China has no military ambition in Djibouti

China confirmed on Thursday that it is in talks with Djibouti about the building of logistical facilities to support Chinese peace-keeping and anti-piracy missions near Somalia and the Gulf of Aden. Western media have been paying great attention to China's move, saying that China is building its first overseas military base in Djibouti. They reported that China is avoiding using the word "military base," and said China's move will help expand its global influence. The US and France have military bases in Djibouti, which serves as the outposts for their African military strategies that maximize their national interests. China's ties with all African countries are based on equality and mutual benefit, which do not need the drive of military deterrence. The Chinese navy's patrols near the Gulf of Aden mainly target pirates. The navy also played a key role in evacuating Chinese citizens in recent cases of regional turmoil. China has no intention of building a military base from which to launch a military strike at a certain Middle Eastern foe. It will not seek to become an empire by building military bases and project its military clout around the globe. Logistical facilities may not appear absolutely different from military bases on the surface. But the motives behind sets them apart. The Chinese fleet needs a supply spot near the Gulf of Aden. The logistical facilities at Djibouti are a natural solution, instead of a prelude for China's military strategy. No Western countries or those around the region have raised official protests. Djibouti government expressed its welcome of China's logistical project there. It sees the coming of China's construction teams as a chance for local development. There is no doubt that China's influence in Africa will keep growing. Such influence mainly comes from economic cooperation and mutual political trust. After the logistical facilities are finished, the Chinese navy's patrols near Africa will become more regular. This is a positive factor in Africa's rise, not a military uncertainty for Africa's future. As long as the other countries welcome China's merchant ships as part of its "Belt and Road" initiative, the world will gradually understand and support the fact that the Chinese navy also appears on major sea routes to protect the safety of ships from China and other countries. As the biggest global trader, China sending out its navy to all oceans should not be a surprise. Actually there are still many places that the Chinese navy has yet to cover. Compared with the US whose military bases lie around the world, it is ridiculous to talk about China's "ambition to become a new sea power."

Commonwealth countries unify voices ahead of Paris climate talks

The leaders of Commonwealth countries unified their voices on climate action on Saturday, ahead of the Paris talks on climate change. The leaders at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) committed to working towards for an ambitious, equitable, inclusive climate change agreement in Paris, said a joint statement. The Commonwealth is made up of 53 independent countries with a combined population of 2.2 billion. The association includes countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean and Americas. Over half of its 53 member states are least-developed countries, small island developing states or both. "We are deeply concerned about the threat posed by climate change, which continues to grow and to put at risk the economic, social, environmental, and cultural well-being of our member states and citizens. Many of our most vulnerable states and communities are already facing the adverse impacts of climate change, which can roll back decades of development gains," the statement said. Commonwealth countries agreed to abide by the target to hold the increase in global average temperature below 2 degrees Celsius or 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The statement said that Commonwealth countries expected the outcome at the Paris summit will stimulate sustainable economic growth, give a clear signal of the need for deep cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions and support vulnerable states. Meanwhile, developed Commonwealth countries reaffirmed their commitment to play their part in mobilising the 100 billion US dollars every year by 2020 to address the adaptation and mitigation needs of developing countries. "47 of the 53 Commonwealth nations have already declared their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, in other words the concrete actions they will take to address climate change," outgoing Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma said at a press conference held in the city St Julians, Malta. He said the statement shows a real commitment in the Commonwealth to address climate change challenges. "We are very proud of this achievement and the fact that diverse nations with different perspectives were able to come together and speak with one voice on this issue which is so critical to our survival," he added. However, the statement showed that an unnamed country expressed reservations on parts of the commitments and ambitions. As the last rehearsal for the Paris climate conference, known as COP21, this confirmed the difficulty of brokering a meaningful agreement in Paris. From Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, France is going to host a climate summit under the banner of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a 195-nation forum which is widely expected to result in a global and binding agreement on tackling climate change.

Japanese civil groups hold activity to convey truth about Nanjing Massacre

An activity aiming to reflect on and spread the truth about Nanjing Massacre was held in Osaka Prefectural Labor Center on Saturday by civil groups in Japan, in which three documentaries about the massacre were screened and a testimony was given by a veteran who is also witness of the massacre. The three documentaries screened were "Torn Memories of Nanjing", and "Taiping Gate, 1300 Lost Lives", both produced by Tamaki Matsuoka, a Japanese activist, and "Nanking", a work of US film-makers. About 300 people watched the documentaries. Tamaki Matsuoka,a former primary school teacher, visited Nanjing, China in 1988, where she saw exhibitions about evidences of the atrocities committed by Japanese army in Nanjing in 1937, and was deeply shocked. Angered by accounts in her country that denied the Nanjing Massacre and whitewashed the crimes committed by Japanese army in WWII, Matsuoka spent the next 20 years interviewing hundreds of survivors and victimizers of Nanjing Massacre, and based on their testimonies, wrote books and produced documentaries to convey the historic truth. The 2009 work "Torn Memories of Nanjing" is Matsuoka's first documentary, in which Japanese veterans confessed on camera their atrocities of raping and killing Chinese civilians in Nanjing and survivors of the massacre recalled the tragedy with anger and tears. "Taiping Gate, 1300 Lost Lives" is Matsuoka's third documentary as well as the most recent one. The documentary shows through testimonies and historic records the fact that the Japanese troops gathered 1,300 Chinese soldiers and civilians at the Taiping Gate of Nanjing in 1937 and killed them cruelly by setting them on fire and mowing them down with machine guns. "Nanking", a 2007 production by US film-makers, draws on letters and diaries of a group of Western missionaries and businessmen who formed the Nanjing Safety Zone to protect the city's civilians from Japanese forces in 1937, as well as archive footage and interviews with surviving victims and perpetrators of the massacre. Sho Mitani, a 96-year-old former navy sailor, recounted at Saturday's gathering how he witnessed the Japanese army killing Chinese civilians by gunfire and how the corpses piled up after the city of Nanjing fell in December, 1937. "Japan should reflect on the history and never start wars again," said Mitani. The documentaries evoked strong emotions among the audience. "I'm shocked by the atrocities I saw in these documentaries. As a commoner, I really hope Japan and China could have a peaceful relationship, as they are neighbors. To achieve that goal, we have to face the historical truth first, instead of escaping from it," said Miho, a 40-year-old housewife from Kobe city after watching the documentaries. "The accounts about Nanjing Massacre in our textbooks are not in details. Most of the young people nowadays don't know much about the massacre, and they seldom have interest in that. I hope we can all respect this history and learn from it," said a student from Osaka University. Matsuoka, one of the initiators of Saturday's activity and head of the civil group Mei Shin Kai, said she hoped more Japanese could find out the truth about the history through these documentaries and testimonies and therefore learn from the history and prevent the wars from happening again. The invading Japanese troops captured Nanjing on Dec. 13, 1937 and started a bloodbath that lasted for more than 40 days. More than 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers were killed and about 20,000 women were raped.

UN chief lauds China's "constructive, active role" in addressing climate change

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has spoken highly of China's "constructive and active role" in tackling climate change, hailing China as "a leader in promoting South-South cooperation" and vowing to further strengthen cooperation between the world body and the globe's largest developing country to work for a sustainable future. "China has played a constructive and active role in the negotiation of the Paris agreement," said the secretary-general in a written interview with Xinhua, referring to a universally binding accord that is expected to be adopted at the Paris conference on climate change, which is scheduled to be held from Nov. 30 and Dec. 11. "I am confident that China will continue to play such a role in Paris on the issue of differentiation and climate finance," Ban said, touching upon the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, which says that countries with different economic, social, and historical backgrounds should contribute according to their differences. "The joint China-US announcement signals the shared vision and seriousness with which the world's two largest economies are moving to a low-carbon future," said Ban. "It demonstrates strong leadership and momentum for a comprehensive global climate agreement in Paris." During Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States in September, Xi and his US counterpart Barack Obama issued a new China-US joint statement on climate change, reiterating their resolve to work together and with others toward an ambitious, successful outcome at the upcoming climate conference in Paris. "The China-France joint statement on climate change addressed several difficult issues and made a great contribution to paving the way to a successful agreement in Paris," Ban said. On Nov. 2, President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Francois Hollande issued a joint statement on climate change in Beijing, pledging to promote a working program to accelerate pre-2020 efforts in mitigation, adaptation and support during the Paris climate conference. They called for a better transparency system to build trust and confidence in the Paris pact, as well as means to review the actions and support of various parties. "Both the China-US agreement and the China-France agreement are important inputs into the multilateral UNFCCC process," the secretary-general said, referring to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Asked to comment on China's Five-Year Plan from 2016 to 2020, which aims at a more sustainable and balanced way of development, the secretary-general said, "China's development transition will not only help China tackle the growing pressure from resource consumption and environment degradation, but also demonstrate to the rest of the world, and to other developing countries in particular, that it is possible to pursue a new development path that is both more sustainable and climate friendly." "This shift is essential because taking timely and universal action on climate change is the only guarantee that the world can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty, build stronger economies and safer, healthier, and more livable societies everywhere, and deliver more benefits to other developing countries," he said. The Sustainable Development Goals, approved by world leaders in September, are a blueprint for the global sustainable development efforts for the next 15 years. "China has become an implementer and innovator in promoting low carbon development and green growth," he said. "Along with the economic growth and improvement of overall capacities, China has become more confident in participating global governance to address climate change and achieve sustainable development." "At the Sustainable Development Summit this September, China expressed a strong willingness to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and address climate change through international cooperation, in particular, by promoting South-South cooperation," he said. "China has been a leader in promoting South-South cooperation, which is playing a complementary yet critical role in promoting global collaboration to address climate change." "The UN can, and is willing to, cooperate with China to build a wider and broader global partnership with the Global South and other relevant stakeholders to promote South-South cooperation," he said. "I can see China playing a leading role in addressing climate change and achieving sustainable development by advocating even more ambitious polices and measures that can be implemented domestically to promote low carbon development and green growth, by leading in the implementation of the outcomes of the Paris conference, and by continuing its leadership role in advancing South-South cooperation and in building a wider partnership for a sustainable world," Ban added.

