China economy grows in 2020 as rebound from virus gains

BEIJING (AP) — China eked out 2.3% economic growth in 2020, likely becoming the only major economy to expand as shops and factories reopened relatively early from a shutdown to fight the coronavirus while the United States, Japan and Europe struggled with disease flare-ups. Growth in the three months...

Trump's presidency not just a blip in US foreign policy

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden’s plan to scrap President Donald Trump’s vision of “America First” in favor of “diplomacy first” will depend on whether he's able to regain the trust of allies and convince them that Trumpism is just a blip in the annals...

Lebanon OKs law to import vaccines as virus hits new record

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s parliament approved a draft law allowing imports of coronavirus vaccines as the small nation hit a new record in case numbers Friday and more hospitals reported they were at full capacity. The new daily toll of 6,154 cases and 44 deaths came on the second day of a nationwide...

Advocates: Carolina breeders supporting cockfighting in Guam

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Animal rights advocates said breeders in North Carolina have shipped more than 1,000 live roosters to Guam, charging as much as $2,000 for each bird in the island’s cockfighting trade. The groups, Animal Wellness Action and Animal Wellness Foundation, on Thursday sent letters...

Asian shares mixed following Biden speech, Wall St retreat

Asian shares were mixed on Friday after a late slide in several Big Tech stocks left major indexes lower on Wall Street. U.S. futures were trading slightly lower after President-elect Joe Biden announced his plans to propose a $1.9 billion package to help along a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Biden...

UK fishers cry foul as Brexit red tape leaves catch rotting

LONDON (AP) — British fishing communities were among the strongest supporters of Brexit. But now some say they face ruin because of new red tape imposed by the U.K.'s departure from the European Union. One seafood firm has threatened to dump rotting crustaceans on the government’s doorstep if the...

China demands US lift Xinjiang cotton, tomato import ban

BEIJING (AP) — China on Thursday demanded Washington drop a ban on cotton and tomato imports from its Muslim northwest over complaints they are produced by forced labor, which a spokesman dismissed as the “lie of the century.” The ban announced Wednesday adds to a flurry of sanctions imposed...

Leaders like UK’s Johnson who wooed Trump face tricky reset

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said a lot of nice things about Donald Trump over the years, from expressing admiration for the U.S. president to suggesting he might be worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. But after a mob of Trump supporters invaded the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Johnson...

China 2020 exports up despite virus; surplus surges to $535B

BEIJING (AP) — China’s exports rose in 2020 despite pressure from the coronavirus and a tariff war with Washington, boosting its politically volatile trade surplus to $535 billion, one of the highest ever reported. Exports increased 3.6% over 2019 to $2.6 trillion, an improvement on the previous...

China reports 2020 exports rose 3.6% despite virus, US tariff war; trade surplus swells to $535 billion