubei province, China, Rights BEIJING, U.S

☆ Asian confederation cancels commercial deal 'with immediate effect'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Michael Church | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Soccer Football - AFC Asian Cup - Final Draw - Katara Opera House, Doha, Qatar - May 11, 2023 General view outside the venue before the draw REUTERS/Mohammed Dabbous/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Sept 15 (Reuters) - The Asian Football Confederation terminated its commercial relationship with Football Marketing Asia "with immediate effect" on Friday, less than three years into an exclusive eight-year deal with the Hong Kong-based company. "The AFC's decision takes into careful consideration the new challenges and opportunities presented by the rapidly evolving post-pandemic commercial environment," the confederation said in a statement. The original deal was renegotiated in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent global shutdown caused significant complications ahead of the start of the contract. The AFC have since moved the 24-nation tournament to Qatar and have postponed the finals until January. "The AFC are now in the process of appointing a new exclusive partner for the 2023-2028 term with more details to be announced in due course," the confederation said.

Persons: Mohammed Dabbous, FMA, Michael Church, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Soccer Football, AFC, Opera House, Asian Football Confederation, Football Marketing, DDMC Fortis, FMA, Lagardere Sports, Entertainment, Wuhan DDMC Culture, Sports, Thomson Locations: Doha, Qatar, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Wuhan

☆ Griffin of Citadel hedge fund lays out roadmap to future philanthropic giving
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Citadel Income Fund FollowNEW YORK, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Ken Griffin, the world's most successful hedge fund manager in terms of earnings, has already donated more than $2 billion to charity during his lifetime and on Wednesday laid out a roadmap for his future philanthropic giving to find faster solutions to the world's biggest problems. Griffin, who laid the foundations for Citadel in his Harvard dormitory, launched Griffin Catalyst (GriffinCatalyst.org), a platform that illustrates how he thinks about giving and showcases his partner organizations and how they have put his money to work. Already a big donor to schools and universities, Griffin said his giving will focus on six areas: Education, Science & Medicine, Upward Mobility, Freedom & Democracy, Enterprise & Innovation and Communities. Earlier this year Griffin donated $300 million to his alma mater. Early in his career, Griffin also donated time tutoring Chicago children in math.

Persons: Ken Griffin, Griffin, Griffin Catalyst, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Citadel, Harvard, Griffin Catalyst, Science & Medicine, Upward Mobility, & Democracy, Enterprise, Innovation, Forbes, U.S . State Department, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Chicago, Svea, Thomson Locations: Chicago, United States, Wuhan, China

☆ How researchers are developing fabrics that can keep skin 9 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than cotton
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Kelly Burch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A lab in China made a fabric that can keep skin temperature 9 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than cotton. Brands including Bearbottom Clothing, LifeLabs, and Mission have products like t-shirts that can cool you down by 3 degrees Fahrenheit and hats that get 23 degrees Fahrenheit cooler when wet. Guangming TaoThe temperature of the student's skin wearing the side with the metafabric was 4.8 degrees Celsius, or about 9 degrees Fahrenheit, cooler than the side covered in cotton. AdvertisementAdvertisementThis isn't the first cooling fabric to be developed, but other fabrics have been extremely thin and fragile. Athletes, construction workers, soldiers, and others could benefit from wearing the cooling fabric, Tao said.

Persons: Summers, Robert Felder, Bearbottom, NanoStitch, Guangming Tao, Tao, Guangming Organizations: Brands, Service, Bearbottom, China, Wuhan National Laboratory, Optoelectronics, of Materials Science, Engineering Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, Wuhan

☆ Concerns about Apple in China hit two other Club stocks. Here's where we stand on all three
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Club holding Apple (AAPL) isn't in danger of losing its footing, despite a recent market sell-off spurred by reports China is cracking down on iPhone usage. Still, Apple remains an "own-it don't-trade it" stock in the Club portfolio, as its standing as an aspirational brand in China shouldn't be affected by the government's apparent decision. Apple CEO Tim Cook "isn't just riding around saying, 'Boy, I sure hope China doesn't cut us off.' But if China were to confirm the new rules targeting iPhones, Apple is well-positioned to weather any near-term headwinds. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Tim Cook, Cramer, —, Jim, Apple, Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Truist, DuPont, Jim Cramer's Organizations: Apple, Street, Bloomberg, Club, Broadcom, DuPont de Nemours, Huawei, DuPont Broadcom, CNBC, Getty Locations: China, Beijing, India, AVGO, Greater China, Wuhan

