BEIJING – China’s top economic planner announced on Thursday new measures to promote the trade-in program.
Approximately 300 billion yuan (about 42 billion U.S. dollar) in ultra-long special treasury bonds will be earmarked to boost large-scale equipment renewals and replace old consumer goods with new ones, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
The trade-in program will be expanded to cover equipment renewals of energy power, old elevators, operating ships, trucks, agricultural machinery and new energy buses, the NDRC said.
The central budget will also provide a 20 billion yuan interest subsidy to direct financial institutions in supporting equipment renewal and technical upgrades, the economic planner added. China has already completed the building of a policy system for promoting large-scale equipment renewals and replacing old consumer goods with new ones, while local governments across 31 provincial-level regions have all released action plans for the program. (Xinhua)…[+]

NEW YORK – There is no shortage of iconic movies that actor Keanu Reeves has blessed the world with throughout his illustrious career, but the beloved sci-fi classic “The Matrix” truly stands out from the rest.

During an appearance on Monday’s episode of “The Late Show,” host Stephen Colbert mentioned a selection of Reeves’ most popular films, along with their anniversaries, reminding the star that “The Matrix” turns 25 this year. Colbert then asked Reeves to share his fondest memory from the movie.

“‘The Matrix’ changed my life, and then over these years, it’s changed so many other people’s lives, in really positive and great ways,” Reeves said, his voice quivering. “As an artist, you hope for that when you get to do a film or tell a story,” he added. “And so when you say these years, the amount of people who I’ve met who have… been touched by ‘The Matrix’ in such a positive way, it’s the best.”

Reeves has appeared in four “Matrix” films total, the most recent of which was “The Matrix Resurrections” in 2021. Starring Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving and Carrie-Anne Moss, the first “Matrix” is a dystopian sci-fi epic that follows Neo (Reeves), a computer hacker who is summoned to join a cyber-intelligence rebellion after discovering that humanity is trapped inside a simulated reality.

The film raked in over $467 million at the time and became one of the year’s most profitable theatrical releases. It went on to win four Academy Awards and has earned just under $2 billion globally throughout its 25-year lifespan.

Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, the film’s studio, announced in April that a fifth installment of the “Matrix” franchise is in the works, but it’s not yet been confirmed whether Reeves will be a part of it. (CNN)…[+]

Diego U., an agent from the Security and Support Service Suriname (BBS) who is on trial for shooting his neighbor from across the street dead, on Tuesday expressed remorse in court. “If somebody would have told me that I would end up in court on a murder charge, I would have deemed that person insane. I have dedicated my life to the service of my family, loved ones and this job. Nobody leaves home to take another person’s life,” said Diego U. The defendant explained to the court that he came eye to eye with his neighbor who was mentally ill and who was armed with a sharp object. He saw the bloodthirstiness in his neighbour’s eyes so to him it was a matter of life and death. “It was him or me,” said the defendant who made it clear that if he had not acted in self-defence, his neighbor would have been on trial. The defendant denied having gone to his neighbors from across the street to take the victim’s life. He explained that he went over to complain about the fact that his neighbor had injured him with a pebble. But when he went over to their house, things went sideways fast. Within a matter of seconds the defendant had to act fast. “I did not have time to think. My life flashed before my eyes. I saw death,” said Diego U. who added that he realizes that the victim will never come back. “I have also lost everything because of what happened that day. This will haunt me for the rest of my life.”…[+]

A woman was arrested after she had been caught shoplifting in a retail store. She had evidently stolen several tubes of toothpaste which she hid under her skirt. The retailer who was watching the live feed from the security cameras that are installed  in his store called the police after he had caught the woman red-handed. The police arrested the woman before giving the retailer his toothpaste and taking the shoplifter  to the police station. The Public Prosecutor’s Office decided to let the woman go but she is required to pay a fine. The perpetrator told the police that she wanted to sell the stolen toothpaste so that she could buy some food…[+]

MP Melvin Bouva (NDP) recently urged the government to privatise the state companies that are currently in big financial trouble. He specifically focused on the state companies in the telecommunications and the aviation sector. MP Bouva made it clear that the government should not hesitate when it comes to making the tough decisions aimed at saving the state companies such as the national carrier, Surinam Airways (SLM). The government is strongly convinced that the SLM can be saved and therefore does not want to consider the privatisation option. MP Bouva urged the government to be realistic. “My first choice is the SLM. If the company is broken, you must sell it. You must opt for privatisation. You must rake in private capital,” said the legislator from the opposition who pointed out that tough choices are necessary to keep the state companies from going under. “We must have the courage to do these things. If we do not do that, we will only be pushing our state companies further to the brink of collapse,” said MP Bouva. MP Bouva also mentioned the fact that the plane tickets are more expensive at the KLM. “Why is a plane ticket hundreds of Euros more expensive at the KLM?” said MP Bouva who urged the government to take a good look at the Aviation Agreement…[+]

