Iran Cracks Down On Pet Dogs
Iranian officials expanded a ban on dog walking to a swathe of cities across the country, with authorities calling dogs 'unclean' and claiming they symbolize a legacy of Western cultural influence. What do you think?
'No it's ok, my dog is friendly.' Jared Verbica, Museum Duster
'A viewing of Air Bud would surely change things.' Peter Wehmeyer, Thimble Enthusiast
'Are boa constrictors still cool?' Angela Philpott, Jingle Auditor
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
18 hours ago
- Miami Herald
China Makes Another High-Speed Rail Breakthrough
The Chongqing East to Qianjiang section of the Chongqing-Xiamen High-Speed Railway, a key part of China's high-speed rail network, began operation on Friday. An inaugural train departed from Chongqing East Railway Station and reached Qianjiang Railway Station, marking the launch of the 242-kilometer segment of the Chongqing-Xiamen high-speed railway, according to China Daily. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Ministry of Transport for comment via email. China operates the world's most extensive high-speed rail network, with more than 24,855 miles of operational lines, according to a 2023 report from the International Union of Railways. China alone accounts for nearly double the combined length of the rest of the world's high-speed rail systems, while Western competitors, such as the United States, struggle to develop at the same pace. The new segment, which started construction in May 2020, operates at speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour and will run up to 54 trains daily. This development closes a crucial gap between Chongqing and Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, facilitating faster travel between two major regional economic hubs. The completed Chongqing to Changsha link, together with the Ganzhou to Xiamen section and the under-construction Changsha to Ganzhou section, is set to form the entire Chongqing-Xiamen high-speed rail corridor. Travel time from Chongqing to Changsha can be as short as three hours and 53 minutes, which is another fast passenger transport route between the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle and the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan area. Xiamen, which will eventually be fully linked, is a major port city on China's southeast coast, meaning its infrastructure could fuel increases in trade and travel efficiency for the inland-to-coastal corridor. The Chongqing East to Qianjiang section starts at Chongqing East Railway Station and passes through areas including the Nanan District, Wulong District, and Qianjiang District. It connects to the Qianjiang Railway Station of the Qianjiang-Zhangjiajie-Changde high-speed railway. Yang Zhiyong, commander of the Wulong Command Center of the Chongqing-Guizhou Chongqing-Wanzhou Railway Company,in a statement to Bastille Post Global: "With the opening of the high-speed railway, travelers can reach Zhangjiajie from Chongqing East in two and a half hours and get to Changsha from Chengdu East in about six hours. "This has established a new transport corridor connecting Chengdu, Chongqing, and Hunan, which is important for promoting rapid socio-economic development in the region." With the full Chongqing-Xiamen corridor on track for completion, future segments are under construction as China maintains its position as a global leader in high-speed rail expansion. Related Articles Donald Trump to Invent Trade Deals for Countries That Refuse to NegotiateScott Bessent Offers New Details On China Deal NegotiationsIran Joins China and Russia in Security Talks After US StrikesCzech Intelligence Reveals China Plan to Crash Into Taiwan Vice President-Elect 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
19 hours ago
- Newsweek
China Makes Another High-Speed Rail Breakthrough
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Chongqing East to Qianjiang section of the Chongqing-Xiamen High-Speed Railway, a key part of China's high-speed rail network, began operation on Friday. An inaugural train departed from Chongqing East Railway Station and reached Qianjiang Railway Station, marking the launch of the 242-kilometer segment of the Chongqing-Xiamen high-speed railway, according to China Daily. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Ministry of Transport for comment via email. Why It Matters China operates the world's most extensive high-speed rail network, with more than 24,855 miles of operational lines, according to a 2023 report from the International Union of Railways. China alone accounts for nearly double the combined length of the rest of the world's high-speed rail systems, while Western competitors, such as the United States, struggle to develop at the same pace. What To Know The new segment, which started construction in May 2020, operates at speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour and will run up to 54 trains daily. This development closes a crucial gap between Chongqing and Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, facilitating faster travel between two major regional economic hubs. The completed Chongqing to Changsha link, together with the Ganzhou to Xiamen section and the under-construction Changsha to Ganzhou section, is set to form the entire Chongqing-Xiamen high-speed rail corridor. Workers clean a high-speed train at a maintenance and cleaning center in Chongqing, China, on May 5, 2017. Workers clean a high-speed train at a maintenance and cleaning center in Chongqing, China, on May 5, 2017. Getty Images Travel time from Chongqing to Changsha can be as short as three hours and 53 minutes, which is another fast passenger transport route between the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle and the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan area. Xiamen, which will eventually be fully linked, is a major port city on China's southeast coast, meaning its infrastructure could fuel increases in trade and travel efficiency for the inland-to-coastal corridor. The Chongqing East to Qianjiang section starts at Chongqing East Railway Station and passes through areas including the Nanan District, Wulong District, and Qianjiang District. It connects to the Qianjiang Railway Station of the Qianjiang-Zhangjiajie-Changde high-speed railway. What People Are Saying Yang Zhiyong, commander of the Wulong Command Center of the Chongqing-Guizhou Chongqing-Wanzhou Railway Company, in a statement to Bastille Post Global: "With the opening of the high-speed railway, travelers can reach Zhangjiajie from Chongqing East in two and a half hours and get to Changsha from Chengdu East in about six hours. "This has established a new transport corridor connecting Chengdu, Chongqing, and Hunan, which is important for promoting rapid socio-economic development in the region." What Happens Next With the full Chongqing-Xiamen corridor on track for completion, future segments are under construction as China maintains its position as a global leader in high-speed rail expansion.