President Xi leaves for visit to Paris, Africa

Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Sunday for visit to Paris and Africa. Xi will attend the opening ceremony of the 21th UN conference on climate change in Paris from Nov. 29 to 30 at the invitation of French President Francois Hollande as well as French Foreign Minister and chair of the climate change conference Laurent Fabius. The president will pay a state visit to Zimbabwe from Dec. 1 to 2 at the invitation of his Zimbabwean counterpart Robert Mugabe. Xi will also pay a state visit to South Africa from Dec. 2 to 5 at the invitation of South African President Jacob Zuma, and chair the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Johannesburg. Xi's entourage includes his wife Peng Liyuan; Wang Huning, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee; Li Zhanshu, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee; and State Councilor Yang Jiechi.

First China-developed regional jet delivered

China's first commercial regional aircraft, the ARJ21, was delivered on Sunday. The passenger plane, produced by the Shanghai-headquartered Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC), was bought by Chengdu Airlines. Xiangfeng (Flying Phoenix) is a 90-passenger capacity twin-engine jet, with a standard range of 2,220 kilometers. It is expected to ply busy routes such as Chengdu-Beijing and Chengdu-Shanghai. COMAC has received more than 300 orders from 19 airlines, including three from the Republic of Congo. The plane is China's first regional jet to be manufactured according to international standards. Following its maiden flight in 2008, it was put through six years of grueling tests before being awarded airworthiness certificates from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and US Federal Aviation Agency. The jet will also inform the development of China's first large passenger aircraft the C919. Following experience gained from developing the ARJ21, COMAC was able to complete the design, calculation and tests to produce the first C919 in seven years. The jet was unveiled earlier this month. It is expected to compete with Airbus 320 and Boeing 737. "The [airplane programs] show that China's aviation industry is taking shape to compete with its western counterparts," said Luo Ronghuai, chief commander of the ARJ21 development project. China is the world's largest civil aviation market, with its 21 largest airports seeing annual throughput exceeding 10 million passengers and a fleet of over 3,000 aircraft, which is dominated by Boeing and Airbus. The ARJ21 jet is the first Made in China aircraft to join the fleet. Chengdu Airlines has ordered five more ARJ21 jets, delivery is due before the end of 2016. In five to six years, the airline hopes to have a fleet of 30 ARJ21. He Peiwen, Chengdu Airlines deputy manager, said the first jet will be put into operation in three months on seven domestic routes, and later on lines to southeast Asian countries.

Unique ancient musical scores found in Tibet

Historians scouring the ruins of a Tibetan monastery have found 30 ancient manuscripts, including one detailing a kind of musical score never seen before. The manuscripts, dating from the 13th to 18th century and found in Maizhokunggar County, mostly refer to noted Buddhist sutra "Perfection of Wisdom," said Palbar Tsering, director of the regional ancient books protection center, on Thursday. The scores, consisting of groups of curves and syllabic symbols, have been identified as the music for "chams," religious dances usually staged during important festivals to greet gods and dispel demons. Experts will try to decipher them so the music can be played to the public, raising awareness of old Buddhist customs, Palbar Tsering said.

White House on lockdown after fence-jumping incident: report

The White House was on lockdown on Thursday after a man jumped the fence onto the lawn, said local media reports. The jumper was immediately caught, said the US TV network CNN. Despite the immediate capture of the intruder, the presidential compound was reportedly still on lockdown as the US Secret Service carried out security check of the compound. According to US President Barack Obama's public schedule, the First Family was at the White House to celebrate the Thanksgiving Day. This was the second lockdown for the White House in the past seven days. On Saturday, a brief lockdown was put on the White House after a woman threw an apple core over the fence line of the South Lawn. Thursday's lockdown was also the latest incident of a series of intrusions into the presidential mansion in the past two years, which finally caused the Secret Service to add metal spikes onto the fence surrounding the White House in July. So far, the most concerning fence-jumping incident happened in September 2014, when a knife-wielding man with psychological problems jumped over the White House fence and dashed deep into the complex till he reached the doors of the East Room.

China's plan to reorganize its military administration structure and command system will not affect the country's defense policy, which is "defensive in nature," a spokesman for the National Defense Ministry said on Friday. Yang Yujun said at a press conference that "Chinese armed forces will always be a staunch force to safeguard world peace and regional stability," after President Xi Jinping announced on Thursday that all of China's armed forces will be supervised and controlled by the top military organ, the Central Military Commission (CMC). Xi said at a meeting attended by more than 200 high-ranking military officials on Thursday that the current regional military commands will be regrouped into new battle zone commands under the CMC. Xi's announcement in September that the military would cut 300,000 troops "again demonstrated China's resolve to pursue a path of peaceful development," said Yang when asked whether the overhaul means an adjustment to national defense policy. He said it was intended to "make breakthroughs in military administration and joint operational command, optimize military structure, enhance policy systems and civilian-military integration, and build a modern military with Chinese characteristics that can win computer-based wars." The meeting, "a milestone in China's military development," was a sign of deepening national defense and military reform, according to Yang. The spokesman cited "profound and complicated changes in the international situation," the need to "uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics," and "concertedly advance the strategic layout of the Four Comprehensives" as reasons for the reform. "It will focus on removing systematic barriers that had constrained military development in order to boost modernization of the military as well as cultivate the fighting capacity of troops," he said. The reorganization will help build a strong military force that suits China's international status, fits its national security interests and provides a guarantee for the "Chinese dream" of rejuvenating the Chinese nation. Yang said the reform also stresses the importance of regulating power within the military, demanding a strict system to supervise the use of power. Decision making, enforcement and supervision powers should be separated and distributed in a manner that ensures they serve as checks and balances on each other but also run in parallel. A new discipline inspection commission will be established within the CMC, and disciplinary inspectors will be sent to CMC departments and zone commands, according to the reform plan. The CMC will have an audit office and a political and legal affairs commission. The independent and fair use of judicial power by military courts and procuratorates will be ensured through adjustments to the military judicial system. Yang said it is important to promote the integrated development of both the military and non-military sectors as well as economy and defense. To this end, the plan requires a management and operation system that integrates state leadership, coordination between the military and non-military sectors, and market rules. Yang said the reform stressed veteran management and resettlement. Veterans are valuable to the party and country, he added, as they have completed strict training and important tasks, and they will be granted special job placement policies upon transfer or retirement. Yang also said the termination of all paid services in the military is "an important decision" by the CPC Central Committee, the CMC and Chairman Xi to "purify the air" and ensure the PLA's quality.

At least 15 killed as suicide attack hits Muslim procession in NW Nigeria

At least 15 bodies have been evacuated from the scene of a suicide attack targeted at a Muslim procession in Dakasoye town of Nigeria's northwestern state of Kano on Friday, security and medical sources said. Many others were injured following the suicide attack which occurred as a Muslim sect held a procession from Zaria city of the neighboring Kaduna State to Dakasoye, located about 20 km to Kano's main city, said a medical worker at a state-run hospital. The bomber blew up himself amid the crowd, after he disguised as a member of an Islamic sect which organized the procession, said an unnamed security source. A local official said figures of casualties will be made available to the media after the rescue operation which is underway. Boko Haram, which has waged a campaign of violence in Nigeria in an effort to establish an Islamic state, is believed to have carried out the attack. The terror group has killed some 13,000 people and kidnapped hundreds, with surrounding countries such as Niger, Chad and Cameroon affected. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has given a December deadline for the army to end the Boko Haram insurgency.

Putin refuses Erdogan meet unless apology given

Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to contact Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan because Ankara does not want to apologize for the downing of a Russian warplane, Yuri Ushakov, Putin's aide, said on Friday. "We see Turkey's unwillingness to simply apologize for the incident with the plane," Ushakov said in response to why Putin has refused to talk with Erdogan, Reuters reported. Ushakov said the Kremlin had received a request from Ankara regarding a possible meeting between the two leaders at a climate conference in Paris on November 30. In Paris, Putin will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the Syrian crisis and Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He will also meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel for talks about Syria and Ukraine, Ushakov said. Russia ordered sweeping retaliatory measures after Turkish fighter jets shot down the warplane on Tuesday, threatening ties between two rival players in the Syrian war and raising fears of a wider international conflict. Paris proposal After a series of furious tit-for-tat recriminations, Erdogan said on Friday he wanted to meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the climate summit in Paris, AFP reported on Friday. "I would like to meet him face to face on Monday," Erdogan said. But he said Ankara did not deliberately down the plane and dismissed Putin's criticism of the incident as "unacceptable." Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday sought to ease tensions with Moscow over the Russian warplane issue over Syria, and said the world must unite to defeat the Islamic State group. Ankara has also "temporarily" suspended air strikes against IS targets in Syria in order to avoid any further such confrontations, Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper said. Turkey says the plane strayed into its airspace and ignored repeated warnings but Russia, which has been waging air strikes in Syria since September, insisted it did not cross the border. "While the measures to defend our territory will remain in place, Turkey will work with Russia and our allies to calm tensions," Davutoglu wrote in Friday's edition of The Times in London. "The downing of an unidentified jet in Turkish airspace was not - and is not - an act against a specific country," he said. Response possible However, Russia's lower house speaker Sergei Naryshkin said on Friday that Russia has the right to make a military response after the downing of a Russian jet earlier this week by NATO member Turkey. Speaking in an interview with Romanian television station Digi24, Naryshkin said that "This is intentional murder of our soldiers and this deed must be punished." "We know those who did this and they must be judged. At the same time, the response from the Russian side will surely follow, in line with international law. And aside from this, Russia has also the right to military response," added Naryskin, who was attending a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation in Bucharest. He said Moscow had allocated additional military resources on Thursday to boost the security of Russian fighter jets. Russia and Turkey are on opposite sides in the Syrian conflict, with Ankara backing rebels fighting to topple the regime of President Bashar al-Assad while Moscow is one of his last remaining allies. The downing of the plane has highlighted the difficulty of forging consensus on Syria but Davutoglu said the world should unite against a "common enemy." "The international community must not turn on itself. Otherwise the only victors will be Daesh ... and the Syrian regime," he said, using an Arabic term for IS jihadists. But the Kremlin said Friday that Western powers were not ready to form a coalition with Russia to fight the IS group.

