Watchdog to issue stricter Web series supervision rules

China's media watchdog vowed Saturday to strengthen its supervision of online series, following the recent removal of some dramas involving bisexual romance and pornographic content from video streaming websites. The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) ordered that series broadcast online should be held to the same standard as those aired on TV, said Li Jingsheng of the TV drama administration bureau under SAPPRFT at an industry conference on Saturday, the Beijing Youth Daily reported. Li also said that SAPPRFT is announcing stricter policies on the modification of online drama content, such as violence and homosexual romance. Zhang Tiankuo, a spokesperson for iQiyi - one of China's biggest online streaming websites and online drama producers - told the Global Times that the creation of online series will follow the specific measures to be introduced by SAPPRFT. Zhang also noted that SAPPRFT's move aims to regulate the online video streaming market for the better development of the industry. Li said that online series should be reviewed by assessors from streaming sites who have taken training courses and exams held by SAPPRFT, adding that some series will be further reviewed by experts from the administration. LeTV's online drama Go Princess Go was removed January 20, not long after two versions of its final episode were released. The show, which involved bisexual romance and time travel, proved extremely popular, gaining 2.7 billion views across 35 episodes. LeTV announced the drama had been removed temporarily and would be released again after undergoing changes. Addicted & Heroin, an online series of gay romance stories, was ordered to be taken down from all streaming sites on January 29, three days after its release. Since the number of underage online viewers is massive, it is necessary to draw the line properly, said Zhuang Xihai, a former TV host and producer who is now a professor at the Southwest University of Broadcasting in Chongqing.

2nd space lab scheduled for launch later this year

China will send its second space lab later this year, and will dock with a cargo ship scheduled to be launched next year, sources from the manned space program said Sunday. China also plans to launch the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft, which will carry two astronauts, in the fourth quarter to dock with the space lab Tiangong-2, according to the program's spokesperson. After its first test flight at the Wenchang satellite launch center in South China's Hainan Province, a next-generation Long March-7 rocket will put the country's first cargo ship Tianzhou-1, which literally means "heavenly vessel," into space in the first half of 2017 to dock with Tiangong-2 and conduct experiments. China plans to conduct experiments on key technologies, including cargo transportation, in-orbit propellant resupply, astronauts' medium-term stay, as well as space science and application experiments on a relatively large scale, the spokesperson said. Preparation for the space lab program is steadily progressing, according to the spokesperson. The astronauts chosen for Shenzhou-11 are receiving training, while the Tiangong-2, Shenzhou-11, two Long March-2F carrier rockets to be used to lift them into space, the Long March-7 rocket, and the Tianzhou-1 are either being assembled or undergoing assembly examination. China's multi-billion-dollar space program aims to put a permanent manned space station in space by 2022, with construction on the station to be completed by 2020, the spokesperson added.

Xi calls for close study of report by Mao

Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent call to study an article by his predecessor Mao Zedong has sent a strong signal to Party members to honor their inheritance of the Party's guiding thoughts and strengthen the construction of Party committee leading groups, observers said. The Work Method of Party Committees, a reprinted excerpt of a report on Party work style by Mao Zedong, was published Friday by the People's Publishing House after President Xi urged "Party members and cadres to study the pioneering work," the Xinhua News Agency reported. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, asked cadres - especially heads of Party committees at all levels - to review the requirements put forward in Mao's article, read a notice issued by the Organizational Department of the CPC Central Committee on February 25. "It is uncommon for an old report to receive such strong attention from the president and the Party, which highlights its importance," Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the Chongqing Committee, told the Global Times on Sunday. According to Xinhua, The Work Method of Party Committees is part of Mao's report on the historic Second Plenary Session of the Seventh CPC Central Committee, held in March 1949, just before the Party took over State power. The report included instructions by Mao on how to deal with work affairs and how to work with one's comrades. In recent years, many good traditions, standards of discipline and Party leadership styles and methods have been forgotten by some officials who are Party members, Su said, so Xi wants to carry forward the Party's good heritage by returning to the study of Mao's work. The CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection warned of the weakening of the Party's leadership after the conclusion of inspections at 31 State entities on February 4, including around 20 centrally governed financial institutions, Xinhua reported. Li Junru, a former vice-president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said that studying the report is part of the CPC's plan to strengthen "the Party's leadership" and to answer the question of "how to lead [the country]." This is not the first time that Xi has referred to Mao's thoughts. When commemorating the 120th anniversary of Mao's birth in 2013, Xi said the CPC will hold the banner of Mao Zedong Thought high forever in pursuing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Xinhua reported. "There has been a weakening trend [in the understanding] of Mao's theory recently. Xi's reiteration of studying Mao's thoughts will push officials to deeply understand the Party's ruling foundation and good heritage," Su said.

Kuomintang party HQ attacked

Suspected petrol bombs were lobbed at the Kuomintang (KMT) headquarters in Taipei early Sunday morning, the day marking the 69th anniversary of the February 28 Incident in Taiwan, local media reported on Sunday. The February 28 Incident, political taboo for decades under the late KMT leader Chiang Kai-shek's rule, refers to riots that erupted across the island in 1947 after a KMT inspector beat a female vendor in Taipei for selling smuggled cigarettes. Thousands were killed. Chiang died in 1975 after governing the island for 26 years, and February 28 was later made an official memorial day. The suspected arson attack which happened at around 4 am has drawn widespread criticism. Those who hate the party should stop "using historical wounds to create stand-offs and divisions," said KMT's acting chairwoman Huang Min-hui, Taipei-based Central News Agency (CNA) reported Sunday. Taiwan has seen an increase in extremist activity in support of "Taiwan independence" since the Democratic Progressive Party won in January elections, even if this might not be what incoming Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen wanted to see, Chen I-hsin, a political science professor at Taiwan's Tamkang University, told the Global Times on Sunday. Referring to Thursday's incident when the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei was defaced with paint, Chen warned that "such behavior could be infectious." Students at National Chengchi University on Friday plastered a statue of Chiang Kai-shek with fliers. The fliers listed the names and background of victims of the 228 Incident, the Taipei Times reported on Sunday. On Friday, Taiwan's legislature rejected a proposal to remove the portraits of Sun Yat-sen, founding father of the Republic of China (ROC), from public buildings due to strong opposition from the KMT, according to CNA. On Sunday, Taiwan's outgoing leader Ma Ying-jeou said that the people have suffered much during the wars and martial law period, adding that the pains of history should be soothed and that peace and love should fill the land, CNA reported. Lin Yih-hua, director of the KMT's Department of Culture and Communications, said the KMT and the incumbent leader of the island have made great efforts over the years "to heal the wounds and proactively promote reconciliation among ethnic groups," CNA reported on Friday. She said the party was worried that such a radical way of expressing views might generate new "hatred and stand-offs" in Taiwan, which already enjoys freedom of expression and ethnic harmony.

