The Beijing Hour

A senior Iranian official says the country will shift to a fully offensive military posture against the US, while President Trump has downplayed the prospects of reaching a deal with Tehran (01:12). The 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, or COP 17, is underway in Ulan Baataar, Mongolia, with China's efforts and contributions in the spotlight (09:05). China has unveiled a set of measures aimed at further stimulating consumption in lower-tier markets and invigorating county-level consumer spending (36:13).

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).