On April 4-5, 2025, Samarkand will host the First Global Climate Forum, which will bring together world leaders, politicians, experts, and activists to discuss global climate challenges, UzA reports.
The forum on "Central Asia in the Face of Global Climate Challenges: Consolidation for Common Prosperity" aims to find solutions for environmental sustainability, green economic development, and adaptation to climate change.
The event will include expert panels, plenary sessions, and strategic dialogues, which will cover key areas such as renewable energy development, water resources management, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable urban development.
Special attention will be paid to the Aral Sea crisis, one of the most pressing environmental disasters of modern times. The participants will discuss measures to restore land, combat desertification, and mitigate the socio-economic consequences of climate change in the affected regions.
Heads of state and government representatives from Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, as well as delegations from the European Union, the United Nations, international financial institutions, and leading environmental organizations, will attend the event.
The presentation of the Regional Green Development Concept, which will define a shared vision of the Central Asian countries in climate change, will become one of the key outcomes of the forum. This document will serve as a basis for joint work on solving environmental problems and the transition to sustainable development in the region.
Super Typhoon Ragasa slammed into the northern Philippines on Monday, unleashing torrential rains and strong winds that triggered flooding, toppled trees, and tore roofs off homes, Xinhua reports.
The intense weather prompted the evacuation of more than 10,000 residents as authorities scrambled to ensure public safety. Roads in many areas became impassable due to rising floodwaters, further complicating relief efforts.
Ragasa, combined with an enhanced southwest monsoon, led to the suspension of work in government offices and classes at all levels in Metro Manila and 29 provinces on Monday.
The Philippines' state weather bureau, Ragasa, said in its latest advisory that Ragasa was moving westward at 25 km per hour, packing winds of 215 km per hour and gusts up to 295 km per hour.
Ragasa is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Tuesday morning, said PAGASA.
On average, around 20 typhoons strike the Philippines annually. The archipelago is particularly vulnerable to tropical cyclones, which often bring heavy rains, flooding, and strong winds, resulting in casualties and destruction of crops and properties.
The Russian Federal Security Service said on Friday it seized 1,515 kg of cocaine from Ecuador at a port in St. Petersburg, Xinhua reports.
Following intelligence provided by foreign partners, the FSB and Russian Federal Customs Service discovered 1,500 bricks of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment on a vessel from Ecuador on Aug. 29, said the FSB in a statement.
The confiscated drugs were valued at more than 20 billion rubles (around 240 million U.S. dollars).
A criminal case has been opened over the smuggling of narcotic substances in particularly large quantities.
UN accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza following massive offensive
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A UN commission on Tuesday concluded that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, urging Israel to immediately cease its atrocities in the Palestinian enclave, Xinhua reports.
The Israeli authorities and security forces have committed four of the five acts of genocide, including killing, causing serious physical and mental harm, deliberately destroying the living conditions, and implementing measures aimed at preventing fertility, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel said in a report.
The top Israeli authorities bear responsibility for the atrocities in the Gaza Strip by planning a genocidal campaign for nearly two years with the clear intention of destroying the Palestinian community in the area, said Navi Pillay, chair of the commission.
Pillay said that Israel had continued its strategy of eliminating Palestinians in Gaza, blatantly ignoring warnings from the international community and the mandate of the International Court of Justice for interim measures.
The Commission finds that the Israeli authorities had no intention to change their course of actions," she said, urging the Israeli government to comply immediately with its international legal obligations, including halting the genocide, ending the hunger policy and lifting the blockade on the Gaza Strip to allow the entry of humanitarian aid.
It also called on its member states to stop transferring arms and other equipment to be used for the Israeli crimes in Gaza, and take action against individuals or corporations that are involved in the genocide.
At least 11 people have been confirmed dead and several more were missing on Monday following a series of landslides triggered by continuous heavy rain across Malaysia's northern Borneo state of Sabah, Xinhua reports.
