Almaghribtoday - Tag

Chinese

China lavishes cash on ally Cambodia with eyes

Phnom Penh - Al Maghrib Today

Beijing has pledged billions of dollars to build new infrastructure in Cambodia, officials said Thursday, as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang ended a two-day charm offensive currying favour for its mega-dams across the Mekong. The storied waterway, which twists through parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, is the world's largest inland fishery and helps feed around 60 million peopleRead more

China’s Ant Financial drops $1.2 billion MoneyGram deal as US approval fails

BEIJING - Almaghrib Today

Ant Financial, an affiliate of Chinese Internet titan Alibaba, has been forced to abandon a $1.2 billion (SR4.5 billion) deal to buy US remittances firm MoneyGram after failing to get approval from regulators in Washington. The decision by the Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) will deal a blow to Alibaba boss Jack Ma’s push into the world’s biggest financial marketRead more

Chinese human rights lawyers jailed for two years

Beijing - Al Maghrib Today

A prominent Chinese human rights lawyer was sentenced to two years in prison for "inciting subversion" on Tuesday, the latest jailing in an intensifying crackdown on rights defenders under newly empowered President Xi Jinping. Germany and human rights groups condemned the jailing of Jiang Tianyong, 46, who had taken on many high-profile cases including those of Falun Gong practitioners, TibetanRead more

Alibaba takes record $25 bn on 'Singles Day'

Beijing - Al Maghirb Today

Chinese online shoppers spent a record $25 billion on this year's "Singles Day" promotion run by e-commerce giant Alibaba, up nearly 40 percent from last year, figures showed on Sunday. At the peak, 256,000 payments were being processed per second on Saturday, the firm said, more than 90 percent of them placed via mobile. The company's gross merchandise volume forRead more

Harry Potter showcased with bones and cauldrons in London

London - Al Maghrib Today

The British Library has conjured to life the magical world of Harry Potter in a new exhibition featuring the oldest objects in its collection alongside never-seen items from J.K. Rowling's personal archive. "Harry Potter: A History of Magic", which opens in London on Friday, includes Chinese oracle bones from 1192 BC -- the oldest datable items in the library's vastRead more

Xi declares 'new era' for China as party congress opens

Beijing - Al Maghrib Today

President Xi Jinping declared China is entering a "new era" of challenges and opportunities on Wednesday as he opened a Communist Party congress expected to enhance his already formidable power. Xi told some 2,300 delegates at the imposing Great Hall of the People that the party must "resolutely oppose" any actions that undermine its leadership as it steers a courseRead more

Xi is everywhere: China's omnipresent leader

Beijing - Al Maghrib Today

Chinese President Xi Jinping's stiff smile greets visitors in room after room at a Beijing exhibition put up by the Communist party to tout its past five years of accomplishments. "Five Years On" looks at China's changes since 2012 -- when Xi came to power -- ahead of the twice-a-decade party congress which opened Wednesday. Xi's omnipresence at the Soviet-styleRead more

Hong Kong skyscraper sold for record $5.15 billion

Hong Kong - Al Maghrib Today

A landmark skyscraper owned by Hong Kong's richest man Li Ka-shing has sold for a record of more than $5 billion, a report said Monday, indicating that the city's booming property sector shows no sign of slowing down. Li's CK Asset sold its 75 percent stake in The Centre, which is located in the city's bustling Central district, to aRead more

China lifts 10-year travel ban

Beijing - Al Maghrib Today

China has lifted a 10-year travel ban on a feminist activist who was jailed for more than a month in 2015 after organising a campaign against sexual harassment. Wu Rongrong plans to fly to Hong Kong on Sunday to pursue a master's degree in law in the semi-autonomous city, which has a separate legal system and border controls. "It wasRead more