The Beijing Hour

The Belt and Road Initiative has made fruitful achievements since the Chinese president stressed mutually beneficial cooperation in his speech on the initiative at a symposium exactly 10 years ago (01:15). Iran says it has not yet made a decision to extend the peace memorandum of understanding with the United States, which expires on Monday (13:36). Chinese authorities say the country's economy maintained overall stability in the first seven months of the year with a clear trend toward higher-quality and innovation-driven growth (36:58).

Asian countries including China are marking the International Memorial Day for "Comfort Women" to commemorate the victims of the Japanese military's sexual slavery system during World War II (01:12). Multiple reports have emerged of deteriorating living conditions and mental health problems aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier deployed to support US war on Iran (17:22). Russia has hit back at Japan's opposition to President Vladimir Putin's visit to Iturup, one of the disputed Kuril Islands in the Pacific which Japan calls Etorofu (33:40).

The head of an Iranian paramilitary unit says the Strait of Hormuz is under Tehran's control and management, after US President Donald Trump claimed that his country had total control of the waterway (01:00). The Colombian president has declared a state of economic emergency to speed up assistance to those affected by the deadly earthquake this week (08:23). Officials say China's national carbon emissions rights trading market plays an important role in promoting low-cost emissions reductions, with the cumulative trading volume exceeding 930 million tonnes by the end of July (36:58).

The Colombian government has declared a state of national disaster, as search and rescue efforts continue following Monday's deadly earthquake (00:59). As the remnants of Typhoon Dolphin continue to move northward, Beijing and other regions in northern China are on alert for heavy rainfall (9:28). The Iranian Supreme National Security Council says the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed unless Washington meets Tehran's conditions (23:05).

Rescue efforts are underway in Colombia after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit the country, the largest one in years (01:07). Iran and the US are demanding compensation from each other over losses suffered in their months-long war (11:53). Typhoon Dolphin is weakening as it moves inland across central China, but heavy rain continues to pose risks in several regions (20:04).