China

Thousands of worshippers flocked to Hong Kong’s best-known Taoist temple on Monday for the annual ritual of the burning of the first incense sticks, marking the start of Lunar New Year with prayers for prosperity and health in the Year of the Horse. The Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple threw open its doors at 9pm on Monday for the traditional Lunar New […]

Visitors have started filling campsites along the seashore in Sai Kung near Hong Kong’s famed MacLehose Trail for the Lunar New Year break, with officers patrolling to monitor and prevent littering following previous complaints. At Sai Wan Beach, a picturesque spot popular with tourists on mainland Chinese social media, around two dozen visitors were seen […]

A Hong Kong coach driver has been charged after his vehicle crashed on the Shenzhen Bay Bridge, leaving 17 passengers with minor injuries on Sunday. Hong Kong police said on Monday that the man, surnamed Lee, 63, had been charged with dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm. Police said the bus had been travelling along the bridge towards Hong Kong […]

Curry fishball plushies, novelty minibus signs and products inspired by Hong Kong iconography emerged as bestsellers at the city’s biggest Lunar New Year fair, with one vendor saying he made more than HK$100,000 (US$12,790) in daily sales. From first-time sellers to charities, vendors were busy attracting customers with their locally designed merchandise […]

Beijing [China], February 16 (ANI): A Chinese journalist known for documenting the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) gruesome human rights violations has been held in custody in the capital for more than three months, a development that rights advocates say highlights the authorities' deepening intolerance toward independent voices.Journalist Du Bin was […]

SHENZHEN, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- As the Year of the Horse approaches, a different kind of "gallop" was underway inside a sprawling workshop in Shenzhen, a major tech hub in south China's Guangdong Province. Shelves there were lined with hundreds of humming 3D printers, and technician Yang Shengwu moved among the machines, preparing them for producing yet […]

HANGZHOU/SHENZHEN, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- As China ushers in the Year of the Horse, millennia-old Spring Festival traditions are blending seamlessly with cutting-edge technology, expressing enduring wishes through both heritage and innovation.Ahead of the 2026 Chinese New Year, a waterfront tourist dock in Chun'an County, east China's Zhejiang Province, came […]

BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- One day before Chinese New Year, 26-year-old Wang Wei carefully peeled off the red paper bearing the Chinese character "Fu" hung on his family's wall, part of an annual ritual of replacing old decorations with new ones to welcome good fortune in the new year.In its place, he mounted a string of bright red firecrackers, not made […]

(260216) -- MILAN, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Xandra Velzeboer (front) of the Netherlands celebrates after the short track speed skating women's 1000m final A at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ming)

The measure will apply to nearly all goods imported from 53 countries on the continent, President Xi Jinping has said China will eliminate import tariffs on goods from 53 African countries, President Xi Jinping has announced, in a sweeping trade move set to take effect on May 1. The Chinese leader announced […]

(260216) -- MILAN, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Liu Shaoang (4th R) and Lin Xiaojun (2nd R) of China compete during the short track speed skating men's 5000m relay semifinal at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ming)

(260216) -- MILAN, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Gong Li of China reacts after the short track speed skating women's 1000m semifinal at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

SOUTH CHINA SEA, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Law enforcers aboard the China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Wanshan remain on duty during this year's Spring Festival, a most cherished moment for family reunions in China.

(260216) -- MILAN, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Liu Shaoang (front) of China competes during the short track speed skating men's 500m heat 4 at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (Xinhua/Cheng Min)

(260216) -- ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese singer performs during a concert staged to celebrate the Chinese New Year in St. Petersburg, Russia, Feb. 15, 2026. (Photo by Irina Motina/Xinhua)

Parts of Hong Kong Island were heavily congested on Monday as the final day of the Lunar New Year flower market at Victoria Park drew shopping crowds, leaving commuters stranded and bringing public transport to a standstill for hours. At 7pm, buses and trams continued to be stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic in Causeway Bay, where the city’s largest flower […]

