China birthrate shrinks to lowest on record as policies fail to to lift births

TANGSHAN, CHINA – JANUARY 01: A nurse feeds a newborn baby at a maternal and child health hospital on the first day of 2026 on January 1, 2026 in Tangshan, Hebei Province of China. (Photo by Zhu Dayong/VCG via Getty Images) Zhu Dayong | Visual China Group | Getty Images China’s birthrate fell to a … Read more

Asia-Pacific markets mostly slip as investors assess Greenland developments and key China data

People celebrate the New Year at a ceremony at the Juyongguan Great Wall section, also known as Juyong Pass, in Beijing, China, January 1, 2026. Maxim Shemetov | Reuters Asia-Pacific markets mostly slipped Monday, as investors assessed threats from the Trump administration toward Greenland over the weekend, as well as key economic data from China … Read more

Canada and China slash tariffs on EVs and canola in reset of ties

A BYD Sealion 5 plug-in hybrid SUV is displayed at the launch event by the Chinese electric vehicle maker in Muldersdrift, South Africa December 4, 2025. Nqobile Dludla | Reuters Canada and China struck an initial trade deal on Friday that will slash tariffs on electric vehicles and canola, as both nations promised to tear … Read more

Iran reopens airspace after hours-long shutdown spooks airlines

Security forces are seen during a pro-government rally on Jan. 12, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Getty Images | Getty Images News | Getty Images Iran reopened its airspace early Thursday after a temporary closure that barred most incoming and outgoing flights for several hours amid concerns the U.S. could carry out military strikes, raising risks … Read more

Seizing Greenland risks ‘monumental’ fallout, ex-Iceland president warns, as Trump sharpens rhetoric

(L/R) US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio depart the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus after a meeting with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt in Washington, DC, on Jan. 14, 2026. Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images Any U.S. … Read more

China’s annual trade surplus hits a record $1.2 trillion, even as exports to U.S. decline by 20%

QINGDAO, CHINA – JANUARY 13, 2026 – The cargo ship is loading and unloading foreign trade containers at Qingdao Port in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China on January 13, 2026. Cfoto | Future Publishing | Getty Images China’s exports growth in December sharply beat expectations, catapulting the annual trade surplus to a record high, while … Read more

Japanese stocks open at record highs as expectations of snap poll rise

Osanbashi in Yokohama on December 10, 2022. Yuichi Yamazaki | Afp | Getty Images Japanese indexes hit record highs Wednesday on expectations that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi could call for a snap election, likely in February. If called, it will be Takaichi’s first time facing Japan’s voters in an election. The Nikkei 225 index rose … Read more

Trump’s tariff gambit over Iran risks derailing U.S.–China trade deal

TOPSHOT – US President Donald Trump (L) and China’s President Xi Jinping arrive for talks at the Gimhae Air Base, located next to the Gimhae International Airport in Busan on October 30, 2025. Andrew Caballero-reynolds | Afp | Getty Images President Donald Trump’s threat of 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Iran has raised … Read more

What a U.S. intervention in Iran could look like as Trump weighs options

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 11: People take part in a rally in solidarity with protesters in Iran on January 11, 2026 in London, England. Alishia Abodunde | Getty Images News | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump is readying for a likely intervention in Iran, as the country cracks down on protestors, with several hundreds … Read more

Japan plans to dissolve parliament with possible snap election in February: NHK

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to the media after a telephone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, at her residence in Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 2, 2026. Kyodo | Via Reuters Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party is planning to dissolve the country’s Lower House later this month and opt for a snap election likely in … Read more