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
North Korea will open its biggest tourist site next week, though it's not yet welcoming foreigners
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea next week will open a signature coastal tourist site that it says will usher in a new era in its tourism industry, though there is no word on when the country will fully reopen to foreign visitors. The Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone has hotels and other accommodations for nearly 20,000 guests who can swim in the sea, engage in sports and recreation activities and eat at restaurants and cafeterias on site, state media said. Kim said its construction would be recorded as 'one of the greatest successes this year' and called the site 'the proud first step' toward realizing the government's policy of developing tourism, according to KCNA. North Korea will open the site to domestic tourists first The Wonsan-Kalma beach resort is North Korea's biggest tourist site. KCNA said it will begin service for domestic tourists next Tuesday, but the report didn't say when it will start receiving foreign tourists. Observers say the resort likely required a huge investment from North Korea's limited budget, so it eventually will have to accept Chinese and other foreign tourists to break even. Kim has been pushing to make the country a tourism hub as part of efforts to revive the ailing economy, and the Wonsan-Kalma zone is one of his most talked-about tourism projects. KCNA reported North Korea will confirm plans to build large tourist sites in other parts of the country, too. But North Korea hasn't fully lifted a ban on foreign tourists that it imposed in early 2020 to guard against the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts say North Korea has been slow to resume its international tourism because of remaining pandemic curbs, a flare-up of tensions with the U.S. and South Korea in recent years and worries about Western tourists spreading a negative image of its system. Russian and Chinese tourists will likely travel to the resort Starting from February 2024, North Korea has been accepting Russian tourists amid the booming military and other partnerships between the two countries, but Chinese group tours, which made up more than 90% of visitors before the pandemic, remain stalled. In February this year, a small group of international tourists visited the country for the first time in five years, but tourist agencies said in March that their tours to North Korea were paused. Kim's recent foreign policy prioritizes relations with Russia as he's been supplying troops and conventional weapons to support its war against Ukraine in return for economic and military assistance. But North Korea's ties with China, which has long been its biggest trading partner and aid benefactor, have apparently cooled as China is reluctant to join an anti-Western alliance with North Korea and Russia, analysts say. Tuesday's ceremony that marked the completion of the resort's construction drew the Russian ambassador to North Korea and his embassy staff, KCNA said. But it didn't say whether any Chinese diplomats were also invited. 'I think North Korea will soon accept Russian tourists, given the Russian Embassy officials attended the ceremony. Summer business is important" for the beach resort, said Lee Sangkeun, an expert at the Institute for National Security Strategy, a think tank run by South Korea's intelligence agency. 'There seems to be issues that North Korea hasn't yet resolved in its relations with China. But North Korea has put in too much money on tourism and plans to spend more. Subsequently, to get its money's worth, North Korea can't help receiving Chinese tourists,' Lee said. Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, also said that foreign tourism to the Wonsan-Kalma site will begin with Russians. But he said Chinese tours to the zone, a sort of civilian exchange, will also begin soon, adding bilateral trade between China and North Korea has been recovering. South Korean and American tours won't likely happen soon Lim said that South Korean and American tours to North Korea won't likely restart anytime soon, though both new liberal South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump have expressed hopes to revive dialogue with North Korea. In January when Trump boasted about his ties with Kim, he said 'I think he has tremendous condo capabilities. He's got a lot of shoreline,' a likely reference to Wonsan-Kalma.