☆ England confirms 34 COVID cases linked to highly mutated variant
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEXU Science Communication/via Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreSept 8 (Reuters) - UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) said on Friday that 34 COVID-19 cases linked to the highly mutated variant BA.2.86 had been identified in England. Of the 34 confirmed cases identified as of Sept. 4, five patients were hospitalised and no deaths had been linked to the new emerging variant. The agency said 28 of the confirmed cases were identified from a single outbreak at a care home in Norfolk. Moderna (MRNA.O) and rival Pfizer (PFE.N) said on Wednesday their updated COVID-19 vaccines generated strong responses in testing against the BA.2.86 subvariant. Reporting by Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb ChakrabartyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Renu Bindra, Khushi, Saumyadeb Organizations: Science, Trinity College, Reuters, Health Security Agency, Omicron, Moderna, Pfizer, Thomson Locations: Dublin, Wuhan, England, Norfolk, Denmark, Switzerland, South Africa, Israel, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Analysis: China needs more than cheaper mortgages to revive spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China said last week it would cut interest rates on existing mortgages and eased rules for first-time buyers in big cities, in what the central bank and financial regulators jointly said were moves "conducive to expanding consumption." But to prevent profit margins from shrinking further, state-owned banks have also lowered deposit rates by 10-25 basis points in a coordinated move. But they also warn that a 15 basis point cut in interest rates on Chinese households' 131.4 trillion yuan of deposits reduces interest income by 197 billion per year. Mortgage rates for first homes are around 4%, while one-year fixed deposit rates are roughly 1.5%. "People don't consume because they don't have money so cutting deposit rates cannot really work."

Persons: Simon, Yu, government's, Ting Lu, Zhaopeng Xing, Li Xiao, Li, Guo, Nancy Yang, Yang, Jason Xue, Samuel Shen, Winni Zhou, Gao, Ellen Zhang, Ziyi Tang, Joe Cash, Marius Zaharia, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Nomura, ANZ, HIT, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, BEIJING, Shanghai, Beijing, China, Guangdong, Wuhan

☆ Lotus launches electric GT model as mass expansion plan rolls on
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] British sports car maker Lotus unveils its new fully-electric “hypercar” in New York City, U.S., September 7, 2023. Johnstone said with Emeya, Lotus is targeting people "looking for something different in an electrified GT-style sports car." Since its founding in 1948, Lotus typically made 5,000 cars a year, but funded by Geely and Etika, the company has planned a massive expansion. Lotus Technology, which includes Lotus Cars, is also due to go public this year via a merger with special purpose acquisition company L Catterton Asia Acquisition Corp (LCAA.O). Geely also plans to turn the London Electric Vehicle Company, which makes iconic black taxis, into a high-volume, all-electric brand.

Persons: Caitlin Ochs, Mike Johnstone, Johnstone, Emeya, Geely, Nick Carey, Susan Fenton Organizations: Lotus, REUTERS, HK, Automotive, Reuters, Geely, Lotus Technology, Asia, Corp, Volvo, London Electric Vehicle Company, Thomson Locations: British, New York City, U.S, New York, Wuhan, China, Tesla

☆ Zheng Qinwen Is Coming Into Her Own
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Zheng Qinwen, the brightest of China’s growing cohort of bright tennis lights, was 7 years old when she first picked up a racket. Almost instantly, she was among the best children her age in her hometown, Shiyan, by Chinese standards a smaller city with 1.1 million people. Since she had done well, she would not be coming home with him and instead would stay in Wuhan to train. “I cried a lot,” Zheng, 20, said during a recent interview. But every two weeks when her parents would come to visit, she would beg them not to go.

