Smoke from forest fires blankets northern Thailand in thick pollution | CNN
Bangkok, Thailand CNN — Smoke from fires in northern Thailand is making it hard to breathe, and at least one hospital in Chiang Mai says it’s reached “full ward capacity”…
US intel chiefs say China likely to press Taiwan and seek to undercut US | CNN Politics
CNN — US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told Congress Wednesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to press Taiwan and try to undercut US influence in the…
Chinese city claims to have destroyed 1 billion pieces of personal data collected for Covid control | CNN
Hong Kong CNN — A Chinese city says it has destroyed a billion pieces of personal data collected during the pandemic, as local governments gradually dismantle their coronavirus surveillance and…
US agency assessment backing Covid lab leak theory raises more questions than answers — and backlash from China | CNN
Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it…
Why is Britain’s health service, a much-loved national treasure, falling apart? | CNN
London CNN — Most winters, headlines warn that Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) is at “breaking point.” The alarms sound over and over and over again. But the current crisis…
New Zealand Education Minister Chris Hipkins bids to replace Jacinda Ardern as PM | CNN
CNN — Chris Hipkins, New Zealand’s education minister, is bidding to replace Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, after her shock resignation announcement earlier this week. Hipkins emerged as the only…
Japan considers downgrading Covid-19 to same level as seasonal flu | CNN
Tokyo CNN — Japan will consider downgrading Covid-19 to the same category as seasonal influenza this spring, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Friday. Kishida said he had instructed Health Ministry…
Satellite images capture crowding at China’s crematoriums and funeral homes as Covid surge continues | CNN
CNN — Satellite images taken over a number of Chinese cities have captured crowding at crematoriums and funeral homes, as the country continues its battle with an unprecedented wave of…
What the return of Chinese tourists means for the global economy | CNN Business
Hong Kong CNN — In the years before Covid, China was the world’s most important source of international travelers. Its 155 million tourists spent more than a quarter of a…
Xi Jinping estimates China’s 2022 GDP grew at least 4.4%. But Covid misery looms | CNN Business
Hong Kong CNN — China’s economy grew at least 4.4% in 2022, according to leader Xi Jinping, a figure much stronger than many economists had expected. But the current Covid…