PARIS – Delta CEO Ed Bastian arrived in Paris Wednesday morning for the opening of the Olympics as his airline struggled to recover from a five-day meltdown that left an estimated half-million customers stranded by thousands of flight cancellations.

After a global tech outage that started Friday forced Delta to cancel nearly 8,000 flights on over the past several days, the company said it expects minimal cancellations on Wednesday and “normal” service on Thursday. But it could still be days before all of Delta’s passengers whose flights were canceled will be able to make it to their destinations, given the busy summer travel season and the lack of available seats on many flights. The company has also been unable to reunite many customers with their luggage.

Meanwhile, Bastian traveled to Paris for the Olympics, accordingly, where Delta is a sponsor of the US Olympic Team. “Ed delayed this long-planned business trip until he was confident the airline was firmly on the path to recovery,” said a statement from Delta to CNN “As of Wednesday morning, Delta’s operations were returning to normal. Ed remains fully engaged with senior operations leaders.” (CNN)…[+]

MEXICO – At least six workers have died in an explosion and fire at a tequila factory in Mexico, local authorities said. Two others were injured in the disaster, at a Casa Cuervo distillery in the town of Tequila, Jalisco state. Casa Cuervo is the world’s largest producer of the Mexican spirit, according to its website, encompassing the Jose Cuervo and Tequila 1800 brands, among others.

“The incident involved the explosion of a tank car,” Jalisco’s civil protection agency said, adding that the fire ignited three additional tank cars, each with a capacity of 219,000 liters. The cause of the fire is not yet known, authorities said. At least 40 firefighting and civil protection teams responded to the incident. In a statement, Casa Cuervo said it was assisting authorities with their investigation and would reinforce security controls at its facilities.

The state’s Civil Protection agency said that another fire broke out at the factory Wednesday morning in a storage area for cardboard and other materials, but that fire was quickly controlled and no additional risks were reported. The mayor of Tequila, Alfonso Magallanes, shared a post on his Facebook page urging residents not to approach the factory due to the ongoing situation.

Jalisco state is the largest producer of agave, the key ingredient in tequila, generating nearly 75% of the nation’s annual crop. The town of Tequila, which gives the liquor its name, is a center for tourism, receiving an average of more than one million visitors annually from Mexico and abroad, according to data from the mayor’s office. (CNN)…[+]

MONTANA  –  Visitors were forced to flee as a huge hydrothermal explosion shot steam and debris into the air at Yellowstone National Park.

Videos show dozens of people running as a large column of grey mud shoots from the ground, sending rocks and boiling water high into the air around Biscuit Basin.

The National Parks Service reported no injuries but said the nearby boardwalk and benches were damaged in the blast.

The service closed the area, a few miles from the Old Faithful geyser.

A US Geological Survey photograph shows a huge grey area of debris thrown out by the eruption.

The survey said that a hydrothermal explosion is caused by water flashing to steam in a shallow hydrothermal system.

Surrounding rocks are blown apart as the steam expands. The often violent events result in the “rapid ejection of boiling water, steam, mud, and rock fragments”.

They can reach heights of 1.2 miles (2km) and leave huge craters. Most of the ejected material is called breccia – angular rocks cemented by clay.

The survey said hydrothermal explosions can pose significant local hazards and damage or destroy thermal features.

In Yellowstone, the explosions are not related to volcanic activity.

Similar eruptions occurred in Biscuit Basin in 2009, 1991 and after an earthquake in 1959. (BBC)…[+]

ANKARA   –  It’s been well over a decade since millions of Syrians flooded into Turkey en masse, seeking refuge from the civil war at home. But today, there are increasing signs the refugees may have worn out their welcome.

This month, anti-Syrian riots took place in several cities across the country. In the capital Ankara, opposition parties are calling for mass deportations, and the government is calling on the Syrian regime it once sought to topple to help resolve the problem.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is now publicly seeking a meeting with President Bashar al-Assad, the man he once labeled a terrorist, to reset relations. Before the Syrian civil war, the two leaders vacationed together, but years later, after the Syrian regime brutally crushed a public revolt, Erdogan sought to oust him from office and backed local forces fighting against him.