Perfumes from Italian fashion brand Gucci and two other luxury products have been found to contain 10 types of fragrance allergens that could worsen skin conditions for eczema patients, Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has said. The Consumer Council said on Monday that it tested 40 perfume products, including Gucci’s “The Alchemist’s Garden Tears from […]

Hong Kong customs has arrested four people and seized HK$140 million (US$18 million) worth of slimming and cosmetic injections, along with erectile dysfunction pills, in a crackdown on smuggled illicit medicines. The suspects, aged between 26 and 61, comprise two mainland Chinese men and two local women, the Customs and Excise Department said on Monday. […]

BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- They are 400 km above Earth and cannot go home for the Spring Festival this year, but China's taikonauts have found their own ways to make the traditional Chinese holiday warm and sweet.The Shenzhou-21 crew aboard the space station Tiangong, which means Heavenly Palace, are celebrating the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, the […]

(260216) -- MILAN, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Gong Li (1st R) and Zhang Chutong (2nd R) of China compete during the short track speed skating women's 1000m quarterfinal at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (Xinhua/Cheng Min)

Following the viral popularity of "Becoming Chinese," celebrating Chinese New Year in China has become an emerging trend, with an increasing number of international tourists choosing to experience the holiday in the Asian country.This reflects not only the growing global appeal of Chinese culture but also a broader transformation in how the world perceives […]

As the global automotive industry shifts toward green energy, electric vehicles (EVs) are slowly taking off in Zimbabwe, a market long dominated by traditional internal combustion engines.HARARE, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- As the global automotive industry shifts toward green energy, electric vehicles (EVs) are slowly taking off in Zimbabwe, a market long […]

Ex-Prince Andrew faces scrutiny over alleged sharing of confidential information with Jeffrey EpsteinMembers of Britain's royal family are not above the law, the country's top prosecutor said on Sunday, as police investigate former Prince Andrew over allegations he leaked information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Thames Valley Police said last […]

Hong Kong-based Kerry Properties has won a tender for a residential plot in Shau Kei Wan for HK$1.38 billion (US$177 million), which drew heavy bidding interest from both mainland Chinese and local developers. Kerry beat seven other bidders for a 50-year grant for the 1,349-square-metre (14,523 sq ft) parcel in the Eastern district, the Lands Department […]

New Delhi [India], February 16 (ANI): Artificial Intelligence (AI) will not eliminate jobs but transform them, and India is poised to emerge as a major global AI force, AI4India leadership said on the inaugural day of the India AI Impact Summit.Speaking to ANI, Alok Agrawal, Co-Founder of AI4India, emphasized that technological disruption has historically […]

(260216) -- SOUTH CHINA SEA, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Law enforcers prepare Spring Festival decorations aboard the China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Wanshan in the territorial waters of China's Huangyan Dao on Feb. 11, 2026. Law enforcers aboard the China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel Wanshan remain on duty during this year's Spring Festival, a most cherished […]

(260216) -- MUSCATINE, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Students of the Art Troupe of the High School affiliated to Renmin University of China perform during an event to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Muscatine, Iowa, the United States, on Feb. 14, 2026. Around 60 residents in Muscatine, a town on the Mississippi River in Iowa, gathered in the ballroom of the […]

Far from being symbolic, the policy has the potential to trigger a transformative cycle of economic development across Africa while aligning closely with China's own economic evolution.by Maya MajueranAt the 39th African Union Summit on Saturday, China announced that it will fully implement zero-tariff treatment for 53 African countries having diplomatic […]

BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- At Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, the Norwegian quartet clocked one hour, four minutes and 24.5 seconds in the men's 4x7.5km relay, finishing 22.2 seconds ahead of France. Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo became the first athlete in Winter Olympic history to win nine gold medals.On home snow in Cortina d'Ampezzo, […]

(260216) -- BEIJING, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- This screenshot from a video released by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Feb. 16, 2026 shows Shenzhou-21 taikonauts Zhang Lu (C), Wu Fei (L) and Zhang Hongzhang sending their Chinese New Year greetings aboard China's Tiangong space station. TO GO WITH "China Focus: Space station crew rings in Year of […]

