China and India should be partners not rivals says Wang Yi
China is ready to uphold the principle of cordiality, mutual benefit with India, the Chinese ministry's readout of the ministers' meeting in New Delhi showed. - Reuters
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malaysia Sun
5 minutes ago
- Malaysia Sun
Millions take part in Moscow festival celebrating Indias culture
Record crowds joined a festival marking South Asian nations 78th independence India Day festivities in Moscow last week recorded 2.7 million visitors, according to the organizers. The four-day celebration in the Russian capital mixed yoga sessions, dance performance and Holi traditions with official ceremonies and awards. The festival was attended by India's Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar, Moscow Government Minister Sergey Cheremin, and officials from dozens of countries, according to festival founder and President of the Indian Cultural and National Center Sita Sammy Kotwani. This year's program included the launch of the India Day awards, the jury for which featured Anton Kobyakov, an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and Mosfilm director Karen Shakhnazarov. Awards were presented in ten categories such as yoga, Ayurveda, literature, business and humanitarian initiatives. The festival coincided with India's 79th Independence Day, marked on 15 August. The date commemorates India's liberation from British rule in 1947 and its emergence as a sovereign state. Independence Day is among the country's key national holidays and is observed annually with flag-raising ceremonies, cultural events and tributes to leaders of the independence movement. The event also coincided with an official visit to Russia by Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, who is scheduled to hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday. As part of the celebrations and to highlight close ties between the two countries, landmark buildings along Moscow's Novy Arbat Avenue were lit in the colors of the Indian flag, the Indian Embassy said in a post on X. (
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Interview: Zimbabwean scholar says China's rural revitalization experience inspires his country
HARARE, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's success in rural revitalization can serve as an inspiration for Zimbabwe's development path, a Zimbabwean scholar said on Tuesday. Achieford Mhondera, a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the second edition of the Harare Forum for Africa (HFA) held in Harare, the southern African country's capital. Rural development is crucial to Zimbabwe's economic transformation, as the majority of its population resides in rural areas, Mhondera said, noting that China went through a similar stage of development many years ago. Given that both countries are developing economies in the Global South, Zimbabwe can learn from the practical measures China has adopted in advancing rural development, Mhondera added. He said China's "two mountains" concept, which holds that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," can provide inspiration for sustainable and ecological rural development in Zimbabwe. "You need a conducive and safe environment for development, and these are some of the things we need to learn from China's experience. If you go to the Chinese countryside, you will find lucid waters and lush mountains -- often described as mountains of gold and silver -- which can be adopted and adapted in Zimbabwe's case," Mhondera said. Drawing on China's rural revitalization efforts, particularly in modernizing agriculture and improving rural living standards, Mhondera noted that a conducive ecological environment is vital for promoting rural development. "In terms of rural development and modernization, I think the first step in the modernization process is to build a good countryside -- a beautiful, ecologically sustainable countryside," he said. He observed that rural development in China is driven by a combination of government intervention and active participation of local communities. Mhondera stressed that cooperation with China has played a crucial role in advancing rural development in Zimbabwe. "Cooperation is already underway, and there are more activities in progress," he said. He further noted that Zimbabwe and China can deepen collaboration in developing irrigation facilities, as Zimbabwe still largely relies on rain-fed agriculture, which is highly vulnerable to climate change. "China is helping Zimbabwe by developing the countryside, installing solar-powered irrigation systems, and sharing expert knowledge in horticulture and other agricultural practices. I think there is a need to further strengthen this cooperation and expand the model to other areas," he added. Co-organized by the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University, the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, and the China Zimbabwe Exchange Center, this year's HFA ran under the theme of Rural Development and Modernization, bringing together academics, business leaders, and government representatives to share their views on Africa's rural development.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Explainer-Does Trump have the power to ban mail-in ballots in U.S. elections?
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump holds up an executive order in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 5, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump wants to ban mail-in ballots in federal elections, a form of voting popular with many Americans. About three in 10 ballots were cast through the mail in the 2024 general election, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Trump, a Republican, does not have clear legal authority to do this, though his allies in Congress and state governments could enact policies barring the practice. Here is a look at Trump's authority and how the law could be changed. CAN TRUMP UNILATERALLY BAN MAIL-IN BALLOTS? Only states and the U.S. Congress can pass laws regulating elections. A unilateral ban by the president on mail-in ballots would likely exceed Trump's limited authority to enforce existing law. In a Monday social media post, Trump said mail-in ballots are susceptible to fraud and that he would lead a movement to ban them, beginning with an executive order bringing "honesty" to the November 2026 midterm elections. Republicans have filed scores of lawsuits seeking to end mail-in voting in recent years, citing possible fraud. Democrats generally support mail-in ballots as a way to expand access to voting. Voter fraud in the U.S. is extremely rare, multiple studies have shown. White House representatives provided a general statement about Trump's election policies but did not answer questions about his legal authority to ban mail-in ballots or what an executive order would say. COULD TRUMP'S ALLIES BAN MAIL-IN BALLOTS? States are responsible for administering their votes under the U.S. Constitution, and Republican-controlled legislatures could pass laws banning mail-in ballots so long as they do not conflict with federal law. Congress could ban the use of mail-in ballots in federal elections and override state laws protecting their use, but Trump's Republican Party has slim majorities in Congress and would face difficulty getting past opposition by Democrats. Republicans hold 53 Senate seats. To pass a mail-in ballot ban they would need to end the filibuster, a longstanding tradition requiring 60 of the chamber's 100 members to approve most legislation. State and federal laws banning mail-in voting could be challenged in court as unconstitutional impediments to voting. WHAT OTHER POWERS DO PRESIDENTS HAVE OVER ELECTIONS? Presidents in the U.S. have some discretion in enforcing election laws, and Trump could try to use those powers to end or restrict mail-in voting, though it is unclear how. In June, a federal judge blocked parts of an executive order by Trump requiring voters to prove they are U.S. citizens and attempting to prevent states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Trump administration is appealing. "The Constitution does not grant the president any specific powers over elections," said U.S. District Judge Denise Casper, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama. (Reporting by Jack Queen, editing by Ross Colvin and Rosalba O'Brien)
