China

Fifteen Hong Kong public primary schools are at risk of closing after being banned from operating subsidised Primary One classes in the coming academic year due to insufficient enrolment, with authorities saying the figure is the highest in recent years. But Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin also warned on Tuesday that more closures were […]

(260317) -- HANOI, March 17, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, co-chairs the 17th meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 17, 2026. Officials […]

About 94 per cent of Hong Kong’s students do not get enough daily exercise and 17.5 per cent are overweight, authorities have warned, urging schools and parents to tackle the growing fitness crisis together. A government report released on Tuesday also flagged low fruit and vegetable intake, poor vision health and excessive recreational screen time among […]

Taipei [Taiwan], March 17 (ANI): Prominent European leaders have called on democratic nations to close ranks in defence of the global rules-based order, warning that the growing assertiveness of the People's Republic of China (PRC) threatens stability in Asia and beyond. Speaking during an event linked to the Yushan Forum, former chairman of the Munich […]

Washington DC [US], March 17 (ANI): The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) has strongly condemned People's Republic of China for what it described as 'hypocrisy' in invoking the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, accusing Beijing of attempting to deflect attention from its policies in East Turkistan.In an official statement, the ETGE said […]

Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 14 (ANI): The Central Tibetan Administration has commemorated Tibetan monk Sonam Dhargyal on the anniversary of his self-immolation protest, highlighting ongoing concerns among Tibetans over religious freedom and the preservation of their cultural identity.In a post shared on social media platform X, the Tibetan […]

(260317) -- PERTH, March 17, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Linyan (2nd L, front) of China celebrates with teammates after scoring a penalty during the semifinal of Women's Asian Cup between China and Australia at Perth Stadium in Perth, Australia, March 17, 2026. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)

A former Hong Kong opposition politician has argued that China’s one-party rule system is incompatible with the country’s constitution and fails to safeguard people’s fundamental rights, as he defended his calls to end “dictatorship” in a high-profile subversion trial. Ex-lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan, a former chairman of the now-disbanded Hong Kong […]

BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The curtain fell last Thursday on an important political gathering in China this year. As the "two sessions" concluded, Beijing sent an unequivocal message to a world grappling with heightened uncertainty: China will remain the most stable engine of the global economy.At this year's two sessions, China set a GDP growth target […]

New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI): Several members cutting across party lines on Tuesday welcomed the revocation of the suspension of the eight opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha.Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday welcomed the development, describing it as a 'very good development' that marks the end of what he called a 'sad spectacle'. Speaking to […]

New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI): Several members cutting across party lines on Tuesday welcomed the revocation of the suspension of the eight opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha.Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday welcomed the development, describing it as a 'very good development' that marks the end of what he called a 'sad spectacle'. Speaking to […]

New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI): Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday welcomed the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's decision to revoke the suspension of eight opposition MPs, adding that the house's dignity should be maintained from both sides.'This is a good thing... It should happen from both sides (maintaining the dignity of the House),' Priyanka […]

Hong Kong authorities are searching for a woman believed to own a truck that burst into flames in Kwai Chung, with the vehicle suspected of having been converted to carry up to 2,000 litres of black-market fuel. The Fire Services Department received a report shortly after 2pm that the truck was ablaze at a car park on Container Port Road South in Kwai […]

Fourteen members of the former owners’ corporation of blaze-hit Wang Fuk Court along with seven residents have been named to give evidence at an independent probe into Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades. They are among 37 named in a list released on Tuesday by the independent committee investigating the deadly Tai Po blaze, ahead of the first of […]

China's Ecological and Environmental Code offers new opportunities for dialogue and mutual learning within the international community, said Daniele Brombal, a researcher on environmental humanities at Ca' Foscari University of Venice.MILAN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- China's Ecological and Environmental Code could open new opportunities for international […]

SYDNEY, March 17 (Xinhua) -- China's 15th Five-Year Plan has set a clear course for sustainable and innovation-driven development, offering predictability in an unpredictable world, said Australian historian John Queripel."The prime thing both business and investors fear is unpredictability, with long-term planning being impossible with volatility," […]

