Xinhua

A Chinese probe carrying samples from the far side of the Moon started its journey back to Earth on Tuesday, the country's space agency said — a world first and a major achievement for Beijing's space programme.

The ascender module of the Chang'e-6 probe "lifted off from lunar surface" and entered a preset orbit around the Moon, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.

The death toll from a highway collapse in southern China's Guangdong province has risen to 48, state media said Thursday, as rescue work continued.

Heavy rains caused a stretch of road running from Meizhou city towards Dabu county to cave in at around 2:10 am on Wednesday (1810 GMT Tuesday), according to state news agency Xinhua.

Greece expects more Chinese tourists this year by offering a tailored tourism product to suit the needs of the Chinese market, a Greek tourism official said on Wednesday.

A major 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck along the China-Kyrgyzstan border on Tuesday, the United States Geological Survey said, warning of potentially widespread damage though no casualties have been reported.

Forty-seven people were buried in a landslide in China's southwestern Yunnan province on Monday, state media reported.

The landslide took place at 5:51 am (2151 GMT Sunday) in Zhenxiong County, state news agency Xinhua reported, citing local authorities.

China called for an end to "harassment" of civilian vessels in the Red Sea on Friday after attacks on ships by Huthi rebels in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Huthi aggression against vessels in and around the Red Sea has led to retaliatory strikes in Yemen by U.S. and British forces.

At least 111 people were killed when an earthquake collapsed buildings in northwest China, state media reported Tuesday, as rescue workers raced to start digging through rubble.

About 100 were killed and scores more injured in Gansu province after the strong, shallow tremor struck, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing the provincial earthquake relief headquarters.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will visit China on November 2-3, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.

The visit follows an invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.

[Reuters]

Eleven people died after the roof of a school gym collapsed in northeastern China, state media reported Monday.

The collapse in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province was caused by construction workers illegally placing perlite -- a form of volcanic glass -- on the building's roof, state news agency Xinhua said.

Concerned relatives raced to hospitals in search of their loved ones Sunday as South Korea mourned the deaths of at least 151 people, mostly in their teens and 20s, who got trapped and crushed after a huge Halloween party crowd surged into a narrow alley in a nightlife district in Seoul.