China's central bank cuts RRR by 0.5 percentage point

The central bank announced on Monday that it will lower its reserve requirement ratio (RRR) for commercial banks by 0.5 percentage points, effective Tuesday, the latest effort to bolster growth. The move, the first such cut this year, aims to "ensure reasonably ample liquidity in the financial system; guide a stable and appropriate growth in credit; and create a favorable financial environment for supply-side structural reform," the People's Bank of China said in a statement on its website. To boost economic growth, which in 2015 slowed to its lowest level in a quarter of a century, the central bank lowered the RRR five times last year.

China to maintain stable monetary policies: central bank governor

China will continue to implement stable monetary policies, said Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People's Bank of China, on Friday. China will not "overly" plan its macroeconomic polices based on exterior economic performance or capital flow, he said at the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Shanghai. China has consistently opposed competitive currency depreciation, which has been used by some countries to boost export strength, he said. China has seen remarkable exports, and its goods trade surplus hit nearly 600 billion US dollars last year, he said, adding that the country will not use "competitive depreciation" to boost its export capacity.

At least 4 dead, 20 injured as blast hits police station in NE Nigeria

At least four dead bodies have so far been recovered as rescue operation commenced at the site of a huge explosion which rocked a divisional police headquarters in Jimeta town of Nigeria's northeastern state of Adamawa on Thursday, local rescue workers said. Twenty injured people have also been rescued and conveyed to local hospitals in the area for treatment, a spokesperson of the state emergency team told Xinhua. The Adamawa state authorities confirmed the suspected bomb blast at the premises of Adamawa Motor Traffic Department of the Nigeria Police. Police authorities said the blast at the Jimeta Police station which houses the headquarters of the command anti-bomb squad, was caused by bombs recovered from Boko Haram suspects. Police chief in charge of the state Mohammed Gazali said the recovered bombs exploded from the store where the exhibits were being kept and most of those affected were policemen. The police station houses the state Central Investigation Bureau, Motor Traffic Department and the police tailoring section. The divisional police headquarters was badly damaged as a result of the powerful blast, according to a witness identified as Mohammed Bello. "The powerful blast even shattered the doors and glass windows of buildings in the area," he said. Atiku Bala, another witness, said there might be a high number of casualties because the divisional police headquarters was usually jampacked. Moreover, an elementary school located directly opposite the divisional police headquarters in Jimeta was in session, with pupils in their classrooms when the blast occurred, the witness said. The blast caused public panic because the location of the police station is in a strategic commercial area surrounded by a market, school, prison yard, post office and a TV station. On June 3, 2015, many people were killed following a Boko Haram bomb attack at Jimeta night market located near the Jimeta central market.

UN discusses NK sanctions

The UN Security Council was set to discuss a resolution on sanctions against North Korea late Thursday after China and the US reportedly reached an agreement to punish the country over its recent nuclear and missile tests. The US on Thursday was expected to present a draft resolution to the 15-member UN council for a vote on the sanctions, Reuters reported. "We hope and believe that the new resolution can effectively limit further progress of the DPRK's nuclear and missile program," China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing on Thursday, adding that important progress has been made in the UN Security Council's consultations on the new resolution against North Korea, "and we are looking forward to an agreement in the near future." Hua reiterated the importance of dialogue and negotiations in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue. The unscheduled participation of President Barack Obama in the meeting between China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the US National Security Advisor Susan Rice on Wednesday underscored the president's "interest in building a durable, constructive, and productive US-China relationship," said US National Security Council spokesperson Ned Price in a statement on the White House website on Wednesday. Beijing and Washington have agreed to adopt a new UN Security Council Resolution that "goes beyond previous resolutions" and not to "accept North Korea as a nuclear weapons state," according to the White House. President Obama looks forward to welcoming his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping at the Nuclear Security Summit, which will be held in Washington, DC in late March, Price said. Critical moment "We are currently at a critical moment in dealing with many issues involving China-US relations, such as the North Korean nuclear issue and the South China Sea issue," Li Kaisheng, a research fellow at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday. Western media reports described Obama's meeting with Wang on Wednesday as a "drop in" on the meeting between Wang and Rice. "Obama's joining the meeting between Wang and Rice showed that the US attaches great importance to bilateral relations and puts many expectations on Wang's visit," Li said. "The North Korean nuclear issue can be an opportunity to push forward China-US relations," Li said, noting that bilateral relations will benefit from progress made in terms of restarting negotiations. "It [the North Korean nuclear issue] should have been and, for a period of time, used to be the highlight of China-US cooperation as the two countries share common interests in this regard, such as nuclear nonproliferation and regional stability," Yu Shaohua, an expert on North Korean studies at the China Institute of International Studies told the Global Times on Thursday. The US has been pushing for harsher sanctions since North Korea's nuclear test in January, while China has emphasized handling the issue through dialogue. The different approaches of China and the US in dealing with North Korea reflect the differences between the two countries in considering regional security affairs, Yu said. "This time for Wang's visit, the US has softened its tone," she said, noting that the US now is becoming calm and rational in resolving the North Korea issue. "China and the US are not only competitors but also partners," Cui Zhiying, director of the Korean Peninsula Research Center at Tongji University, told the Global Times. In the future, China-US relations will still focus on cooperation, both economic and military, Cui said. On Thursday, China's Defense Ministry confirmed that the Chinese navy will participate in a series of joint naval drills from June to August in Hawaii, which was one of the achievements during President Xi's US visit in September last year. Cui said such exchanges will contribute to mutual trust, peace and regional stability. The nuclear security summit in March can also be a chance for the two countries' top leaders to discuss the current hot-spot issues, including the North Korean nuclear issue and the South China Sea issue, Li said. US responsibility "It is impossible for China to cut off all economic contact between it and North Korea," Cui said, pointing out sanctions are only measures rather than objectives in tackling the nuclear issue. "Dialogue like the Six-Party Talks is always the fundamental method," Cui said, warning that mutual distrust between North Korea and the US is a major obstacle in resuming the talks. China could take the role of bridgebuilder and coordinator in the talks, he said. Yu believes that the US should shoulder the major burden in restarting the talks. "If the US shoulders the responsibility in dealing with the nuclear issue instead of passing the buck, the dialogue can be resumed and the prospect of handling the issue will be bright," Yu said.