Blast kills 2 in Kabul

Two were killed and a few others injured when a blast rocked Kabul city on Saturday, an eyewitness told Xinhua. The attack, apparently a suicide bombing, took place in Karta-eNaw locality at around 09:00 a.m. local time. Meanwhile, an official, who declined to be named, confirmed the blast.

False spy charges reflects defects of US democracy

The US Commission on Civil Rights recently issued a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch about targeting Chinese-American scientists for alleged spying and espionage. As an independent agency of the federal government, the commission cited the unjust cases of National Weather Service hydrologist Sherry Chen and Temple University professor Xi Xiaoxing, and expressed concerns that the government may be failing to exercise sufficient due diligence. It requested to find out whether racial elements had been excessively considered by federal investigators and agents. Earlier this month, several Asian-American lawmakers urged an investigation into whether race, ethnicity or national origin played a role in the recent cases where Chinese-Americans were wrongfully suspected. They believe it "appears to be a practice and a pattern of federal government profiling Chinese-American scientists as spies for China even when there's no credible evidence to support it." According to Science magazine, in 2014, five Chinese-born scientists were accused of trade secrets theft or economic spying, but the charges were later dropped. Espionage cases involving Chinese-Americans have quickly been sensationalized in the US and yet often turned out to be wrong. Since the US Economic Espionage Act was passed in 1996, nearly half of the lawsuits involved China, or people with Chinese origins. It's questionable what effects the urging of the commission can make in the US. The Department of Justice always neglects requests by Asian-American lawmakers. The US' strategic anxiety about China's rise has exerted delicate implications on society's attitude toward Chinese-Americans. When an institution allegedly suffers theft, Chinese-Americans are often the first to be targeted. In spy cases concerning China, the US media is often excited to hype them up but then slacks off the reporting if the cases turn out to be mistaken. No people in charge would be held accountable. This is horrendous. Cases resembling McCarthyism are produced through law and procedure, and no self-reflection has been made. If similar cases take place in China, there will be extensive criticism and requirements by governments to make corrections. We cannot assert that US democracy and the rule of law are fake, but obviously they have major defects. The judicial system can easily be utilized for political ends. The Chinese public has good reason to suspect that in China, US espionage is ubiquitous and US hi-tech companies have hidden spies. But China has neither hunted US spies nor pushed aside US companies. The US claims it is a country that safeguards human rights more than anyone else and is a model of democracy and law. But it's time for the US to make some self-examination and rectification.

No warning received from Turkish side -- rescued Russian Su-24 pilot

Surviving pilot of the downed Russian Su-24 said on Wednesday that no visual or video warning was received from the Turkish side, ruling out possibility of violating Turkish airspace. "In fact there were no warnings, neither via radio communication nor through eye contact. There were no contacts at all," the pilot said, quoted by the Tass news agency. "If they wanted to warn us, they could have shown themselves, taken a parallel course, but there was nothing. And the rocket struck us in the tail suddenly. We didn't even visually observe it to be able to make an anti-missile maneuver," he added. The pilot also ruled out the possibility of violating Turkish airspace as the flight of the Su-24 was in his personal full control until the explosion of the Turkish missile. "Our entire flight until the rocket strike was entirely controlled by me. I saw perfectly well both on the map and from the terrain where the border was and where we were. There wasn't even a risk of entering Turkey," the pilot told reporters.

Russia says Turkey's downing of warplane "deliberate"

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday condemned Turkey for downing a Russian warplane and warned of consequences. "The recklessly criminal actions of the Turkish authorities would lead to three consequences," an official statement quoted Medvedev as saying. "First, the dangerous worsening of relations between Russia and NATO, which cannot be justified by any interests, including protection of state borders," the prime minister said. "Second, Turkey's actions in fact demonstrated the protection of the militants of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group," Medvedev said. He reminded that there is "available information" about "direct financial interest" of some Turkish officials having connection with enterprises held by the IS. "Third, the long-standing good-neighborly relations between Russia and Turkey, including in the economy and humanitarian spheres have been undermined," Medvedev said. "This damage will be difficult to repair -- its direct consequence may be the cessation of a number of important joint projects and the loss by Turkish companies of their positions on the Russian market," Medvedev said. A Russian Su-24 warplane was shot down by Turkish air force on Tuesday as Ankara claimed the aircraft violated Turkish airspace. Turkey said two of its F-16 fighters took action after many warnings again the Su-24 while Russia has claimed that its bomber posed no threat to Turkey and had not intruded Turkey's airspace. Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the action as "stab in the back from accomplices of terrorists," and warned of serious consequences.

Climate change talks to start one day before official opening

A special working group involved in the Paris climate change talks will start its session a day earlier than scheduled to give more time to finalize negotiations on the draft Paris Climate Package, an official announced on Wednesday. The second session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) will be resumed on November 29 in Paris, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Christiana Figueres. The meeting was initially scheduled for November 30 when the official opening ceremony will be held in Le Bourget where 147 heads of state and government will participate in the COP21 to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, from all the nations of the world. "An early opening of the session will offer an opportunity to make the best possible use of the very limited time available to finalize negotiations on the draft Paris Climate Package," said Figueres in a press release. The COP21 will be held from November 30 to December 11 in Le Bourget in northern Paris.

Merkel, Hollande vow determination to fight terrorism

Visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande Wednesday vowed determination "to fight together against terrorism." "We must act. We must take all necessary steps to protect our population and our territories, because no country is safe," Hollande said, while addressing a joint press conference with Merkel. The Socialist leader who called for an international coalition to uproot militants, urged Germany to "engage further in the fight against Daesh in Syria and Iraq." "If Germany could go further, it would be a very good signal in the fight against terrorism," he stressed. For her part, Merkel said 650 German soldiers would be deployed in Mali to back the French-led peacekeeping mission in the West African country. The decision also aimed at easing pressure on French forces in the Sahel region following its military commitment to fight IS. "We can not defeat Daech with words. It needs military means. But, at the same time it's necessary to find a sustainable solution for Syria via political means," German Chancellor said. Merkel on Wednesday flew to Paris to pay tribute to the 130 people killed in the recent attacks that rocked French capital and also to support France's military and diplomatic offensive to defeat the Islamic State (IS) which claimed responsibility of the Nov. 13 suicide bombings and shootings. Accompanied by Hollande and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Merkel laid a rose at a monument in the square of the Republic to honor the victims. In the wake of France's worst terrorist attacks, Hollande held a series of meetings with major countries' leaders to seek support for building a "a strong and global" diplomatic front to beat IS. Vowing merciless war against terrorism, he opened this week's intensive diplomatic appointment with talks with visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron before flying to Washington where he met President Barack Obama to step up strikes against IS.

Rick Ross: Word of Life Christian Church is a Destructive Cult

According to several US media reports, the 19-year-old Lucas Leonard and his 17-year-old brother Christopher Leonard were heavily beatened after accepting counseling at Word of Life Christian Church in New Hartford on Oct.11. Lucas Leonard was pronounced dead at a hospital. But his brother, Christopher remains hospitalized, suffering from serious injuries. Their parents, Bruce and Deborah Leonard, and four church members were subsequently arrested, and his parents were accused of first-degree murder, the other four church members were charged with second-degree murder. But their parents deny guilty of the crime, a former church member also stresses that the church is not a cult. Rick Ross tells Inverse, the church’s insular behavior and power structure is perfectly tailored to the psychology of classic cult behavior, less likely to be seen as similar sects move into the digital age. “This is an old-school group, it’s typical in many ways. They’re very isolated, they’ve cocooned their members and homeschooled the children. Besides a web site to sell pedigree yorkies, they were very isolated. That’s a common characteristic in cults to make sure they are the only ones influencing the member’s judgements.” Once these groups can cut themselves off to outsiders, as Word of Life is said to have done in New Hartfordmembers, both brothers were continually subjected to physical punishment over the course of several hours, in hopes that each would confess to prior sins and ask for forgiveness. Church members reinforce bizarre behavior as the norm without any voice of reason questioning their actions. On Oct.19, Rick Ross said during an interview by 100.7 FM WUQT, “I think in my opinion this group fits all three criteria of being a destructive cult. Those criteria are defined as does the group have an authoritarian leader, are the members isolated from the outside world, and finally does the group do harm? This is a very controlling group, this is a very extreme group.”Original text from:

Putin faces tough choice after jet downed

A Russian Su-24 warplane was shot down Tuesday by Turkey near the Turkish-Syria border. Turkey claimed responsibility for the downing, saying it had violated Turkish airspace and the move was "within engagement rules." Russia insisted the plane was in Syrian airspace on a mission to strike the Islamic State. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the downing "a stab in the back delivered by accomplices of the terrorists." This could be one of the most critical moments since the end of the Cold War. Its potential severity and associated risks could be a climax of geopolitical crises over the past decades. This is the first time that Russia has suffered such big losses. Putin is faced with a choice that carries more risk than when he considered whether or not to annex Crimea. After calling Turkey's move "a stab in the back" for Russia, he apparently would be under more pressure to make Turkey pay a price for the downing and his personal prestige and Russia's tough image will be tested. Moscow can retaliate against Turkey in many ways, but this means it will face a Cold War-style confrontation with NATO. Turkey didn't seem to rush to this decision. Russian warplanes have entered Turkish airspace at least twice before, which Moscow admitted and sent delegations to consult with the Turkish side. Ankara has repeated that it has the right to shoot down warplanes that infringe on Turkey's territory. Obviously it had the plan and had communicated with NATO. Ankara must be well aware of what it means to shoot down a Russian warplane. Next it will be careful enough not to give Russia a chance to down one of its warplanes in retaliation. Moscow probably has to cross the Syrian-Turkish border to implement retaliation, which however risks escalating military confrontation. If Russia strikes down a Turkish warplane in Turkish airspace, or strikes a Turkish air base, it will touch NATO's nerve. If NATO takes no action, its pledge to protect smaller alliance members will be discredited. However, if NATO adopts substantial action toward Russia, Europe will confront an unprecedented turbulent situation not seen since World War II. We can sense the antagonism from the incident as NATO's eastward expansion triggered Russian countermeasures while Russia's strategic reaction prompts NATO to incrementally intend to constrain Russia. The US and Russia are clearly aware that their every reaction will send signals about the future order of Europe and the Middle East. Currently the most burning issue in the world is to counter terrorism. But the overshadowing of geopolitics is too expansive to shun. It remains to be seen whether a rational manner can be adopted by Russia and NATO in the aftermath of the plane downing. We hope peace can prevail.

Turkey's right to protect its borders should be respected: Turkish president

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that everyone must respect Turkey's right to protect its borders. "Turkey holds no grudges toward its neighboring countries. Undoubtedly, we did our best to prevent the recent incident," said Erdogan at a reception in Ankara. He explained that Turkish F-16 jets "intercepted an unidentified warplane according to globally acknowledged rules of engagement." Despite 10 warnings, the aircraft "continued to violate" Turkish airspace, forcing the Turkish F-16 jets to down one of the two warplanes, stated Erdogan, without identifying the aircraft as Russian. The president did not directly address the ongoing Russian air strikes against Syria, targeting Turkmen groups located there, yet he said that Moscow has been attacking groups of "Bayirbucak Turkmen." "We condemn the attacks on our brethren Bayirbuck Turkmen," he said. The Turkish government previously warned Russia to halt its regional operations, as, according to Ankara, the air strikes targeted the Turkmen. The Turkish Foreign Ministry Friday summoned the Russian envoy in Ankara, displeased by the airstrikes against Turkmen villages in northern Syria. The Ministry additionally summoned the Russian Charge D'affairs in Ankara Tuesday over the downed jet incident. On the other hand, Russia's Defense Ministry, in its latest released statement, said that the Russian Su-24 plane was shot down by a Turkish F-16 jet on its way back to Syria's Hmeimim airbase, the location of a Russian anti-terrorism-strikes air force group. However, insisting that readout data-analysis clearly revealed no violation of Turkish airspace, the Ministry summoned Turkey's military attache in Russia.

News Analysis: Turkish downing of Russian warplane in Syria aims to draw redlines for Moscow

The Turkish downing of a Russian warplane aims to send a message to Moscow that there are red lines Ankara cannot tolerate to be violated, analysts say. The Turkish air force said its warplanes shot down a Russian war jet near the Syrian-Turkish borders on Tuesday morning, claiming the Russian aircraft violated the Turkish airspace, a statement totally denied by Moscow, whose officials said the Russian warplane was inside the Syrian airspace when it was shot down. Analysts in Damascus said the downing of the Russian warplane has more under the rug than what was said in the official statements. Whether Russia violated Turkey's airspace or not, Ankara has attempted, by the plane downing, to draw redlines for Moscow, analysts say. Those redlines are the Turkmen rebels, Turkey's favorite, which the Russian air force has recently been pounding in the northern countryside of Syria's Latakia province, and its plan to impose a "safe zone" on the Syrian side of the Syrian-Turkish borders, Osama Danura, a political analyst, told Xinhua. Syrian Turkmen are ethnic Turks who have lived in several Syrian areas since the 11th century. Their population is concentrated in the north of Syria, more specifically in the Turkmen Mountain in the northern countryside of Latakia near the Turkish borders and in other areas in several provinces. This ethnic group enjoys close ties with Turkey, due to the historical connects and the support the Turkish government has provided for them during the nearly five-year-old conflict in Syria. Long denied freedoms related to their ethnic belongingness by the Syrian authorities, the Turkmen were quick to rise against the government when the crisis began in Syria in 2011. Reports said that thousands of Turkmen were trained by Turkey, and formed several rebel groups, including groups in the Turkmen Mountain in Latakia. The Turkmen rebels have recently re-appeared on the surface, starting making territorial gains against the Islamic State (IS) militant group under the cover of the US and Turkish warplanes in northern Syria. Syrian analysts say the aim of Turkey is to use the Turkmen to clear areas from the IS on the Syrian side of the Syrian-Turkish borders as part of its long-divulged plan to create a "safe zone" in northern Syria. Russian airstrikes and the Syrian army have been advancing in the northern countryside of Latakia with the aim of capturing the Turkmen Mountain, something Turkey didn't seem to be pleased with. Four days ago, Turkey threatened "serious consequences" if Russia did not stop bombing Turkmen villages in north Syria. "It was stressed that the Russian side's actions were not a fight against terror, but they bombed civilian Turkmen villages and this could lead to serious consequences," Turkish Foreign Ministry said. Ankara had further submitted a letter to the presidency of the UN Security Council, asking the 15-member body to take action to prevent the targeting of the Turkmen in Syria by the Russian air forces and the land offensive by the Syrian army backed by the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group. "It seems like one of the Turkish aims behind backing the Turkmen is draw the borders of the buffer zone Ankara is planning to create in order to turn it into camps for the Syrian refugees and could later be announced as a no fly zone," Danura, the analyst said. "If the Turkish army or authorities were trying to draw redlines to the Russian warplanes in the Syrian airspace, I would say this would never work and if the Turks want to draw new lines for their hoped-for buffer zone in northern Syria and to protect the rebels, which they support, between the town of Jarablus and the town of Azzaz in northern Syria, I would also say they will not succeed," Danura said. He continued that as long as there is a clear Syrian borderline and airspace, the Turkish air force "cannot impose a no fly zone especially for an air force like the Russian one, which is more superior to the Turkish." Mahdi Dakhlalah, another Syrian political researcher, deemed the incident as is a "dangerous precedent", noting that the downing of the Russian warplane is the "first confrontation between a NATO member country, Turkey, and Russia." "It seems that it wasn't an accident but an intentional attempt by Turkey to lift the morale of the Turkey-backed rebels in Syria. Of course, this stress that Turkey is still determined to support the rebels especially after the Syrian army managed to make progress in Aleppo province near Turkey," he said, adding that Turkey is still insisting on creating a buffer zone in northern Syria and there are no indication so far that Turkey has let go of this idea." The incident has sparked the ire of the Russian government, whose leader, Vladimir Putin, said the jet's downing was a "stab in the back," adding that the incident would have "serious consequences for Russia's relationship with Turkey." It "represents a stab in the back by the terrorists' accomplices. I can't describe what has happened today in any other way. Our plane was downed over Syrian territory by an air-to-air missile from a Turkish F-16 jet," he said. Moreover, Russia claimed that the radar of the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia showed the attacking Turkish planes violating the Syrian airspace, before shooting down the Russian warplane. Local media said Russia will deploy the cruiser, Moskva, off the Latakia coast, citing Russia's lieutenant general, Sergey Rudskoy, as a warning that "every target posing a potential threat will be destroyed." Sharif Shehadeh, a Syrian lawmaker, told Xinhua that he thinks "the Russian response will be decisive after the Russian Defense Ministry will discuss the repercussions of the incident." "The Russian response will be decisive, and probably not militarily, but Turkey understands that the Russians will respond," he said.

Less meat consumption critical to achieving climate goal: report

A worldwide shift to healthier diets that contain less meat consumption could help close the gap between current emissions reduction plans and what is needed to prevent dangerous climate change, according to a report released Tuesday by a British think tank. The main goal of the upcoming Paris climate change conference is to limit the rise of global temperature by two degrees Celsius by the end of this century. Researchers believe that governments around the world still have much to do to achieve that goal. The livestock sector is already responsible for 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and unless strong demand growth for meat is curtailed, the sector's emissions will increase to the point where dangerous climate change is unavoidable, according to the report by researchers from the Chatham House and Glasgow University. Researchers said meat consumption had already reached excessive levels in many Western countries: in industrialized countries, it was around twice the amount deemed healthy by experts. Figures also indicate that with the rise of new meat-eating middle classes in developing countries, global meat consumption is set to increase by 76 percent by 2050. "Reducing meat consumption is a real win-win for health and for the climate," said report author Laura Wellesley. "As governments look for strategies to close the Paris emissions gap quickly and cheaply, dietary change should be high on the list." However, the report finds that governments are ignoring the opportunity. Reducing meat consumption does not feature in a single national emissions reduction plan submitted in advance of the Paris meeting. Governments are afraid to interfere in lifestyle choices for fear of public backlash, according to the report. But new research undertaken, including a public survey in 12 countries, shows that government fears are exaggerated. Once aware of the link between meat and climate change, consumers accept the need for government action. Even unpopular interventions to make meat more expensive, for example through a carbon tax, would face diminishing resistance as the public come to understand the rationale behind intervention, according to the report To build support for government action, the report recommends initiatives to raise public awareness of the climate and health impacts of excessive meat consumption. Governments should pursue comprehensive strategies to shift diets, including policies on labeling, public procurement, regulation and pricing, according to the report. "Raising awareness about the health and environmental impacts of meat is an important first step, but on its own it will not lead to significant behavior change. Governments must do more to influence diets," said Wellesley.

