China

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived Thursday morning for a two-day state visit to North Korea, where he is expected to talk with leader Kim Jong Un about the stalled negotiations with Washington over North Korea’s nuclear weapons.

A photo posted by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on its mobile app showed a large welcoming contingent including a military band at the airport in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital.

TAIYUAN, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese archaeologists have discovered a stone building complex dating back more than 1,500 years in the county of Jishan, northern China's Shanxi Province, according to local authorities.

The archaeologists found a fireplace and ceramic fragments in the building complex in the village of Foyukou, which is believed to be a military installation built in the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589).

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong lawmakers grilled the city’s security secretary Wednesday over allegations of police brutality during protests over an extradition bill that eventually was suspended.

The agenda for the meeting showed that pro-democracy members were planning to file a motion of no-confidence for Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s handling of the legislation, which sparked the demonstrations over recent weeks including a massive march on Sunday.

HONG KONG (AP) — All but a handful of protesters in Hong Kong have gone home, but the crisis that brought hundreds of thousands into the streets to oppose an extradition bill is far from over.

The way forward for both Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and her opponents is uncertain because of the limits built into the city’s “one country, two systems” arrangement with Beijing after Britain ceded control of the former colony in 1997.

18 June 2019; DW: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday offered a "most sincere apology to all people of Hong Kong" for a political crisis that erupted over a controversial extradition bill.

"I personally have to shoulder much of the responsibility," Lam said. "This has led to controversies, disputes and anxieties in society."

On Sunday, an estimated two million people took to the streets to demand Lam resign and the extradition bill, which would ease extradition to mainland China, be shelved.

Beijing, Jun 18; AFP/GANASHAKTI: China on Tuesday warned against opening a "Pandora's box" in the Middle East after the United States announced the deployment of 1,000 additional troops to the region amid escalating tensions with Iran.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi also urged Tehran to not abandon the nuclear agreement "so easily" after Iran said it would exceed its uranium stockpile limit if world powers fail to fulfil their commitments under the agreement in 10 days.

Beijing, Jun 17; PTI/GANASHAKTI: President Xi Jinping would make his maiden visit to Pyongyang this week - the first by a Chinese leader in 14 years - in a big boost to the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who is under heavy pressure from the US to give up nuclear weapons programme.

Xi will visit Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) - the official name for North Korea - from June 20 to 21, at the invitation of Kim, the spokesperson for the International Department of the ruling Communist Party of China, Hu Zhaoming, announced here.

BEIJING, June 18. /TASS/: The Syrian authorities are grateful to Russia and Iran for their assistance in the fight against terrorism and expect foreign troops, primarily those from the the US and Turkey, to leave the country, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said at joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Tuesday.

BEIJING (AP) — Rescue efforts are underway after an earthquake in southwestern China that has left 12 people dead and 134 others injured.

The Yibin city press office said on its social media account that 73 houses had collapsed.

The Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management said hundreds of firefighters arrived early Tuesday and had rescued eight trapped people.

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake and a 5.1 magnitude aftershock struck the area in Sichuan province late Monday night. Aftershocks continued into Tuesday morning.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s government headquarters has reopened as the number of protesters gathered outside dwindled to a few dozen.

The demonstrations persisted into early Tuesday but by midmorning most of the protesters had gone home.

A routine meeting of the Executive Council was called off. Chief Executive Carrie Lam suspended work on the extradition bill that ignited the protests but still faces calls to resign for having sought to push through the legislation, which would allow some suspects to be tried in mainland Chinese courts.