US sets date for 2nd round of Syria talks

The US will set a date on Friday for Syria's warring parties to return to the negotiating table for a second round of talks, UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Thursday, Reuters reported. De Mistura abruptly aborted a first round of talks on February 3, saying more preparatory work was needed from the "International Syria Support Group" (ISSG), led by the United States and Russia. Since then Syrian government forces, backed by Russia and Iran, have continued a major offensive against rebels around the city of Aleppo, and President Bashar al-Assad's government and the opposition have both said they could support a US-Russian proposal for a "cessation of hostilities." De Mistura said he would brief the UN Security Council on Friday and then announce a date for a new round of talks, but he declined to comment further. "I will announce tomorrow when the parties (will reconvene) and the new talks (will happen)," he told reporters, as he arrived for a meeting of the ISSG task force on humanitarian access. Another ISSG task force, on cease-fires, will convene for the first time in Geneva on Friday, De Mistura said - an opportunity for diplomats from ISSG countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran to say whether they endorse the US-Russian proposal. Combatants are required to say whether they will agree to the "cessation of hostilities" in the five-year war by noon on Friday, and to halt fighting on Saturday. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday said the cease-fire agreed between Syria's warring parties was only valid inside Syria and was "not binding" for Turkey if its national security was threatened, AFP reported on Thursday. "It must be known that the cease-fire is valid in Syria," Davutoglu said in televised remarks in the central Anatolian province of Konya. "When it is a question of Turkey's security, then the cease-fire is not binding for us," he added. Turkey on successive days last week targeted Kurdish fighters inside Syria with artillery barrages, saying that the army was responding to incoming fire, and had repeatedly reserved the right to open fire again. Davutoglu said Turkey would closely monitor how the cease-fire would be implemented, adding that "we support the cease-fire under any circumstances." Turkey has demanded that the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People's Protection Units (YPG) militia should remain outside the scope of the truce. He warned the YPG and the PKK "not to support terror in Turkey" just because of the cease-fire in Syria. Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that the Syria cease-fire process was underway despite what it said were attempts by some US officials to sabotage it, Reuters reported.

New thinking boosts economic growth quality

Xiaomi fitness wristband overtook Apple Watch in 2015 in terms of shipments, becoming the world's second most popular wearable device, global market tracker IDC said this week. When facing financial problems in 2012, Xiaomi producer Huami Inc., a Hefei-based startup, obtained loans amounting 3 million yuan (about 460,000 US dollars), which complied with the incentives package in which the government tried to encourage innovation entrepreneurship. Second to Fitbit, Huami sold 12 million Xiaomi wristbands in 2015, or 15.4 percent of the world's total shipments of wearable devices, according to IDC statistics. Hefei, capital of the previously farming province of Anhui which four decades ago ignited China's rural reform, now has elite national universities and research institutes, seeing its GDP expanding 10.5 percent in 2015 and dwarfing most Chinese cities. President Xi Jinping believes innovation "an important weapon" to offset the economic slowdown amid a sluggish global recovery. While the national economy was fighting strong headwinds after three decades' rapid growth, Xi and his associates actively promoted innovation, among other core concepts including coordination, green development, opening-up and shared prosperity. China has entered a "new normal" phase of growth, under which the economy will unlikely to see a V-shaped curve in the short run, instead an L-shaped one with slower rates but better quality. In 2015, policymakers advocated supply-side structural reform as a remedy to economic woes to attain higher-quality, more efficient, fairer and more sustainable growth. Supply-side structural reform aims to create a fertile and easier environment to encourage high-quality goods and services in a fairer market for all players. As one result, probably, the value added into the hi-tech sector increased 10.2 percent year on year in 2015, quite noticeable if compared with an average of 6.1 percent growth for all major enterprises. The service sector, for the first time, generated more than half of GDP last year, with services overtaking investment as the biggest pillar of economic expansion. Per capita disposable income grew 8.9 percent in 2015, and end-user consumption contributed 66.4 percent to GDP. The new thinking for sustaining growth is expected to endorsed by the national legislature, which is to convene from next week. The National People's Congress, or the legislature, would also debate on the 13th Five-year Plan from 2016 to 2020, during which the Chinese leadership vowed to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all aspects. Credit Suisse Group Managing Director Dong Tao pinned high hopes on supply-side structural reform, saying better-off Chinese have huge consumption potential while enterprises are usually good at churning out steel, cement and low-end products which no longer fascinate consumers today. Tasks, however, remain quite challenging and the world's second largest economy needs to address tough issues such as weak industrial product prices, declining business profitability, slower fiscal revenue growth and financial and banking risks.

China adopts first law on deep seafloor exploration

China's top legislature Friday passed the country's first law on deep seafloor resource exploration to protect the maritime environment and ensure sustainable exploitation. The legislation was adopted after a second reading at the bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), which started Wednesday. The government encourages and supports international cooperation on exploration, exploitation and surveys of deep seafloor resources, in addition to boosting joint efforts on environmental protection, scientific research and educational training, according to the legislation. Exploration and development should be peaceful and cooperative, in addition to protecting the maritime environment and safeguarding the common interests of mankind, it stipulates. China is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which states that international seabeds and their resources are the common property of mankind. The legislation, which will come into force on May 1, also mandates the government to formulate plans and roll out measures to promote scientific and technological research and surveys of resources. According to the law, the nation will protect the rightful interests of Chinese citizens and organizations in their search for resources and in deep sea surveys.

