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Here are today’s picks from our editors.
China, US agree to create favorable conditions for trade talks in October
Chinese and US chief trade negotiators agreed on Thursday to take concrete actions to create favorable conditions for further consultations in October.
The agreement was reached during a phone conversation with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chief of the Chinese side of the China-US comprehensive economic dialogue, upon invitation with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
The two sides agreed to hold the 13th round of China-US high-level economic and trade consultations in early October in Washington and maintain close communication beforehand. (Xinhua)
Italy's new ministers sworn in
The new slate of ministers for Giuseppe Conte's second stint as Italy's prime minister was formally sworn in on Thursday by Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
The 21-minister slate includes ten members of the populist Five-Star Movement, nine from the center-left Democratic Party, and one from the small, liberal Free and Equal party, and one unaligned technocrat.
Based on the selection of ministers, it is almost certain the new government will be more supportive of the European Union than the previous Conte government. (Xinhua)
South Africa shuts embassies in Nigeria amid violence
South Africa has closed its diplomatic missions in Nigeria, underscoring the growing strain between Africa’s two largest economies after the latest wave of xenophobic violence in South Africa, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said Thursday.
The department said that while there had been “no direct physical threat” to any diplomats or staff, the situation remained “somewhat unpredictable” and there were sufficient safety concerns to close the offices in Lagos and Abuja on Tuesday.
On Sunday, violent mobs began looting and setting fire to foreign-owned businesses in several areas of Johannesburg and the South African capitol Pretoria. (AP)
Truck collides with passenger train in Japan kills one, injures dozens
One person was killed, and 33 others injured after a passenger train collided with a truck and derailed in Yokohama, Japan on Thursday, NHK reported.
The collision derailed at least the first three carriages of the eight-carriage train, while the truck caught fire, reports suggested.
The deceased, a 67-year-old truck driver, sustained severe injuries and was later confirmed dead, said a local police spokesperson. (CGTN)
China's first homemade polar icebreaker to begin maiden voyage in October
China's first domestically built polar icebreaker will begin its maiden voyage in October from the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.
The voyage for "Xuelong 2," or "Snow Dragon 2," will start during the seventh China Marine Economy Expo, which will run from Oct.14 to 17, according to Li Yuchun, deputy director of Shenzhen planning and natural resources bureau.
The expo will bring together more than 400 enterprises at home and abroad, including around 100 industry leaders or Fortune 500 companies, said Li. (Xinhua)
France fines Amazon $4.4 mln for using abusive clauses to sell goods
US retail giant Amazon has been slapped with a record $4.4 million fine by a French court over its use of "abusive" clauses for online vendors to sell their wares.
In its ruling, the court found the contested clauses "manifestly unbalanced" and ordered Amazon to change them within six months.
An additional fine of $11,000 per day will be imposed if Amazon fails to do so, according to the ruling.
The French Finance Ministry filed the lawsuit in 2017 after a two-year investigation, which found several clauses potentially unfair to the 10,000 small- and mid-sized French companies doing business on Amazon. (CGTN)
DNA hints the Loch Ness ‘monster’ might be giant eel
A scientist who collected DNA from Scotland’s Loch Ness suggests the lake’s fabled monster might be a giant eel.
Neil Gemmell from the University of Otago in New Zealand says the project found a surprisingly high amount of eel DNA in the water. He cautioned that it’s not clear whether that indicates a gigantic eel or just a lot of little ones.
The DNA project found no evidence to support the notion that the monster is a long-necked ancient reptile called a plesiosaur. (AP)
Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.
And now for the Question of the Day:
What is an infant whale commonly called?
(Answer: calf.)
Today’s quote is from American basketball player Dwyane Wade.
"Being a father is an everyday challenge. It goes on and on."
(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Lance Crayon, and Elaine Yue Lin. Music by Eugene Loner.)