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The World Health Organization joined Western leaders on Wednesday in urging Russia to share more information about what killed a plague institute worker in Siberia as reports emerged of a second suspected case. The Kremlin said Moscow had shared what it knew and accused the media of spreading "false information".
This year, China released new rules for funeral practices. The government is putting an emphasis on affordable and environmentally friendly funeral services. It's part of a decades-long reform to promote cremation. But in a country where burials are deeply rooted in local traditions, how are these attempts to modernise funerals being perceived? FRANCE 24's Yena Lee reports.
The death of a 30-year-old nurse in southwestern China from a brain haemorrhage while on duty sparked outrage after authorities refused to classify her death as work-related. Chen Jiajia, a supervising nurse in the medical imaging department at Guizhou Maotai Hospital in Zunyi, experienced a severe headache and began vomiting while working on August 4, according to Dafeng News. Her colleagues swiftly rushed her for emergency treatment, and she subsequently underwent a craniotomy after being...
China tried three times to persuade powerful families in northern Myanmar to shut down scam operations before Myanmar police made a massive arrest in 2023, according to a new documentary broadcast on Chinese state television. The three-part documentary, which was jointly produced by China’s Ministry of Public Security and state broadcaster CCTV and began airing on Monday, shows obstacles faced by Chinese authorities in pursuing criminal networks and scam groups operating in northern Myanmar...
A railway station in southern China’s hub city Guangzhou has set a national record for trips in a single day and drawn attention for the frequency of train departures – one every 40 seconds – during this month’s holiday period, according to the provincial government. Guangzhou South Railway Station handled 1,252 train services and just over 1 million trips on October 1, the start of the seven-day National Day holiday across mainland China, the publicity department of the Guangdong Provincial...
India has sold its Akash air-defence missile system to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, giving it a foothold in Central Asia as it seeks to become a major global arms exporter. Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh confirmed the latest sales on Thursday last week, hinting at interest from elsewhere as he called the Akash “one of our success stories”. Developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation, the Akash is a home-grown, short-range surface-to-air missile system that can hit...
An 86-year-old grandmother in China has become a social media sensation for operating a coffee shop for over a decade – a business she took over from her son in 2015, despite having no experience with coffee at the time. Zhao Qiying, affectionately known as the “Coffee Grandma,” revealed that the shop, located in downtown Qingdao in eastern China’s Shandong province, was nearly bankrupt due to her son’s lack of business acumen, according to the Peninsular Metropolis News. At that time, Zhao was...
We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘No brainer’: growing trend of Chinese tourists booking business-class flights 2. US to deploy NMESIS anti-ship system on Japanese island closest to Taiwan 3. Chinese art takes long march home from US museums 4. Malaysia offers Chinese buyers Singapore’s comfort at prices lower than Thailand 5....
It is no secret that Chinese emperors had many women in their lives, and the imperial concubine system was a significant feature of feudal social structures. Ming-era (1368–1644) emperors could have upwards of 9,000 consorts, ostensibly to ensure an heir. Unfortunately, these women often existed in gilded prisons, barred from leaving the palace grounds and frequently subject to the wrath of a cruel emperor. However, one leader stands out for doing just the opposite; the Hongzhi Emperor (r....
For the first time in a decade, China has returned to the top 100 out of 145 economies in an annual global report assessing gender equality. China closed 69.9 per cent of its gender gap in 2025, rising to 96th place from 103rd the previous year and increasing 1.3 percentage points, according to the 2026 Global Gender Gap Report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), an international non-profit organisation based in Switzerland. It marks the first time China has been ranked in the top 100...
A 60-year-old woman in southern China has defied public stereotypes surrounding senior citizens by becoming a popular e-game live-streamer. Zhong Juanjuan, affectionately known as Auntie Juan by internet users, has amassed 527,000 followers on social media. She hosts two daily live-streaming sessions, each typically attracting around 10,000 viewers, as reported by Beijing News. Zhong, who lives in a suburban area of Meizhou in Guangdong province, only began playing computer games six years ago....
Chinese couples are swapping conventional wedding shoots for starring roles in their own romance dramas, with film crews, scripts and costumes. Tiffany Ap explains a rare bright spot in the country’s shrinking marriage market. (Source: Bloomberg)
China’s veteran filmmaker Zhang Jizhong, 75, and his 44-year-old wife, Du Xinglin, ignited online debate after announcing they are contemplating having a fifth child. The Beijing-born director and producer is renowned for his adaptations of celebrated television versions of classic Chinese novels, including Water Margin and Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. Du, who studied in France, holds a doctorate in intellectual property law. The couple married in 2017 and have since welcomed a son and two...
Two giant pandas arrived in the US following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington, continuing a decades-old tradition in which the beloved fuzzy ambassadors have become symbols of China’s ties with countries around the world. Zoo Atlanta announced the arrival of giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang on Sunday, saying it was “overjoyed” to welcome the pair after the zoo’s previous 25-year partnership with China ended in 2024. Xi said during his US visit that the pandas would be sent...