Obama says US, France stand together against terrorism

US President Barack Obama welcomed his French counterpart Francois Hollande Tuesday, saying the US stands "united" with France on counterterrorism. "As Americans, we stand by our friends in good times and in bad, no matter what," Obama said during a joint news conference with Hollande at the White House. He stressed the long friendship between France and the US and said his country is ready to step up efforts to fight terrorism with its European partners. The US president called Islamic State(IS) a "barbaric terrorist group," adding that "its murderous ideology poses a serious threat to all of us." He said the militant group cannot be tolerated and must be destroyed. "The United States and France stand united, in total solidarity, to deliver justice to these terrorists," Obama said. Hollande's visit to the US underscored the urgency on counterterrorism after the Nov. 13 Paris attacks by IS, which killed at least 130 people and injured hundreds of others. "We cannot succumb to fear," Obama said after he discussed with Hollande on counter-IS efforts, "Make no mistake, we will win, and groups like ISIL will lose." After Obama's comments, Hollande told reporters that France and the United States had agreed to step up a "joint response". "Militarily, it is about destroying Daesh (IS) no matter where they are. It is about taking out their financing, hunting down their leaders, dismantling their networks and taking back the land they currently control," the French president said. "We, therefore, decided, President Obama and myself, to scale up our strikes both in Syria and Iraq to broaden their scope, to strengthen our intelligence sharing regarding the targets we might aim at." However, Hollande said France will not put troops on the ground in Syria to fight IS. Hollande will also visit Russia on Thursday and meet with his counterpart Vladimir Putin. Both Obama and Hollande said they would welcome Russia's involvement in the fight -- if Moscow were to concentrate its military action on IS. Hollande said he would bring that message to Moscow, adding "We do not want to exclude anyone."

Last S.Korean MERS patient passes away

The last South Korean patient of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) passed away on Wednesday after struggling against the viral disease for about six months, the health ministry said. The 35-year-old, who contracted the viral disease on June 8, had already suffered from malignant lymphoma. Due to the treatment with anticancer drugs, the patient's immunity was sharply compromised. The patient was tested negative for the MERS corona virus on Nov. 1, but he was confirmed positive 10 days later before dying of complications on Wednesday. He has struggled against the MERS for 172 days, marking the longest struggle in the world. Since the first MERS patient was found in South Korea on May 20, a total of 186 people were infected by the viral disease. Among them, 38 patients died, raising the fatality rate to 20.4 percent. South Korea became the most MERS-infectious country outside the Middle East. The country declared the "actual" end of the MERS outbreak in late July because no more patient had been reported since July 5. The official end of the MERS outbreak is expected to be declared on Dec. 23 as the World Health Organization recommends the declaration four weeks after no MERS patient is left.

China urges closer economic ties, deeper political trust in East Asia

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday called on East Asian nations to forge closer economic ties and promote political trust to ensure stable growth in the region amid global economic slowdown. Speaking at the 10th East Asia Summit (EAS), Li said the economically integrating region should treasure the hard-earned desirable situation to further contribute to world peace, stability and growth. He suggested that the participants stick to the EAS' nature of a "leaders-led strategic forum," to ASEAN's central role, to advancing on the two wheels of economic development and political security, and to promoting coordinated development of different mechanisms. In a three-pronged proposal for future East Asian summitry, Li first called for faster regional economic integration so as to make East Asia a stable growth pole for the world economy. The ASEAN Community, the first sub-regional community in Asia, is expected to take shape by the end of this year. Beijing has described the development as "a milestone in regional integration." China, Li said, is willing to enhance the dovetailing of its development strategy with those of ASEAN in order to realize the vision of forging an East Asian economic community by 2020. He also called on financial institutions in the region to form an association to facilitate cooperation. Meanwhile, the Chinese premier called for active political and security dialogue and the establishment of a security architecture suitable for the region. "All parties should strengthen communication and coordination on their respective development strategies and policies so as to promote political trust," Li said. Also, the premier proposed that nations in the region enhance dialogue and exchanges to promote harmonious coexistence of different civilizations. Countries in the region should deepen communication and cooperation in areas of education, science and technology, culture, media, think tanks and youth, he said. As regards the South China Sea disputes, Li put forth a five-point proposal to uphold and promote peace and stability in the busy body of water, and called on countries outside the region to refrain from taking actions that may cause tension. Other leaders at the summit agreed that the EAS should play a bigger role in deepening political trust and economic relations throughout the region. They also reached consensus on peacefully addressing differences through negotiation and constructive means and in line with international law. They expressed their belief that related countries share the will to earnestly implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and advance the negotiation on a code of conduct.

MH370 could be found in matter of months: Boeing captain

After 20 months of frantic searching, missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 could be found in a matter of months after the hunt switched to an area identified by a British Boeing 777 captain. Captain Simon Hardy's theory, claimed as credible by Australian investigators, is based on the assumption that the MH370 made a controlled ditch into the sea after making a series of turns overlooking Penang Island. Australian authorities confirmed two search vessels had arrived in the area of Hardy's proposed location last week, that's within the greater operations area, and will continue to search the area during the November-December period, News Corp reported on Monday. "I am fairly confident that wreckage will be found within the next four to eight weeks," Hardy told News Corp. The March 2014 disappearance of MH370 while en-route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur with 239 passengers and crew has been puzzling the world's aviation industry ever since. The search effort has involved more than two dozen countries contributing planes, ships, submarines and satellites. The team discovered a piece of wing flap on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean earlier this year, believed to be a part of the missing Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 jet. The change in search area comes as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said China would provide Australia with 20 million dollars of additional search funds.

Explosion heard at Yasukuni Shrine: media

An explosion was heard at Japan's controversial war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in downtown Tokyo at around 10 a.m. local time on Monday, local media reported, adding there was no injuries. The explosion site was found in a toilet around the shrine's south gate, with parts of the toilet's walls and ceilings were damaged, according to Japan's public broadcaster NHK. The report said local police and fire authorities are investigating in the incident. Yasukuni enshrines 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals during the World War Two and is considered as the symbol of the country's past militarism. Continuous visits to the shrine by Japanese ministers and lawmakers have become a major obstacle for Japan to mend its ties with its two closest neighbors of China and South Korea, both of whom were suffered from Japan's wartime aggression.

China's inclusiveness promotes Asia-Pacific integration: experts

Chinese President Xi Jinping promoted to build an open economy, speed up regional integration, and enhance interconnectivity at the just-concluded Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Manila, the Philippines. What Xi called up at the APEC meeting aroused interest among scholars in Singapore, and they believed that China's inclusiveness promotes the Asia-Pacific integration. Irene Chan, associate research fellow with S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies of Nanyang Technological University, said the reiteration of China's commitment to do its part in promoting economic integration within Asia-Pacific by making efforts domestically and externally in President Xi's speech gave her deep impression. "Xi's suggestions are important follow-up to the APEC Connectivity Blueprint that was signed at the 22nd APEC Summit in Beijing in 2014, particularly the suggestion on persevering in the implementation of the development agenda." said Chan. Gu Qingyang, associate professor of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of National University of Singapore, said Xi's four-point proposal at the APEC meeting come down in one continuous line with the efforts to promote interconnectivity. Practices such as the Belt and Road Initiative, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will propel Asia-Pacific integration. "I think the four-point proposal made by Chinese President Xi Jinping reflects the change of thinking. Nowadays, the Chinese government has coordinated domestic and overseas development, rather than only focus on domestic development. Prosperous and peaceful environment is crucial to China's development, Xi's proposal is closely related to the change of thinking, which is a kind of natural extension." Gu said. It is known that the devil of economic integration is in the implementation of the myriad of policies at the regional and domestic levels. On this point, China has demonstrated its responsibility as the second largest economy in the world. President Xi stressed that "as China is a member of Asia-Pacific region, the development of China is rooted in the region, and will benefit the area." Chan thought that the Belt and Road initiative brought up by China shows the country has recognized this major challenge and committed to resolve it. "The Belt and Road Initiative has become an important part of regional economic integration as it dovetails not only with the APEC Connectivity Blueprint but also with the sub-regional Master Plan for ASEAN Connectivity. On top of that, the Belt portion of the Initiative provides the Asia-Pacific region possible links to other regions, particularly the largely untapped Central Asia region." said Chan. The Belt and Road Initiative has been warmly received by the over 60 countries and international organizations that have registered their interest. When President Xi mentioned the initiative in his speech at APEC meeting, the audience burst into warm applause. Besides the four points on propelling economic development of Asia-Pacific region, President Xi also introduced the 13th Five-Year Plan, elaborating on the concept of "innovation, coordination, green, open, and sharing". He said China will pay more attention to quality, efficiency, innovation, fair and justice, sustainable development as well as opening-up. Gu held the view that China's open-up in a deeper degree will push Asia-Pacific integration, and the region will also benefit from China's economic development. "China's economic growth has slowed down, but China is still a major force of global economic growth. Adopting more open economic initiatives, such as reducing the thresholds for foreign investment, will propel economic development of Asia-Pacific and integration of the region." said Gu. In the context that China's economy has been undergoing the period of transformation, Gu noted that China has come up with the idea of green economy, and considered economic development from the perspective of supply, which dovetails China's current situation, and will speed up the country's economic growth. Gu said the momentum of China's economic development will propel growth in the region and thus promote Asia-Pacific integration.

