Portrait News

Chinese President Xi Jinping paid his first known visit to the country’s central bank since taking office a decade ago, according to two persons familiar with the situation, as China’s economy and financial markets face headwinds.According to Reuters, Xi, Vice Premier He Lifeng, and other government officials visited the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) in Beijing on Tuesday. The reason for the visit was not immediately clear. Outside of business hours, the PBOC and SAFE could not be reached for comment. In the third quarter, the world’s second-largest economy increased faster than...

US Vice President Joe Biden has said that the recent announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, which connects the whole area via rail, road, and ports, was one of the motivations for Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.“I’m convinced, and I have no proof of this, that one of the reasons Hamas attacked when they did was because of the progress we were making towards regional integration for Israel, and regional integration in general.” “We can’t abandon that work,” Biden added. The statements were delivered by the US President during a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony...

South Korea, Japan, and the United States “strongly condemn” North Korea’s transfer of weaponry to Moscow, the allies said in a joint statement Thursday, adding that Pyongyang has made “several” such sales. Both Russia and North Korea, longtime allies, are subject to a slew of international sanctions, Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine and Pyongyang for nuclear weapons testing. Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin conducted a high-profile summit in Russia’s far east in September, fueling Western worries that Pyongyang would help Moscow with weaponry for its war in Ukraine.

Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday that “specific pauses” in Israel’s fight with Hamas are needed to let supplies into Gaza, but he stopped short of asking for a truce.Sunak emphasised that Israel “has the right to defend itself under international law” in response to requests from certain opposition MPs during weekly questions in parliament to call for a ceasefire. However, the UK leader stated that London has continuously asked for the conditions to enable aid into Gaza, as well as the release of British people and hostages taken by Hamas operatives. “We recognise for all of that to happen there...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a televised announcement on Wednesday that Israel is planning a ground invasion of Gaza, but he failed to disclose any details on the timeframe or other details regarding the operation.He said the government’s special war council, which includes the leader of one of the moderate opposition groups, would decide when soldiers would enter the Palestinian enclave held by the Islamist movement Hamas. “We have already killed thousands of terrorists and this is only the beginning,” declared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The French museum announced that it is working quickly to repair a much-maligned waxwork of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson after the US star complained about its light skin tone. Johnson, who is of Samoan and Black descent, came to Instagram this weekend to mock the Grevin Museum’s bungled wax figure, which looked to portray him with white skin and bore just a passing resemblance to his looks.The Grevin Museum in Paris proudly displayed a life-sized statue of the wrestler-turned-actor earlier this month, prompting a wave of backlash. One of the most heated debates was over the model’s skin tone, with...

The Kremlin dismissed rumours about President Vladimir Putin’s health on Tuesday, claiming he was healthy and well.In a routine call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also disputed the president’s use of body doubles, calling it a “absurd hoax.” Reporters questioned Peskov on Putin’s health after an unsourced story by a Russian Telegram channel, which was picked up by some Western media, that the president had a significant health crisis on Sunday evening. Putin, a judo fanatic with a long history of projecting a “action man” image, turned 71 on October 7. He has a busy schedule of meetings and...

Dussehra celebrates the triumph of good over evil. It also marks the end of the Navratri celebrations. Vijayadashami is also the tenth day of Shardiya Navratri, when people all around the country burn effigies of Ravana, his son Meghnath, and his brother Kumbhkaran. The day also marks the completion of the five-day Durga Puja celebrations. On this day, Goddess Durga’s statues are submerged in bodies of water. Dasara is celebrated in the south as the victory of Goddess Chamundeshwari over the demon form Mahishasura. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the country a happy Dussehra today. “Happy Vijayadashami to all my...

This week, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be lavishly welcomed by US President Joe Biden at the White House, with discussions regarding China and Ukraine on the agenda.The state visit comes as Washington seeks to strengthen relations with longstanding ally Australia as part of a larger effort to confront Beijing in the Asia-Pacific region. While the Israel-Hamas and Ukraine wars simmer on the other side of the planet, Albanese, who will be honoured with a sumptuous state banquet, is attempting to keep Biden focused on Australia’s neighbourhood. “It will be an important visit,” Albanese said before departing on Sunday....

On Sunday, Virat Kohli scored 95 to lead India to a four-wicket victory against New Zealand, their fifth win in five World Cup matches, however the superstar batsman fell just short of Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 one-day international century. Fast bowler Mohammed Shami took 5-54 to help India bowl out New Zealand for 273, a score India beat with 12 balls to spare at Dharamsala. The Kiwis, who rode Daryl Mitchell’s 130 to record 273, suffered their first loss in five matches and are now second in the 10-team standings, trailing leaders India. An in-form Kohli, who made 103...