WORLD

  BEIJING | Xinhua |  As spring unfolds across China, so do the pages of countless books. On Monday, the country’s first national reading week and the fifth national reading conference opened in tandem, an invitation to turn over a new leaf in the nation’s journey toward a book-loving society. …

BUDAPEST | Xinhua |  Peter Magyar, leader of Hungary’s Tisza Party, said on Monday that his incoming government is working to unlock frozen European Union (EU) funds within a short timeframe, following recent technical talks with EU officials in Budapest. The Tisza party secured a landslide victory in the April …

Humanoid robot “Flash” of Qitiandasheng Team in the autonomous category runs during the Beijing E-Town half-marathon and humanoid robots half-marathon in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area in southeast Beijing, China, April 19, 2026. (Xinhua/Luo Yuan)   BEIJING | Xinhua | On a crisp Sunday morning, the starting gun rang out …

BEIJING, CHINA | Xinhua | Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, on his fourth consecutive annual visit to China, was seen in Beijing this week exploring the smart products of Chinese tech firm Xiaomi, a moment that carries a subtle but far-reaching significance. Sanchez followed a succession of developed-nation leaders who …

TEHRAN | Xinhua | With a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire nearing its expiry, uncertainty once again clouds the outlook for the Middle East. The stop-and-go situation in the Strait of Hormuz — briefly reopened and then shut again by Iran — has added to the volatility. The episode highlights deep-rooted disagreements …

COMMENT | JAMES A. GOLDSTON | As the tragic consequences of US President Donald Trump’s war of choice against Iran continue to accumulate, one hears a cry of desperation: Are we witnessing the “death of international law?” It is a reasonable question. But there is a more important one: Can we …

TEHRAN | Xinhua | Although the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the world’s oil supply, has been declared fully open for commercial vessels, its operational status remains contested. Both Washington and Tehran confirmed on Friday that the strait had been completely open for all commercial vessels. However, U.S. …

  COMMENT | CHIARA CORDELLI  | We live in a world of senseless suffering and impending catastrophe, where it would seem the idea of moral progress has become unintelligible. Two epochal crises afflict contemporary society: the rise of anti-democratic forces and climate change. But what if today’s tragedies turn out to …

  PARIS | Xinhua) |  French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that Iran’s announcement of reopening Strait of Hormuz goes in right direction. Macron made the remarks in a joint declaration following a conference co-hosted by France and Britain in Paris, which brought together 49 countries to discuss securing freedom …

HAIKOU | Xinhua |  The No. 4 exhibition hall at the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) has transformed into a bustling “global village,” vividly illustrating the enduring appeal of the Chinese market. Running from April 13 to 18 in Haikou, capital of China’s island province of Hainan, the …