10 years on, BRI shares opportunities with world By: xinhua on March 30, 2023BOAO, Hainan, (Xinhua) — When Lin Guangming came to south China’s Hainan Province, he was fascinated by the massive opportunities presented by the fledgling free trade port and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Lin, an overseas Chinese with Singaporean citizenship, came to Hainan in 2020 and became the chief planner for the Yangpu Economic […]
China warns of ‘countermeasures’ over US-Taiwan ‘transit’ meeting By: ABC on March 30, 2023BEIJING: Vowing “countermeasures,” China on Wednesday said any meeting between Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen and the US official during the former’s “transit” to central America “undermines peace across Taiwan Strait.” “If Tsai contacts US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, it will be another provocation that seriously violates the one-China principle and undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial […]
World’s usable nuke arsenal rose in 2022: study By: AFP on March 30, 2023The global number of operational atomic warheads increased in 2022, driven largely by Russia and China, a new report out Wednesday said as nuclear tensions have risen since the war in Ukraine. The nine official and unofficial nuclear powers held 9,576 ready-to-use warheads in 2023 — up from 9,440 the previous year, according to the […]
Germany lays on the pomp for Charles III’s first foreign trip By: AFP on March 30, 2023Britain’s Charles III was to travel to Germany on Wednesday for his first state visit as king, with the trip billed as “an important European gesture” to maintain strong ties after Brexit. The British Union Jack was flapping alongside the German and European Union flags along Berlin’s central Unter den Linden avenue, which leads to […]
Israel parties discuss justice reforms after Netanyahu U-turn By: AFP on March 30, 2023Israeli politicians held a second day of talks Wednesday on controversial judicial reforms that sparked mass protests and a general strike in the country’s most severe domestic crisis in years. Scepticism remained high over the negotiations on the judicial overhaul, which foresee curtailing the authority of the Supreme Court and giving politicians greater powers over […]
Tang Dynasty tombs found between ancient Chinese city walls By: APP on March 30, 2023Archaeologists in central China’s Henan Province have discovered six tombs dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) between two buried ancient city walls at different depths, shedding light on ancient site studies with multiple cultural layers in the Yellow River basin. According to Yue Hongbin, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and […]
UK warned to fix ‘lost decade’ of climate readiness By: AFP on March 30, 2023After a “lost decade” of minimal planning, Britain must do a lot more towards mitigating the worst effects of climate change, a panel of government advisors said Wednesday. Record-breaking heat and wildfires last year, and recurrent flooding, are a portent of worse to come even if the UK meets its goal of “net zero” carbon […]
Pope urges faith after ‘unspeakable evil’ of US shooting By: AFP on March 30, 2023Pope Francis offered condolences on Wednesday to the Nashville school devastated by a deadly shooting, condemning the “senseless act of violence” and urging the community to have faith faced with “unspeakable evil”. A telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said the pope was “deeply saddened” by the shooting on Monday, in which […]
Amnesty exposes India for using anti-terror, money laundering laws to silence dissent By: APP on March 30, 2023The erosion of the rights of human rights defenders and religious minorities, use of repressive laws including counter-terrorism and money laundering to silence dissent, prolonged detentions, and killings feature today’s India as exposed by Amnesty International in its latest report. The report “The State of the World’s Human Rights 2022/23” said the Indian government “selectively […]
At least six dead in US school shooting By: Agencies on March 29, 2023A heavily armed 28-year-old fatally shot three children and three adult staffers on Monday at a private Christian school the suspect once attended in Tennessee’s capital city before police killed the assailant, authorities said. The motive was not immediately known, but the suspect had drawn detailed maps of the school, including entry points for the […]