China has launched its first national civil service examination since elevating the eligibility age cap beyond 35. More than 2.8 million people took the annual exam.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government says it will ensure residents affected by the Tai Po fire receive free housing until their homes are rebuilt.

The purchasing managers' index for China’s manufacturing sector stands at 49.2 in November, higher than the figure in the previous month.

In a message on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reiterated his call for irreversible progress toward a two-state solution.

Hong Kong police say they found no remains after searching two of the seven fire-hit buildings in a residential complex on Saturday, with 144 people previously listed as missing now confirmed safe.

The Chinese military has conducted combat readiness patrols in the territorial waters of and airspace over the island of Huangyan Dao as well as the surrounding areas.

Hong Kong has held a memorial service for victims of a local residential buildings fire which has killed 128 people.

In his meeting with the national security adviser for the British prime minister, top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi has called on Britain to keep cooperation as the overarching theme of bilateral ties.

China's railway operator says China-Europe freight trains have made 120,000 trips since the service launched in 2011, and transported goods worth over 490 billion U.S. dollars.

Hong Kong's fire department says firefighting and rescue efforts have concluded at the residential complex where a fire killed at least 128 people. Officials say about 200 people remain missing.