Authorities also imposed a six-month suspension on the local operations of the global firm, which was once a dominant auditor in China.

Beijing said the move was in line with international trends, as more countries have limited such adoptions. Many would-be adoptive families were left in limbo.

China has the world’s largest population of people 65 or older, and more and more of them are unattached.

Despite a declining birthrate that has alarmed the nation’s leaders, regulations in China prevent unmarried women from freezing their eggs.

A visit by the foreign minister of Ukraine to Guangzhou this week signals Kyiv’s desire to involve Beijing in peace talks that China has thus far largely snubbed.

In a move brokered by China, Fatah and Hamas endorsed a unified government for the West Bank and Gaza, but Palestinians are skeptical that the two parties can put aside their differences.

A joint statement supports the formation of a government of national consensus. But for many Palestinians, the gathering in the Chinese capital was nothing more than a performance bound for failure.