Chinese FM confirms Li, Abe's 'brief' talk in Malaysia

China on Monday confirmed a "brief" talk between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Kuala Lumpur during the East Asia Summit. "Premier Li and Prime Minister Abe had a brief conversation on the sidelines of a series of leaders' meetings on East Asian cooperation in Kuala Lumpur," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei in a press release. Li said the two countries had witnessed improvement of ties recently, adding that the improved momentum is still fragile, according to Hong. "Whether China-Japan ties continue to improve depends on whether Japan can seriously honor its commitment," Li was quoted as saying. Li said Japan should do more to contribute to cementing mutual understanding and improving ties in order to enable improvement and growth of ties, according to the spokesperson.

S.Korea stages firing exercises in western islands near DPRK

South Korea's military on Monday staged its maritime firing exercises in northwestern islands near the sea boundary with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Yonhap news agency reported citing a military official. The official was quoted as saying that the military began the live-fire exercises from 4 p.m. local time (0700GMT) with its K-9 self-propelled artilleries in islands of Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong. Whether the firing drill is finished has yet to be confirmed. The South Korean artilleries faced south for the firing exercises, with only K-9 self-propelled guns mobilized. The military originally planned to mobilize Spike missiles and 130-mm multiple rocket launchers for the firing drill, but the worsening weather conditions from a heavy sea fog led to the reduced mobilization. The firing drill was carried out to mark the fifth anniversary of the DPRK's shelling of the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong. Five years ago, the DPRK shelled the Yeonpyeong, one of the five South Korean border islands near the west sea boundary, killing two civilians and two marines. The DPRK's Southwest Front Command of the Korean People's Army (KPA) said in a statement Sunday that if the South Korean military pushes ahead with the firing drill, it will make ruthless retaliations against the five islands. There has been no specific movement found from the DPRK forces yet, according to the military official.

Joint efforts needed to shield citizens abroad

The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group announced on Wednesday that it had murdered one Norwegian and one Chinese captive and released their images as proof. The news shocked the whole of Chinese society, as we have become the latest victim of terrorist acts by the IS. The news broke in September that the Chinese victim, Fan Jinghui, went to Syria alone and was captured by the IS. Chinese diplomatic departments soon launched rescue efforts. Chinese authorities have rescued hostages in turbulent regions several times, but had no luck with the IS. Protecting the safety of Chinese nationals overseas has become a new challenge for the country. East Asian countries are geographically distant from the Middle East and they do not get involved in the feuds in the region. But citizens of East Asian countries constantly fall victim to terrorist forces in the Middle East and their nearby regions. Two Japanese nationals were beheaded by the IS earlier this year. No compromise is allowed with terrorism, this is a shared principle of mankind in fighting terror. Therefore, it is the official attitude of all authorities to refuse to pay ransoms to terrorists or engage in negotiations with them. Even it happened in some cases it happened, it is never publicly admitted. So far, Western countries are the main targets for terrorists in the Middle East. One of the reasons is that the US supports Israel and meanwhile European countries, more or less, are connected to Washington's Middle East policies. In addition, Western civilization is adjacent to that of Islam's. The two have resented and held grudges against each other both in history and in modern times. Russia has also been targeted. The Kremlin's intervention in Syria means Moscow has to directly face the challenge from the IS. China is far away from the Middle East both in geography and politics. So far it hasn't been listed as a prime target of terrorist groups. Middle East terror groups have no motivation to strike China by holding its citizens captive. As long as Chinese citizens maintain sharp vigilance abroad, the chances of becoming a target of attack will be small. Chinese people must strengthen their awareness of self-protection and avoid entering the regions where terrorism is rampant. It is important not to take chances. In other areas, Chinese citizens should also familiarize themselves with basic local circumstances, and be aware of information about China's local consular services, like knowing how to get in touch with their nearest Chinese representatives in emergencies.

Regional prejudice dims sympathy of Oriental Pearl Tower

China is now home to many of the world's tallest towers, but how these landmarks should display public emotion in special moments is often source of controversy and splits public opinion. Nearly one week after Shanghai's Oriental Pearl Tower was lit up in red, white and blue to represent the French tricolor, as a tribute to the victims of terrorist attacks in Paris, a fierce debate is still going on in cyber space. The majority of Chinese people felt sympathy toward the victims of the Paris shootings. As well as natural empathy, the country has also suffered from repeated terrorist attacks. But an iconic building in one of China's biggest cities being lit up following some landmark buildings in the West, such as the London Eye and the Sydney Opera House, apparently has ruffled the feathers of some. Many asked why the Oriental Pearl Tower, or those who embraced the idea, was joining the mourning of a tragedy in a Western country, since no reciprocal emotion is received from Western media whenever similar incidents happen in China. The event got another twist when Reuters' Chinese Weibo account mistook the Oriental Pearl Tower for a tower in Tokyo paying tribute to Paris. The Weibo post later replaced the picture without mentioning the lights in Shanghai, reinforcing the impression that tributes paid by Chinese may not be appreciated in the same way. Others questioned if the Oriental Pearl Tower was discriminating against victims of terrorist attacks in non-Western countries since it wasn't lit up for the suicide bombing tragedy in Lebanon which happened one day before Paris shootings, or for the Russian passengers killed in the air crash in Egypt last month, which was later confirmed as a terrorist attack. Netizens were agitated also because the landmark building of Shanghai didn't do anything after terrorist attacks in Xinjiang. Controversy over the illuminated Oriental Pearl Tower is a good way of gauging Chinese public's engagement with the world. The light obviously made many unhappy, but is the opposite result better? Should all iconic buildings in China be kept dark when the globe was mourning a brutal massacre? Probably many will also disagree if the country is singled out in this way, no matter whether it has been treated with double standards. The Oriental Pearl Tower has shown the big heart of China. However, as many in Shanghai pride themselves on being truly global and dismissed the opposing side as unsophisticated, the debate swerved into a typical online spat driven by geographic prejudice. "Hillbilly, let's show you the real global vision which only Shanghai has," a Weibo account dedicated to local Shanghai affairs claimed. "No wonder Shanghai had the biggest colonial concessions," refuted a response, apparently from someone outside Shanghai. Local prejudice is nothing unusual, especially in China. But Shanghai is famous for its prejudice against outsiders. Online maps jokingly show the rest of China through the eyes of Shanghai people, with the rest of the country being labeled as "beggars," "full of crimes," or "unknown." The illuminated Oriental Pearl Tower is supposed to show our united tribute to the lives lost in a different country. Unfortunately, it mirrors our deep-rooted prejudice toward each other. Perhaps this prejudice is what prevents us from being truly global.

Chinese president strongly condemns Mali hotel attack

President Xi Jinping on Saturday strongly condemned the attack on Friday at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, Mali, which killed 27 people, including three Chinese nationals. Xi expressed his deep condolences to the victims' families. The president has instructed the Chinese side to step up efforts to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and organizations overseas. "China will improve international cooperation to crack down on terrorist activities that kill innocents and safeguard peace and stability of the world," Xi said. On the same day, Premier Li Keqiang also extended his sympathies to the victims' families and ordered relevant departments to properly settle the aftermath and take substantial measures to protect overseas Chinese nationals. The three Chinese victims, among the 27 killed, are senior executives of China Railway Construction Corp. Earlier the day, Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that another four Chinese nationals, who had been held hostage, had been rescued.

China, India have more common interests than divergences: Li

Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in Kuala Lumpur Saturday that China and India -- the world's two largest developing countries -- have more common interests than divergences. Li made the remarks when meeting with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, on the sidelines of a series of leaders' meetings on East Asian cooperation. China and India boosting mutual trust and cooperation will not only achieve win-win results, but also contribute to the peace, development and prosperity of Asia and the world at large, said Li. Citing China's "Made in China 2025" and "Internet Plus" drives and India's "Make in India" and "Digital India" programs, Li pointed out that the two countries have compatible development strategies and bilateral cooperation enjoys bright prospects. China, he said, also stands ready to join hands with India to beef up cooperation in trade and investment, infrastructure construction and financial services, and broaden people-to-people exchanges, so as to further consolidate public support for bilateral relations. Meanwhile, China is willing to work with India to strive for "early harvests" in the construction of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor, he added. Beijing, he said, also looks forward to strengthening coordination with New Delhi on multilateral affairs and jointly tackling terrorism and other global challenges. Speaking highly of the development of India-China ties, Modi said his country is willing to work with China to implement the consensus the two sides have reached and deepen cooperation in such areas as trade and economy, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges, so as to make new progress in bilateral cooperation and promote Asian and global economic growth. The two leaders also compared notes on global and regional affairs of common concern. The Chinese premier arrived in Malaysia on Friday for the 18th China-ASEAN (10+1) leaders' meeting, the 18th ASEAN-China, Japan and South Korea (10+3) leaders' meeting and the 10th East Asia Summit. During his four-day stay in Malaysia, he is also to pay his first official visit to the country since taking office in March 2013.