Persons: Zheng Qinwen, “, ” Zheng Locations: Shiyan, Wuhan

☆ China developer Vanke sees pressure on profit amid market downturn
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Chinese state-backed property developer China Vanke said its profit would be under pressure in the short term amid a market correction, but that would not hurt its cashflow. Offshore, it said it has completed 15 billion yuan worth of offshore refinancing in the first half, and it is getting ready to repay its three bonds totalling 11 billion yuan maturing next year. Commenting on the broader market, company chairman Yu Liang China's property market has "overcorrected" as sentiment over-react to the negative news in the sector. As pressure mounts on the real estate market, more Chinese cities are easing mortgage curbs in hopes of reviving consumer demand for homes. ($1 = 7.2882 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Clare Jim; Editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stringer, HONG KONG, China Vanke, Vanke, Yu Liang, Yu, Clare Jim, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Dalian, Liaoning province, China, HONG, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Hubei, Guangzhou

☆ Chinese cities ease mortgage rules to revive property sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Residential and commercial buildings are located in downtown Guangzhou, China October 7, 2017. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Major Chinese cities have said they will allow people to take preferential loans for first-home purchases regardless of their credit records, in the latest move to help revive an embattled property sector. Cities including Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Wuhan have made announcements easing mortgage requirements, following central bank guidance last Friday. The province will also ease other mortgage conditions, according to a state-backed local media. Reporting by Ella Cao, Liangping Gao and Liz Lee; Editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bobby Yip, Ella Cao, Liangping Gao, Liz Lee, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Guangzhou, China, Rights BEIJING, Cities, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Jiangsu

☆ Nio reports wider second-quarter loss amid China slowdown and product line revamp
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( John Rosevear | In Jrosevear | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Revenue: 8.77 billion yuan ($1.21 billion), vs. 9.25 billion yuan expected. 8.77 billion yuan ($1.21 billion), vs. 9.25 billion yuan expected. On a GAAP basis, the company reported a net loss of $835.1 million, or 51 cents per share. A year ago, Nio reported a net loss of 2.76 billion yuan, or 1.68 yuan per share, on revenue of 10.29 billion yuan. Nio's gross margin on vehicles for the second quarter was 6.2% in the second quarter, down from 16.7% a year ago but up from 5.1% in the first quarter of 2023.

Persons: Nio's ET5, Nio, William Bin Li Organizations: Central China International, Refinitiv . Locations: Wuhan, China, Abu Dhabi

☆ US CDC says new COVID lineage could cause infections in vaccinated individuals
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CDC said it was too soon to know whether this might cause more severe illness compared with previous variants. But due to the high number of mutations detected in this lineage, there were concerns about its impact on immunity from vaccines and previous infections, the agency said. Scientists are keeping an eye on the BA.2.86 lineage because it has 36 mutations that distinguish it from the currently-dominant XBB.1.5 variant. The agency had earlier this month said it was tracking the highly mutated BA.2.86 lineage, which has been detected in the United States, Denmark and Israel. CDC said on Wednesday the current increase in hospitalizations in the United States is not likely driven by the BA.2.86 lineage.

Persons: Pratik Jain, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Science, Trinity College, Reuters, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Thomson Locations: Dublin, Wuhan, United States, Denmark, Israel, hospitalizations, Bengaluru

☆ US CDC tracks new lineage of virus that causes COVID
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Deena Beasley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The lineage is named BA.2.86, and has been detected in the United States, Denmark and Israel, the CDC said in a post on messaging platform X. "As we learn more about BA.2.86, CDC's advice on protecting yourself from COVID-19 remains the same," the agency said. The WHO said that, so far, only a few sequences of the variant have been reported from a handful of countries. The new lineage, which has 36 mutations from the currently-dominant XXB.1.5 COVID variant "harkens back to an earlier branch" of the virus, explained Dr. S. Wesley Long, medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist. https://slides.com/jbloom/new_2nd_gen_ba2_variant?ftag=YHF4eb9d17#/12The Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is the strain targeted by vaccines in upcoming COVID booster shots.

Persons: Wesley Long, Jesse Bloom, Fred Hutch, Dr, Long, Shivani Tanna, Himani Sarkar, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Science, Trinity College, Reuters, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, CDC, World Health Organization, WHO, Houston Methodist, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Thomson Locations: Dublin, Wuhan, United States, Denmark, Israel, Bengaluru

☆ Country Garden shares dive after bond trading halted, fans further economic distress
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The company logo of Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured at the Shanghai Country Garden Center in Shanghai, China August 9, 2023. Shares of Country Garden dived 16.3% to HK$0.82 by noon, dragging down the Hang Seng Mainland Properties Index (.HSMPI) which dropped 3.9%. According to company registry portal Qichacha, a services unit of Country Garden offloaded its 51% stake in a Wuhan-based network technology company, while chief strategic officer of Country Garden Services also resigned from the firm's chairman. Country Garden Services did not immediately respond to request for comment. In September alone, Country Garden may need to repay more than 9 billion yuan ($1.25 billion) worth of onshore bonds.

