World

Southern African bloc reaffirms commitment to environmental conservation

HARARE, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to environmental conservation to ensure sustainable development in the region.

World

Bank of China marks 10 years as RMB clearing bank in Zambia

LUSAKA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of China (BoC) on Friday celebrated a decade of operating as a renminbi (RMB) clearing bank in Zambia, reaffirming its commitment to promoting cross-border financial services across East and Central Africa.

World

Chinese embassy donates supplies to Zimbabwean orphanage ahead of Children's Day

HARARE, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe on Friday donated a batch of daily necessities to an orphanage in Harare, the African country's capital, bringing joy to children ahead of International Children's Day, which falls on June 1.

World

Ethiopia vaccinates over 11 mln children against measles

ADDIS ABABA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia has vaccinated more than 11 million children as part of a nationwide campaign to contain the spread of an ongoing measles outbreak, local media reported.

World

Canada Post continues to operate with overtime ban in place

OTTAWA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Canada Post said on Friday it will continue operating but customers may experience delays due to an overtime ban initiated by the union.

World

Belarus calls EU decision to increase tariffs on potash fertilizers trade protectionism

MINSK, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The decision to introduce increased tariffs on Belarusian imports of agricultural products and potash fertilizers to the EU is blatant trade protectionism and unfair competition, Ruslan Varankov, spokesperson for Belarusian Foreign Ministry, told local media on Friday.

World

Lukashenko says Belarus' sales of potash fertilizers reached pre-sanction levels

MINSK, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The sale of Belarusian potash fertilizers has reached pre-sanction levels, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday while visiting the mining and processing complex in Lyuban district.

World

Economic Watch: Partnering with China brings development, growth opportunities, global businesses say

by Xinhua writer Wu Qiong, Yang Shiyan

World

Venezuela opposition leader Guanipa under arrest-interior minister

(Reuters) -Well-known Venezuela opposition figure Juan Pablo Guanipa, a close ally of Maria Corina Machado, is under arrest for allegedly leading a terrorist plot, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on Friday.

World

China to boost high-quality development in national development zones

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Commerce has released a work plan to deepen reform and innovation in the country's state-level economic and technological development zones for high-quality development through high-standard opening-up.

World

Xinhua Headlines: China-CEEC cooperation offers world certainty, confidence

NINGBO, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Having attended the China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair several times, Eugen Skermo firmly believes in the potential of the Chinese market and the vast opportunities it holds.

World

Zambia launches project to tackle post-harvest losses

LUSAKA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Zambia launched a major project on Friday to address post-harvest losses in the agricultural sector.

World

Extreme desperation may have led to 400 Rohingya refugees dying at sea, UN agency says

GENEVA (Reuters) -A dire humanitarian situation in Myanmar and Bangladesh may have led to deaths of an estimated 427 Rohingya refugees at sea, the United Nation's refugee agency said on Friday.

World

South Africa town leader 'sad' about Trump's misuse of white crosses video

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -A local representative of an area shown in a video played at the White House said she was "sad" that U.S. President Donald Trump used the footage of hundreds of white crosses as false evidence of mass killings of white South African farmers. 

Singapore

Singapore PM Wong leads swearing-in of new cabinet after election win

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong led the swearing-in of the Cabinet for the new term of government at the Istana on Friday, following the People's Action Party's (PAP) resounding victory at the May 3 general election.

World

Harvard sues Trump administration for blocking enrollment of foreign students

(Reuters) - Harvard University sued the Trump administration on Friday over its decision to revoke the Ivy League school's ability to enroll foreign students, ratcheting up White House efforts to conform practices in academia to President Donald Trump's policies.

AseanPlus News

Philippines Marcos replaces foreign minister in reshuffle but keeps his economics team intact

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has replaced his foreign minister but kept his economic team, a senior official said Friday.

World

Future queen of Belgium caught up in Harvard foreign student ban

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Princess Elisabeth, the 23-year-old future queen of Belgium, has just completed her first year at Harvard University but the ban imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on foreign students studying there could jeopardise her continued studies.

World

Voters in Suriname to choose government to helm predicted oil boom

PARAMARIBO, Suriname (Reuters) -Voters in Suriname, which is on the cusp of a predicted oil boom, will go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament, which will later choose the South American country's next president.

World

IndiGo flight facing severe weather was denied diversion requests, India says

(Reuters) -An IndiGo passenger plane attempting to avoid severe weather en route to Indian Kashmir was denied permission to divert towards Pakistan by both the Indian Air Force and Pakistan, India's aviation regulator said on Friday.