Philippines mulls pullout of Syria peacekeepers The Philippine foreign secretary says he is recommending to President Benigno Aquino III to pull out all Filipino U.N. peacekeepers from the Golan Heights following the abduction of four by Syrian rebels. More
8 die in clothing factory fire in Bangladesh as Rana Plaza toll passes 900 Eight people were killed when a fire swept through a clothing factory in Bangladesh, police and an industry association official said on Thursday, as the death toll from the collapse of another factory building two weeks ago climbed above 900. More
Retailers report modest gains for April Americans spent briskly during the early spring months in the latest sign that they’re encouraged by the economic recovery. Falling gas prices, a rallying stock market and gains in the job market all fueled Americans’ shopping habits even as cold weather tempered their desire to buy spring fashions. More
A Sephora store in Chongqing, China. Cheng Xin/Getty ImagesSephora's CEO said teenagers only need three products in their skincare routine."Just cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF for a 13-year-old," CEO Artemis Patrick said. Gen Alpha customers have gone viral for snapping up Sephora's expensive skincare products. Sephora's CEO said teenagers only need three skincare products and need to stop buying products inappropriate for their age.
A South Korean lawmaker said on Monday that Seoul's intelligence estimated that some 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded in Kursk. KIM WON JIN/AFP via Getty ImagesAll of North Korea's troops in Kursk could get wiped out by April, given current losses, a think tank said. Analysts cited casualty reports from Ukraine and South Korea, estimating 92 losses per day for Pyongyang.
China’s population fell last year for the third straight year, its government said Friday, pointing to further demographic challenges for the world’s second most populous nation, which is now facing both an aging population and an emerging shortage of working age people.
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China’s population stood at 1.408 billion at the end of 2024, a decline of 1.39 million from the previous year.
The figures announced by the government in Beijing follow trends worldwide, but especially in East Asia, where Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and other nations have seen their birth rates plummet.
China's foreign ministry says it is sending Vice President Han Zheng to attend Trump's inauguration. The Trump transition team initially invited President Xi Jinping to the event. Huang Jingwen/Xinhua via Getty ImagesThe Chinese foreign ministry says Vice President Han Zheng will attend Donald Trump's inauguration. The Trump team said in December that it had invited Chinese leader Xi Jinping, but Xi will not attend.
Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC; Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for The New York TimesElon Musk and Jeff Bezos exchanged friendly tweets after rocket launches on Thursday. The billionaires have had a long-standing rivalry over space ambitions and more. Their recent interactions suggest a possible end to their long public feud. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos may no longer be enemies.