China’s censors scrambled to eliminate online debate about its zero-Covid strategy on Wednesday, after the World Health Organization (WHO) criticized the country’s tough stance against the virus. China is the world’s last major economy that adheres to a zero-Covid policy and imposes some of the most stringent virus controls. Most of Shanghai’s 25 million people have … Read more
Shanghai decreased restrictions on some neighbourhoods Monday after mounting outcry over inflexible Covid-19 rules that have locked down millions of people, caused food shortages and left thousands in quarantine. officials said they would gradually begin to allow those in areas with the least number of virus cases to leave their communities, although it was unclear … Read more
SYDNEY – A team of Australian and international scientists created a new DNA test that has the ability to screen for 50 different genetic diseases at once. The test, published in the Science Advances journal on Monday, was developed by researchers from around the world and headed up by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research … Read more
SYDNEY – The Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has decided to scrap mask mandate rules for students at schools while the COVID-19 infections continue to increase in the state. From Feb. 28, masks will no longer be required in high schools for students or staff in NSW. Schools will be able to welcome … Read more
BEIJING: Facing an increasingly complicated external environment and more uncertainties, China is fully confident in and capable of maintaining sound, healthy and sustainable economic growth, said an official with the country’s top economic planner. China faces the triple pressures of demand contraction, supply shocks, and weakening expectations. But its economic resilience, massive potential, bright prospects, … Read more
BEIJING: China’s capital market is expected to see sound development with more opportunities this year, experts said. “The opportunities outweigh the challenges for China’s capital market in 2022,” said Peng Wensheng, chief analyst of the China International Capital Corporation, in a recent interview with Xinhua. Peng added that the country’s innovation drive and policies to … Read more
HOUSTON, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) — The first possible case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been reported in the southern U.S. state of Louisiana, local authorities said on Friday. The case was reported to be someone in the Greater New Orleans area who recently traveled within the United States, said the Louisiana Department of … Read more
KATHMANDU: Nepal has taken a step toward the 5G era as the country’s leading telecom operator has been licenced to conduct 5G network trials. Santosh Paudel, spokesman for Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), told Xinhua on Thursday that the regulator permitted Nepal Telecom to conduct 5G trials early this week. “The company has been licenced to … Read more
KAROT: The Karot hydropower project, a pilot project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), successfully closed the gates of the diversion tunnels on Saturday, starting reservoir impoundment. Invested by the China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) with a total of about $1.74 billion, the Karot hydropower project in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province is the fourth level … Read more
LONDON: Britain and China have seen increasing cooperation in the electric vehicle (EV) sector over the past decade, as the two countries strive to pursue ambitious emission reduction targets, Mike Hawes, chief executive officer of a leading British automotive trade body, told Xinhua in a recent interview. His remarks came just a few days after … Read more
BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping, the uncontested leader of the world’s most populous nation, heads a pivotal plenary of the ruling party’s top figures next week that will set the tone for his bid for long-term rule. From Monday to Thursday, some 400 members of the Communist Party’s all-powerful Central Committee gather in Beijing behind closed doors. … Read more
BEIJING: Beijing reported an air-quality record in July, with the monthly reading for PM2.5 falling to 16 micrograms per cubic meter, authorities said on Monday. It is the third straight month of record low PM2.5 density, following 20 micrograms per cubic meter in May and 18 micrograms per cubic meter in June, said the municipal … Read more
SANAA: Airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition overnight destroyed at least five pick-up vehicles carrying combatants of the Houthi militia in Yemen’s central province of Marib, a military source told Xinhua on Monday. “The vehicles were destroyed in and around the frontline of the southwestern district of Rahabah, killing all aboard,” the source in Marib said … Read more
SHENZHEN: Chinese tech giant Huawei’s revenue reached 320.4 billion yuan ($49.6 billion) in the first half of 2021, with a net profit margin of 9.8 per cent, according to the company’s semiannual report released Friday. As for the company’s three main businesses, the carrier business revenue reached 136.9 billion yuan, the revenue from enterprise business … Read more