“We believe that it is beneficial to open clenched fists,” Erdogan said this month. “We want disputes to be resolved through mutual dialogue at the negotiation table.”

Turkey is hosting an estimated 3.1 million Syrian refugees – more than any other country. Unofficial estimates are much higher, given that undocumented refugees aren’t counted.

But overcoming a bitter, years-long personal feud and extremely complex relations between Ankara and Damascus will be no small feat. Turkish troops remain in control of a swath of Syrian territory along the Turkish border where Syrian opposition groups are sheltering.

For Erdogan, “immigration and refugees are the main concern,” said Bilal Bagis, an analyst at the government-leaning SETA think tank in Ankara. “It’s becoming a political argument against the incumbent government in Turkey… and it definitely has turned into something that needs to be resolved.”

Assad has long made clear that there will only be a meeting when Turkey withdraws troops from Syria, although he indicated this week that he would meet if the topic was at least on the agenda.

“If the meeting leads to results, or if there’s a hug, a scolding, or even cheek-kissing that serves the country’s interest, I will do it,” Assad said. “The problem is not in the meeting itself but in the content of the meeting.”

While there are no signs that Turkey would withdraw from Syria or drop its support for the Syrian opposition, the olive branch from Ankara indicates the pressure Erdogan is under to deal with the discontent at home.

This month, reports of a Syrian man sexually abusing his seven-year-old Syrian cousin sparked riots and violence in the central Anatolian city of Kayseri, with Turks targeting Syrian-owned businesses and cars.

The government blamed social media for fueling the unrest, which quickly spread to other cities. In Antalya, a teenager was killed and in Istanbul, an Arab man was threatened with a knife at a restaurant in an upscale part of the city. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said hundreds of people were arrested in the aftermath.

The riots exposed long-simmering tensions between Syrians and Turks that have been made worse by the economic pressures brought by Turkey’s sky-high inflation.

Unlike European nations, where Syrian refugees are being permanently resettled, most Syrians in Turkey are treated as “guests” with temporary protection and are subject to a number of restrictions.

Most Syrians cannot travel freely within the country. Fewer than 10% of Syrian adults have work permits, with the rest being limited to informal, under-the-table jobs. Untold numbers of Syrian children are not in school, either because they work or face difficulty enrolling due to rules requiring them to attend schools in the areas where they were initially registered. Only a small proportion of Syrians have been granted citizenship in the country of 85 million. (CNN)…[+]

PANAMA – Ten migrants drowned in a flooded river near Panama’s coastal community of Carreto while crossing the Darién Gap, Panama’s National Border Service (Senafront) said Wednesday. Senafront did not specify the nationalities of the migrants or when they drowned.

The agency said the case is still under investigation but suspects that transnational organized criminals and local collaborators led the migrants through unauthorized border crossings, putting their lives at risk. The Darién Gap is a mountainous rainforest region connecting Colombia in South America to Panama in Central America that is a crucial passage for migrants hoping to reach the United States and Canada. There has recently been an increase in the number of migrants willing to risk their lives and safety on the 66-mile (106-kilometer) hike required to cross it and the United States and Panama signed an agreement earlier this month aimed at closing “the passage of illegal immigrants” through it.

Barbed wire blocks a passage at the Panama-Colombia border, as seen from Bogota, Colombia, on July 5, 2024. Since the beginning of July, Panama’s new government, led by President José Raúl Mulino, has placed barbed wire across several routes in the Darién Gap, so that migrants who enter illegally through the border with Colombia are forced to use a single authorized entrance, according to the country’s Ministry of Public Security.

“I will not allow Panama to be a path open to thousands of people who enter our country illegally supported by an entire international organization related to drug and human trafficking,” Mulino said at his swearing-in ceremony. Senafront said the only authorized migration corridor is one that leads to Cañas Blancas, “where specialized patrols are available for their protection and humanitarian assistance.” (CNN)…[+]

KATHMANDU  –  Eighteen people were killed after a plane crashed and caught fire while it was taking off from Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.

The pilot, who is currently receiving treatment in hospital, is the only survivor of Wednesday’s fatal accident after being rescued from the burning wreckage. The Saurya Airlines test flight was carrying 17 company employees, including technical staff, as well as two crew members. It was bound for the Himalayan tourism hub of Pokhara in the country’s west.

