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Here are today’s picks from our editors.
7th FOCAC Ministerial Conference held in Beijing
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Chinese Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan co-chaired the meeting with South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu and South African Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies.
Attending the meeting were foreign ministers and ministers or representatives responsible for foreign economic and trade affairs from 53 African members of the FOCAC and senior representatives of the African Union Commission.
Sisulu said African countries appreciate China's long-term assistance and support, admire its enormous achievements, and are willing to learn from the country's development experience.
African countries will work closely with China to push for a successful FOCAC Beijing Summit, Sisulu said. (Xinhua)
Energy of Asia, peace for world at Jakarta Asiad
The 18th Asian Games in Jakarta came to a close when the cauldron was extinguished at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium on Sunday.
China once again called the shots at the Games, leading with 132 gold, 92 silver, and 65 bronze medals, although the Asian giant sent a relatively young delegation, with 631 out of their 845-athlete squad having participated in neither the Olympics nor the Asian Games.
Japan achieved better-than-expected results at the Asiad as they wrapped up the campaign with a total of 205 medals, including 75 golds, 56 silvers, and 74 bronzes, overtaking South Korea to finish second in the tally for the first time in a decade. (Xinhua)
Turkey draws closer to EU amid worsening ties with US
As Turkish-US ties remain deeply strained, Ankara's relationship with Europe is steadily warming, where cooperation seems to have taken the upper hand over confrontation.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to pay a state visit to Germany in late September, the first of its kind in four years.
Meanwhile, the Turkish leader is also likely to host a summit between France, Germany, and Russia, in the absence of the US, to discuss the Syria issue.
Brussels and Ankara have recently found themselves on the same page against US President Donald Trump's protectionist policies, signaling a common stance in the face of a bullying trade partner. (Xinhua)
South Korean president names top security adviser as envoy to North Korea
South Korean President Moon Jae-in named his top national security adviser as a special envoy to visit North Korea, the presidential Blue House said on Sunday.
Chung Eui-yong, head of the presidential National Security Office, will lead a five-member special delegation to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang on Wednesday.
Moon's special envoy will have extensive discussions with their North Korean counterparts, covering a concrete schedule for an upcoming inter-Korean summit between Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (Xinhua)
China unveils top 500 enterprises in 2018
China unveiled this year's top 500 Chinese enterprises on Sunday with State Grid, Sinopec and PetroChina securing the top three of the list.
The State Grid Corporation of China tops the list, with revenues reaching 2.4 trillion yuan ($351.4 billion) in 2017, followed by the Sinopec Group and the China National Petroleum Corporation.
This year, companies with an annual revenue exceeding 30.69 billion yuan are eligible and allowed to be listed, the first time hitting the 30 billion yuan threshold.
Revenues for China's top 500 companies stood at a total of 71.7 trillion yuan, up 11.2 percent year on year, and the growth rate increased 3.6 percentage points compared with last year. (CGTN)
With rising sea levels, Bangkok struggles to stay afloat
As Bangkok prepares to host climate-change talks, the sprawling city of more than 10 million has been under siege by the environment, with dire forecasts warning it could be partially submerged in just over a decade.
A preparatory meeting begins Tuesday in Thailand's capital for the next UN climate conference, a crunch summit in Poland at the end of 2018 to set rules on reducing greenhouse emissions and providing aid to vulnerable countries.
Bangkok is projected to be one of the world's hardest hit urban areas, alongside fellow Southeast Asian behemoths Jakarta and Manila.
"Nearly 40 percent" of Bangkok will be inundated by as early as 2030 due to extreme rainfall and changes in weather patterns, according to a World Bank report. (AFP)
China issues guideline for pilot reform of soccer education in youth
The Ministry of Education has published a circular for pilot programs with an aim to reform soccer education in schools to foster talent of the sport for the country.
The promotion of soccer in schools should focus on both popularization and quality improvement, said the circular, which was made public on the ministry's website last week.
The guideline called for efforts to enrich soccer courses in schools and improve teaching quality and level in soccer.
The circular also suggested efforts be made to popularize soccer in kindergartens in China, claiming it is a common practice for countries strong in soccer game to develop children's rudimentary soccer skills from a younger age. (Xinhua)
Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.
And now for the Question of the Day:
What's the world’s longest river?
(Answer: The Nile River is commonly regarded as the longest river in the world at 6,650 kilometers although some sources cite Amazon as the longest.)
Today’s quote is from Austrian musician Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
“Versification is, indeed, indispensable for music, but rhyme, solely for rhyming's sake, most pernicious.”
(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Lance Crayon and Terry Guanlin Li)