Trump’s victory intrigues Chinese public

Donald Trump's consecutive victories in US presidential primaries have not only made him a headline in Chinese media, but also have sparked fierce discussion of this controversial political figure among the Chinese public. Trump has been a hot topic in China ever since the US presidential primaries started on February 1. Online discussions hashtagged "US election" have garnered more than 42.2 million views as of press time. Most posts are dedicated to Trump's second victory in South Carolina on February 20, while Hillary Clinton, who is also a well-known political figure among the Chinese public, seems to have been outshone by her Republican rival. Trump has also generated considerable interest among the Chinese media, which has published many articles explaining the New York billionaire developer's political stance and analyzing his unexpected success. "Trump has not only intrigued intellectuals in China, but also ignited ordinary people's curiosity, though their focuses are quite different," Sun Chenghao, an assistant research fellow at the Institute of American Studies of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times. Among ordinary Chinese people, Trump is famous for his "legendary experience as a billionaire" and "poignant comments about China," which have presented him as more of an entertainer than a candidate, Jin Canrong, vice-director of the School of International Studies at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Monday. Some Chinese Net users have shown their support for Trump, with one Sina Weibo user saying, "Trump is truly an inspiration for me. His business sense and confidence always keep me in awe." Others have expressed opposite opinions, criticizing him for his "ridiculous accusation of China." Despite mixed reactions from the public, Trump's TV reality show The Apprentice I has a score of 8.8 out of 10 on Chinese media review site douban.com. Meanwhile, the hashtag "helping Uncle Trump hit the headlines" has garnered more than 7.9 million views on Sina Weibo as of press time, with most posts focusing on Trump's controversial comments and personal life. "Trump's celebrity status and prominent media exposure have made him famous among the Chinese, who care more about his personal life than his political stance," Sun said. Intellectuals in China, on the other hand, focus more on the unexpected success of Trump than on Trump himself, since his popularity in politics has surprised many scholars, who believed that a big-mouthed candidate could never win such a high rate of support, experts said. "Trump's success has offered Chinese scholars a new angle from which to study the US political landscape and explore the country's election system," Sun said. "It's also easier for scholars to use Trump as an example to explain complex ideas such as the US election system to the public, since Chinese people consider him one of the most famous and interesting candidates," Sun added.

China to remove walls from residential complexes to ease traffic

A government document that instructs cities across China to open up the enormous numbers of gated residential compounds to ease traffic congestion aroused public controversy on Monday, with many residents arguing that the administrative order, though well-intentioned, may bring personal and property safety concerns. The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council on Sunday issued guidelines on urban development to deal with "urban ills" resulting from poor urban design. These ills include congestion, pollution and designing either over-large buildings or those which are too exotic. The document said China will optimize the structure of street networks to promote an open and easy-access street-and-block system. "No more enclosed residential compounds will be built in principle," the document said. "Existing residential and corporate compounds will gradually open up, so the interior roads can be put into public use, which will save land and help reallocate transport networks." Since the late 1980s, many cities have built sprawling gated residential compounds - many with lawns and exercise venues and facilities inside - for safety and a better living environment for the apartment owners. Congestion has plagued China's cities, despite ambitious expressway-building projects. Freeing up narrower roads and congested street designs have become a new concept in the country's urban planning. The release of the guidelines comes two months after leaders met for the Central Urban Work Conference, promising to make China's sprawling cities more livable and green. The last time China held such a meeting was in 1978, when only 18 percent of the population lived in cities. That had increased to 56.1 percent by the end of 2015, according to the Xinhua News Agency. "The second urban work conference, 37 years after the first, shows that urban planning is a core problem in China's economic and social development," Niu Fengrui, director of the Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. Residents' concerns However, the government "guideline" to open up the walls which many residents consider the outer border of their homes remains a thorny issue. Thousands of comments have been posted on Sina Weibo to discuss the prospect, and a majority of netizens said making residential areas more open could create more harm than good. "Residents will feel like they are sleeping in the streets. Besides, how to deal with environment pollution and other factors that disturb residents and how to collect property management fees? People's happiness index will drop sharply," a netizen named "Pingyuan Journey" commented. A poll conducted by news website sina.com.cn on Monday showed about 76 percent of more than 85,000 respondents oppose the opening-up of their gated communities. Over 60 percent attributed the reason to fear of personal and property safety, another 25 worried that compound facilities, such as parking lots and sport fitness venues, may be used by non-residents. Urban planning experts countered these fears, saying that more open urban designs will greatly improve air quality and ease congestion. Ventilation corridors Smooth traffic flow is important to environmental protection and livability of a city, and this new policy will greatly ease congestion, Niu said. The guidelines propose lifting public transport use to 40 percent in megacities and 30 percent in other cities. Li Jianping, an urban planning expert at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that tearing down walls surrounding residential compounds will improve urban air flow, thus dispersing pollutants more easily. "Controlling the number of skyscrapers is another way to tackle air pollution," Li noted. To better facilitate air flow in Beijing, municipal authorities announced Saturday that the capital will build five ventilation corridors connecting the city's parks, rivers and highways. Gradual process Implementing the new street-and-block system should be a gradual process, with compounds in densely-populated or downtown areas to be opened first, experts said. "Resources in residential compounds are public, which should be made available to all members of society. But the current enclosed structure privatized them to only its residents," Li said. Kang Zhenyu, a Dalian-based lawyer, wrote on his blog that the government has no right to put the apartment owners' private lawns and roads to public use, as they have paid land-transferring fees to the government when purchasing the flats. Niu agreed that residents' concerns about safety, noise and property management fees should be properly dealt with before implementing the new policy, adding that compensation could be given to residents living next to the streets. In the long run, enclosed social organizations and universities that are located in the center of a city are also expected to open to ease traffic, said Yin Zhi, dean of the Beijing Tsinghua Urban Planning and Design Institute of Tsinghua University. The plan also said new buildings should be "suitable, affordable, green and beautiful." Cities will be limited from growing beyond the means of their natural resources, it said. Currently, Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing municipalities all have populations exceeding 20 million.