Nepal’s aviation industry has a poor safety record that has been attributed to multiple factors over the years, from unpredictable weather to lax regulations. The flight, which was heading for Pokhara as part of a routine maintenance check, crashed at about 11:15 local time (05:30 GMT), a few minutes after it took off from Tribhuvan International Airport, according to a statement by the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority’s search and rescue co-ordination centre.

Police spokesperson Dan Bahadur Karki told BBC Nepali that the pilot sustained injuries to his eyes and forehead, but said his life was not in danger. One man who was inside a nearby shop when the accident occurred said: “There was a very loud noise, it sounded like maybe a truck had overturned on the road. “We ran after we saw [the crash]. The plane then hit the ground and caught fire. We were about to run to the site but then there was an explosion so we ran away again,” he told AFP news agency.

Airport chief Jagannath Niraula told BBC Nepali that the accident “happened as soon as it left the ground, in not even a minute”, though airport authorities have not been able to confirm the cause of the disaster. However, the head of Tribhuvan International Airport said that an initial assessment showed that the plane had flown in the wrong direction.

“As soon as it took off, it turned right, [when it] should have turned left,” Mr Niraula told BBC Nepali. Footage of the incident showed the plane tilting above the runway before crashing into the ground, into flames. It quickly became enveloped in fire and smoke. Photos showed rescue workers making their way through the wreckage, with large parts of the plane completely blackened and charred. Photos of the aftermath also appeared to show parts of the plane inside an air freight container.

Fire engines and ambulances were rushed to the spot after the incident. Seventeen of those who died were Nepali, while one was a Yemeni national, who was working as an engineer. “The plane was scheduled to undergo maintenance for a month beginning Thursday… It is unclear why it crashed,” said Saurya Airlines marketing head Mukesh Khanal, Reuters news agency reports. Kathmandu’s airport closed temporarily after the crash, but reopened within hours, Reuters said.  (BBC)

Photo: Emergency workers attend scene of Nepal plane crash. (Reuters)  …[+]

GEORGETOWN – The MV Princess Anisa, a vessel owned by INS Shipping, located at Good Intent, West Bank Demerara (WBD), drifted into the Demerara Harbour Bridge on Tuesday while the crew was asleep, resulting in major damages to the anchorage systems at spans 41-42 of the Bridge.

The cost to repair the damages stands at USD 5.5million, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill disclosed. According to the captain and crew, the vessel, which was loaded with rice, had dropped anchor at 12:00 am at Versailles and the crew had gone to rest.

General Manager, Wayne Watson told Kaieteur News that the vessel drifted into the bridge at approximately 04:00hrs, while preparations were being made for retraction. He said that staff of the Harbour Bridge observed the vessel drifting towards the bridge.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the Public Works Minister said that he was informed that the collision resulted in major damages to the anchorage system at spans 41-42 of the bridge, including damage to anchor chains, wire ropes, chords bolts, and minor abrasions to pontoons 41.2 and 42.1. Despite the collision, there was no halt to vehicular traffic transiting the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

Further, Minister Edghill disclosed that the owner of the vessel will be held accountable and is expected to provide compensation for all damages incurred as a result of the vessel drifting into the Demerara Harbour Bridge. Works to remedy the situation commenced immediately and are estimated to be completed within two days. (Kaieteur News)

Photo: The MV Princess Anisa. (Kaieteur News)     …[+]

PARAMARIBO – Dinesh R. on Monday told the judge that he earns a living selling Viagra pills and that he did not sell XTC pills. The police seized about 1,790 pills, but the lab must still analyse them to determine if they are in fact XTC pills.

 Dinesh R. was busy selling blue pills, when he was arrested. “I wanted to buy two thousand pills so I paid €1,100, but I was conned because I received fewer pills. I wanted to sell each pill for SRD 20, so that I would earn €1,193 and make a profit of €93. I did not know that the pills are illegal. If I had known this, I would have destroyed them,” said Dinesh R. The defendant’s attorney, Maureen Nibte, told the court that no permit is needed to sell Viagra pills, so she requested the release of her client who has been in jail for the past 7 weeks. Dinesh R. claimed that the pills had a combined weight of 600 grams. The judge granted the attorney’s request and ordered the release of the defendant. He took into account the fact that the blue pills could in fact be Viagra pills. The defendant is scheduled to return to court in October…[+]