Monster Hurricane Milton makes landfall, walloping coast of Florida
飓风“米尔顿”登陆美国佛州
2024-10-10
| Hurricane Milton crashed into the Florida coast on Wednesday, packing furious winds and triggering life-threatening storm surges across a region still reeling from another massive storm two weeks before.
The weather front made landfall as a Category 3 storm near Siesta Key, in a densely populated area on the US state's western coast. Milton triggered tornadoes before its arrival, with unconfirmed reports of multiple fatalities after one twister struck a senior living community on Florida's east coast. President Joe Biden was briefed on the "initial impacts" of Milton, the White House said, as responses from Democrats and Republicans are likely to be closely scrutinized with just four weeks until the tightly-contested US presidential election. Extreme winds of up to 165 kilometers per hour were recorded on Wednesday night, according to the National Hurricane Center. Tidal surges were expected to inundate western Florida's heavily populated and low-lying Gulf Coast. At least 1.6 million households and businesses lost power in the state by late Wednesday, according to tracker poweroutage.us Milton is later expected to rip through inland areas toward the Atlantic Ocean, with tourist hub Orlando — home to Disney World, which has closed for the storm — in its path. In cities up and down Florida's western coast, the wind howled furiously and torrential rain fell as people took shelter wherever they could. In the city of Sarasota, near Siesta Key, gusts of wind blew panes of glass from buildings on the waterfront. The streets were deserted and trees swayed almost horizontally, barely able to withstand the wind. Businesses were shuttered and sandbagged. On a wooden board fixed against a window of an old red brick building, someone wrote: "Be kind Milton." The airports in Tampa and Sarasota were closed until further notice. Just before landfall, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged state residents who had not evacuated to "stay inside and stay off the roads," adding: "Flood waters and rushing storm surge are very dangerous." Milton struck just two weeks after another major hurricane, Helene, devastated Florida and other southeastern states — killing at least 235 people, with emergency crews still working to provide relief. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
China launches nationwide sample survey of population changes
中国开展2024年全国人口变动情况抽样调查
2024-10-10
| China will conduct a nationwide sample survey of population changes this year to accurately and promptly monitor the country's demographic development and provide basic information for its population policies, the National Bureau of Statistics said Thursday.
From October 10 to November 30, selected residents will be asked about their basic information, including age, gender, ethnic groups, educational levels, job positions, marital and fertility status and housing conditions. The reference time for the survey will be November 1, 2024, said the NBS. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
Father under investigation after beating 2 sons for vandalizing cars
重庆父亲因暴打划车的两个儿子被调查
2024-10-10
| A father has been detained for allegedly beating his two boys at his home in southwest China's Chongqing, police said on Thursday.
The investigation was launched after a video showing the man using an electric cord to beat two naked boys circulated online on October 9. The father, surnamed Chen, 29, was punishing his sons after they were caught vandalizing three cars with a black marker in the garage of their residential complex on October 6. The car owners discovered the damage and shared surveillance footage in the community group chat, urging the parents to discipline the children, police said. Later at midnight, Chen used a power cord to beat the boys. The mother filmed the punishment and posted the video in the group chat, apologizing to the car owners and stating that the children had been punished. Medical examinations revealed that both boys sustained soft tissue injuries to their backs, legs, and buttocks. Local authorities have arranged for psychological counseling and follow-up support for the boys. Further investigation is ongoing. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
Brazil lifts ban on X after fines paid, court orders complied
在支付罚款并遵守法院命令后，巴西解除了对X的禁令
2024-10-09
| Brazil's Supreme Court on Tuesday authorized the social media platform X to resume operations in the country after being banned for over a month due to non-compliance with court rulings.
Judge Alexandre de Moraes lifted the ban after X paid approximately 28.6 million reals (US$5.17 million) in fines to the Brazilian government, local media reported. "I hereby declare the suspension lifted and authorize the immediate resumption of X Brasil Internet Ltd's activities within the national territory. I also order the National Telecommunications Agency to implement this decision and report back to this Supreme Court within 24 hours," Moraes ruled. X was banned on August 30 for refusing to appoint a legal representative in Brazil and for not paying fines for disregarding a court order. The platform has since appointed a legal representative and complied with a separate court order to block the accounts of individuals being investigated for inciting a coup in Brazil. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
European leaders call for ceasefire, two-state solution in Gaza conflict
欧盟领导人促加沙立即停火
2024-10-08
| Many European leaders on Monday called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip while repeating their support for the two-state solution.
