介绍:
China pledges to offer 40 mln yuan humanitarian assistance to Syria
China has pledged to provide humanitarian assistance worth 40 million yuan, or over 6.1 million U.S. dollars to Syria.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks after talks with his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moallem.
Both foreign ministers also expressed support for fighting terrorism during their bilateral talks.
Wang said China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, will continue to promote peace and dialogue in Syria.
For his part, Al-Moallem called on the Security Council to block the funding of terrorism and stopping terrorists from getting into Syria.
The Syrian foreign minister is in Beijing for a four-day visit.
Two discharged from hospital after Shenzhen landslide (updated)
Two people injured in Sunday's massive landslide in Shenzhen have been discharged from hospital.
As of Thursday morning, a total of 17 injured had been hospitalized, and 15 of them remain in four Shenzhen hospitals for treatment.
Meanwhile, another body has been retrieved from the scene of the landslide at an industrial park.
That brings the number of confirmed dead to five as of Thursday, five days after the accident.
Only one survivor has been found so far. Almost 70 people are still missing.
Former Chinese media executive jailed 4 years for extortion
Shen Hao, the former president of 21st Century Media Corp, has been sentenced to 4 years in prison for blackmailing companies by threatening negative coverage.
Shen was convicted of extortion and forced transactions, among other crimes, according to a statement issued by the People's Court of Shanghai's Pudong New District on Thursday.
Shen has also been fined 60-thousand yuan, or over 9,200 US dollars.
The 21st Century Media Company, a major business news site in China, has also been fined nearly 9.5 million yuan.
Three Chinese ministries to jointly investigate environmental cases
For the first time, China's three top ministries have decided to jointly investigate environmental cases in both Jiangsu and Guangdong Provinces.
The joint investigation will be led by the Ministry of Enviromental Protection, the ministry of Public Security and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
A petrochemical factory in Jiangsu was suspected of illegally burying hazardous waste underground.
In another case, a water purification company in Dongguan city of Guangdong, was accused of tampering with water monitoring equipment and the manual monitoring process.
US embassy issues warning of possible threats in Sanlitun around Christmas
The U.S. Embassy in China has issued a warning on its official website, saying it has received information of possible threats against Westerners in the Sanlitun area of Beijing, on or around Christmas Day.
The US embassy has urged its citizens to exercise heightened vigilance.
The Chinese embassy in Washington has also issued a warning to Chinese travellers in the US, asking Chinese citizens to raise security awarness.
Meanwhile, the Beijing police have issued a yellow alert via its official weibo account to ensure public safety over the Christmas season.
Under the yellow alert, police officers will be deployed at all medium or large-sized shopping malls and supermarkets which are holding Christmas promotions.
It's unclear whether or not the two notices are directly linked.
China to become third-largest contributor to UN regular budget: Chinese envoy
China will be the third largest contributor to the UN's regular budget from 2016 to 2018, according to China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Wang Min.
Wang said on Thursday that China's assessed contribution in the period will account for 7.9 per cent of the total, ranking behind the US and Japan.
Wang added China's assessed contribution to the peacekeeping budget will be 10.2 per cent of the total in the next three years, ranking only behind the US.
Afghan Official: 50 Taliban killed in battle for Sangin
50 Tabliban militants have been killed by Afghan security forces in the Sangin district of southern Helmand province since Wednesday.
Backed by air strikes, the security forces also injured scores of others.
The provincial governor says that the situation is now under control and normality is returning to the area.
Afghan forces have been trying to recapture the area from the Taliban, who claimed to control the district.
The Sangin district of Helmand province borders Pakistan and is regarded as being of strategic importance.
Hong Kong overtakes New York as the world's biggest IPO capital
Hong Kong has replaced New York this year as the world's biggest IPO market by the amount of funds raised.
According to data from Reuters, companies have raised 25 billion U.S. dollars from initial public offerings in Hong Kong so far this year, while less than 20 billion was seen in New York.
The agency said the number is buoyed by companies from the Chinese mainland.
Marbury museum opens in Beijing
In Basketball, the Beijing Ducks' Stephon Marbury earlier inaugurated his own museum, "the House of Maubury", in downtown Beijing.
