China

BEIJING (AP) — China on Thursday launched the main module of its first permanent space station that will host astronauts long term, the latest success for a program that has realized a number of its growing ambitions in recent years.

The Tianhe, or “Heavenly Harmony,” module blasted into space atop a Long March 5B rocket from the Wenchang Launch Center on the southern island province of Hainan, marking another major advance for the country’s space exploration.

BEIJING, Apr 28 (APP): Former Counsel General of China in Karachi has said that he was very fortunate to have learned Urdu and dedicated his youth to the cause of China-Pakistan friendship.

An Qiguang, in his 80s has served in Pakistan several times and worked there for a total of 16 years.

(Reuters) --- A man wielding a knife wounded 18 people including 16 children at a kindergarten in China's southwestern region of Guangxi on Wednesday, state-backed media said.

Two of the children were seriously injured in the attack in the city of Beiliu, state-run Xinhua news agency said.

A suspect was arrested by police, Xinhua added.

(Reuters) --- Hong Kong's legislature passed on Wednesday a controversial immigration bill, which lawyers, diplomats and right groups fear will give authorities unlimited powers to prevent residents and others from entering or leaving the Chinese-ruled city.

The government has dismissed those fears as "complete nonsense," saying the legislation, which will come into effect on Aug. 1, merely aims to screen illegal immigrants at source amid a backlog of asylum applications and does not affect constitutional rights of free movement.

(Reuters) --- China said on Tuesday it had offered help to South Asian countries in accessing COVID-19 vaccines but India did not attend a regional video-conference on the matter, although it is currently suffering the world's worst wave of the pandemic.

China's State Councillor and foreign minister Wang Yi hosted the conference attended by Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, to which China's neighbour and regional rival India was also invited, the Chinese foreign ministry said.

(Reuters) --- A tanker carrying around one million barrels of bitumen mix was involved in a collision near the Chinese port city of Qingdao during heavy fog, spilling oil into the Yellow Sea, Chinese maritime officials and tanker representatives said on Tuesday.

The collision involving the anchored Liberia-flagged tanker A Symphony and the bulk vessel Sea Justice took place at 0850 local time (0050 GMT), A Symphony's manager Goodwood Ship Management said in an e-mail.

BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Cracks are emerging in the Five Eyes Alliance, a U.S.-led intelligence pact, over approaches towards China, underscoring the difficulties Washington faces in forging a common front against China, according to a recent media report.

In a report on Friday, Bloomberg noted that New Zealand was distancing itself from Australia, a partner in the Five Eyes along with the United States, Britain and Canada, over the intelligence-sharing pact's harsh stance on China.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong and Singapore said Monday they would launch an air travel bubble in May, months after an initial arrangement that would allow tourists to fly between both cities without having to serve quarantine was postponed.

Flights will begin from May 26. Visitors will not have to go through the quarantine as long as they fulfill the conditions of travelling within the air travel bubble.

BEIJING, April 25 (APP): Three planes of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) carrying a consignment of one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine left here on Sunday for Pakistan as the country sees sharp increase in new coronavirus cases.

Another consignment of two million doses of Covid-19 vaccine will also be transported from China by the national flag carrier on April 29, Qadir Bux Sangi, PIA Country Manager for China told APP.

Giving details, he said two special planes and a PIA regular flight was used to airlift the corona vaccine doses from China.

BEIJING (AP) — China will launch its next robot lunar lander in 2024, and it will carry equipment from France, Sweden, Russia and Italy, the official news agency reported.

Plans call for Chang’e 6 to land near the lunar south pole and collect samples for return to Earth, the program’s chief designer, Hu Hao, said at a conference Saturday, according to the Xinhua News Agency.