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Here are today’s picks from our editors.
China, Suriname establish strategic partnership of cooperation
China and Suriname on Wednesday decided to upgrade their relationship to a strategic partnership of cooperation.
The announcement came as Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Surinamese President Desire Bouterse at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
During the talks, Xi said Suriname is one of the first Caribbean countries to establish diplomatic relations with China. The relations can be considered a model of friendly relations and equal treatment between countries of different sizes.
The development of bilateral ties is in an important historical period, and China is willing to work with Suriname to take the opportunity of the Belt and Road cooperation to uplift the ties to new heights, said Xi.
Xi stressed that the two countries should maintain support on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns. (Xinhua)
China beats annual target for cutting carbon emissions in 2018
China's carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) were down by about 4 percent in 2018, beating the annual target by 0.1 percentage points, an official said Wednesday.
By 2018, China had slashed carbon intensity, or the amount of carbon emissions per unit of GDP, by 45.8 percent from 2005 levels, meeting the target of a 40 to 45 percent decrease by 2020 ahead of schedule, Zhao Yingmin, vice-minister of ecology and environment, told a press conference.
The figure can be translated to 5.26 billion fewer tons of carbon dioxide emitted since 2005. (Xinhua)
Libya shuts down major oil field amid military action
Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) of the UN-backed government on Wednesday announced it would shut down the El-Feel oil field in southern Libya due to recent military action.
On Wednesday, the eastern-based army's spokesman said that "an armed group of the militias of the Government of National Accord stormed El-Feel oil field."
El-Feel oil field has a maximum production capacity of about 75,000 barrels of crude oil per day, while the country’s daily oil production is more than 1.2 million barrels, according to the NOC. (Xinhua)
Bolivia appoints first ambassador to US in 11 years
Bolivia appointed its first ambassador to the US in 11 years on Tuesday, officials said, as the interim government resets the country's foreign policy after the departure of Evo Morales.
Walter Oscar Serrate Cuellar has been given the key posting, the foreign ministry announced on Twitter, filling a position left vacant since a diplomatic spat between La Paz and Washington in 2008.
Serrate previously served as Bolivia's ambassador and permanent representative at the United Nations, the ministry said. (AFP)
First remains of 39 found dead in UK lorry tragedy arrive in Vietnam
Sixteen bodies out of the 39 people found dead last month in a refrigerated lorry in the UK arrived in Vietnam on Wednesday morning, after weeks of efforts by families to have them repatriated.
The remains arrived on a Vietnam Airlines commercial flight from London to Hanoi, where they were met at the airport by waiting ambulances and security personnel.
Other remains are expected to arrive in the coming days, although officials have not announced the schedule. (AFP)
China-made detecting aircraft for remote sensing delivered
China's aircraft maker Xi'an Aircraft Industry (XAC) has delivered two high-performance Xinzhou-60 aircraft for remote sensing to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) for aerial observation missions.
The aircraft maker began developing the plane in 2014.
The refitted Xinzhou-60 airplanes have wide applications in emergency support, disaster relief, agriculture, and water conservancy. (Xinhua)
Palace Museum joins WTA in building World Tourism Museum
Beijing's Palace Museum has signed a framework agreement to join the World Tourism Alliance (WTA) in building the World Tourism Museum in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang Province.
According to the agreement, the Palace Museum will carry out in-depth cooperation with the WTA in developing products and holding exhibitions in the tourism museum scheduled to open by December 2020. (Xinhua)
Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.
And now for the Question of the Day:
Which planet spins the fastest?
(Answer: Jupiter is the fastest spinning planet in our solar system rotating on average once in just under 10 hours.)
Today’s quote is from Greek philosopher Diogenes (412 BC - 323 BC).
"A friend is one soul abiding in two bodies."
(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Lance Crayon, and Elaine Yue Lin. Music by Eugene Loner.)