Since Israel launched a large-scale offensive in Gaza to retaliate against a surprise attack by Hamas on the southern Israeli border on October 7 last year, 41,909 Palestinians have been killed, and 97,303 others injured in Gaza, including many children and women, according to health authorities in Gaza on Monday. On the Israeli side, Hamas' attack has killed over 1,250 Israelis and foreign nationals, with more than 250 people abducted and taken to Gaza. Many Israeli hostages haven't returned yet while some were killed in bombardment. On Monday, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell described an immediate ceasefire as "the only way" to secure the release of hostages and de-escalate the "dangerous" situation in the Middle East. He reaffirmed the EU's commitment to diplomacy, stating: "The time for a ceasefire is now." European Parliament President Roberta Metsola echoed these sentiments, affirming the parliament's unwavering calls for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed the importance of stopping the "living nightmare" of Palestinians and vowed to use the "power of diplomacy" to minimize their suffering on the ground. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz noted the "violence and hunger" inflicted on the Palestinians in Gaza every day. He said the German government is committed to a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the advancement of the political process, despite the immense challenges. On social media, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez highlighted the shocking toll on civilians from the spiral of violence in Gaza, the West Bank and now Lebanon. He posted: "The situation is unbearable. The war must end now." Addressing an official ceremony in Rome to mourn the victims of the year-long conflict, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni noted Israel's legitimate right to defend itself, while stressing the need to perform the right per international humanitarian law. "We cannot remain indifferent to the enormous toll of innocent civilian victims in Gaza," she said. Also on Monday, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob blamed the Israeli army for "one of the largest massacres we know in our times," condemning the killing of civilians as disproportionate to the right to self-defense, and calling for stronger international intervention. Many European governments, including the UK, Germany, and Spain, also reaffirmed their support for a two-state solution. Starmer said a two-state solution is "the only viable long-term route through" the conflicts in the Middle East. Countries such as Norway, Ireland, and Spain have officially recognized Palestine, following the example of several other EU members, though major powers like France and Germany have yet to do so. However, Scholz said on Monday, in the end, a two-state solution is the only way to a peaceful coexistence of Israelis and Palestinians. PRO-PALESTINE PROTESTS Since the weekend, Europe has seen waves of protests demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East. In Britain, multiple demonstrations took place in several cities, with 17 arrests made after a pro-Palestinian march in London on Saturday. In Rome, several thousand pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered on Saturday without official authorization. Clashes broke out between some protesters and police, causing some 30 law enforcement officers and three demonstrators reported injured. Also on Saturday, thousands of people held a demonstration in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, chanting slogans like "Stop Israel's death machine!" Similar protests also took place in other Polish cities and Latvia's capital Riga. And on Monday, protests were held in front of Romania's Parliament and in Valletta, Malta. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
中国决定给予斯洛文尼亚公民免签待遇
2024-09-26
| China has decided to grant visa-free entry to the people of Slovenia, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Slovenian counterpart as they met Wednesday in New York.
"I now notify the Slovenian side with great excitement that the Chinese government has decided to grant visa-free entry to Slovenian citizens," said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, adding that the measure is "good news" for both the Slovenian and the Chinese people as it will forcefully promote friendly exchanges between the two countries and deepen their friendship and mutual trust. Wang was meeting Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon. Noting that Slovenia is an important member of the European Union, Wang said China supports Slovenia assuming the rotating chair of the United Nations Security Council this month, is willing to work with the Slovenian side to implement true multilateralism, uphold the authority of the United Nations and the Security Council, and promote international peace and security. For her part, Fajon expressed the Slovenian side's gratitude for the visa-free entry treatment by China, hailing the policy as a "big positive" that will make exchanges between the two peoples easier and facilitate economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. Fajon said that as the rotating chair of the UN Security Council, Slovenian looks forward to maintaining close coordination with China and making effort to resolve the Ukraine crisis, the conflict in Gaza, as well as other hotspot issues. The two also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis and the conflict in Gaza, agreeing that in pursuing political resolution of related issues, the Security Council should shoulder its due responsibility and play its due role. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
Chinese FM tells Germany not to politicize trade disputes with China
中国外交部长告诉德国不要把贸易争端政治化
2024-09-25
| Politicizing economic and trade issues and abusing tariff measures would serve no one's interests, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his German counterpart at a bilateral meeting Tuesday in New York, calling on Berlin and the European Union to instead resort to dialogue and consultations to resolve trade disputes with China.
