Astronaut rolls out red carpet for Mars

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - Forty-eight years after he landed on the moon, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin on Saturday rolled out a red carpet for the red planet at a star-studded gala at the Kennedy Space Center.

Visitor ban on Japan's new UNESCO island

TOKYO - Visitors will not be allowed to set foot on a men-only UNESCO World Heritage island in Japan from next year, an official said on Saturday.

Turkey marks year since coup defeat

ANKARA - Turkey on Saturday marked one year since the defeat of the failed coup bid with mass nationwide rallies seeking to showcase national unity and a stern warning by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to "chop off the heads" of traitors.

French FM in bid to resolve Qatar crisis

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrived on Saturday in Jeddah, a major coastal city in Saudi Arabia, to help tackle the Qatar diplomatic crisis.

Heavy rainfall, snowstorms lash Chile

SANTIAGO, Chile - Strong rains, thunderstorms, big waves and snowfalls affected 14 of 15 regions in Chile on Saturday, with the country's National Emergency Office issuing an alert.

Trump names special counsel on 'meddling'

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump has named attorney Ty Cobb as an in-house "special counsel" for the White House, a statement said on Saturday.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Study reveals shifts in overseas travel trends

Chinese tourists are the biggest spenders in the world, but increasingly direct their dollars away from shopping to local culture

Shimao, Starwood joint venture indicates market optimism

Shimao Property Holdings and Starwood Capital Group announced a new hotel management joint venture, Shanghai Shimao Star Hotel Management, in Shanghai on Tuesday.

Roundup

Appointment

Azur bringing French cuisine to Shangri-La Beijing

Azur restaurant at Shangri-La Hotel Beijing is offering a summer menu that launched in late June, featuring organic and creative French cuisine.

China, US to discuss economic issues

Senior Chinese and US government officials will meet in Washington next week for the first round of a comprehensive dialogue on economic and trade issues.