China

Fire alarm and firefighting pump systems at the housing estate engulfed in Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades were found to have been switched off a week before the tragedy struck, with no action taken to reactivate them, an evidential hearing has been told. An independent committee investigating the Tai Po blaze, which broke out on November 26 last […]

Hong Kong police have arrested a 36‑year‑old man on suspicion of taking upskirt images of a woman in a Sha Tin mall. Officers received a report from a passer-by that a man was secretly filming a woman inside the GreenPrice store in New Town Plaza shortly before 2pm on Monday. Police arrived and arrested him on suspicion of unlawful recording or […]

Sao Paulo [Brazil], March 30 (ANI): Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, a presidential hopeful from the Liberal Party (PL-RJ), addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas and advocated for closer political and economic ties between Brazil and the United States, according to Brasil 247.His remarks come at a time when Brazil's political […]

Former PM K.P. Oli has been arrested for his alleged role in the deaths of Gen Z protestorsNewly-elected Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah has launched an anti-corruption clampdown just days after being sworn in as the Himalayan country's head of government.On Monday, Nepal's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said it has begun investigating the […]

BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- A team of researchers has developed a conformal and stretchable piezoelectric microsystem (CSPM) that integrates device design with algorithmic optimization, offering a new approach for long-term, precise monitoring of cardiovascular health.The achievement was recently published in the journal Nature Communications.Frequent […]

(260330) -- TAGAYTAY CITY, March 30, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Pei Zhengyu (L) of China competes during the men elite - scratch race final at the 2026 Asian Track Championships in Tagaytay City, the Philippines, on March 30, 2026. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

(260330) -- JIUQUAN, March 30, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A Lijian-2 Y1 carrier rocket with three satellites onboard blasts off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China, March 30, 2026. The rocket blasted off at 7:00 p.m. (Beijing Time) from a commercial aerospace innovation pilot zone in northwest China and successfully sent the […]

Shanghai [China], March 30 (ANI): Indian Consul General Pratik Mathur on Monday held talks with IndiGo team as the direct flight connecting Shanghai to Kolkata started operations.Mathur appreciated the growing confidence and enthusiasm being expressed through the booming air connectivity between both nations.In a post on X, Indian Consulate in Shanghai […]

On March 23, Hong Kong’s government brought into force amended implementation rules for Article 43 of the national security law. This is not a new power grab or an expansion of authority. It is a technical, evidence-based refinement of the 2020 implementation rules that have governed national security enforcement since the law took effect. Rooted in […]

The head of Hong Kong’s largest teacher training institution has urged all school governing bodies in the city to find a “way out” to handle dwindling student numbers. Professor John Lee Chi-kin, president of the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), also said on Monday that schools should develop their own features and strengths, stressing that […]

Survivors of Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades have mourned a woman who heroically knocked on neighbours’ doors to alert them to the flames but died in the tragedy, after fire alarms at Wang Fuk Court failed to go off. Pak Shui-lin’s husband, Sdanni Yip Ka-kui, and neighbour Lam Yin-ming, both Wang Tai House residents, praised the heroine for her […]

(260330) -- LANZHOU, March 30, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Local vocational students of an international Lamian beef noodle chef training program taste their handmade beef noodles at the I.E.S. Hotel Escuela in Madrid, Spain, in January 2026. TO GO WITH "Across China: Chinese hand-pulled noodles connect cultures across continents" (Lanzhou Resource and Environment […]

BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for mobilizing the whole society to actively participate in afforestation, stressing that a sound ecological environment is shared by all and requires the joint efforts of all.Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central […]

Hong Kong labour authorities have ruled out setting up designated smoking areas under a proposed ban on lighting up at construction sites due to “enforcement difficulties”, while pledging to deploy drones with heat sensors to strengthen inspections. Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui Chark-shum also said on Monday that the planned smoking ban – which was […]

BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- "100 Percent Mission Completed!" Nine-year-old Yang Yiran's eyes lit up as he guided a simulator onto Mars, while children and parents leaned over consoles, waiting for their turn at the International Sci-Fi and Future Tech Expo, a highlight of the 2026 China Science Fiction Convention held in Beijing from this past Friday to […]

(260330) -- PYONGYANG, March 30, 2026 (Xinhua) -- An Air China passenger plane from Beijing arrives at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), March 30, 2026. An Air China passenger plane from Beijing arrived in Pyongyang Monday morning, marking the formal resumption of the Chinese carrier's passenger […]

New Delhi [India], March 30 (ANI): Amid a political row, BJP's Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey on Monday defended his statements regarding former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, asserting that he never disrespected the late leader and that his comments were targeted at the actions of the Nehru-Gandhi family.'Biju Patnaik was a great freedom fighter. […]

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 30(ANI): Bengaluru Police under the jurisdiction of Kempegowda International Airport have busted a gang involved in illegally importing counterfeit cigarettes from abroad and selling them across various states. 5 accused persons have been arrested.According to the police, 5 persons were taken into custody by the […]

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], March 30 (ANI): Former Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Naveen Patnaik on Monday slammed BJP MP Nishikant Dubey for his 'outrageous' remarks on the late Biju Patnaik and questioned Dubey's mental state. Patnaik said he was surprised by Dubey's statements, recalling the fearless leadership of Biju Patnaik […]

An orthopaedist has been issued a public warning letter and reprimanded by Hong Kong’s medical watchdog after performing an unconventional bunion surgery without a patient’s informed consent. The Medical Council on Monday found Dr Daniel Wu Yiang guilty of professional misconduct on four charges after the patient at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital […]

BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Vanuatu Islands at 4:44 p.m. Monday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).The quake's epicenter was monitored at 15.25 degrees south latitude and 167.30 degrees east longitude. It struck at a depth of 140 km, according to the CENC.

(260330) -- BEIJING, March 30, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A policeman explains traffic safety knowledge to pupils at a primary school in Tancheng County of Linyi City, east China's Shandong Province, March 30, 2026. March 30 marks China's national safety education day for middle and primary school students. (Photo by Zhang Chunlei/Xinhua)

HEFEI, March 30 (Xinhua) -- At Anhui Acupuncture Hospital in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, Svetlana Strinzha from Russia scanned a QR code and took a photo of her tongue with her phone. Within seconds, an AI-powered tongue diagnosis device generated a comprehensive health report."It is really interesting to see such a device that combines […]

(260330) -- MACAO, March 30, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yidi serves during the women's singles group 6 match between Wang Yidi of China and Natalia Bajor of Poland at the ITTF Men's and Women's World Cup 2026 in Macao, China, March 30, 2026. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)

Displaced residents of the fire-hit blocks at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court may be allowed repeated trips back to their flats to collect belongings, after officials softened their stance amid an online petition appealing for greater flexibility. Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk Wing-hing said on Monday that residents who wished to go back and forth to […]

(260330) -- BEIJING, March 30, 2026 (Xinhua) -- The State Council Information Office (SCIO) holds a press conference on the 6th China International Consumer Products Expo in Beijing, capital of China, March 30, 2026. (Xinhua/Pan Xu)

(260330) -- HEFEI, March 30, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Tourists from various countries experience traditional Chinese medicine at Anhui Acupuncture Hospital in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, March 19, 2026. TO GO WITH "China Focus: Traditional Chinese medicine emerges as shining 'China service' brand on global stage" (Xinhua/Zhao Jinzheng)

(260330) -- MACAO, March 30, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Zhou Qihao serves during the men's singles group 16 match between Zhou Qihao of China and Kawakami Ryuusei of Japan at the ITTF Men's and Women's World Cup 2026 in Macao, China, March 30, 2026. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)

As light morning drizzles fell over Tanzania's port city of Dar es Salaam, a steady stream of residents, young and old, made their way into the East Africa Commercial and Logistics Center for a two-day free medical camp delivered by Chinese doctors from mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.DAR ES SALAAM, March 30 (Xinhua) -- As light morning drizzles fell over […]

BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- As spring blossoms across China, primary and secondary school students in several regions are set for their first-ever spring break, which will see them heading beyond the classroom to travel and engage in a wide range of activities.In some areas, the spring break will take place just before the three-day Qingming Festival in […]

(260330) -- GUANGZHOU, March 30, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Staff members clear fallen trees from a road in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, March 30, 2026. Severe convective weather occurred in Guangzhou on Monday. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

TAIPEI, Taiwan: Visas issued by Cameroon to Taiwanese officials for a World Trade Organization summit were riddled with so many errors that it forced Taiwan to cancel its plans to attend. The Taiwanese foreign ministry had initially complained that they ​had been listed as coming from China. Taiwan, which China claims as its own, is a member of only a few […]

(260330) -- SANYA, March 30, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Flame guards hold the lantern during the flame return ceremony of torch relay for the 6th Asian Beach Games Sanya 2026 in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, March 30, 2026. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

(260330) -- VICTORIA, March 30, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Han Zheng addresses a reception marking the 50th anniversary of China-Seychelles relations in Victoria, Seychelles, March 29, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

(260330) -- VICTORIA, March 30, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with President of Seychelles Patrick Herminie in Victoria, Seychelles, March 29, 2026. At the invitation of Vice President of Seychelles Sebastien Pillay, Han paid a visit to the island nation from Saturday to Monday. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

(260330) -- VICTORIA, March 30, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Han Zheng holds talks with Vice President of Seychelles Sebastien Pillay in Victoria, Seychelles, March 29, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

Hong Kong police have arrested a man on suspicion of dangerous driving in connection with an online video allegedly showing him allowing a child on his lap to steer a car on a busy road. The force said on Monday that it had tracked down the 22-year-old man believed to be the driver seen in the video that went viral a day earlier. The footage, published in a […]

China's vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity proposes a logic of inclusion rather than exclusion, and win-win cooperation rather than a zero-sum game, said Emin Gasimov, director of Azerbaijan's Center for the Study of China's Global Initiatives, Development and Culture.BAKU, March 30 (Xinhua) -- China's 15th Five-Year Plan is […]

Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has arrested 10 people on suspicion of working as part of a crime syndicate that used triad connections to take control of a HK$160 million (US$20.4 million) renovation project, among other offences. The operation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption also led police to arrest 32 suspects in raids on […]

NANJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- With a quick tap on a smartphone screen, a smart drip irrigation system is activated, delivering a precise mix of water and fertilizer directly to the roots of wheat plants through a network of pipes.This scene, unfolding in fields across China, marks a significant departure from the traditional labor-intensive methods that […]

Taipei [Taiwan], March 30 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense detected the presence of a sortie of Chinese military aircraft, nine naval vessels and an official ship operating around its territorial waters as of 6am (local time) on Monday.The sortie crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern and southeastern part ADIZ.In a post on X, […]

BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, have invited Cheng Li-wun, chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, to visit the Chinese mainland from April 7 to 12, a CPC official announced on Monday.Song Tao, head of the Taiwan Work Office of the […]

Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek suffered a prolonged outage overnight that extended into early Monday morning, disrupting service for hundreds of millions of users, according to a company notice and user feedback. The Hangzhou-based AI lab’s namesake chatbot website and app were offline from Sunday evening, with the company continuing to […]

XIONG'AN, March 30 (Xinhua) -- About an hour's drive from Beijing, a futuristic city is rising on the North China Plain -- the Xiong'an New Area. The area aims to relieve Beijing of non-essential functions related to its status as the nation's capital while also advancing the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Official data reveals […]

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The hearings by an independent committee investigating the catastrophic Tai Po blaze that killed 168 people in Hong Kong entered their fifth day on Monday, with the company responsible for the fire safety systems at […]