At least 27 killed in Mali attack, all hostages held by gunmen rescued

At least 27 people were killed in an attack and hostage-taking by Islamist militants at a luxury hotel here on Friday, in which Malian forces stormed the building and rescued more than 100 people, including many foreigners. The 27 people killed in the hostage-taking at the Radisson Blu hotel included three Chinese citizens and one US citizen. China Railway Construction Corporation Limited confirmed Saturday in an online statement that three executives of the company were killed in the attack. Four other Chinese citizens were rescued from the hotel that has 190 rooms and sheltered 140 people of different nationalities, including visitors from France, Belgium, Germany, China, India, Canada, Ivory Coast and Turkey. There were no more hostages held at the hotel, said Mali Security Minister Salif Traore, hours after the Malian special forces carried out a rescue mission. About 170 guests and employees were initially taken hostage, but some of them succeeded in escaping by their own means while the majority of them were rescued by the Malian special forces. It was reported that some people were freed by the attackers after they showed they could recite verses from the Quran. US State Department spokesman John Kirby had said earlier that "a dozen" Americans, including some US embassy staff members, were among those rescued. Twelve Air France flight crew members were in the hotel but all were brought out safely, the French national carrier said. Security sources said Malian forces were in the process of securing the hotel as gunmen were still holding out inside the seven-storey building. Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who has cut short a trip to a regional summit in Chad, said two attackers were killed. But it remained unknown if the attackers were among the 27 people killed. The Malian government declared a 10-day nationwide state of emergency Friday evening and a three-day mourning for the victims. Barbaric attack The gunmen burst through the hotel security barrier at about 7:00 a.m. (0700 GMT) Friday on a car with diplomatic plates, spraying gunfire and shouting "Allahu Akbar," ("God is great" in Arabic). The attack ended around 4:00 p.m. (1600 GMT). The Jihadist Al-Murabitoun extremist group, which two years ago split from al-Qaida's North Africa branch and is led by former al-Qaida commander Moktar Belmoktar, claimed responsibility in a recorded statement carried by Al-Jazeera. The group based in northern Mali said it wanted fighters freed from Mali's prisons and a halt on attacks against northern Malians. It also said the Murabitounes had attacked in coordination with the "Sahara Emirate" affiliated with al-Qaida. Northern Mali remains insecure and militant attacks have extended farther south this year, including Bamako. In March, masked gunmen shot up a Bamako restaurant popular with foreigners, killing five people. Many in France saw the attack as a new assault on their country's interests a week after the Paris attacks, as Mali was its colony. After the attack, French news websites and all-news TV networks immediately switched from nearly nonstop coverage of investigations into the Paris attacks and their aftermath to the Bamako siege. A unit of French soldiers was sent to Bamako in support of Malian security forces, the French Defense Ministry said. Special police forces also played a supporting role, France's national gendarme service said. France has 3,500 troops operating in Mali and four other countries in the Sahel region as part of a five-nation counter-terrorism operation. The rescue operation by Malian special forces received support from MINUSMA, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, and US and French troops. The U.N. mission sent security reinforcements and medical aid to the scene, said U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, adding that a few U.N. staff members were in the hotel but got out safely. International community's outcry U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday condemned the "horrific terrorist attack," noting with concern that the attack took place at a time when the Malian peace process is making good progress. Ban deplored any attempt to derail the implementation of the agreement on peace and reconciliation in Mali. Ban reiterated the U.N.'s commitment to supporting the Malian government's fight against terrorism through MINUSMA and the parties to the peace agreement at "this critical juncture." Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday strongly condemned the attack, expressing his deep condolences to the victims' families. The president has instructed the Chinese side to step up efforts to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and organizations overseas. "China will improve international cooperation to crack down on terrorist activities that kill innocents and safeguard peace and stability of the world," Xi said. On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also extended his sympathies to the victims' families and ordered relevant departments to properly settle the aftermath and take substantial measures to protect overseas Chinese nationals. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday also strongly condemned the deadly terrorist attack, describing it as an "inhuman atrocity." Noting that the three Chinese victims were all engineers sent to Mali to help with Africa's development and improve the well-being of the African people, Wang said, "We are greatly saddened by their tragedies and hereby offer our sincere condolences." "We believe that all African people will also strongly condemn and oppose the brutal crime," he said. Wang, who is accompanying Premier Li in Kuala Lumpur for a series of regional summits, stressed that the Chinese leadership "pays high attention to the incident and has instructed us to do whatever is necessary." The Chinese embassy in Mali, he added, will do its utmost in addressing relevant matters. The United States on Friday condemned the attack "in the strongest terms," saying the United States "stands with the people of Mali" and is "prepared to assist the Malian government in the coming days as it investigates this tragic terrorist attack." Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Mali continues to urge all US citizens there to minimize movements around Bamako, though "we can confirm that the attack has ended." British Prime Minister David Cameron offered his condolences to the victims of the attack. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has changed its advice on travel in Mali, urging British nationals to "remain indoors and follow instructions of local authorities." "Further attacks are highly likely in northern Mali, though the threat exists throughout the country. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners," it warned.

21 dead, 1 missing in NE China colliery fire

Rescuers have found bodies of 21 workers and located the other missing after a coal mine caught fire on Friday night in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The fire broke out at about 09:50 p.m. at the coal mine in Jixi City, operated by state-owned Heilongjiang Longmay Mining Holding Group, the city government of Jixi told Xinhua. A total of 38 miners were working down in the shaft when the fire broke out, and 16 of them managed to escape. The government said the fire was under control and no secondary disaster had been reported. President of the mining group Hao Fukun said rescuers could reach the missing miner by midnight. As of 7:30 p.m. Saturday, communication, power supply and hoisting system in the shaft have been resumed, Hao said, adding the ventilation condition has been significantly improved. The coal mine, with a production capacity of 2 million tonnes every year, is fully licensed. An investigation is under way.

China's Guangzhou Evergrande roars back to Asian top podium

After making history in 2013 to become the first Chinese team to win the AFC Champions League, five-time Chinese Super League (CSL) champions Guangzhou Evergrande stormed back to the Asian top podium here on Saturday. Drawing Al Ahli from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 0-0 in Dubai on Nov. 7 and winning 1-0 at home tonight, Evergrande presented a brilliant gift to the Chinese fans who were upset by their national team's poor performance in the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign. The triumph is also a boost to Chinese football. In Tianhe Stadium tonight, Brazilian striker Elkson became the hero as his goal in the second half helped his team achieve the glory in front of more than 42,000 fans. Stunned by Western Sydney Wanderers from Australia in the AFC Champions League quarterfinals last year, Guangzhou Evergrande vowed to regain the title from the beginning of this season. Under the guidance of Luiz Felipe Scolari, who replaced Fabio Cannavaro as the head coach in June, Evergrande had kept a 22-match unbeaten run before tonight's final duel. The AFC Champions League title is also the first continental trophy for Scolari since he steered the Selecao to the Confederation Cup in 2013 on home soil. The 67-year-old Brazilian became another coach who possesses World Cup and AFC Champions League trophy after Italian Marcello Lippi, the former coach of Evergrande. Comparing with the first leg in Dubai, Scolari made two changes in tonight's starting lineup as Li Xuepeng and Mei Fang were substituted by Zou Zheng and Kim Young Gwon. The team's top striker Ricardo Goulart from Brazil also appeared in the starting 11 in spite of his injury suffered in the first leg. Evergrande almost took the lead just seven minutes into the game when Elkson beat the defenders on the left side in the box before passing the ball to Goulart whose close-range shot narrowly missed the target. Al Ahli hit back in the 27th minute as playmaker Ribeiro's powerful shot was denied by Evergrande's goalie Zeng Cheng. The home team were dealt a heavy blow as Zeng Cheng limped off in the 39th minute with injury and substitue goalie Li Shuai came in. Evergrande dominated the game after the interval and broke the deadlock in the 54th minute. Elkson picked up Zheng Long's penetrating pass, turned around to dance past a central defender and sent the ball into the far corner. It was also Elkson who opened the scoring in the second leg of the tournament's final two years ago. Things were getting worse for Al Ahli as their central defender Salmin Khamis Salmin was sent off due to an awful tackle against Zheng Long on 66 minutes. Al Ahli missed the golden opportunity to score when Lima's single pole ball was blocked by Kim Young Gwon. Elkson almost scored again in the stoppage time but had to see his attempt inside the box above the crossbar. Goulart secured the Golden Boot with eight goals in the AFC Champions League, two more than his closest rivals Ahmed Khalil from Al Ahli and Yang Xu from Shandong Luneng. It was the first time for Al Ahli, the six-time UAE League champions, to enter the AFC Champions League final which last time witnessed a UAE team in 2005.

Legacy of Hu Yaobang remembered by history

This coming Friday marks the 100th anniversary of Hu Yaobang's birth, who was a former general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. China's central government has decided to hold grand commemorative events on that very day. Related activities have already begun in the Party School of the CPC Central Committee as well as among citizens. These warm-ups and voices mirror the public's respect for Hu. On the 90th anniversary of Hu's birth in 2005, the CPC paid high compliments to his contribution to China's revolution and construction. Over the years, the Chinese media has increasingly discussed Hu's positive contributions. Hu left his post as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee in January 1987 along with the controversies over him. The communiqué at that time briefly mentioned his "mistakes on major issues of political principles." History is clearly downplaying the incident's influence on assessing Hu's legacy. Many believe that the trend does not mean that the details are forgotten, nor indicate a contrary intention. But the downplaying is real, and it has formed a historical attitude. The leadership of Hu's generation had to face enormous problems. In the meantime, they were also at a turning point in the tide of history. It was therefore hard for them to make every decision correctly. However, history attaches more significance to China's development, and will increasingly value each leader's loyalty to the party, country and people. Nevertheless, public opinion still differs widely over Hu. The political decision about his position as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and officials' not mentioning it nowadays have both been politicized in current public debate. Yet others have constantly brought up the controversies over his specific policies and work to denounce him. Those people are actually using the topic of Hu to make ideological arguments. The solemn commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Hu's birth that will be held by the CPC will be bound to inspire the party and society at large via Hu's great achievements and glorious personality. As an outstanding leader as well as an example who dedicated his life to the party, he will also play a role in building social consensus today. Certain individuals and forces tend to twist the meaning of the nation's event to memorialize him. They obviously have particular political ends, and it is thus easy to tell them apart from Chinese mainstream society. The discussion of Hu's legacy has gone through the overall process of China's reform and opening up, as well as the thick and thin of China's development. He deserves our respect.

