China

Sandstorm swallows city in northwestern China

A sandstorm that lifted at least 100 metres (330ft) has left a city in northwestern China covered in dust.

Videos of Dunhuang show the wall of sand slowly creeping over buildings and highways.

The town is located on the edge of the Gobi Desert, which is known for its harsh climates.

     

Thousands evacuated as rail stations and roads submerged

More than 10,000 people in Henan province have been evacuated to shelters following the record rainfall.

At least 12 people have died in the city of Zhengzhou since the flooding began, authorities there confirmed.

More than a dozen cities have been affected with main roads forced to close and flights cancelled.

Henan province, which is home to some 94 million people, has issued its highest level of weather warning following an unusually active rainy season.

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Chinese vet dies from rare Monkey B virus in first human infection case

The Beijing-based veterinary surgeon, 53, was China's first documented case of the virus in a human. 

According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC), the man worked in a research institute specialising in nonhuman primate breeding and experimental research.

On March 4 and 6, 2021, the man dissected two dead monkeys. He subsequently experienced nausea and vomiting, followed by fever with neurological symptoms one month later. The patient visited doctors in several hospitals, the CCDC said, but eventually succumbed to the illness on May 27. 

China reports case of H5N6 bird flu

The 55-year old male infected with the bird flu in Bazhong city had been sent to hospital and local authorities have culled poultry in the vicinity, said the state broadcaster CCTV.

Experts believe that the infection was an isolated case and "the risk of an invisible epidemic is extremely low", the media said.

In January, France and Germany culled over 660,000 birds to contain the spread of bird flu.

China's Tencent introduces facial scanning to crack down on children gaming all night

In 2019, China passed official guidelines with a view to stopping minors playing too much games while also requiring gamers to register accounts with their official IDs.

Sixth Tone, a state-owned media outlet aimed at those outside the country, reported the moves come after teenagers stole money to top up their accounts and concerns were raised over the physical and mental wellbeing of young gamers.

Xi warns China will not be 'oppressed' in anniversary speech

He delivered a defiant speech at an event marking the centenary of the ruling Communist Party on Thursday.

Mr Xi also said Beijing would not allow "sanctimonious preaching", in remarks widely seen as directed at the US.

It comes as China faces criticism over alleged human rights abuses and its crackdown in Hong Kong.

Relations between the US and China have worsened in recent times over trade, espionage and the pandemic.

Elephants' 500km-trek across China baffles scientists

And yet a herd of endangered elephants in China has completely dumfounded scientists globally, while captivating an entire nation in the process.

It's not unusual for elephants to move small distances. But this herd has been lumbering its way across China for more than a year now. The elephants have now strayed almost 500km (310 miles), a mammoth trek from their original habitat.

It's thought that they started their journey last spring from Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve in the southwest of the country, near the border with Myanmar and Laos.

China to launch first crewed space mission in five years

China is expected to launch the crewed spacecraft Shenzhou-12 at 1.22GMT on 17 June in Jiuquan in northwestern Gansu province, an official at the China Manned Space agency said.

The astronauts were Nie Haisheng, 56, Liu Boming, 54, and Tang Hongbo, 45, said Ji Qiming, assistant director at the China Manned Space Agency, in a press conference in Jiuquan.

Nie, a native of central Hubei province and a former air force pilot, will lead the mission. He will be the oldest Chinese astronaut to go into space.

China denounces G7 after statement on Xinjiang and Hong Kong

 

In a joint statement at the end of a three-day summit, leaders of the G7 countries urged China to "respect human rights and fundamental freedoms".

Issues highlighted included abuses against the Uyghur Muslim minority group and the crackdown on Hong Kong pro-democracy activists.

China's embassy in the UK accused the G7 of "baseless accusations".

"Stop slandering China, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop harming China's interests," a spokesman said on Monday.

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Gas pipe explosion kills 12 in central Chinese city, CCTV reports

One hundred-fifty people were evacuated following the deadly accident in the city of Shiyan in Hubei province, CCTV said, of which 37 are critically injured.

The explosion caused a food market building to collapse at 6.30am, local media reported. Footage from CCTV shows wreckage and shattered glass covering the first floor of the collapsed building, where people were having breakfast and buying groceries when explosion happened.

People can be seen walking in a rubble-strewn street between damaged buildings.