भारतीय रोज़ नई ख़बरें – भारतीय रोज़ न्यूज़ भारत की सबसे अधिकारपूर्ण, समय पर और विश्वसनीय समाचार सलाहकार वेबसाइट है

Diplomats explore Beijing’s high-tech achievements in Mentougou

Beijing’s western Mentougou district welcomed 32 diplomats from 23 countries across five continents on Tuesday to experience the area’s high-tech achievements and green development. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Beijing’s western Mentougou district welcomed 32 diplomats from 23 countries across five continents on Tuesday to experience the area’s high-tech achievements and green development.

As a former coal town and current ecological conservation area designated by Beijing’s overall urban plan, Mentougou, located at the western gateway to the capital, is renowned for its lush greenery and pristine waters.

International guests visited the millennium-old Tanzhe Temple to explore the beautiful countryside and attractions, including Snow Peak’s first store in Beijing and the Xitan Hotel.

At the Zhongguancun Mentougou Park, diplomats and business representatives visited the Science and Technology Innovation Center exhibition hall, the pharmaceutical achievement transformation center and the AI showcase area, according to Beijing Daily.

In the AI area, the Namibian Ambassador to China, Elia George Kaiyamo, said he was deeply impressed by the innovative achievements he witnessed in Mentougou. He believes that these accomplishments hold promise for playing a role in the new era.

This was Kiyamo’s first visit to Mentougou, despite living in Beijing for years.

Staging an anniversary

Marking the 10th anniversary of the Drum Tower West Theatre — one of the most popular small theaters in Beijing,
The Pillowman, directed by Zhou Ke, will be re-staged in Beijing and Shanghai in May and June. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Two stage adaptations — The Border Town, based on the eponymous 1934 novella by noted Chinese writer Shen Congwen (1902-88), and The Pillowman, adapted from the award-winning play with the same title by Irish-British playwright and director Martin McDonagh — will be staged in Beijing and Shanghai in May and June.

The performances will mark the 10th anniversary of the founding of Drum Tower West Theatre, which is one of the most popular small theaters in the capital.

China to open Qin-Han Civilization Museum for celebrating International Museum Day

Shaanxi History Museum (SHM) Qin-Han Civilization Museum. Photo: Snapshot from Sina Weibo

A new branch of the well-known Shaanxi History Museum (SHM) in Xi’an, capital city of Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, themed on the civilizations of Qin (221-206BC) and Han (206BC-AD220) dynasties, will be officially opened to the public on May 18, as China’s main venue to celebrate the International Museum Day 2024, the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) announced at a press conference in Beijing on Friday.

Luo Wenli, deputy director of the NCHA, said during the press conference that this year’s main theme is “Museums for Education and Research,” aiming to showcase the latest achievements in China’s museum sector and further bridge the communication between museums and the public.

The new museum – SHM Qin-Han Civilization Museum – is located in Xixian New Area, Shaanxi Province, adjacent to the national archaeological site park of Qin Xianyang City.

It will present the “Qin and Han Civilization” series of exhibitions by featuring about 1,500 artifacts. Additionally, they will host an exhibition for celebrating the 10th anniversary of the successful UNESCO listing of Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor.

In 2014, a joint application by China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan led to the recognition of “the Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor” as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

About 2,000 years ago, in the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-AD25), a Chinese envoy named Zhang Qian began his expedition to the Western Regions and opened a trade route that later became the Silk Road. Spanning thousands of miles and thousands of years, the ancient Silk Road was not only a route for trade and barter, but also a route for exchanges between civilizations, making a significant contribution to the development and progress of human society.

Hou Ningbin, director of the Shaanxi History Museum, told the Global Times on Friday that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the successful UNESCO listing of the Silk Road starting from Chang’an. “We have carefully planned this exhibition and borrowed 13 exhibits from the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan that have significant elements of cultural exchange between China and countries along the ancient Silk Road.”

He emphasized the important role of UNESCO listing in the protection and utilization of cultural heritage, stating that since the successful listing, various joint cooperation including archaeological excavations, cultural relic protection, and educational activities between China and countries from the Central and West Asia have been carried out in the countries along the ancient Silk Road.

According to Luo, the opening ceremony of the main event will include several significant announcements, such as unveiling the latest data on the development of China’s museum sector in 2023, releasing the fifth batch of national first-level museums, jointly awarding 20 national revolutionary cultural relic coordination centers with the Ministry of Education, launching the theme exhibition promotion “reading China in museums” in collaboration with the Cyberspace Administration of China, and announcing the “top 10 national museum exhibitions.”