Deal reached to end Indian protest

Indian protesters demanding better conditions for their caste said Monday they had accepted a state government offer aimed at ending days of riots that have killed at least 19 people, as troops won back control of a canal that supplies much of Delhi's water. Authorities in the northern state of Haryana which borders Delhi said they expected to restore order after apparently reaching a deal with leaders of the Jat caste, who said they were discussing whether to call off their protest. Schools in the Indian capital had been ordered to close on Monday after the demonstrators seized control of a canal that supplies a reported 60 percent of the city's tap water, before the military regained control. But the crisis appeared to ease after the state government on Sunday agreed the Jat community should be given quotas for highly sought-after government jobs and university places under India's caste-based quota system. "We have accepted the government offer and are in the process of consulting other Jat leaders to arrive at a consensus before deciding about calling off the agitation today," Yashpal Malik, head of a group of Jat organizations, told AFP on Monday. "We are demanding that the government should compensate the families of people who died the agitation." Talks were held in Delhi Sunday between Jat leaders, national Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the Haryana government run by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Thousands of troops had been deployed to Haryana on Saturday with orders to shoot on sight after week-long protests by members of the Jat caste turned violent, with rioters setting fire to homes and railway stations and blocking highways. The protests eased overnight Sunday after the state government agreed to the Jat community's demands. "There were a few clashes in parts of Bhiwani district overnight, where a curfew is still on, but the curfew has been lifted in other districts," said Haryana additional chief secretary P. K. Das. He confirmed the death toll had risen to 19, with another 200 people wounded. "Most of the road links have been restored in the state and we hope to be in control of the situation by end of the day," Das said. Jats are the single largest community in Haryana, with nearly 8 million populations, and are also traditionally a farming community.

EU expresses concerns over China’s excess factory output

The European Union's top business group in China said Monday industries in the country have been suffering from overcapacity since 2009, and are causing far-reaching damage to Chinese and global economy. While China's steel exports still account for a small percentage of its total production, its sheer size - more than 1.5 times the US' total production - means that it still has a significant influence on world markets, the chamber said in a report on China's overcapacity released Monday in Beijing. "The European Chamber appreciates the Chinese government's positive attempts to deal with the issue of overcapacity. At the same time, much remains to be done to bring the problem under control and to ensure that it does not subsequently re-emerge," chamber president Joerg Wuttke said in a statement. Trade tensions and anti-dumping cases can also emerge in the US, India and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the report said. Preemptive warning "The chamber's report shows that the EU wants to reduce the chance of a potential increase of Chinese exports as China's overcapacity becomes more serious," Tian Yun, editor-in-chief of the Beijing-based Macro China Information Network, told the Global Times Monday. A better structured Chinese economy will benefit both China and the EU, which itself has been facing slower growth and shrinking demand, as well as job cuts. The chamber said a number of factors affected overcapacity in industries such as steel, electrolytic aluminum, cement, flat glass, shipbuilding and refining include local protectionism and the fragmentation of industries driven by regionalism, weak regulation enforcement and low input prices due to government policies. Experts said potential trade tensions may rise even if much of the goods suffering a glut are considered low-end goods. "Many EU member economies also produce low-value products, and these countries are on a collision course with Chinese exports should the overcapacity issue remain unresolved," Tian told the Global Times. "In terms of middle-end goods, Chinese companies have advanced remarkably in recent years, increasing the chance of a clash with European firms," he said. In February, Brussels launched new anti-dumping probes into Chinese steel imports. "Overcapacity is a worldwide issue, and the Chinese government and enterprises have stepped up efforts to restructure the steel industry and cut excess capacity," Shen Danyang, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, said at a briefing in Beijing on February 17. China's central government has listed overcapacity and the closure of debt-ridden "zombie" firms as one of its key policy priorities for 2016, and it has unveiled plans to cut crude steel production capacity by 100 million to 150 million tons in January. Tough choices However, local governments have been slow to respond, because they fear debt and unemployment problems, experts said. Calculations made by the Economic Observer in January show that a cut in steel production would lead to a loss of about 500,000 jobs. "I believe zombie firms will continue to exist because they provide stability to families, the bedrock of society," a January report in the Beijing-based China Economic Weekly cited an executive at a company at one overcapacity-stricken industry as saying. The executive said one-third of his county's residents are directly or indirectly employed by the company. Wuttke said local protectionism - which plays a significant role in allowing inefficient companies to avoid being closed - is causing an overcapacity. "Everyone wants to wait it out, but you cannot change solve overcapacity without causing unemployment," Wuttke told the Global Times. It is misleading to believe that allowing zombie firms to operate will cost less money than removing people. Provide them training so they can move on to the services sector, Wuttke added.

US, Russia agree to Syrian ceasefire to begin Saturday

The United States and Russia announced Monday the plan for a cessation of hostilities in Syria that will begin on Feb. 27, the US State Department said. In a joint statement, the two countries said the ceasefire agreement will not apply to "Daesh", also known as the Islamic State (IS), "Jabhat al-Nusra", or other terrorist organizations designated by the UN Security Council. Any party engaged in conflicts in Syria will indicate to Russia or the United States their commitment to and acceptance of the terms for the cessation of hostilities by no later than 12:00 (Damascus time) on Feb. 27, said the joint statement issued by the State Department. "I am gratified to see the final arrangements concluded today for a cessation of hostilities in Syria and call on all parties to accept and fully comply with its terms," US Secretary of State John Kerry said. If implemented and adhered to, Kerry said, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and support a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people. Russia and the US are prepared to work together to exchange information and develop procedures necessary for preventing parties participating in the ceasefire from being attacked by Russia, the US-led anti-IS coalition, and the Syrian government, said the joint statement. Russian and US military actions, including airstrikes, will continue against IS, "Jabhat al-Nusra," and other terrorist organizations. Moscow and Washington will also establish a communication hotline and, if necessary and appropriate, a working group to exchange relevant information after the cessation of hostilities has gone into effect. "This is a moment of promise, but the fulfillment of that promise depends on actions," Kerry said. "We are all aware of the significant challenges ahead."

