China

Vietnam oil exec 'kidnapped' from Germany jailed for life

Hanoi - Muslimchronicle

A Vietnamese former state oil executive who was allegedly kidnapped from Germany was jailed for life on Monday for embezzlement, in the highest-profile corruption trial to target the communist country's business and political elite. The case -- also involving 21 other officials, including a former party politburo member -- has captivated a country where the affairs of the powerful areRead more

Chinese fans fear crackdown on hip hop

Shanghai - Muslimchronicle

Chinese music fans are bracing for a crackdown on hip hop after a rapper was apparently dropped from a popular singing programme, as reports emerged that the government had soured on the often-provocative genre. Hip hop is a late arrival to China's cultural scene but homegrown artists have steadily gained fans, getting a major boost over the past year thanksRead more

Oil spill disasters in the past 50 years

Beijing - Muslimchronicle

Concerns are growing over an oil slick off China's east coast after an Iranian tanker, the Sanchi, exploded and sank a week ago following a collision at sea. Here is a look back at the major oil spills around the world in the past five decades: - Shipwrecks - - Atlantic Empress and Aegean Captain, 1979: The two Greek-registered tankers collideRead more

Mongolia – Vast wilderness and rugged adventure

Kuwait - Musimchronicle

Travelers often overlook Mongolia for its bustling neighbors, China and Russia. But it is in Mongolia — one of the world’s most sparsely populated countries — that one finds a unique blend of adventure and serenity that includes venturing into the wild with epic horse rides through the valleys, climbing up to Buddhist villages and temples, hiking through the mountains orRead more

China's waste import ban upends global recycling industry

Beijing - Muslimchronicle

For years China was the world's top destination for recyclable trash, but a ban on certain imports has left nations scrambling to find new dumping grounds for growing piles of garbage. The decision was announced in July and came into force on January 1, giving companies from Europe to the United States barely six months to look for other options, and forcingRead more

Trump lashes out ahead of vote to end shutdown

London - Muslimchronicle

President Trump early Wednesday morning lashed out at the father of one of the three UCLA basketball players arrested in China for shoplifting earlier this month, referring to LaVar Ball as a "poor man's version of Don King" and an "ungrateful fool." "It wasn’t the White House, it wasn’t the State Department, it wasn’t father LaVar’s so-called people on the groundRead more

Google, Tencent eye collaboration

Washington - Muslimchronicle

Internet titans Google and Tencent on Friday signalled possible future collaboration on developing new technologies as the US and Chinese firms announced a long-term patent-sharing agreement. The companies gave no details on the scope or nature of the potential cooperation but said in a joint statement that they "are open to deeper collaboration in the future on innovative new technologies". "By workingRead more

China sees births fall despite push

Beijing - Muslimchronicle

The number of births in China fell last year even though the world's most populous country has relaxed its one-child policy to allow all couples to have two children. The country saw 17.23 million births in 2017, compared to 17.86 million in the previous year, the head of the National Bureau of Statistics, Ning Jizhe, said on Thursday. The nation of some 1.4Read more

China spots four oil slicks from sunken tanker

Beijing - Muslimchronicle

The spill from a sunken Iranian tanker off China's east coast has spawned four oil slicks as authorities prepared to send robots to the wreckage to assess the environmental damage. The Sanchi, which was carrying 136,000 tonnes of light crude oil from Iran, sank in a ball of flames in the East China Sea on Sunday, a week after colliding with Hong Kong-registeredRead more

China says Iranian oil tanker wreck located

Beijing - Muslimchronicle

The wreck of an Iranian oil tanker that collided with a cargo ship off China this month has been located, Beijing said Wednesday, but gave no new details about the environmental impact of the disaster. The Sanchi, which was carrying 136,000 tonnes of light crude oil from Iran, ran into Hong Kong-registered bulk freighter the CF Crystal on January 6, sparking a fireRead more