MELBOURNE, Australia: A jury in a Sydney court found a businessman from the city guilty of providing reports to two people he should have suspected were Chinese spies. Alexander Csergo, 59, is only the second person to be convicted under Australian laws against covert interference and espionage that angered China when they were legislated in 2018. The jury […]

New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI): Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday welcomed the revocation of the suspension of eight Opposition Members of Parliament, describing the move as a very 'good development'.Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament, Tharoor expressed relief that the daily protest by the suspended legislators had concluded.'It's a very […]

New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday revoked the suspension of eight opposition MPs after Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju moved a motion in the lower house of Parliament. The eight opposition MPs - Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Hibi Eden, Dean Kuriakose, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, B Manickam Tagore, Dr. […]

"In 2025, China's growth was resilient despite very challenging external conditions and a huge amount of uncertainty. It was an achievement, really," said an economist.GENEVA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- China's emphasis on high-tech and the large-scale industrial development of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and digital technologies, will […]

Hong Kong’s conservation authorities captured and put down eight wild boars in Wong Tai Sin on Tuesday following a report from residents. Police said staff from the Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) tranquillised the animals – two large boars and six smaller ones – before removing them. The force received a report at 10.07am […]

Hong Kong will continue its efforts to expand business opportunities in the Middle East despite recent geopolitical tensions, as the city remains a safe and stable investment hub amid global volatility, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said. Despite his optimism, Lee conceded that the conflict in the Middle East had affected Hong Kong due to a surge in […]

Hong Kong welcomed 9.95 million visitors in the first two months of this year, 18 per cent more than the same period last year, with the increase driven primarily by mainland travellers visiting the city over the Chinese New Year period. Provisional figures released by the Hong Kong Tourism Board on Tuesday showed that 7.89 million mainland Chinese visitors […]

(260317) -- SELANGOR, March 17, 2026 (Xinhua) -- An aerial drone photo taken on March 16, 2026 shows rails near the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL)'s Gombak station in Selangor state, Malaysia. A ceremony was held Monday at the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL)'s Gombak station, marking a major milestone for the Malaysian ECRL, as track-laying was completed on the […]

Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency has charged a former university professor with allegedly accepting a HK$40,000 (US$5,100) bribe from a friend and offering red packets to colleagues to facilitate a student’s admission into a master’s degree programme. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Monday revealed that Liu Hongbin, 63, a […]

Hong Kong’s Ocean Park has euthanised red panda Rou Rou after the 17-year-old endangered animal experienced degenerative joint problems and stopped responding to palliative care. Ocean Park said on Tuesday that its animal care and veterinary teams had provided Rou Rou with comprehensive care and monitored her geriatric conditions for five years, but could […]

Taipei [Taiwan], March 17 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence on Tuesday recorded the presence of 2 PLA aircraft, 8 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around its territory. Sharing the details in a post on X, the MND said that two sorties entered Taiwan's southwestern part ADIZ and that it has monitored the situation and responded. '2 PLA […]

A suspected wartime mortar round has been safely detonated by bomb disposal officers at a Hong Kong construction site, with no evacuations needed. A source familiar with the matter confirmed to the South China Morning Post that the suspicious object workers discovered at 9.32am on Tuesday at a construction site at Kwu Tung North Multi-Welfare Services […]

Hong Kong authorities will announce arrangements this month for residents displaced by the deadly Tai Po blaze to return to their fire-damaged flats and collect personal belongings by the end of April, the city’s leader has said. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Tuesday that the government would fully cooperate with an independent committee […]

LANZHOU, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have uncovered the drivers of divergent climate changes across Asia over the past 130,000 years, making headway in the study of dust accumulation, humidity evolution, and the driving mechanisms at multi-spatial and temporal scales in Asia, according to Lanzhou University."Published in the journal Science […]

"Higher energy costs ripple across manufacturing, transport, and consumer goods, potentially slowing growth and increasing inflationary pressures worldwide," said an Istanbul-based economic analyst.ISTANBUL, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and spiking oil prices are reshaping global capital flows, prompting investors to […]