Britain’s MI5 spy agency issued an unprecedented alert on Wednesday to warn that a Chinese organisation was involved in funding academic research into topics such as AI on behalf of Beijing’s state security service. In its “Espionage Alert”, MI5 said more than 100 UK-based academics had contributed to projects funded by the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), which had “very strong ties” to the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), Beijing’s civilian intelligence...
Two giant pandas from China have landed in the United States and are heading to Zoo Atlanta.
A viral interview with Chinese professor-influencer Liang Yongan has reignited the debate over China’s evolving marriage norms after he argued that at least one-third of people in the country are ill-suited for marriage. Liang, 72, a professor of Chinese language and literature at Fudan University in Shanghai, has emerged as a significant voice on mainland social media, attracting nearly one million followers with his candid observations on youth culture, relationships, and social change. The...
Two giant pandas have arrived in Atlanta to take up residency at the southern US city’s zoo. The pandas, male Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang, left Chengdu in China’s southwest on Sunday, within days of Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapping up his three-day state visit to the United States. During the visit, Xi said the pandas would arrive “in a few days”. Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, whose names mean peace and double blessings, arrived at Atlanta International Airport on a chartered flight, state...
Rice may be the most universal ingredient in the world, serving as a cornerstone of the diet for billions in Asia. However, for much of Chinese history, rice faced a serious competitor, and entire cultures developed around a different cereal grain, one that has since diminished in significance: millet. Millet is a cereal grain that behaves and tastes similarly to rice but has a rounder form. It is often used in porridge, stir-fries, or even fritters. In certain regions of China, millet is...
A 20-year-old woman who collects and sorts rubbish in eastern China gained online fame after her modelling talents were discovered by the renowned self-made “village supermodel” Lu Xianren, who shares a similar childhood background. Identified by her alias Chaoren Leng (translated as “Superman Leng” in English), the woman assists her boyfriend’s father in managing his rubbish collection business in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, as reported by Shenzhen TV. Born Leng Minghui in a village in Fuyang,...
Tokyo, Sept. 26 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government is seeking clarity on Thursday's U.S.-China summit after U.S. President Donald Trump referred to China as an ally during World War II. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering calling Trump for a direct briefing on the summit, as the president's remark caused confusion within the Japanese government. "I won't comment on e...
China's Zhang Zhanshuo, 19, became the first swimmer to win seven golds at a single Asian Games.
Chinese viewers watching Donald Trump welcome Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday may have been puzzled by the US president’s reference to the “Chinese phrase” gung-ho. Turning to Baidu – or increasingly, Doubao, the country’s most popular AI chatbot – they may well have asked: what Chinese expression is he referring to? It sounds Chinese, but gung-ho is neither part of everyday usage nor an idiom drawn from classical texts – making this moment almost as baffling as when US Secretary of...
Frustrated by low-quality materials, careless craftsmanship, and escalating prices, some young women in China are taking matters into their own hands by learning to sew their own underwear, accessories, and handbags. This summer, a surge of sewing enthusiasts flocked to RedNote to showcase their handmade creations. Many beginners embarked on their journey with underwear, assuming it would be a straightforward first project due to its minimal fabric requirements. However, they quickly encountered...
Mooncakes, a sweet staple for China’s annual Mid-Autumn Festival, are not just for people any more. Humans are pulling back, but dogs are digging in. So are cats. Pet mooncakes are popping up across China, from major retailers such as Sam’s Club to online stores and small bakeries. And many are quickly selling out. In the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu, a pack of pet mooncakes selling online for about 50 yuan (US$8) has racked up thousands of sales, news outlet thecover.cn reported. In the...
Melania Trump and China’s first lady Peng Liyuan toured Chinese artworks and a room shaped by Asian design at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington on Thursday, as their husbands held talks at the White House. The museum’s director, Chase Robinson, said the two women spent about 45 minutes there and were “full of questions”. Much of the visit centred on the Peacock Room, whose displays of Chinese porcelain made it a fitting setting for the occasion, he said. “What better...
Satwiksairaj and Chirag then produced a sensational performance to outwit reigning world champions Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang 21-11, 22-20 in the first doubles to bring India back into the five-match tie
A woman in China, who dedicated over two decades to her career as a doctor, made a surprising choice three years ago to leave her profession and open a steamed stuffed bun store. As time passed, her store not only survived but flourished in the competitive food industry, prompting her to launch a second outlet in July. “When I was a doctor, the thought of quitting often crossed my mind. Now, running a bun shop keeps me busy and tired, but I am so happy that I can’t stop,” said Dong Min, 48, in...
Foreign visitors to China who choose to stay somewhere other than a hotel can now register their accommodation with the authorities online, which analysts say will make travelling to the country more convenient. China’s Exit and Entry Administration Law mandates that foreigners register their accommodation with the police within 24 hours of arrival. Those who fail to do so could be issued a warning or fined up to 2,000 yuan (US$298). This applies both to foreign visitors arriving in the country...