In addition to the main activities mentioned above, various museums and memorial halls in Shaanxi Province and other cities across the country will hold various activities to celebrate the International Museum Day.

For example, Beijing will hold the “Beijing Museum Month,” featuring exhibitions, cultural creativity, film screenings and reading activities.

Media reported that since joining the International Council of Museums in 1983, China has organized International Museum Day activities every year. Since 2009, NCHA has been jointly organizing the main venue event with provincial governments, and this year marks the 15th edition.

CGTN Sports Talk: Real, Dortmund headed to final for a reason

CGTN Sports Talk EP277 UEFA Champions League semifinals.mp3

00:00

Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund will play each other for the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League title after knocking out their opponents in the two-leg semifinals this and last week.

Real were first held 2-2 by Bayern Munich in the first leg at the Allianz Arena on April 30. Back at home on Wednesday, the Spanish heavyweights trailed 1-0 until the 88th minute before Joselu scored two goals in three minutes for his side to come back and secure the victory.

Dortmund didn’t have to overcome any deficit against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) since they won both legs 1-0, but their win was no less hard because their opponents hit the posts six times in the two games.

Real have won the Champions League title 14 times, much more than any other European club. The last time Dortmund made the tournament’s final was in 2013, after eliminating Real in the semifinals.

Joselu (C) of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring a goal in the second-leg game of the UEFA Champions League semifinals against Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain, May 8, 2024. /CFP

Mats Hummels (R) of Borussia Dortmund scores a header in the second-leg game of the UEFA Champions League semifinals against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, May 7, 2024. /CFP

Host: Li Xiang

Guests: Josh McNally, Bhargab Sarmah

Cover designer: Feng Yuan

Suffering worst drought in decades, Costa Rica orders power rationing

Struck by the worst drought in five decades, Costa Rica announced an electricity rationing plan on Thursday, blaming a severe lack of rainfall that has hobbled hydroelectric plants.

The Central American nation, famed for its beaches and lush landscapes that power ecotourism normally, gets about 70 percent of its electricity supply from the plants.

State-run electricity company ICE has blamed the drought conditions partly on the weather phenomenon known as El Nino.

Roberto Quiros, ICE’s electricity director, described water levels at main reservoirs as “critical,” adding that the current El Nino is the most severe on record.

He also pointed to delays in contracted deliveries from private power plants.

The country last saw electricity rationing in 2007.

The power cuts, to be implemented next Monday, are scheduled to last up to three hours daily but will not affect hospitals, industry, or other high-voltage customers.

ICE is also asking residential users to reduce consumption as much as possible.

President Rodrigo Chaves has said he prays every day for rain, as his requests to purchase energy from Costa Rica’s neighbors have proved difficult since power shortages have also hit the broader region.

Widespread power cuts blamed on a heat wave also hit Mexico earlier this week, in addition to similar problems in Colombia and Ecuador.

The lack of rains has accompanied unusually unpredictable wind patterns, ICE officials noted, which has hit supplies from wind farms.

This week, the company announced an alert signaling the possibility of rationing along with a so far unrealized forecast for imminent rainfall. Costa Rica’s rainy season usually kicks off at the end of April.

An uptick in demand has further complicated ICE’s ability to meet it. Official data for January showed a nine percent rise in electricity consumption compared to the same month last year.

(Cover image via CFP)

Source(s): Reuters

Students at the Hungarian bilingual school excited about Peng’s visit

01:43

Peng Liyuan, the wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, visited the Hungarian and Chinese Bilingual School on Thursday afternoon. This school stands as an example of the strong friendship between China and Hungary. CGTN’s Cen Ziyuan spoke with several students who had the opportunity to meet Peng herself. How did they feel about the experience? Let’s find out!

Investing in China: Great opportunities foreseen with innovative moves, says Bloomberg

01:32

With volatility and uncertainties in the global market, China has continued to push forward its reform and opening-up measures, which has given market participants globally a lot of confidence, Li Bing, head of Bloomberg Asia Pacific, told CGTN on Thursday.

Li shared his insights in an interview on the sidelines of a forum themed “Investing in Asia: Spotlight on China” in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and expressed his long-term optimism over the Chinese market.

Noting examples such as the Bond Connect, the southbound Bond Connect and northbound Swap Connect, he highlighted China’s innovative moves to further open up so that global investors have ease of access to the market with great potential.

With a vision to reach its carbon emissions peak before 2030 and become carbon neutral before 2060, China attaches great importance to sustainable finance as one of the key roles in developing its green economy. Li believes that China has taken a leading role in this endeavor.

