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Here are today’s picks from our editors.
China encourages whistleblowing to improve market regulation
China will improve its system of providing incentives to whistleblowers amid efforts to lower market regulation costs, the country's market regulator said Wednesday.
Operators within companies will be encouraged to report any activities that violate market supervision laws and regulations and the protection of whistleblowers will also be intensified, an official from the State Administration for Market Regulation said.
According to the provisions, members of the public are allowed to report illegal activities anonymously as long as informants assume responsibility for the authenticity of the details provided. (Xinhua)
India passes controversial citizenship bill in upper house of parliament
The upper house of Indian parliament passed the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) Wednesday evening.
The bill will grant citizenship to illegal immigrants belonging to six religions - Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Parsi and Christianity - from neighboring Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, it has kept out Muslims from applying for the citizenship.
Opposition parties criticized the bill as contrary to secular principles enshrined in India's constitution as it excludes Muslims.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the passage of the bill as a "landmark day for India." (Xinhua)
French PM maintains pension reform with concessions to strikers
France's prime minister vowed Wednesday the government would push ahead with reforms to the country's fragmented pension system, but made concessions to striking workers as he announced details of the plan.
Edouard Philippe said the changes would be implemented in phases and would not affect workers born before 1975, as a crippling public transport strike against the pending overhaul entered its seventh day. (AFP)
Eruption fears halt plans to get bodies off New Zealand volcano
Fears of another eruption at the New Zealand volcano believed to have killed 15 people made it too dangerous for emergency teams to recover bodies, police said Wednesday, as doctors fought to save survivors who suffered horrific burns.
The official death toll after Monday's explosion on White Island stands at six, with police listing another nine as missing, up from the previous figure of eight.
Their bodies are thought to be on the island, but it remains too hazardous for rescuers to travel there and for victim identification experts to begin their work. (AFP)
Saudi stock offering creates world’s most valuable company
Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco surpassed Apple to become the world’s most valuable company Wednesday, when its shares jumped 10 percent in a stockmarket debut.
The shares’ rally on the Saudi exchange brought state-owned Aramco’s value to $1.88 trillion. The 1.5 percent of the company that is listed has raised $25.6 billion, a record for an initial public offering.
Wednesday’s shares were sold mainly to investors in the region: a 0.5 percent stake to individual retail investors in Gulf Arab states and 1 percent to institutional investors. (AP)
Microsoft to stop updating Windows 7 in January 2020
Microsoft will stop providing updates to Windows 7 on January 14 next year, reports Beijing Youth Daily. The company says it will also stop supporting Office 2010 in the near future.
The world-leading software provider has been sending reminders to its users since April saying that they need to update their PC's software, according to the report.
The flagship version of Windows 7 was launched by Microsoft in October 2009. It soon replaced Windows XP as the world's most popular operating system. (China Plus)
Russian F1 organizers say race stays despite WADA sanctions
Russia's F1 Grand Prix in Sochi will not be affected by the country's four-year World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) ban for tampering with doping tests, the race promoters said.
"The contract for holding the Russian round of the F1 World Championship was signed in 2010, long before the events investigated by WADA, and runs until 2025," said ROSGONKI, a company that organizes the F1 race in Sochi.
They pointed out that the race was entered on next year's calendar and said it would be "legally and technically impossible" to re-assign it elsewhere.
The International Automobile Federation (FIA), the governing body of F1, is International Olympic Committee-recognized and classified by WADA as a code signatory. (CGTN)
Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.
And now for the Question of the Day:
What is the definition of dust?
(Answer: A particle small enough to be carried by air currents.)
Today’s quote is from Greek poet Sophocles (496 BC - 406 BC).
"Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud."
(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Brian Lowe, and Elaine Yue Lin. Music by Eugene Loner.)