Allies in the Standing Committee back their leader's strict lockdown policy despite damage to the economy. Industrial Guangzhou's 19 million residents have been told to stay home.

Workers at Foxconn, the largest supplier for Apple's iPhone, were attacked after protesting living conditions. The company is working within a closed-loop system, in line with China's restrictive COVID-19 measures.

We take a look at how the press is covering the anti-Covid protests in China. We also discuss the anti-regime movement in Iran and a controversial World Cup move to support it. In food news, we find out the challenges facing the EU chocolate industry and how dolphins aren't put off by the taste of hot peppers.

During massive zero-Covid protests that took place in China recently, Chinese state TV found witty ways to cut away from maskless football supporters in World Cup broadcasts. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

China is grappling with a new wave of COVID-19 after the government lifted its strict anti-pandemic measures. Some citizens are shocked by the sudden change while others welcome it with a sigh of relief.

Indian and Chinese troops have clashed on their disputed Himalayan border, the first known incident between the two nuclear-armed Asian powers in nearly two years.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is particularly rich in mineral resources such as coltan. China operates some of the gold mines there, but the locals complain about poor working conditions.

Many people in China are excited about traveling abroad as COVID restrictions are eased and borders are set to reopen on January 8. Others remain cautious, with more countries imposing restrictions for Chinese visitors.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of travelers flew in and out of China without having to submit to stringent centralised quarantine requirements. The change in policy is raising hope in neighboring countries that this will signal the return of Chinese tourists. Holiday bookings have already increased and markets are trading higher on the news, but as we explain, it will take some time for travel to return to what it was before the pandemic.

The second "surveillance balloon" announcement comes after the first sighting prompted the top US diplomat to postpone a trip to Beijing. China claims the balloons are used for scientific purposes.

China said the device deviated from its route, and "accidentally strayed over Latin America and the Caribbean." This comes even as the US is seaching for the remains of the suspected surveillence balloon it shot down.

The US has shot down a Chinese balloon that had been floating over the mainland for days. China has claimed the US overreacted by downing what it said was a civilian aircraft and threatened repercussions.