Central, western areas to get elite universities

Elite universities are to be established by the Ministry of Education in 14 central and western provinces that have never had a university directly under the ministry before, as part of the central government's pledge to bridge the widening education gap.

Alipay gains foothold in Thailand at convenience store chain

Chinese travelers can now make purchases at Thai 7-Eleven convenience stores using the Alipay app on the smartphones at 9,000 Counter Service cashiers - with no transaction fees.

Leaders urge growth efforts

Good start made in the first quarter, but downward pressure still exists, meeting told

Pioneer in American studies honored

Mei Renyi, a Chinese pioneer in American studies, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Beijing on Friday by the US-China Education Trust and the American Studies Network.

Four arrested in insider trading probe

Xu Xiang, known in China as "Hedge Fund Brother No 1" and three managers from Citic Securities have been formally arrested on insider trading charges.

Ties with Japan 'are gradually recovering'

Relations between China and Japan are "gradually recovering but remain very fragile", senior official Liu Yunshan told a visiting delegation of Japanese lawmakers on Friday.

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UK foreign minister in historic visit to Havana

Hammond makes the first trip by top British official to the island since 1959 revolution

Study warns Great Barrier Reef may die by mid-2030s

Large parts of Australia's Great Barrier Reef will likely be dead by the mid 2030s as climate change drives the frequency and intensity of mass coral bleaching events, Australian scientists warned on Friday.

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SOUTH AFRICA

Girls 'marry' Hindu god in coming-of-age ritual

It's a big day for nine-year-old Nepali schoolgirl Riddhima Shrestha and her three-year-old sister, Ishita, as they dress up in silk brocade and gold jewellery, preparing to wed a Hindu god.

ROK-born American sentenced to 10 years

The Supreme Court of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Friday sentenced a Republic of Korea-born US citizen to 10 years of hard labor for alleged subversion and espionage activities.