The accident took place in a village near the state capital of Kota Kinabalu.
Meanwhile, flooding has displaced over 1,788 people in the state, with the victims being housed in 12 relief centers, according to the country's social welfare department.
Separately, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday announced an additional allocation of 10 million ringgit in aid to be channeled to victims, on top of the 11 million ringgit previously allocated, urging Malaysians to come together to help those in need.
A timely proposal: Global Governance Initiative charts path forward amid global challenges
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As early autumn unfolded, two major events in China captured global attention. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Tianjin voiced strong support for defending multilateralism and the international order. Meanwhile, commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War underscored the shared resolve to honor history and build a better future, People's Daily reports.
At this pivotal moment, Chinese President Xi Jinping's proposal of the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) came at the right time. It offers Chinese solutions for strengthening the international order and addressing the chronic shortcomings of global governance. Amid mounting global turbulence and transformation, the initiative provides a timely framework for international cooperation and injects fresh momentum into efforts to overcome governance deficits worldwide.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN).
Eight decades ago, chastened by the devastation of two world wars, the international community established the UN, opening a new chapter in global governance and laying the foundation for lasting peace and development.
Today's commemorations serve not only to remember that hard-won history but also to reaffirm the commitment to international order, advance reform and improvement of the global governance system, and work toward the shared vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity.
However, the international landscape today is fraught with instability and uncertainty. The UN-centered multilateral system is under strain, and global governance deficits continue to widen.
In terms of participation, the Global South remains seriously underrepresented in the global governance system, even as emerging markets and developing countries continue growing in influence, highlighting the urgent need to enhance their representation and correct historical injustice.
In terms of principles, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter are not being consistently upheld, Security Council resolutions are sometimes ignored, while unilateral sanctions and actions in violation of international law undermine international order.
In terms of effectiveness, implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has fallen behind schedule, while urgent issues such as climate change, widening digital divides, and governance gaps in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, cyberspace, and outer space, remain unresolved.
Against this backdrop, the questions of what kind of global governance system should be built and how it should be reformed and improved have become pressing concerns for the international community.
The GGI responds to these questions and points the way forward, meeting the urgent needs of today's world. It rests on five principles: sovereign equality, respect for international rule of law, commitment to multilateralism, a people-centered approach, and concrete action. Together, these highly targeted and forward-looking principles provide systematic answers to the fundamental questions of who governs, how governance is carried out, and whom it ultimately serves.
As Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko observed, these five principles strike at the heart of what is required to address the deficiencies of today's international mechanisms.
The GGI's core principles are consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and reflect the common expectations of the vast majority of countries. Reforming and improving the global governance system is not about dismantling the current international order or creating new systems outside the existing framework. Instead, it seeks to strengthen and improve the capacity and effectiveness of existing systems and mechanisms, making them more effective, more inclusive, and more responsive to the realities of a changing world.
As President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso remarked, this initiative offers a pathway toward a more just and equitable international governance system, bringing tangible benefits to countries of the Global South.
History advances like a relay, with each generation taking up the baton in pursuit of human progress, moving forward step by step in answering the questions of the times.
China stands ready to work with all parties to enhance communication and coordination, jointly implement the GGI, explore pathways toward reforming and improving global governance, and promote the development of a more just and equitable global governance system, thereby contributing to the noble cause of peace and development for all humanity.
SCO summit in Tianjin to usher in a new era of cooperation
Images | People's Daily
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Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 will be held in Tianjin from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1. This will be the fifth time China hosts the gathering and the largest summit in the organization's history, People's Daily reports.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will join leaders from more than 20 countries and heads of 10 international organizations on the banks of the Haihe River to review the SCO's achievements, chart its future course, build consensus among member states, and steer the organization toward the goal of building a closer SCO community with a shared future.