A subsidiary of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings has accused Panama of missing a deadline for international arbitration initiated by the company, as it confirmed its offices had earlier been raided by alleged “armed security forces”. Panama Ports Company (PPC) on Tuesday also accused authorities of silencing the country’s press and […]

BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists recently provided a new perspective on the origin of the asteroid 2016HO3 -- the target of the country's first asteroid sample-return mission, Tianwen-2, according to the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.Based on systematic numerical simulations of dynamics, scientists have […]

The Hong Kong government will set up a collaborative mechanism with the legislature to craft the city’s first five-year plan to align with national development, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said, with the blueprint expected to be ready by the end of this year. Lee also stressed on Tuesday that the platform would reflect the city’s executive-led […]

ZHENGZHOU, March 17 (Xinhua) -- When a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) scholar steps into his courtyard, he might find that a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) wedding is unfolding next door. Both scenes can be spotted simultaneously in Yuanqiao Village, where visitors could be forgiven for feeling that they were in parallel universes.Indeed, this village, nestled in the […]

TIANJIN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- In the exhibition hall of Tianjin Flying Pigeon Cycle Manufacture Co., Ltd. in north China, a row of vintage bicycles stood as a testament to a storied past.As the manufacturer of China's first domestically produced bicycle, Flying Pigeon once served as a prestigious national treasure and an indispensable part of Chinese […]

Taipei [Taiwan], March 17 (ANI): Taiwan's Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker, has said that its AI server rack shipments are expected to grow at a 'high double-digit' pace sequentially in the first quarter of this year, according to a report by Focus Taiwan.Foxconn Chairman Young Liu said that for 2026 as a whole, AI server rack […]

Hong Kong travel agencies have suspended all tours to the Middle East this month, including those requiring flight transfers through the region, citing safety concerns amid the ongoing war. The announcement was issued on Monday evening, after renewed Iranian drone strikes targeted Dubai International Airport and other infrastructure in the United Arab […]

This article was first published on March 18, 2006 by Benjamin Wong and Clifford Lo Officers shot with stolen police gun An off-duty police­man shot two uni­formed con­stables, killing one of them, with a gun stolen from and used to kill an officer five years ago, police sources said yes­ter­day (March 17, 2006). The off-duty con­stable, Tsui Po-ko, […]

On February 10, China’s State Council Information Office released a white paper titled “Hong Kong: Safeguarding China’s National Security Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems”. This is the third white paper issued by the Chinese central government on Hong Kong-related affairs since 2014. It reviews Hong Kong’s efforts in safeguarding […]

China, U.S. hold candid, in-depth, constructive talks on economic, trade issuesThe Chinese and U.S. delegations held candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges and consultations here from Sunday to Monday on economic and trade issues of mutual concern, including tariff arrangements, promoting bilateral trade and investment, and maintaining existing […]

Washington, DC [US], March 17 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) said that the ongoing conflict involving Iran would end soon, saying the situation would be 'wrapped up' shortly and would ultimately result in a safer world.Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said that the war could be 'wrapped up soon', adding, 'It won't be […]

Hong Kong lawmakers have said Andrew and Tristan Tate cannot be extradited to the UK or Romania – where they face prosecution – without formal requests from those governments, as the infamous influencer brothers continued their visit to the city on Monday. The legislators also rejected claims that the city had become a haven for fugitives following the […]

South Korea and Japan have led declines in global stock markets amid the oil shock, underscoring how supply disruptions in the Middle East are weighing on growth in economies heavily reliant on fuel imports. The Kospi index in Seoul has slumped 12 per cent since the US-Israel war with Iran broke out on February 28, while Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 has slid nearly […]

If he had to pick one word, Jean-Claude Van Damme says he would describe his oil paintings as “simple”. The star of Bloodsport (1988) had swaggered into his art exhibition 40 minutes late, clad in full black, including the sunglasses he wore indoors. At 65 years old, the “Muscles from Brussels” still has a similar physique to the one at the height […]