Doctors urged to test for chikungunya as Hong Kong detects first local 2026 case

1. China has officially opened the Pinglu Canal, a new maritime gateway for the country's southwestern region that promises to reduce transit times to Southeast Asia.

2. Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun emphasized diplomatic efforts during a security conference, as China prepares for President Xi Jinping's historic state visit to the United States.

3. Hong Kong has unveiled its inaugural 5-year plan, aiming to nearly double spending on innovation and raise the share of manufacturing and new industries to 5.5% of the economy.

4. Debris from a Chinese-made short-range ballistic missile has been discovered in Yemen, raising questions about whether the weapon was used in Middle Eastern conflicts.

5. The Hyrox Beijing athletics competition has refunded all affected participants after a hygiene incident, and the governing body has revised its rules to prevent similar incidents in the future.

6. A South Korean crime lord, convicted of murder, planned to escape from a Philippine prison by attaching himself to a drone, but his accomplice's rehearsal footage foiled the plan.

7. In Guangzhou, China, a man wielding a knife injured multiple pedestrians before being apprehended by police in the university district.