The SCO has become a model of new international relations and regional cooperation, and a constructive force of global significance. Since its founding 24 years ago, the organization has adhered to the Shanghai Spirit, which is founded on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations, and the pursuit of common development.
Since its inception in China's Shanghai in 2001, the SCO has expanded from a regional organization with six members into a trans-regional organization with 10 full members, two observer countries, and 14 dialogue partners. Over the years, it has deepened solidarity and mutual trust, strengthened security cooperation with tangible results, advanced integrated development to the benefit of all parties, enhanced cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and expanded its influence and appeal.
Images | People's Daily
At a time of turbulence and uncertainty in the international landscape, the SCO has remained confident and taken practical steps to advance cooperation. It serves as the torchbearer of the Shanghai Spirit, a practitioner of deeper collaboration, and a contributor to building a community with a shared future for humanity, providing more stability and positive momentum to the world.
As a founding member, China has always prioritized the SCO in its neighborhood diplomacy. Since China took over the SCO rotating chairmanship in July last year, China has acted on the slogan "Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move," and made solid progress in its work as the SCO chair.
It has hosted over 100 events, and worked with all member states to advance reform and innovation in various aspects such as the deliberation mechanism, cooperation pattern and permanent bodies, to ensure smoother and more efficient operation of the organization. Together with SCO member states, it has actively carried out exchanges and dialogues among political parties, media and think tanks, giving people a better understanding of the "Shanghai Spirit" and bringing the big family of the SCO closer.
Images | People's Daily
Modernization is the common aspiration of SCO members. This year, Pakistan's New Gwadar International Airport, built with China's support, welcomed its inaugural commercial flight. The mainline construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway entered the substantive construction phase, accelerating the development of a multidimensional regional connectivity network. In Nepal, the Sanjen Khola hydropower station, built by a Chinese company, has been put into operation and connected to the national grid, contributing to efforts in alleviating local power shortage.
Through active participation in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and alignment with the Global Development Initiative, the SCO is steadily evolving into a reliable strategic backbone for common prosperity and vitalization of its member states.
Today's world remains overshadowed by power politics, unilateral bullying, and persistent conflicts, underscoring the urgent need for fairness and justice. By standing firmly on the right side of history, the SCO is redoubling efforts to safeguard peace, fairness, and justice in global affairs.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. Against this historical backdrop, the SCO has amplified the collective voice of its member states on major international and regional issues, made the system of global governance fairer and more equitable, and united and guided the Global South in building a community with a shared future for humanity.
The upcoming SCO Tianjin Summit is expected to be an event of friendship, solidarity, and tangible achievements, highlighting the SCO's resilience and stability amid global uncertainties.
Together with all member states, China will remain committed to the SCO's founding mission, fulfill its responsibilities through concrete actions, and seek common prosperity through cooperation. By leading the organization into a new stage of stronger unity, deeper collaboration, greater vitality, and broader achievements, China and its partners will contribute more "SCO strength" to lasting world peace and shared development.
Floods triggered by days of heavy rains have killed at least 19 people and left 10 others missing on Indonesia's Bali Island and in East Nusa Tenggara province, Xinhua reports.
Gusti Ayu Ketut Wijayanti, spokesperson for the Bali office of the National Search and Rescue Agency, told Xinhua on Thursday that flash floods have killed 13 people and left six missing on the island. Flooding and 18 landslides were also reported in several areas.
The country's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency reported that rainfall of up to 150 millimeters was recorded in parts of Bali between Tuesday and Wednesday, and warned that heavy rain is expected to continue throughout the week.
At least 12 people were killed after flash floods struck Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province and the resort island of Bali, Xinhua reports.
In East Nusa Tenggara, six people were confirmed dead and four others remained missing, said Gasper Losa Manisa, head of the provincial disaster agency's emergency unit.
In Bali, at least six people have died due to flooding. Search and rescue teams have evacuated dozens of residents to higher ground, said I Nyoman Sidakarya, head of the island's search and rescue office.
