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China and Taiwan have argued since the end of Covid-19 about when and how tourism from China to the island could resume, with each side blaming the other for it not yet fully returning. — Reuters pic

China to resume some group tours to Taiwan, but political tensions linger

Drinks adulterated with methanol, an industrial alcohol distinct from the ethanol present in alcoholic beverages, are suspected of being the cause of the deaths. — AFP-Relaxnews pic

Turkish tainted alcohol death toll rises to 33

An adult rides a children’s tricycle, as a child walks alongside, at a park in Beijing January 16, 2025. China’s birth rates have been falling for decades as a result of the one-child policy China implemented from 1980 to 2015 as well as rapid urbanisation. — AFP pic

China’s population shrinks for third year in a row, experts warn of worse ahead

A supporter of detained and impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol holds up a safety cone during a rally at the entrance of the Seoul Detention Centre in Seoul January 16, 2025. — AFP pic

South Korea’s Yoon refuses questioning again as warrant deadline nears

Donald Trump pins are displayed for sale at I Love DC Gifts ahead of the Inauguration in Washington January 16, 2025. — AFP pic

A comeback like no other: Trump readies for triumphant inauguration

A man carries the shrouded body person killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza City the previous night, at Al-Ahli Arab hospital, also known as the Baptist hospital, on January 16, 2025, following a truce announcement amid the war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. — AFP pic

Gaza’s destruction in numbers: 170,000 buildings, 46,000 lives, 68pc roads, US$50b to rebuild

People check the rubble of buildings hit in Israeli strikes the previous night in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, on January 16, 2025, following a truce announcement amid the war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. — AFP pic

Human Rights Watch: ‘Heinous crimes’ in Gaza conflict must be punished, regardless of truce

A demonstrator shouts slogans as she arrives in front of the parliament building to express her support for the Palestinians, in Rabat on January 16, 2025, following the news of a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Hamas and Israel. — AFP pic

Blinken ‘confident’ Gaza ceasefire implementation to start Sunday

A scorpion fish lies among garbage in the sea in Phuket, Thailand, November 25, 2024. — Reuters pic

Nothing to sniff at: Phuket’s paradise under threat as rapid tourism fuels garbage crisis

In the county of Tingri, the quake’s epicentre, the walls of one hydrodam have tilted, prompting the evacuation of about 1,500 people from six villages downstream to higher ground. — Reuters pic

Tilting walls, water woes and more: China detects problems at five of 14 dams in Tibet after deadly Jan 7 quake

A December 12, 2020 file photograph shows Apple Daily founder and former tycoon Jimmy Lai in restraints as he is brought to court in Hong Kong. — AFP pic

Hong Kong democracy activist Jimmy Lai admits paying US general for Taiwan advisory, denies endangering China’s security

This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows smoke plumes rising from explosions above destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip on January 16, 2025, following the announcement of a truce amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. — AFP pic

Palestinian officials: Ceasefire deal delayed as Israeli airstrikes kill at least 70 in Gaza

TikTok plans to shut US operations of its social media app used by 170 million Americans on Sunday. — AFP

TikTok prepares to shut down app in US on Sunday

Demonstrators take part in a protest calling for action to secure the release of Israelis held hostage in Gaza since the October 2023, in front of the Israeli defence ministry in Tel Aviv on January 15, 2025. — AFP pic

Israel accuses Hamas of ‘reneging’ on parts of Gaza ceasefire deal

A man waves Palestinian flags as Palestinians react to news on a ceasefire deal with Israel, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, January 15, 2025. — Reuters pic

Iran says Gaza ceasefire is a ‘victory’ for Palestinian resistance

Wounded Palestinian children are rushed into hospital following an Israeli strike, in Gaza City, January 15, 2025. — Reuters pic

Israel strikes Gaza within hours of ceasefire accord with Hamas, residents say