BEIJING: A 5.1-magnitude earthquake jolted the waters off Hualien County in China’s Taiwan at 7:12 p.m. Friday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). The epicenter was monitored at 23.15 degrees north latitude and 121.31 degrees east longitude. The earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km, the center said.–Xinhua [embedpost slug=”//”]
BEIJING: China’s Mars rover Zhurong has traveled more than 800 meters on the surface of the red planet as of Friday, according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration. China Zhurong has been traversing a complex terrain full of rocks, craters and dunes, and its rear hazard-avoidance camera … Read more
NEW YORK: Across the US, state governments and businesses are starting to shift from the carrot to the stick to boost coronavirus vaccinations, as daily new cases remain above 100,000 for days and deaths over 400, reported The Washington Post on Friday. “Cities and states — many of which have previously focused on incentives for … Read more
SHANGHAI: Organisers have begun soliciting global design schemes for a new 480-meter-tall building planned on the North Bund in Shanghai. According to the announcement on Friday, nine candidates will be qualified to submit schemes. The candidates will include at least three organizations that have designed super high-rise buildings over 300 meters tall for the top … Read more
BEIRUT: Lebanon‘s Hezbollah announced on Friday that it has launched tens of rockets, attacking Israeli targets in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes a day earlier. Israeli war jets struck rocket launch sites in southern Lebanon early on Thursday in response to rockets that were fired earlier from Lebanon into Israel. No injuries have been reported on … Read more
RAMALLAH: A group of EU diplomats from European countries paid a visit on Thursday to the West Bank village Beita as conflicts and violence between local Palestinians and Israeli forces continued to increase in the area. “The European Union (EU) and like-minded countries visited Beita village in response to rising levels of settlers’ violence and … Read more
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s e-payment transactions increased by 75 per cent in 2020 due to Covid-19 outbreaks, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday. Fintech Saudi’s National Fintech (financial services technology) Adoption Survey Results Report 2021 also revealed a reduction in cash withdrawals through ATM machines by 30 per cent in the same period. One of … Read more
MAZAR-I-SHARIF: One person lost his life and 12 others sustained injuries as a bicycle bomb went off in Mazar-i-Sharif city, the capital of Afghanistan’s northern Balkh province on Thursday evening, provincial police spokesman Adil Shah Adil said Friday. “The terrorists placed explosive device in the cavities of a bicycle and detonated it on a crowded … Read more
CAIRO: The Arab League on Thursday warned that the ongoing border tension between Lebanon and Israel could get out of control. “The League voices concerns regarding the rising escalations at the Israeli-Lebanese borders,” the pan-Arab body said in a statement. Lebanon has been passing through a difficult time and couldn’t endure more tensions, it added, … Read more
NEW DELHI: The floods in India’s eastern state of West Bengal have killed 23 lives, local media reports. The floods were triggered after heavy rains hit several parts of the state, pushing water levels up in the rivers and dams. Nearly 250,000 people were displaced from their homes following the discharge of water from dams … Read more
BEIJING: Typhoon Lupit made landfall in China’s Shantou city, Guangdong Province, at about 11:20 a.m. Thursday, packing winds of up to 23 meters per second at its center, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC). From 2 p.m. Thursday to 2 p.m. Friday, parts of Fujian, Guangxi and Guangdong will experience heavy downpours of 250-300 … Read more
BAGHDAD: Unknown gunmen detonated on Thursday 14 power transmission towers in the Salahudin province north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a provincial police source said. The attacks took place before dawn when the militants planted bombs in the towers and blew them up in different areas across the province, Colonel Mohammed al-Bazi told Xinhua. The … Read more
ISMAILIA, (Egypt): Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority (SCA) held a ceremony on Wednesday to celebrate the recent arrival of a cutter suction dredger (CSD) named Hussein Tantawy. The ceremony was attended by SCA Chairman Osama Rabie and Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, who hoisted the national flag of Egypt on the new dredger. “The dredger is … Read more
SEOUL: Twelve more US soldiers and eight relevant civilians in South Korea tested positive for the Covid-19, the US Forces Korea (USFK) said Thursday. The USFK said in a statement that 20 USFK-affiliated individuals were confirmed with the Covid-19 after arriving in South Korea between July 18 and August 2. One service member arrived at … Read more
