Cloudy Picture News Today

With youth unemployment high, millions will take this month’s Civil Service exam. But for those who get jobs, the reality can be monotonous work that blurs the line with personal lives.

Years of lockdowns took a brutal toll on businesses. Now, the rapid spread of Covid after a chaotic reopening has deprived them of workers and customers.

As American companies seek to limit their exposure to the pitfalls of making goods in China, some are moving production to Mexico.

The U.S. travel rule drew a muted response in a country grappling with outbreaks and where mass, regular Covid testing was up until recently a daily reality for many millions of people.

Many welcomed Beijing’s plan to loosen quarantine rules for travelers, but concerns linger about the country’s Covid wave.

Medical staff are outnumbered and working sick as the nation’s health care system buckles under the strain of a spiraling crisis.

For a powerful government that has bragged about its command of the country, its absence at a moment of crisis has made the public question its credibility.

Also, an emerging picture of China’s Covid crisis.

Even as official figures from the central government remain low, regional numbers point to explosive outbreaks and overstretched health care systems.

China’s murky statistics are fueling widespread public distrust. Its narrow definition of Covid deaths “will very much underestimate the true death toll,” the W.H.O. says.