Emotional Malidivian President Yameen thanks China, and the changing covers of leading fashion magazines.
Iran might abandon nuclear deal, says Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said the country could no longer count on European countries for support and might abandon the 2015 nuclear deal, according to a report in Al Jazeera.
“Iran should give up hope on [Europe] over economic issues or the nuclear deal,” he was quoted as saying in a statement posted to his website. The remarks were made at a meeting between Khamenei, and Iran President Hassan Rouhani and his cabinet.
He also said Iran would never negotiate with “indecent and confrontational” US officials on a new agreement.
The Ayatollah had set out a series of conditions in May for European powers if they wanted to keep Iran in the milestone deal that freed Tehran from years of Western sanctions in exchange for limits on its nuclear programme.
Khamenei’s warning follows mounting economic trouble for the West Asian nation, triggered by the US’ withdrawal from the deal and fresh sanctions on Tehran.
Trump attacks CNN again, asks president Jeff Zucker to be fired
US President Donald Trump has attacked media behemoth CNN, a frequent target of his now-famous attacks on media, for their “hatred and extreme bias” towards him, the BBC reported.
The hatred and extreme bias of me by @CNN has clouded their thinking and made them unable to function. But actually, as I have always said, this has been going on for a long time. Little Jeff Z has done a terrible job, his ratings suck, & AT&T should fire him to save credibility!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2018
Trump has previously attacked the channel for being “dishonest” and focused on its own agenda.
CNN hit back, pointing out that this month had brought the channel its highest-ever ratings for August.
Make no mistake, Mr. President, CNN does not lie. We report the news. And we report when people in power tell lies. CNN stands by our reporting and our reporters. There may be many fools in this story but @carlbernstein is not one of them.
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) August 29, 2018
In July, CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins was barred from a White House event for asking questions about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Maldives inaugurates China-funded ‘bridge of the century’
Maldives celebrated the opening of a new bridge funded by China under the Belt and Road initiative in Male Thursday, Global Times reported.
The report noted that the bridge had been hailed as the “project of the century” in Maldives, adding that “officials from the two countries vowed to further strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation and set up a global example of how countries of different sizes should treat each other with respect”.
Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen, described as “visibly emotional”, is reported to have switched to Chinese twice during his speech and said: “Thank you, President Xi Jinping! Thank you, the people of China!”
The construction of the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, which links the Maldivian capital to its neighboring islands of Hulhumale and Hulhule, began in March 2016 and was completed this July. The 1.26 billion yuan ($184.44 million) project was largely funded by China “through direct aid and discount loans to the Maldives, which together account for 91.8 per cent of the total investment”. The Maldivian government picked up the remaining 8.2 per cent of the cost.
China’s Belt and Road initiative, an ambitious infrastructure project that seeks to revive ancient trading routes between Europe, Africa and Asia, has faced elicited much criticism from some quarters as a campaign for global dominance.
Just recently, Malaysia junked a China-funded artificial island project. Earlier, Sri Lanka had to hand over a port to China on a 99-year lease as the island nation could not repay the loan it took from China to build it.
Black women on magazine covers: A real change or tokenism?
Women of colour seem to be a popular choice for top fashion magazine covers today.
A global phenomenon, editors of the magazines call the shift a “natural reflection of the way the world is changing”. “The success of films like Black Panther and media movements like #blackgirlmagic — which celebrate the achievement of black women — has also helped bring about the change,” a BBC analysis notes.
However, according to the write-up, many within the fashion industry say the phenomenon could be a ‘trend’ or an exercise in ‘tokenism’.
“It’s great to see that magazines are putting black celebrities and black people interested in fashion out there. But at the same time it’s questionable whether this will be something to look forward to in the future,” said Marta, a fashion influencer from the UK, to the BBC.
According to an analysis by The Guardian, of 214 covers published by the 19 best-selling monthly magazines in 2017, only 20 featured a person of colour.
First lesson in China colleges, the different lifestyles on the country’s two ends
Autumn in September is when Chinese colleges begin their sessions, with students from across the country travelling to different corners to enter the university of their choice. This shift is proving to be an eyeopening experience for many Chinese, about the very different lifestyles people in the country’s north and south follow, reported People’s Daily in a Facebook post.
Netizens share their experience and stories from the “other side” on the popular Chinese Q&A platform Zhihu, where questions such as “Why does everyone have a bucket?” “Who said winter in south China is warmer than in the north? or “What is it like to go to college on the other side?” abound.
Differences in food preferences also seems to bother students. People from the south complain about the use of wheat in food and bath scrubbers in the north, while students from the north find the south’s “salty food and dry climate” unpalatable.
Contributors: Anagha Deshpande, Sankalita Dey and Soniya Agrawal