The meeting between Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock came as the two top diplomats were in New York for the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly. It also came against the backdrop of the EU preparing to levy additional tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles. Judging from the nearly half-century history since China and the EU established diplomatic relations, enhancing bilateral cooperation is in both side's interests and conducive to world stability, Wang said, stressing that the foundation for China-EU relations is mutually beneficial cooperation, and that the highly complementary nature of the two economies means economic cooperation between China and the EU can result in outcomes that exceed a simple adding-up of their respective economic output. Whereas, politicizing economic and trade issues between China and the EU while slashing tariffs on Chinese imports would serve no one's interests, nor would such actions work to the benefit of the green transition of the world economy, Wang remarked, expressing the hope that Germany and the EU will stick to open cooperation, continue to hold dialogue and consultations with China, properly handle related issues, and jointly uphold international trade rules and a fair environment for competition. On China-Germany relations, Wang noted the strategic plan drawn up by leaders of the two countries, coupled with frequent high-level interactions since the start of the year. He said China-Germany economic and trade cooperation has maintained at a high level, which is an indication of the mutually beneficial and strategic nature of bilateral ties. Many German companies have seized the opportunities presented by China pursuing modernization, deepening all-round reforms and promoting high-quality opening up, Wang said. German companies actively cultivating the Chinese market has led to Germany's investment in China reaching a new record high in the first half of the year, he added. As the world's second and third largest economies, China and Germany can benefit from each other's development, jointly contribute to world peace and prosperity and instill stability to the world, Wang said. For her part, Baerbock said that China is Germany's most important trade partner, and that there are a wide range of sectors for bilateral cooperation, which will yield mutually beneficial and win-win outcomes. While adhering to the one-China policy without any change whatsoever, the German side also believes in free trade and fair competition, as well as resolving differences through dialogue and consultations in an open and transparent manner, Baerbock said, stressing the importance of upholding international trade rules and order. As far as the EU is concerned, Baerbock said that as the world's largest single market, the bloc should strive to keep its market open, adding that Germany attaches importance to the role China plays in international affairs, and is willing to enhance coordination with China within multilateral institutions like the UN and actively promote the development of EU-China relations. Wang said China has always supported UN's core and leading role in tackling international affairs. China, he added, is willing to enhance coordination with all sides — Germany included — so as to ensure that the UN and the Security Council really shoulder the responsibility of maintaining world peace and security. The two also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis and the situation in the Middle East. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
Finnish zoo to send giant pandas back to China amid financial struggles
芬兰动物园因财政问题将送大熊猫回中国
2024-09-24
| The Finnish Ahtari Zoo announced on Monday evening that two giant pandas now living in the zoo would return to China later this year.
The pandas have been living in the zoo since 2018, arriving under a 15-year research agreement for species preservation. The zoo has faced financial difficulties in recent years, according to local media reports. Risto Sivonen, the chair of the board of the zoo, said that their resources were insufficient to continue as a partner in this unique preservation program. The zoo expressed its intention to pursue debt restructuring on Monday. Ahtari is located in west central Finland. The Zoo is the main attraction of the small city. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
Lebanese haunted by psychological trauma after deadly device blasts
黎巴嫩平民在爆炸后饱受心里创伤折磨
2024-09-23
| Tears welled in Elias Jradi's eyes as the surgeon stepped out of an operating room at Ragheb Harb Hospital in Lebanon's southern city of Nabatieh. Inside the operating room were dozens of citizens with eye injuries sustained from the explosions of pagers and wireless communication devices a few days ago.
