China

BEIJING (AP) — The Latest on the 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule in China (all times local):

11:25 a.m.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has praised his country’s decades-long friendship with Beijing in a message sent to Chinese President Xi Jinping to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Communist rule in China.

Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday that Kim in the message said North Korea would “always stand by” China on the path of “defending and glorifying socialism.”

FUZHOU, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Mitag, the 18th typhoon of the year, had forced over 20,000 residents of eastern China's Fujian Province to be evacuated as of 8 a.m. Monday, local authorities said.

According to the National Meteorological Center, Mitag is forecast to sweep the northeast part of Taiwan on Monday night and move north to sweep or land in the coastal areas of Zhejiang Province on Tuesday.

The flood control headquarters of Fujian has initiated an emergency response, ordering 23,067 seaside residents to evacuate.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s factory activity improved in September ahead of talks with Washington aimed at ending a tariff war.

Surveys released Monday by an industry group and a business magazine both showed improvement, though gains were small.

The China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing said its purchasing managers’ index rose to 49.8 from August’s 49.5 on a 100-point scale on which numbers below 50 show activity contracting. The magazine Caixin said its index rose to 51.4 from 50.4.

HONG KONG (AP) — Watching from a side road, Edmund Lau was struck with admiration and wonder as young protesters dressed head-to-toe in black whirled into action to deal with another volley of tear gas from Hong Kong riot police, kicking away the smoking canisters and rushing to aid the stricken who wept uncontrollably.

“Fabulous,” the 45-year-old nurse said of the now well-oiled tactics deployed by the massed demonstrators, many of whom were 20 years his junior. “Very brave.”

29 September 2019; AFP: At least 36 people died and 36 others were injured in east China when a packed coach with a flat tyre collided with a truck, authorities said Sunday.

The bus was carrying 69 people -- its maximum capacity -- when it crossed into oncoming traffic and hit the freight truck on an expressway in eastern Jiangsu province on Saturday morning, the Yixing public security bureau said.

Dubbed the 'super camera', Chinese scientists have developed a 500 megapixel camera that can identify individuals from crowds of tens of thousands of people. Camera was unveiled by researchers at China's International Industry Fair last week.

The facial recognition camera offers four times more detailed than the human eye, and can identify individuals from crowds of tens of thousands in streets or at sports stadiums. 

BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China plans to step up economic adjustments to counter its slowing economy while providing adequate liquidity in the economy, the central bank said on Sunday.

The United States and China have been locked in an escalating trade war for more than a year, which has hit China’s already slowing economic growth.

The statement was posted on the official Twitter-like Weibo account of the Peoples’ Bank of China.

HONG KONG (AP) — The Latest on protests in Hong Kong (all times local):

5:20 p.m.

Members of an elite police squad have charged out from behind barricades surrounding the Hong Kong government office complex, after protesters continued to throw objects and attempted to scale the barriers despite police use of a water cannon earlier.

The sudden appearance of the officers, commonly known as raptors, took many protesters by surprise Sunday and a number who failed to flee in time were subdued and detained in a scene of chaos.

28 September 2019; AFP: Renewed clashes broke out in Hong Kong Saturday night as police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse hardcore protesters hurling Molotovs and bricks after tens of thousands rallied peacefully in a nearby park.

Huge crowds had gathered to mark the fifth anniversary of the "Umbrella Movement", the failed pro-democracy campaign that laid the groundwork for the massive protests currently engulfing the finance hub.

HONG KONG (AP) — Prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong announced plans Saturday to contest local elections and warned that any attempt to disqualify him will only spur more support for monthslong pro-democracy protests.