“China has played a huge part in that globally in terms of the race to net zero,” Li said. “Without China’s participation, I think it’s very difficult for the world to achieve that goal.”

Apart from China’s stronger leading role in the sustainable finance sector, traditional finance, such as the fixed-income market, will also continue to offer tremendous opportunities, he added.

China hands over CubeSat satellite data to Pakistan

China has successfully obtained and delivered the data from ICUBE-Q, a lunar orbiter co-developed by Pakistan’s Institute of Space Technology (IST) and China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University, to Pakistan on Friday. The satellite captured its first image on May 8 en route to collect samples from the far side of the Moon.

The first image taken by ICUBE-Q shows the Sun shinning brightly, May 8, 2024. /CNSA

The first image of the Moon captured by ICUBE-Q, May 8, 2024. /CNSA

The image of the Sun and the Moon taken by ICUBE-Q, May 8, 2024. /CNSA

The ICUBE-Q separated into lunar orbit from the Chang’e-6 Orbiter, obtained data from the satellite, and sent the photos it took, including one of the Moon, back to Earth.

China’s National Space Agency (CNSA) held a data delivery ceremony on Friday, attended by Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque. The images captured by the satellite were also released to the public.

The collaboration was initially offered by China, expecting a student-built payload to the Moon onboard the Chang’e 6 mission. A proposal by Pakistan’s IST went through the selection and started working in a collaborative effort with IST faculty and students, Pakistan’s national space agency SUPARCO and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) since 2023.

China opposes U.S. adding Chinese entities to export control list

A file photo of Chinese and U.S. national flags fluttering. /CFP

China on Friday said it firmly opposes the inclusion of Chinese entities on the United States’s export control “entity list”, criticizing Washington’s abuses of export control measures.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced on Thursday that it has added 37 Chinese entities to the blacklist, citing alleged Chinese involvement in military and Russian issues.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said the U.S. has long been overextending the concept of national security and abusing export control measures to suppress and contain companies of other countries.

That has seriously damaged the legitimate rights and interests of the companies, undermined the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, and impeded the recovery and development of the world economy, said the spokesperson.

China urges the U.S. to immediately stop its wrong practices, said the spokesperson. “China will take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.”

At a regular press briefing on Friday, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters that the U.S. fails to produce the evidence when it seeks to suppress Chinese companies in the name of “national security.”

Lin also said China and Russia are entitled to conduct normal economic and trade cooperation, which should not be disrupted or contained.

Hangzhou lifts all restrictions on new housing purchases

East China’s city of Hangzhou on Thursday announced the removal of restrictions on new housing purchases.

Under the new policy, qualifications for purchasing new houses within the city will no longer be reviewed and non-city householders who have purchased houses in Hangzhou can apply for Hukou, or permanent local residence, which can be used to obtain access to basic welfare and public services in China.

According to the new policy, individuals who don’t have a home in the urban area they’re buying in, or with just one home there that’s up for sale, may qualify as first-time homebuyers when applying for a lower mortgage for their new homes.

China’s 2024 government work report called for an accelerated introduction of a new real estate development model, a strategic move based on the major changes in supply-demand dynamics, featuring high quality, new technology and good services.

In March, Chinese Premier Li Qiang chaired a State Council executive meeting during which reports on optimizing real estate policies were discussed. The need to refine related policies further, ensure the delivery of housing projects and ensure that real estate financing coordination mechanisms yield tangible results were emphasized at the meeting.

New buildings under construction in downtown Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, November 15, 2023. /CFP

Earlier in March, Hangzhou, home to Chinese tech leaders like e-commerce platform Alibaba and carmaker Geely Automobiles, announced the removal of restrictions on the purchase of pre-owned homes.

The relaxation of property purchase restrictions has been a trend across China this year.

On January 30, Shanghai officially announced that non-local people who have paid tax for five years or more can buy a flat beyond the city’s Outer Ring Road with the exception of Chongming District. Similarly, Suzhou in eastern Jiangsu Province lifted all restrictions on housing purchases, eliminating limitations on both area and quantity.

Subsequently, Guangzhou City in south China’s Guangdong Province declared that the purchase of residential properties with a floor area of 120 square meters or more would no longer be subject to restrictions.

Real estate has long been a cornerstone of China’s economy. The housing regulator said in January that in response to significant changes in the supply and demand dynamics of the real estate market, it plans to establish a new development model for the real estate sector, combining both short-term and long-term measures, addressing root causes, and fostering a stable and healthy development of the real estate sector.

Last year, China implemented measures including favorable mortgage terms, lower interest rates, and tax and fee reliefs, to shore up confidence and defuse risks in the sector.

(With input from Xinhua)