Persons: Aly, HONG KONG, Dickie Wong, Wong, Longfor, Clare Jim, Yuhan Lin, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Shanghai Country Garden, REUTERS, HK, China Evergrande, Mainland Properties, Reuters, Garden Services, Garden, Country Garden Services, Kingston Securities, State, Longfor, Seazen, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG, HK, Wuhan, Hong Kong, Beijing

☆ Virgin Galactic’s first space tourists had a ‘surreal experience’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Billionaire Richard Branson founded Virgin Galactic in 2004, and it built up a backlog of 800 paying passengers. Andres Leighton/APVirgin Galactic’s rocket-powered space plane carried its first group of tourists on a brief trip Thursday. Entrepreneur and health and wellness coach Keisha Schahaff and her daughter Anastatia Mayers were the first space travelers from Antigua. The skull’s lower jaw has particularly confounded scientists because it combines features of Homo sapiens and another ancient human relative — the mysterious Denisovans. ConsequencesA close-up shot reveals the details of the ancient moss Takakia growing on the Tibetan Plateau.

Persons: Richard Branson, Jon Goodwin, Anastatia Mayers, Keisha Schahaff, Andres Leighton, Mayers, Goodwin, Xuedong Li, Hupehsuchus nanchangensis, Shu, Long Cheng, James Webb, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Virgin Galactic, AP Virgin Galactic’s, International Whaling Commission, Wuhan Center, China Geological Survey, University of Bristol, James Webb Space, CNN Space, Science Locations: Antigua, Russia, India, China, Tibetan, Wuhan, Egypt, Thailand, Switzerland

☆ China’s sitting on a goldmine of genetic data – and it doesn’t want to share
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The national survey and restrictions on foreign access are part of new regulations on China’s genetic resources, which came into effect in July. The national genetic surveyBiobanking in China – meaning the collection of biological samples – is still “very fragmented,” and in an “embryonic stage,” said Zhang. But these concerns aren’t new – and the national genetic survey seems to be geared more toward scientific research than other purposes, several experts agreed. But China has another motive, too: establishing what some experts call “genomic sovereignty,” meaning full control of the genetic material within their country. While many other countries also have laws regulating the use and transfer of their population’s genetic material, few are as strict as China’s.

Persons: Guang Niu, ”, Joy Y, Zhang, you’re, Wei Liang, ICHPL, Anna Puglisi, Puglisi, States –, Katherine Wang, ” –, Wang, “, Sun, Xi Jinping, Jiankui, Anthony Wallace, ” Zhang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Central South University, Centre for Global Science, biosciences, Shanxi Province Reproductive Science, Communist Party, Georgetown’s Center for Security, Emerging Technology, Gray, Group, CNN, Ministry of Science, Technology, National Health Service, National Institutes of Health, NIH Locations: Hong Kong, China, Changsha, Shanxi Province, Taiyuan, States, “, Wuhan, Xinijang, Xinjiang, Beijing, AFP, Harvard

Feeling the pinch of rising housing costs and a slowing economy, the jobless graduates are forfeiting cities that have traditionally provided a stepping stone to middle-class wealth. The numbers varied by region, with 59% of graduates in the well-developed east heading home. To keep costs down as they stay longer in hope of finding a job, some young mega-city drifters even share their beds with strangers. One such post was looking for a roommate to share one bed in a room "with a huge balcony" in Beijing. ($1 = 7.2004 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Ella Cao and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stringer CHINA, Joyce Zhang, I've, Zhang, China's, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Conor Humphries Organizations: Central China Normal University, REUTERS, China News Service, China's, Xinhua, Reuters, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Wuhan, Hubei province, China, BEIJING, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Inner Mongolia, Hangzhou, Zhejiang

☆ New fossils reveal specialized eating technique of unusual ancient marine reptile
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —An unusual ancient marine reptile may have gulped down tons of shrimplike prey using a feeding technique similar to one used by some modern whales. Fang et al/Courtesy University of BristolBut there hasn’t been much evidence in the fossil record for ancient reptiles using filter feeding, until now. These structures are similar to what’s seen in baleen whales, which have strips of keratin instead of teeth. “Baleen whales have grooves along the jaws to support curtains of baleen, long thin strips of keratin, the protein that makes hair, feathers and fingernails. It’s possible that the marine reptile didn’t start out with this ability.

