Communist Party

China's foreign minister stepped up threats Friday against the self-governing island of Taiwan, saying any who go against Beijing's demand to exert control over the island are "playing with fire."

An investigation was launched today after a fire engulfed a hospital in the Chinese capital, Beijing, killing 21 people, state media said.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is on the island of Tinos with his family, wished Happy Easter to Orthodox Greeks around the world in a post on the social media. Mitsotakis will be attending services on the island during the holiday.

Main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras was spending Easter with his family in Corfu, where he participated in the annual ritual of pot smashing.

The ruling Conservatives maintain a lead of 4.5 percentage points over leftist main opposition party, SYRIZA, in voting intention, according to a new poll by Pulse, conducted on behalf of broadcaster Skai, and published on Tuesday.

China on Saturday named Li Qiang, a close confidant of top leader Xi Jinping, as the country's next premier nominally in charge of the world's second-largest economy now facing some of its worst prospects in years.

The latest poll on voting intentions suggests that while center-right New Democracy is still ahead of left-wing SYRIZA, the lead has narrowed since the deadly train collision on February 28.

The Marc poll for Antenna TV, which was aired late Thursday, gives New Democracy 29.6 percent of voting intentions to 25 percent for SYRIZA.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping was awarded a third five-year term as president Friday, putting him on track to stay in power for life at a time of severe economic challenges and rising tensions with the U.S. and others.

Xi Jinping emerged from October's 20th Party Congress with tighter control over the ruling Communist Party - and, therefore, over China - than any leader since Mao Zedong.

Chinese film fans on Jan18 celebrated the return of Marvel movies to the country's cinemas after an absence of nearly four years.

Foreign films are tightly controlled in China, which imposes an annual release quota, and movies in the hugely popular Marvel franchises have been off the silver screen since the release of "Spider-Man: Far from Home" in July 2019.

Jack Ma will cede control of Chinese fintech giant Ant Group, the company has announced, following a Communist Party crackdown on the nation's tech sector that targeted the charismatic billionaire.