FM's visit to remind Washington of China's core interests

In his visit to the United States, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to discuss with US officials the hot-button issues of the South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula, both with direct relevance to China's core interests. Wang's three-day trip, during which he will meet with his US counterpart John Kerry and Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, is more eye-catching than ever, since divisions of the two sides over the South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula have been amplified thanks partly to Washington's hidden agendas and recklessness. On the South China Sea issue, Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, commander of the US Navy's 7th Fleet, said Monday that his country will not stop military activities in the region. Washington should be well aware that China will not compromise on territorial integrity and Washington should not underestimate China's resolve in this respect. It is also noteworthy that it is Washington that is fanning up the flames by flexing its muscles in the South China Sea and by emboldening nations in their territorial disputes with China. Washington, at the same time, should stop pointing a finger at China over the construction of facilities on its sovereign islands in the South China Sea as these activities, for civil or military purposes, are totally legitimate. On the Korean Peninsula, Washington's willful initiative of deploying a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile shield in South Korea will pose a direct threat to China's security interests. As Wang has pointed out, the deployment of the missile system goes far beyond the defense needs of South Korea and the coverage of the system means it will reach deep into the Asian continent. Therefore, the United States has to act cautiously and avoid undermining China's security interests or adding new complications to regional peace and stability. It is of utter importance that the peaceful settlement of Korean Peninsular predicament and South China Sea disputes is in line with the common interests of Beijing and Washington. It is highly hoped that China and the United States, two heavyweights that hold sway and stakes in the Asia-Pacific, should address their divisions in a sensible manner and enhance mutual trust so as to safeguard peace and stability in the region and beyond. To that end, it is advisable for Washington to heed Wang's legitimate call.

Public opinion may alter China’s NK policy

As the North Korean nuclear issue has turned pressing and perplexing, China can feel mounting pressure and growing challenges. The Chinese public is paying increased attention to the issue and holds unprecedentedly complicated attitudes toward Pyongyang. What informs their views includes the traditional China-North Korea friendship, North Korea as China's buffer state, Pyongyang's repeated nuclear tests regardless of Beijing's opposition and alleged human rights abuses. A growing number of Chinese, both elites and the general public, deem North Korea is China's burden and an annoying neighbor instead of an old friend. Two Chinese pundits that usually differ in opinion over Pyongyang both estimate that more than 60 percent of Chinese people are now in the former category. Public opinion cannot be used to preside over foreign policies, but it is the cornerstone of contemporary Chinese diplomatic strategy. Changes in public opinion are altering the external environment of China's policy on North Korea and can be converted into pressure that pushes the Chinese government to ramp up sanctions against Pyongyang. The more China's policy in this regard departs from public opinion, the more political cost China has to pay. The Chinese public has previously backed the authorities in taking sanctions against Pyongyang and meanwhile maintaining bilateral relations. But now they tilt toward actions to make Pyongyang feel pain for its obduracy. Unlike the hatred for Japan, Chinese people's dislike for North Korea is not ingrained, but most people have lost interest in taking care of this neighbor. These grievances will only grow if Pyongyang refuses to alter its nuclear policy. Many Chinese have been impressed by the myriad of Western reports that the North Korean nuclear issue lingers because China rejects the imposition of sanctions and insists on a softer approach. They are also influenced by some Chinese pundits who exaggerate Chinese aid to North Korea. As the authorities do not often make an explicit stance, vague views are often embraced. The North Korean nuclear issue is expanding and may jeopardize China's domestic political interests under some extreme circumstances. In that case, it may go beyond Northeast Asia and be more than a diplomatic issue. China has to prepare for this scenario. The US simply steps up its warnings to North Korea, which does not work for Pyongyang. Washington wants to pull Seoul to its side and intensify the military pressure on China. China needs to stay alert and flexible and safeguard its bottom line. Addressing North Korea's nuclear issue means not overly focusing on techniques and details. Only a grand strategy and determination can bolster one's effort to take the initiative. In modern times, China sometimes fails due to its feeble power, but never for inadequate wisdom and determination. As the People's Republic of China takes successful steps in almost every big strategy since its establishment, it will not falter in front of North Korea.

FM slams UK report on Hong Kong

The UK should not interfere in Chinese affairs, observers said Saturday, after a British government report claimed that Hong Kong publisher Lee Bo had been "involuntarily" taken to the Chinese mainland, a claim which China has strenuously denied. Foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said in a Friday statement that China is strongly displeased with and firmly opposed to the UK government report on Hong Kong, which accused the mainland of infringement upon Hong Kong's freedom. "Mr. Lee was involuntarily removed to the mainland without any due process under Hong Kong SAR law," the report said, adding that it is "a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong and undermines the principle of "One Country, Two Systems." Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, and Hong Kong affairs are China's domestic affairs, Hong said, stressing that no foreign country has the right to interfere. He urged the British side to be cautious with words and deeds and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs. "The UK should get its facts straight before making groundless remarks, and it could express its concerns to the Chinese government via diplomatic channels instead of releasing such reports," Zhang Dinghuai, a professor at the Contemporary Chinese Politics Research Institute of Shenzhen University, told the Global Times. No grounds Lee, a shareholder in the Mighty Current publishing house, allegedly went missing on December 30 from Hong Kong. It was alleged that four other people associated with Mighty Current were also missing, with the case triggering strong protests in Hong Kong. It was later revealed that Lee had traveled voluntarily to the mainland and was cooperating with investigators. He asked Hong Kong police to stop their investigation, Hong Kong-based Sing Tao Daily reported. "There are no grounds to say there is a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong, as this bilateral agreement mainly deals with China's resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong, but Lee's case is an internal matter that should not be dealt with under international treaties," said Jiao Hongchang, deputy dean of the Law School at the China University of Political Science and Law. Since July 1997, the British Foreign Secretary has reported to Parliament at six-month intervals on the implementation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong. The latest report issued Thursday by Philip Hammond covered July 1 to December 31, 2015, according to the Xinhua News Agency. "The UK should also avoid such groundless judgments in order to safeguard the stable ties between China and the UK, especially since Chinese President Xi Jinping's State visit to the UK in last September heralded a golden era for the bilateral relationship," said Chen Lijun, a professor from the Center for Studies of Hong Kong, Macao and Pearl River Delta under Sun Yat-Sen University. Volatile city Hong Kong has often been volatile in recent years, following the Occupy Central protests of 2014 and rallies targeting mainland parallel traders in 2015. On Tuesday, a riot erupted in Mong Kok shopping district after police tried to clear away street vendors, with mobs barricading the street, setting fires, damaging police cars, and assaulting police officers, injuring 89 police officers and several journalists. Early on Saturday, 31 vehicles in a parking lot at Lai Chi Kok container port were set on fire. Police said the fire, which started from two containers filled with styrofoam at midnight Friday, may be arson, China Central Television reported. A slowing economy and the gap between the rich and poor may be to blame for many of these disturbances, experts said. "The root of those riots lies in the economic imbalance of different classes in Hong Kong and the lack of mobility. It's especially hard for the young generation to move up," Zhu Shihai, a professor specializing in the study of Hong Kong at the Macao University of Science and Technology, told the Global Times. Beijing is obliged to take measures to adjust the economic imbalance and address social contradictions in Hong Kong to safeguard the interests of the lower-income labor force and of the unemployed, analysts said. "The mainland can fully utilize the region's free-trade environment to help boost its economy and benefit local residents," Zhang said, adding that the UK could also invest more in Hong Kong, rather than interfering.