Persons: Hupehsuchus nanchangensis, ”, Long Cheng, et, Li Tian, Hupehsuchus, Zichen Fang, Michael Benton, It’s Organizations: CNN, BMC, Wuhan Center, China Geological Survey, University of Bristol, China University of Geosciences, University of Bristol’s School of Earth Sciences Locations: China, Hubei province, China University of Geosciences Wuhan

☆ Long before whales, pioneering marine reptile was a filter-feeder
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Artist's reconstruction shows the Triassic Period marine reptile Hupehsuchus nanchangensis, based on fossils unearthed in China's Hubei Province. Hupehsuchus is believed to have been a filter-feeder, akin to some of today's baleen whales. "Baleen whales are mammals and Hupehsuchus are reptiles. Marine reptiles asserted themselves. Two other ancient marine reptiles - Paludidraco, which lived about 230 million years ago, and Morturneria, which lived about 70 million years ago - appear to have used some type of filter-feeding.

Persons: Shi Shunyi, Long Cheng, Handout, Hupehsuchus, Mike Benton, Cheng, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, University of Bristol, BMC, Wuhan Center, China Geological Survey, Hupehsuchus, Thomson Locations: Hubei Province, Hupehsuchus, England, Siberia, Washington

☆ We expected more from Starbucks' quarter, but remain believers in the coffee brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Bottom line It wasn't a bad quarter from Starbucks but with expectations low headed into the print, we wanted to see more. We also remain believers in the unrivaled name recognition of the Starbucks brand, which ended the quarter with a record 90-day active-user base of 31.4 million in the U.S., up 15% from last year. But the main focus for investors was on China, Starbucks' biggest market after the U.S. Revenues increased 51% from last year, to $821.9 million, with comparable stores sales up 46%. WUHAN, CHINA - OCTOBER 6: (CHINA OUT) An employee services in a Starbucks coffee truck at Wuhan International Plaza on October 6, 2022 in Wuhan, Hubei province, China.

Persons: we're, We're, Laxman Narasimhan, Narasimhan, That's, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim Organizations: Starbucks, Revenue, System, U.S, CNBC, Wuhan International Plaza, Getty Locations: U.S, China, North America, China —, WUHAN, CHINA, Wuhan, Hubei province

☆ The Covid Lab-Leak Deception
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Matt Ridley | Alina Chan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Review and Outlook: Progressives want Donald Trump to win the GOP nomination so they're distorting Florida’s superior Covid-19 handling, in an effort to weaken Ron DeSantis's 2024 campaign. Images: Zuma Press Composite: Mark KellyThe controversy over the origins of Covid-19 refuses to die, despite efforts early in the pandemic to kill it. It was natural to doubt it was a coincidence that an outbreak caused by a SARS-like coronavirus from bats began in Wuhan, China, the only city where risky experiments were being done on diverse and novel SARS-like coronaviruses from bats. The Chinese Communist Party did its utmost to dismiss such suspicions, but so did a group of influential Western scientists.

Persons: Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis's, Mark Kelly Organizations: GOP, Chinese Communist Party Locations: Wuhan, China

☆ The Covid Origins Debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Did Covid jump from an animal to a person at a food market in Wuhan, China — or leak from a research lab there? — David LeonhardtIn the early days of the pandemic, I was speaking to a variety of U.S. intelligence officials who believed that China was hiding the truth of what happened with Covid. In the name of safety, Chinese officials ordered that coronavirus samples be destroyed. At best, this hampered the later investigation into Covid’s origins, and at worst it was a sign of a cover-up. In this context, some of those intelligence officials believed that people were not paying enough attention to the lab-leak theory.

Persons: David Quammen, Julian Barnes, — David Leonhardt, Covid Organizations: Times Magazine Locations: Wuhan, China, Washington

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