CHINA

The number of North Korean defectors rose 17.5 percent in the first quarter compared to the year before as more people sought to flee the Kim Jong Un regime, a report said.

The International Monetary Fund, led by Christine Lagarde, forecast a “gradual” global growth of 3.4 percent for 2016 — a projection that is likely to be trimmed.

Beijing struck back at Tokyo, saying the country has become a “regional wave-maker keen on rocking the boat” in the contested region.

Although employment and consumer spending have marched ahead, corporate earnings have been in recession since late 2014. It remains to be seen if that will change this quarter.

Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, a soccer fan, China has laid out a plan to become a “world football superpower.”

The deal to buy Zurich's Gategroup would help the Chinese conglomerate, which owns Hainan Airlines, expand its footprint in the global aviation industry.

China has rattled nerves in the South China Sea with its controversial reclamation work in waters that are also claimed by other countries.

Informants can also apply for other perks, such as priority admission to schools and work promotions, according to the local government’s news portal.

European stocks and U.S. stock futures pointed up Monday even as Asian markets showed mixed results and crude oil prices dipped again.

The joint drill comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea threatening to carry out more nuclear tests.

The steel giant, whose British business has been badly hurt by the influx of cheap Chinese imports, began the formal sale process Monday.

An officer with access to sensitive U.S. intelligence faces espionage charges over accusations he passed state secrets, possibly to China and Taiwan, a report said.

Last week, reports said 13 North Korean workers at a restaurant in China defected to Seoul on Thursday — the first mass defection since 2011.

In contrast, wholesale prices have been in deflation for four years despite a prolonged easing campaign by China's central bank.

The visit is seen as Washington’s effort to forge closer ties with India, especially in countering China’s moves.

Japan kicked off a gathering of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven advanced economies in a city destroyed by a U.S. atom bomb more than 70 years ago.

A scathing editorial denounces the Republican presidential frontrunner’s candidacy, branding him as a “demagogue” whose own political vision is “profoundly un-American.”

Rebels in Sudan have sought a referendum on whether Darfur should be an autonomous region, but plan to boycott the vote after recent fighting.

Most of the weapons being offered online originate from Russia, a study found, with heavy machine guns making up the majority of the offerings.

Peru’s presidential election Sunday could give rise to a new political family dynasty in front-runner Keiko Fujimori.

Pakistan also has been working with China to develop an indigenous fighter jet, known as the JF-17.