Holiday consumption robust amid China's consumer-led growth

Booming tourism, cinema and retail sales during the week-long Spring Festival holiday show that China's efforts to make its economy more reliant on the consumption power of its vast population is paying off. The increasingly affluent Chinese are not only willing to spend, they spend more wisely and healthily. Aside from big feasts during family reunions, activities such as domestic and overseas travel, movies and health products have caught on. Shops and restaurants across the country brought in 754 billion yuan (115 billion US dollars), up 11.2 percent over the same period last year, the Ministry of Commerce said. On Feb. 8, the first day of the Year of the Monkey according to the lunar calendar, box office reached a record 660 million yuan. These higher figures did not come from nowhere. Online vendors went full throttle with promotional events and delivery companies worked around the clock. The Spring Festival is no longer a travel rush characterized by hardship. People now travel comfortably in high-speed trains while the gifts bought online are delivered to their relatives and friends. Statistics from e-commerce giant Alibaba showed that around 14 percent of orders during its holiday promotion were delivered to different addresses, meaning around 280 million orders were likely holiday gifts. "A precondition for online vendors to cash in on the holiday is that express delivery companies continued operating thanks to an ample supply of labor. This is an evidence of how fast the Chinese service industry is growing," said Zhao Ping, a researcher with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. Restaurants had a busy week from hosting family dinners. Their business was given added impetus as they worked closer with e-commerce platforms. Sales of 27 restaurants surveyed in the Chongqing Municipality grew 16.6 percent to 8.37 million yuan thanks to cooperation with online platforms including Meituan and Baidu Nuomi. As income keeps growing, people have become more enthusiastic with other alternatives to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Family gatherings are no longer restricted to hometowns, but have expanded to exotic locales. Zhang Li, a resident of Shanghai, took her family on a trip to Thailand on Feb. 9. "An overseas trip is an attractive option to while away the holiday," she said. The Chinese are not only more mobile, they travel with more stylish. According to China's leading online travel agent Ctrip, 60 percent of the hotel reservations by Chinese tourist in overseas trips went to four and five-star hotels. The figure for domestic trips was 53 percent. Last year, the figures were 51 percent and 35 percent respectively. "The preference for better star-rated hotels means Chinese are willing to spend more to ensure enjoyable trips. They have higher demand on quality now," a Ctrip spokesperson said. The booming holiday market is welcome news for China as it strives to retool its economy from investment-led to one that relies more on consumption and innovation. The economy saw a 6.9-percent growth in 2015, the slowest annual expansion in a quarter century, but consumption has emerged as the new growth driver. Last year, consumption contributed to 66.4 percent of China's gross domestic product, up 15.4 percentage points from 2014.

China should develop its own economic theories

China's "supply-side reform" is a catchphrase constantly invoked by government officials. This has attracted widespread attention across the country. But some scholars have confused "supply-side reform" with "supply-side economics," with the macroeconomics school advocating capital investment and business expansion to boost economic growth. This misconception shows that, at least in the academic field of economics, there are still people applying Western economic paradigms mechanically to China's practices, rather than exploring theories that fit into China's specific economic situation. The proposed "supply-side structural reform" is mainly aimed at resolving the current structural overcapacity to achieve "structural adjustments" and "promote growth." From an economic perspective, studying economic problems from a supply-side angle is nothing new. But the concept of "supply-side reform" based on China's specific economic situation has fundamental differences with the macroeconomic theory of supply-side economics. As a result, we should not indiscriminately apply Western economic theory to evaluate contemporary Chinese economic issues or use it to understand current macroeconomic policies in China. Admittedly, the so-called Chinese economics has been based on imported ideas. For a long time, China had merely "imported" economic theories from the West. This historical background has led to the worship of Western economic concepts, which has impeded independent thinking and theoretical innovation in Chinese economics. During the past 30 years, China's economic reform has made substantial achievements and won worldwide recognition with an enriched repertoire of practical experience. But, until now, China's economists have yet to propose a complete theoretical framework to explain the Chinese experience, let alone the capability to extract the Chinese experience. That is why some Chinese economists seem to have formed a pattern of "path dependence" toward economic theories from the West. Whenever China achieves economic growth, they tend to simplify it as an outcome of studying and utilizing Western economic theories. And whenever there are glitches along the way, they either consciously blame the reasoning process in the theoretical application of the Western paradigms or unconsciously attempt to look for solutions and theoretical explanations from Western economic textbooks. This anomaly reflects the absence of economic concepts that suit the Chinese context, as well as the absence of independent thinking and confidence in Chinese economics. At this stage, China's economic development is in urgent need of theoretical formulation and subjective consciousness, and more importantly, its own system of academic terminology. Many structural reforms that have happened in China during the past three decades have shown that actions emanating from bottom-up practitioners can be summarized and extracted by Chinese economists, and then adopted by China's highest-level decision-makers with terminologies hard to comprehend. Then, after numerous trial and error, authorized reform documents can be formalized and publicized throughout the country with more straightforward and plain language, hence generating momentum and finally success. Examples of specific Chinese practices include the household contract responsibility system, double price regulation, ownership structure theory, and income distribution theory. It is these concepts and terminologies, which are hard to find in Western economics, that forms the common thread running through China's economic reform during the past three decades, and made the economic miracle come true. Therefore, Chinese scholars should absorb and extract theoretical elements from China's own experience of economic growth, and form their own development theories and terminology system.

