【英语简明新闻】Headline News 2015 February 24

One missing, 20 injured in road tunnel blast One person is missing, and at least 20 others have been injured after a blast occurred in a road tunnel under construction in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. The blast on Tuesday assumed to have been caused by gas explosion in the No. 1 Tunnel of Wuluo Road. All of the injured have been rushed to hospital. Two of them are still in critical condition. An investigation is under way. HK seeks to tighten visit scheme for Chinese mainlanders: chief executive Hong Kong Chief Executive C.Y. Leung says the government is seeking to tighten the Individual Visit Scheme for tourists from the Chinese mainland. Speaking ahead of an Executive Council meeting, Leung says the overall number of mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong during the Lunar New Year was similar to last year, but the number of those who came under the visit scheme dropped. Despite the drop, he says the government will tighten arrangements under the scheme, citing Hong Kong's limited capacity to accommodate tourists. The chief executive adds that mainland tourism growth had placed pressure on local people's livelihoods. Leung also notes the government will develop tourism facilities including shopping malls to increase its capacity for visitors going forward. UN chief sees Security Council open debate as timely, crucial event The Uinted Nations' chief has thanked China for successfully convening an open debate of the Security Council on maintaining international peace and security. Ban Ki-moon made the remarks in a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was at the UN headquarters to preside over the open debate. Ban says that the open debate, centered on better implementing the UN charter, is both timely and important as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. During the debate, Wang Yi called on the international community to stick to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, which was adopted in 1945, right on the eve of the end of the Second World War. He also puts forward four dos and don'ts as the principles of international relations, including choosing cooperation over confrontation, and ensuring justice prevails over hegemony. New Zealand deploying troops to fight ISIL in Iraq: PM New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has confirmed that more than 100 New Zealand troops will be sent to Iraq to help in the fight against Islamic State insurgents. New Zealand's military personnel would fulfill a non-combat, "behind-the-wire" mission. They will be deployed to Taji Military Complex, north of Baghdad, to train units within the Iraqi Security Forces, in what was likely to be a joint mission with Australia. The two-year mission, likely to start from May, is to be reviewed by the cabinet after nine months. New Milan-Shanghai flight launches for Expo Italian air carrier Alitalia it will operate non-stop service between Milan and Shanghai from May 1 to Oct. 24. Expo 2015 will be held from May to October in the Italian city of Milan. Flights will depart the Italian city in the morning on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and arrive in Shanghai at midnight. Return flights will leave the Chinese city early the next morning. Beijing International Film Festival to screen Oscar winner Alejandro Inarritu's "Birdman" will be screened at the upcoming Beijing International Film Festival. The 2014 Oscar-winning drama film is on the list of eight films to be screened at the Festival. "Gone Girl", "Wild", "The Drop", "The Imitation Game", "Leviathan", "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "Inside Llewyn Davis" will also be available for public viewing when the Festival kicks off in April. Since its launch in 2001, the Beijing International Film Festival has developed into the largest international film expo in Asia. It provides a platform for international film exchange, with the participation of film and TV production studios, film industry associations and related agencies. 2022 World Cup to be held in November and December The 2022 World Cup in Qatar should take place in November and December, this according to a FIFA taskforce recommendation released earlier today. Key football officials met in Doha to discuss a number of options following fears a summer event would endanger the health of players and fans. Qatari temperatures in June and July can exceed 40 degrees Celsius. Taskforce chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa also recommended that the 2022 tournament should be shortened by a few days. But there are no plans to reduce the size of the tournament from 32 teams or 64 matches. The recommendation is expected to be ratified by the executive committee of world football's governing body next month.