Depression exacts a heavy toll on people

Depression is a mental condition characterized by a persistent low mood accompanied by feelings of guilt, low self-esteem and loss of interest in normally enjoyable activities. It is a serious and common mental disorder that may lead to suicide in some and entails significant economic and social costs.

US focus has shifted from Middle East to the South China Sea

The frequency and destructiveness of terrorist attacks have increased. The world was still reeling from the devastating Istanbul airport attacks which killed at least 43 people on June 28, when just a few days later, Baghdad became the target of terrorists again as suicide bombings on Sunday killed some 250 people and wounded 200 more.

Port investment shows Belt and Road vigor

Reports that Chinese and Malaysian businesses are researching a port expansion project at Port Klang in Malacca, if confirmed, would suggest another step in advancing the Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to boost trade and connectivity across Asia, Europe and Africa.

Manila's impossible balancing act

In his inauguration speech on Thursday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte played down his country's South China Sea dispute with China and said he wanted to avoid a head-on conflict.

Farmers' grain-trading permits not in line with market reforms

THE LOCAL COURT IN BAYANNAOER CITY, Northern China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, found a farmer guilty of purchasing large quantities of corn without the necessary State permit. We are building a market economy and the old, outdated State monopoly over grain trade should be abandoned, says Beijing News:

Red tape no excuse for risking people's lives

NEARLY 50 PEOPLE have lost their lives in the past 11 years while crossing a road in Cangzhou, North China's Hebei province, due to the absence of traffic lights at some 20 crossroads. China Youth Daily commented on Tuesday:

Ling's trial shows Party's resolve to cleanup its act

THE FIRST INTERMEDIATE PEOPLE'S Court of Tianjin Municipality sentenced Ling Jihua, the former deputy head of China's national political advisory body, to life imprisonment on Monday, after he was found guilty of taking bribes, illegally obtaining State secrets and abusing power. The case shows the commitment and determination of the ruling Party to advance the rule of law. Xinhua News Agency filed an article from People's Daily on Monday:

Tribunal ruling will destabilize region

Expected on July 12, the ruling by the Hague-based arbitral tribunal on a case filed by the Philippines in 2013 will be ultra vires. It will also open a can of worms, triggering a floodgate of abusive lawsuits by many countries. It will take the luster off the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea's till-now growing cachet. More alarmingly, it will put peace in the South China Sea at risk, and potentially destabilize the astoundingly successful Asia-Pacific region.

Three Gorges Project doing its job well

Torrential rainfall has hit provinces in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River with water levels rising above the danger level at almost all places. This has prompted many to wonder whether the Three Gorges Project on the Yangtze River is serving its purpose, of alleviating, even preventing natural disasters. There are even rumors that the dam could increase the frequency of geological disasters.

Missile misfire makes trust building urgent

Zhang Zhijun, the Chinese mainland's Taiwan affairs chief, has urged Taiwan officials to give a "responsible explanation" for the misfiring of a missile. The island's authorities confirmed on Friday afternoon that the navy had misfired a missile that morning, which hit a Taiwan fishing boat in the waters off the island, killing one person and injuring three people.

NGOs act as bridge between governments and market players

Designed to build a sustainable, steady global economic order, the Group 20 is playing an increasingly important role in global governance, as are many non-governmental organizations, which range from chambers of commerce to think tanks.

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