Hong Kong riot rekindles talk of national security law

The recent riot in Hong Kong has sparked another round of debates over revisiting a basic law article on national security. Article 23 of Hong Kong's Basic Law, which stipulates that Hong Kong shall "enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People's Government," has gained wide attention. The legislation process of Article 23 is not likely to be accelerated by the Mong Kok riot, Lau Siu-kai, a vice-chairman of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told media on Saturday, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. But it is better for Hong Kong to legislate Article 23 as early as possible now that Beijing is attaching more importance to national security when considering the problems in Hong Kong, Lau noted. Ho Kwan-yiu, the former president of the Law Society of Hong Kong, also said in a forum on Sunday that it is time for Hong Kong to legislate Article 23, Hong Kong-based Sing Tao Daily reported Sunday. "If unrest is caused by politics, the central government will not sit back and do nothing," Gu Minkang, the associate dean of the School of Law of City University of Hong Kong, told the Global Times on Sunday. "In the long term, the enactment of Article 23 is an unavoidable issue," Gu said. Riot not related Responding to the earlier riot in Mong Kok during the lunar new year holidays, Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong, on Sunday condemned "the increasingly violent activities of the radical separatists, who have even showed a tendency toward terrorism." Zhang noted that the Hong Kong people will not tolerate "the most precious legal system of Hong Kong" being destroyed by a few rioters, stressing that a consensus has been reached by the people that chaos is not acceptable, according to Hong Kong-based Phoenix Satellite Television. When asked whether legislating Article 23 will be pushed forward due to the riot, Zhang said that "the two incidents are not related." Experts say the Mong Kok riot was less about national security, echoing the view of Zhang. "Consisting of crimes and other unlawful behavior, the riot harmed legal order and social stability within the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region instead of national security, which involves Article 23," Zou Pingxue, vice dean of the Law School of Shenzhen University, told the Global Times on Sunday. Beijing will not put pressure on the Hong Kong government to legislate Article 23 as the One Country, Two Systems policy will not be influenced by the challenges that Hong Kong faces in the implementation of the Basic Law, such as the Occupy Central movement and the Mong Kok riot, according to Zou. Future legislation Zhang Dinghuai, a researcher at the Contemporary Chinese Politics Research Institute of Shenzhen University, said the central government will not ask to legislate Article 23 for now. "In the long run, the government is not likely to push for legislating Article 23," Zhu Shihai, a scholar specializing in the study of Hong Kong at the Macao University of Science and Technology, told the Global Times. Zhu said since Hong Kong's economy is not doing well, strengthening the power of the government on national security may have a negative impact on Hong Kong's social stability. In 2002 and 2003, the Hong Kong government tried to legislate Article 23, but was strongly opposed. Although Zhang Xiaoming's attitude to some extent eased Hong Kong society's concerns over legislating Article 23, "such remarks do not mean the issue will not be put on the agenda in the future," according to Gu. It is unwise for the current government to push for legislation considering the upcoming 2017 Hong Kong leadership election, Gu said. "If Leung Chun-ying is re-elected Hong Kong leader, he will face less pressure [in legislating Article 23]," Gu told the Global Times. On Saturday, Hong Kong security chief Lai Tung-kwok said the riot has not changed the stance of the current Hong Kong government on the enactment of Article 23.

Scalia’s death opens political floodgates

The sudden and shocking death of US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia opened a new and incendiary front in the already red-hot 2016 presidential race, one that promises to divide Democrats and Republicans and, perhaps, Republicans from themselves. The vacancy on the court, which is now evenly split 4-4 between its conservative and liberal wings, had Republicans calling on President Barack Obama to refrain from choosing a successor to the right-leaning Scalia while Democrats urged Obama to do so as the US Constitution requires and put forward a candidate to face confirmation in an albeit hostile Senate. The prospect of such a battle drew swift and furious comment from candidates vying to be elected president. Facing off in a debate only hours after the 79-year-old Scalia's death was announced, some Republican presidential candidates seized the moment to caution voters that their party's front-runner, billionaire businessman Donald Trump, could not be trusted to nominate a stalwart conservative. "If Donald Trump is president, he will appoint liberals," charged US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas during the debate in South Carolina, which holds a Republican nominating contest next Saturday. "Two branches of government hang in the balance, not just the presidency, but the Supreme Court," Cruz said. "If we get this wrong, if we nominate the wrong candidate, the Second Amendment, life, marriage, religious liberty, every one of those hangs in the balance." Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina also took a shot at Trump. "Donald Trump is not a conservative, so I don't trust him to pick a judge," Graham said before the debate. A real estate mogul, Trump has supported Democratic politicians in the past. Trump, who also has taken several positions at odds with Republican orthodoxy, joined other candidates at the debate in insisting that Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican majority leader in the Senate, stand by his promise to block any Obama high court choice. "It's up to Mitch McConnell and everyone else to stop it," Trump, a former reality TV show host, said. "It's called delay, delay, delay." Under the US system, the president nominates justices for the nine-member court and the Senate confirms them. The last justice to be approved by the Senate of the opposite party during an election year was Justice Anthony Kennedy in 1988. Obama has already indicated that he intends to send a choice to the Senate in coming weeks, meaning that the nominee will be heavily scrutinized by presidential candidates in both parties - and more than likely be opposed by the majority of Republicans. Criticism of the court, which in recent years has upheld Obama's sweeping healthcare plan and legalized same-sex marriage, has already been a thread running through several Republican candidates' campaigns.

Libyan presidential council announces new lineup of unity government

The Libyan Presidential Council has proposed a new cabinet lineup for a unity government in a move to end the chaos that has afflicted the country in the past few years. The council said late Sunday in the Moroccan city of Skhirat that it has agreed on an 18-member cabinet that includes three female members. According to a UN-brokered deal signed in December by representatives of various parties taking part in the intra-Libyan dialogue, a new government should be based in Tripoli, and should win the approval of the Tobruk-based House of Representatives, Libya's internationally recognized parliament. Sunday's proposal is the second of its kind by the council since Libya's rival parties agreed to form a unity government. The House of Representatives on Jan. 25 rejected the council's first proposal over its size -- 32 ministers and four deputy prime ministers. The North African country plunged into turmoil in 2011 after the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi. Since July 2014, the Libya crisis deepened as two rival parliaments and governments started to fight for legitimacy.