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This is People’s Daily app.
Here are today’s picks from our editors.
Carrie Lam announces formal withdrawal of fugitive bill
Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), on Wednesday announced the formal withdrawal of the fugitive bill.
Lam had announced the suspension of the bill on June 15 and later made it clear that all work regarding the amendment of the bill had stopped.
According to Lam, the draft bill "will automatically expire in July of next year." (People's Daily app)
Ho Iat Seng appointed Macao SAR chief executive
China's State Council on Wednesday appointed Ho Iat Seng as the fifth-term chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).
His tenure will start from Dec. 20, 2019, according to a decision made at a State Council meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.
Li told the meeting that the election was completely in line with the Basic Law of the Macao SAR and all other relevant laws, and reflected an open, fair and just principle. (Xinhua)
Iran frees 7 crew of detained British oil tanker
Iran has released seven crew members of the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero that was detained by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz last month, Press TV reported on Wednesday.
The sailors have been freed on humanitarian grounds, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.
Iran detained the Stena Impero on July 19 on allegations that it had violated maritime regulations while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. (Xinhua)
Death toll from firecrackers factory blast rises to 22 in India
The death toll in Wednesday's blast at a firecracker factory rose to 22, even as around 20 others were injured in India's northern state of Punjab, local officials said.
Local media quoted a local senior cop as saying that among the dead were workers of the factory and one of the factory’s owners, besides some passers-by on the road where the factory was located.
It is believed that a large stock of firecrackers was stored inside the factory when the blast took place, and soon the whole factory was engulfed in fire. (Xinhua)
Nigerians attack South African businesses in retaliation
South African-owned businesses operating in Nigeria are being targeted with violence in retaliation for xenophobic attacks carried out against Africans working in South Africa.
Police in South Africa arrested more than 100 people in five areas impacted by days of violence in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Amid a growing outcry about the attacks on many Nigerians living in South Africa, youths took to the streets Tuesday evening in some Nigerian cities to attack South African owned businesses.
Many South African owned businesses in parts of the country are now under police protection, local media reported. (AP)
Melbourne ranks 2nd most liveable city in the world
The Australian city of Melbourne has once again been ranked as the second most liveable city in the world, behind Austria's capital Vienna, according to a report on Wednesday.
The report by research group Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) gave Melbourne a score of 98.4 on the liveability index, remaining the same as last year and only 0.7 percent lower than Vienna.
Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp said in a statement that such a high ranking was an extraordinary honor for the city amid significant population growth and major transportation system upgrade. (Xinhua)
China misses out on FIBA World Cup second round after Venezuela defeat
China lost to Venezuela 72-59 at the Cadillac Arena in Beijing, in the team's third game in Group A at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Venezuela joins Poland in the second stage.
Venezuela got hot in the first quarter, claiming points from outside and managing to maintain their lead by burying multiple in-your-face or long-distance tough shots in the second quarter.
By contrast, China's perimeter players were ice cold most of the time.
What awaits China is the 17-32 Classification Round on Friday and Sunday against South Korea and Nigeria, as well as more reflections over its failure in the tournament. (CGTN)
Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.
And now for the Question of the Day:
What do you call molten rock before it has erupted?
(Answer: Magma.)
Today’s quote is from French writer Joseph Joubert (1754-1824).
"The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk."
(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Brian Lowe, and Elaine Yue Lin. Music by Eugene Loner.)