(260216) -- AUCKLAND, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- The Happy Chinese New Year concert is staged at the Great Hall of Auckland Town Hall in Auckland, New Zealand, Feb. 15, 2026. (Photo by Wu Jiaxiang/Xinhua)

A Hong Kong court has ordered the liquidation of a scandal-plagued Christian charity for failing to repay HK$61 million (US$7.8 million) granted by the government to renovate a defunct boarding school for drug addicts. In a written judgment on Monday, the High Court granted the Department of Justice’s petition to wind up the Christian Zheng Sheng […]

(260216) -- LHASA, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Norbu Sidar looks on as his apprentice draws a thangka at the Xizang Academy of Thangka in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 10, 2026. On the afternoon of Feb. 10, sunlight streamed through the windows of the Xizang Academy of Thangka, illuminating an unfinished thangka painting. Norbu Sidar […]

Hong Kong will kick off the Year of the Horse on Tuesday with its annual night parade, featuring floats and performers from more than 60 countries and regions. The Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade will feature a street party at 6pm before the procession begins at 8pm in Tsim Sha Tsui. The South China Morning Post offers tips on how to make […]

(260216) -- SHANGHAI, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Aleksandra Antonenko takes short videos at Yuyuan Garden shopping mall in Shanghai, east China, Feb. 6, 2026. Aleksandra Antonenko moved from Russia to pursue her doctorate at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2022. She also began to show the charm of everyday life in China to the world with short video clips. […]

(260216) -- TORONTO, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A fireworks show is staged around the Toronto City Hall in celebration of the upcoming Chinese New Year in Toronto, Canada, on Feb. 15, 2026. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

Hongkongers made close to 1.4 million outbound trips in the three days leading up to Lunar New Year’s Eve, a 21.6 per cent increase from the same period last year, while inbound journeys by visitors rose by 5 per cent to more than 550,000. Despite the increase in departing residents, some restaurants reported a slight uptick in bookings for Lunar New […]

(260216) -- ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 16, 2026 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on Feb. 15, 2026 shows lanterns and light installations in St. Petersburg, Russia. Ten sets of large-scale lanterns and light installations made in Zigong of southwest China's Sichuan Province lit up along the Neva River here on Sunday to celebrate upcoming the Chinese New Year. (Photo […]

A Hong Kong appellate court will announce its decisions next Monday on the appeals of 12 activists convicted of conspiring to subvert state power in an unofficial election, and also rule on an acquitted defendant in the city’s largest national security trial. Eleven of the 12 found guilty over a scheme during the 2020 Legislative Council election to […]

By Nikhil Dedha New Delhi [India], February 16 (ANI): The global balance of power in the coming decades may hinge on leadership in artificial intelligence (AI). While the United States currently leads the AI race and could retain its superpower status until 2050, history, particularly India's own economic legacy, demonstrates how transformative technologies […]

Hong Kong will “move with agility and steadiness” in the Year of the Horse to seize opportunities and overcome challenges, the city’s leader has said in a message to residents. The one-minute Lunar New Year video, broadcast on Monday, showed Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu dressed in a traditional red Chinese suit and admiring paintings of horses on […]

ABU DHABI, 16th February, 2026 (WAM) -- President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a message to President Xi Jinping of China, congratulating him on the Chinese Lunar New Year.His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice […]

Gold, mahjong sets, fancy lai see packets and dinners with fireworks views are among the incentives Hong Kong banks are using to lure wealthy customers from the city and the mainland during the Lunar New Year, which kicks off on Tuesday. Hong Kong authorities estimated that as many as 1.43 million mainland visitors would cross the border during the holiday […]

Some shopping centres in Hong Kong display unclear parking discount terms that often lead to disputes, the consumer watchdog has said, citing a case in which a driver was billed HK$1,210 (US$155) for a full day, more than seven times the advertised rate. The Consumer Council said on Monday that complaints about car-park services had remained persistently […]

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 16 (ANI): The domestic stock markets started the fresh week on a weak note on Monday, with both benchmark indices opening in the red amid continued concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) disruptions in the IT sector.The Nifty 50 index opened at 25,423.60, down by 47.50 points or 0.19 per cent. Similarly, the BSE […]