Society

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge under construction.

Cross-border buses operated by Hong Kong companies on Friday started trial runs on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) in preparation for the bridge's upcoming opening.

The trial runs, jointly arranged by the governments of the Chinese mainland, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the Macao SAR, would last for three days and aimed at testing the readiness of boundary crossing facilities of the three places, the Hong Kong SAR government's Transport and Housing Bureau told Xinhua.

Police in southern China's Guangdong province have arrested 19 suspects for organizing online gambling involving 430 million yuan (around $62.6 million).

In February, police in Shenzhen City received a tip about a gang setting up an online casino via the social network app WeChat, involving more than 200 gamblers and cash flow of over one million yuan (around $145,000) each day.

The police investigation uncovered that the gang used artificial intelligence (AI) to organize and manipulate online gambling.

The police launched a raid on March 23, capturing 15 suspects and seizing computers, mobile phones and account books. Four other suspects were later apprehended.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign is now targeting the glamour icons of the entertainment industry. On Wednesday, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported that megastar Fan Bingbing, whose earnings are only second to that of Jackie Chan, will have to cough out $129 million in unpaid taxes and fines.

Ms. Fan, 37, has a famous national and international profile. She stars in the well-known X-man and Iron-Man film franchises. Her next film, Air Strike, known in China as Unbreakable Spirit, is set for an international debut this year. It is widely reported that the superstar has had tie-ups with top global brands, including Mont Blanc, the German luxury accessories heavyweight, Louis Vuitton of France, whose catwalk she has graced, as well as De Beers, the British diamond ace.

"I pledge my allegiance to the Constitution of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to safeguard the Constitution's authority, fulfill my legal obligations ..." Newly elected Chinese President Xi Jinping took the solemn oath in Beijing Saturday.

This was the first time for a Chinese president to take a public oath of allegiance to the Constitution upon assuming office.