Obama visits Philippine vessel, eyes South China Sea at APEC

US President Barack Obama's visit to a Philippine naval frigate on Tuesday is a provocative gesture to hype the South China Sea issue ahead of a major meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders in Manila, Chinese observers said Tuesday. Obama arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday, where he will participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Manila, scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday. Shortly after Air Force One touched down in Manila, Obama boarded the Gregorio del Pilar, a Philippines navy frigate that was a US Coast Guard cutter until 2011, but on Tuesday flew the flags of the two allies, AFP reported. The vessel is now a mainstay of the Philippine Navy, operating around the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea that are claimed by both Manila and Beijing. Obama also announced two more US ships would be transferred to the Philippines as part of a two-year $250 million package to enhance regional maritime security, one a research vessel o help navigate territorial waters and a coast guard cutter for "long endurance patrols." "The US has been committed to the security of this region for more than 70 years, we have a treaty obligation, an ironclad commitment, to the defense of our alley the Philippines, who can count on the US," Obama said. Provocative action "Obama's visit to the Philippine navy flagship is definitely a political gesture and a provocation to China," Liu Feng, a Hainan-based expert on the South China Sea, told the Global Times. Liu said he believes the ship visit is in preparation for hyping up South China Sea disputes at the APEC meeting. Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said earlier that the APEC meet would focus on economic cooperation and would not touch on the South China Sea issue. But Mark Toner, US State Department spokesperson, said on November 10 that the South China Sea issue would likely come up on the sidelines of the meeting if it is not on the main agenda, Reuters reported. "The US wants to seize the chance to discuss the South China Sea at the meeting and does not want the topic to fade away. Obama's visit to the navy vessel is meant to draw public attention while many other APEC members showed little intention of raising the issue at the meeting," Liu added. Gu Xiaosong, an expert on Southeast Asian studies at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that the US is taking this opportunity to encourage its allies to stand against China on the South China Sea. "The US is not satisfied with its allies' effort in counterbalancing China's influence. By sending the president onboard a Philippine navy vessel, the US wants to reiterate its stance on the South China Sea issue and call on its allies to stand against China," Gu said. The US has had a tiger by the tail ever since it proposed raising the South China Sea issue at the meeting. The US does not want its allies to doubt its influence in the South China Sea, so it has to prevail over all dissenting views from relevant countries to insist on provoking China, Liu said. Real victim Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said Tuesday that China was the real victim in the South China Sea dispute as "dozens" of its islands and reefs have been illegally occupied by three of the claimants in the dispute. He did not name any countries. "The Chinese government has the right and the ability to recover the islands and reefs illegally occupied," Liu told reporters in Beijing. "But we haven't done this. We have maintained great restraint with the aim to preserve peace and stability." Liu said China should deal with issues in the South China Sea at its own pace. "China doesn't have to pay much attention to the US provocations. All we should to do is to follow our own agenda and improve our relations with Southeast Asian nations," Gu noted.

32 killed, 80 injured in Nigeria's explosion

As many as 32 people were killed and 80 injured on Tuesday in a bomb explosion that hit a motor park in Yola, the Adamawa State capital in north east Nigeria. Security sources told Xinhua that the blast rocked the park at about 8 p.m. local time when the place was crowded with food sellers and petty traders. Saadu Bello, an official of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), put the death toll at 32 while 80 got injured. The state police spokesperson, Othman Abubakar, said 31 persons lost their lives in the incident while many sustained injuries. A Xinhua reporter in the state said security operatives have since gone to the scene of the incident, adding that further details would be made public later.

Ninth attacker involved in Paris assaults: reports

There was a ninth man involved in Friday's deadly Paris attacks, Le Figaro reported Tuesday evening, citing investigators. The investigators so far believed there was nine terrorists involved in the attacks, the report said, as the investigation conducted by the Anti-Terrorism Sub Directorate (SDAT), the Criminal Brigade of Paris and The General Directorate for Internal Security is going on. "A third man was on board" the vehicle which was used to conduct bloodshed on cafe terraces in the 10th and 11th District of Paris, Le Figaro said, citing a police source. "Investigators are now certain after viewing CCTV tapes. The vehicle was found on the night of Sunday to Monday, around 1 a.m., abandoned in Montreuil-sous-Bois, with three Kalashnikovs on board," the daily reported. The investigators also made progress in tracing the Syrian passport found next to the French national stadium Stade de France with the name Ahmad al Mohammad, who was killed several month ago as a former soldier of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the report said. The fingerprints of the suicide bomber matched those collected during a check in Greece in October 2015. Simultaneous shootings and explosions at restaurants, Bataclan concert hall and the national stadium in Paris on Friday night last week killed at least 129 people and injured hundreds of others.

UN says Ban will not visit Pyongyang next week

A UN spokesman told reporters here Tuesday night that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will not visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) next week. "The secretary-general will not be travelling to the DPRK next week," the spokesman said in an emailed message to the press here. "He will be in New York most of next week and then travel to Malta for the Commonwealth Summit." "From there, he will go to directly to Paris to attend CoP21,"also known as the 2015 Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the spokesman said. COP21 opens at Le Bourget, north Paris, on Nov. 30. More than 40,000 representatives from 195 countries will participate.

US presidential candidates dodge real responsibility

China and Russia have been a repeated target of US presidential candidates in their policy arguments during several televised debates. Donald Trump promised to label China as a currency manipulator if he is elected. Marco Rubio vowed to put wider sanctions on Russian oil and defense conglomerates and impose harsher visa bans. Chris Christie even said he would fly Air Force One over some expanded islands in the South China Sea. Increasingly regarded as the two major adversaries of the US, China and Russia have become punching bags for these presidential hopefuls. Bonnie Glaser, a well-known expert on China-US relations, said they "believe this appeals to Americans - they want their president to be in charge, to take on any other country that undermines American interests." China and Russia have raised concerns about the tendency that might ratchet up tensions with Washington. Both diplomatic officials from China and Russia have expressed their regret that anti-Chinese and anti-Russian rhetoric has disparagingly become a significant part of some candidates' stump speeches. Candidates' careless remarks have become routine in the US political spectrum. Politicians vying for the US presidency are misleading voters to shift their anxiety and disaffection with the administration elsewhere. These candidates lack the statesmanship to face up to the fact that the problems that continue to haunt the US were caused by the US itself. China and Russia might be competitors with the US in some spheres, but it was not they that set fire to the Middle East, a path which ultimately led to the terror atrocities in Paris at the weekend. In one of the debates, republican candidate Ben Carson even suggested that China is militarily involved in the Syrian crisis. White House spokesperson Josh Earnest was "speechless" as to how to respond to Carson's senseless remarks. As the only country which is able to project power across the globe, the US boasts it is a major contributor to the public good and international order. However, its candidates for the next president are not showing any sign of responsibility in this term, not to speak of any introspection of its strategic wrongdoings in intervening in the Middle East. Their blame-shifting results in unnecessary antagonism among the public against China and Russia. Once elected, US presidents will usually shut their big mouths and adopt pragmatism in foreign affairs. But the efforts they exert to reverse the negative impression they have caused on China and Russia are usually out of proportion to those they have made to disparage China and Russia. US presidential candidates should note that statesmen employ a consistent approach to making a real difference for their country, politicians jockeying for fame are just a flash in the pan.

Xi says Chinese economy predicted to grow about 7 pct this year

President Xi Jinping said Sunday that the Chinese economy is predicted to grow about 7 percent this year, which will continue to contribute as high as about one third to the global growth. "China has the confidence and capability to maintain medium-high growth," Xi said while addressing a Group of 20 (G20) summit in Antalya in southwest Turkey. China shouldered the responsibility of driving economic growth in times of the world economic hardship, he said, noting that China had contributed up to 50 percent of world economic growth from 2009 to 2011. Despite a recent slowdown, China still contributes 30 percent to world economic growth, which means that China still acts as a major world economic powerhouse, said Xi. China's confidence comes from its determination and actions to comprehensively deepen reform and build an open economic system, as well as the strong endogenous dynamic of China's economy and the policy guidance of the Chinese government, he added. China has adopted a proposal on formulating the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) on national economic and social development, which aims to build a "moderately prosperous society" and double its 2010 GDP and per capita income of both urban and rural residents by 2020, said Xi. In the next five years, China will adhere to a path of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, and will encourage a system that nurtures innovation, he said. The country will try to realize the synchronous development of the new type of industrialization, IT application, urbanization and agricultural modernization, he added. In the coming years, China will highlight green and low-carbon development, improve its environmental quality, become heavily involved in global economy, and carry out the Belt and Road Initiative, he said. The world's second largest economy will continue to vigorously improve its people's well-being and ensure that the benefits of development are shared by all, said Xi. All these efforts will inject strong impetus into China's economic growth while unleashing demand for the world economy, he said.