"We went through difficult and critical hours inside the operating rooms, as we saw the injured protruding eyes, severed limbs, and shattered faces," Jradi said. The pagers and wireless devices widely used by members of Lebanon's Hezbollah group exploded earlier in the week, resulting in 37 fatalities and 2,931 injuries. In a choked, low voice, Jradi, also a parliamentarian, told Xinhua that it was a terrifying scene never seen in the history of wars, with hundreds of people injured in their eyes and arms crammed into emergency rooms. "We had to prioritize the most severely injured and perform critical surgeries on them," Jradi said. "At the same time, we had to treat severed limbs through specialized surgeons and bleeding eyes, as a large percentage of them lost their sight." For Laila Abdallah, a nurse at the governmental hospital in Nabatieh, the days of the explosions still rattle her to the core. "We did not know what was happening outside, as ambulance sirens were blaring everywhere, with rescue crews transporting numerous injured people covered in blood to the emergency department," she said. "The horror of the scene shook my body and caused my vision to blur for moments before I was able to find strength again to continue helping the injured," the nurse recalled, adding, "The blood-stained bodies have not left my mind." Hassan Hamdan, a 50-year-old citizen, said the scene resembled "a horror movie I've never seen in my life, as large numbers of people were falling on the ground, in shops, or inside cars, with most of their injuries being in faces, eyes, and hands." "I found no way to help the dozens of injured around me in the streets of Nabatieh, so I called the Red Cross, from where ambulances were distributed in every direction, picking up the injured and rushing to hospitals," Hamdan said. Kawthar Fahs, another Lebanese citizen, told Xinhua she was accompanied by her little child at a fruit shop in the center of the southern city of Tyre when a device exploded on a young man in his thirties a few meters away. "My child seemed anxious and confused and started screaming when he heard the explosion and saw citizens running to help," she said. Despite the large amount of casualties, local hospitals had prepared to accommodate more injured individuals, as Israel had previously indicated it would intensify military operations in Lebanon. "We were ready thanks to the intensive training offered to the medical and nursing staff and other hospital workers since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip," Moueness Kalakesh, director of Marjeyoun Governmental Hospital, told Xinhua. While the physical wounds of the victims are being treated, the emotional scars left by the explosions may linger for a long time. Psychiatrist Claude Nasr told Xinhua that "the bloody explosions inside homes, on the streets and in many public places will negatively affect the psychological health of individuals and society in general." "It is tough for children and adults to forget these terrifying scenes," she said, adding a large percentage of people suffer from depression, anxiety, and nightmares, and they need "periodic psychological health consultations for several months." The explosions, which Hezbollah blamed on Israel, add a new layer to the ongoing 11-month clashes between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel, although making no comments yet about the two incidents, has previously announced a shift in military focus from Gaza to northern Israel, vowing a continuous offensive against Hezbollah until the safe home return of its northern residents. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
China, EU hold constructive consultation on EV tariff disputes: China's Commerce Ministry
中国商务部部长：中国和欧盟就反补贴案进行磋商
2024-09-20
| China and the European Union (EU) engaged in a "comprehensive, in-depth, and constructive" consultation here on Thursday regarding the EU's ongoing anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), according to a statement released by China's Ministry of Commerce.
During the meeting between the Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and the European Commission Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, both sides expressed clearly their political will to resolve differences through consultations, said the statement. The two sides agreed to continue pushing forward negotiations on the price commitments, and spare no effort to reach a mutually acceptable solution through friendly dialogue and consultation, it added. The European Commission initiated the anti-subsidy investigation without a formal complaint from the industries within the EU, and the rulings were "non-compliant, unreasonable, and unfair," said the ministry. Although the Chinese side cannot agree with or accept this, it consistently maintained the utmost sincerity and made efforts to resolve the issue properly through dialogue and consultation, said the ministry. It stressed that the Chinese industry proposed a price commitment solution during the investigation and further improved it based on the concerns of the EU, which fully demonstrated the utmost flexibility and sincerity from the Chinese side. China urges the EU to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of China, France, and the EU on properly addressing economic and trade frictions through dialogue and consultation, and to take proactive actions to meet China halfway, according to the statement. It cautioned that China will resolutely take necessary measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises, if the EU insists on implementing unreasonable tariffs. China underscored that it has always exercised prudence and restraints in using trade remedy measures and upheld fair and free trade, said the statement. China's trade remedy investigations against the EU were launched at the request of domestic industries, in full compliance with Chinese law and World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations. These investigations were conducted rigorously, adhering to legal standards with transparency and openness, the statement added. "China has the responsibility to safeguard the justified demands and legitimate rights of its domestic industries," the statement said. The two sides also exchanged views on other trade and economic issues, said the statement. |
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| 来源: Shanghai Daily |
