China

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Samoa, Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi lauded the ties on Friday, saying that his country values the strategic partnership based on mutual respect and common development.

The research, published in The Lancet medical journal, says two-thirds of men in China now start to smoke before 20.

Around half of those men will die from the habit, it concludes.

The scientists conducted two nationwide studies, 15 years apart, covering hundreds of thousands of people.

The President of Samoa's South Pacific Professional Boxing Federation, Ale Vena Ale, says Farani will be rated fifth in the world if he wins.

"Under the contract if he wins we will make a call and his first defence will also be in Beijing in China. His opponent is a guy called Max Singh. He's got four fights [and] four wins - he's a newly upcoming Chinese boxer".

Tavu'i competed in the main Super 8 competition in Christchurch earlier this year.

The Office of Insular Affairs is accepting applications for 2016 technical assistance which will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis until funds are exhausted.

Assistant Secretary Esther Kia'aina says the island communities continue to face extreme climate events, including typhoons and hurricanes, storm surges, high winds and king tides.

Ms Kia'aina says the areas are also feeling the effects of slow, progressive climate-induced stresses, such as sea level rise, ocean acidification, coral bleaching and saline intrusion into water systems.

But when Prince William did, he urged them both to add their political muscle and influence to the ongoing fight against illegal wildlife trade.

And both world leaders must have felt William's passion for the cause as President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping have issued a joint statement on their countries' aims to combat wildlife trafficking.

This comes amid a stalemate in mediation talks that followed protests last month by truck drivers over the government's policy to not approve exports of low grade ore to China after a decline in exports to Australia.

The drivers were aligned with small miners and the territory's veteran miner SLN who opposed the stance on the issue by the government's leading party, Caledonia Together.

France TV in New Caledonia reports that six of the eleven members of the collegial government have voted in favor of a special session of Congress on the subject of exports to China.

Somyot Poompanmoung's comments marked the first time authorities have publicly linked the Aug. 17 bombing to the smuggling of Uighurs, after weeks of hinting at it and saying only that they believe the attack was carried out by human traffickers angered by a crackdown on their network.

More signs of slowing economic growth in China weighed on prices for copper and other commodities Monday. That sent prices for materials stocks lower. Energy stocks fell along with the price of crude oil.

The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 80 points, or 0.5 percent, to 16,352 as of 11:45 a.m. Eastern time.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index gave up 10 points, or 0.6 percent, to 1,950.

The Tom Cruise action epic opened with $18.5 million (£12 million) on Tuesday (September 8) - making it highest-grossing debut ever for a Hollywood 2D film.

Overall, it only trails 3D films Furious 7's $54.4 million (£35.4 million), Avengers: Age of Ultron's $29.2 million (£19 million), Transformers: Age of Extinction's $27.4 million (£17.8 million) and Terminator Genisys's $26.7 million (£17.3) in biggest debuts for a US film in China.

Rogue Nation hit a milestone over the weekend in the West as well, as it passed the $500 million (£325m) mark at the global box office.

Ban made the appeal in separate meetings with the President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, Vice Premier Liu Yandong, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, where he attended commemorative events in the Chinese capital marking the 70th anniversary of the Second World War.