Kinmen, July 30 (IANS) The bodies of the two Chinese fishermen, who were killed in a February boat incident near the island of Kinmen, were returned to the country on Tuesday, along with a detained fishing boat.

Ahead of the return, family members of the victims reached a consensus with the Taiwan side in Kinmen, following negotiations concerning the aftermath of the incident, Xinhua news agency reported.

They were accompanied by representatives of a local branch of the Red Cross Society of China in eastern Fujian Province.

The fishing boat was chased and hit by a Taiwan patrol ship on February 14.

The incident led to all four fishermen aboard falling into the sea, two of whom died.

–IANS

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Beijing, July 30 (IANS) Beijing Meteorological Observatory renewed a yellow alert for rainstorms at 2:55 p.m. local time on Tuesday, warning of heavy rainfall and secondary disasters in the city.

There has already been heavy rainfall in Beijing since Tuesday morning, Xinhua news agency reported.

Due to the impact of new rain clouds, the rainfall will intensify again from the afternoon to Tuesday night. Most parts of Beijing will see cumulative rainfall exceeding 100 millimetres, with some areas in Huairou, Miyun and Pinggu districts reaching over 250 millimetres.

Secondary disasters such as flash floods, mudslides and landslides may occur in mountainous and hilly areas, while low-lying areas may experience waterlogging. Citizens have been requested to take precautions.

The average rainfall in Beijing registered 70.8 millimetres from 0 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, with the highest level of 266.1 millimetres recorded in Dongshaoqu of Miyun, data shows.

In response to the upcoming rainfall, the municipal emergency management bureau advised citizens to keep updated with weather warnings, reduce travel, and use public transportation if needed. The public should avoid disaster-prone areas, high-voltage lines, river channels, low-lying areas and outdoor activities.

China has a four-tier, colour-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

–IANS

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Yangon, July 30 (IANS) Myanmar authorities have seized 37.8 kilograms of raw opium in the Sagaing region, according to a statement from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off from the sources, a joint police force intercepted a passenger bus in the region’s Sagaing town on Monday and confiscated the drugs from a passenger on the bus, Xinhua news agency reported.

In the operation, one person was arrested and charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law of the country, according to the CCDAC.

Further investigation into the case is underway.

–IANS

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Ankara, July 30 (IANS) The Turkish security forces detained 103 suspects for manufacturing and trafficking drugs in operations across the country, the country’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Tuesday.

The gendarmerie teams seized more than 1.3 tonnes of narcotics, 9.25 million roots of hemp, and 4,481 narcotic pills in raids across 17 provinces, Yerlikaya said on social media platform X, without specifying the timing of the operations, Xinhua news agency reported.

“We are determined to clean our country from poison dealers and street vendors,” the minister said.

Yerlikaya posted on X, “Under the coordination of the Gendarmerie General Command KOM Department; By Provincial Gendarmerie Commands; “NARKOCELİK-29″ operations were organised by Diyarbakır, Ordu, Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Sakarya, Antalya, Malatya, Edirne, Erzurum, Bingöl, Aydın, Samsun, Konya, Kilis, Siirt, Van and Adana Provincial Gendarmerie Commands.”

Turkey, often used by illegal drug dealers as a transit hub, has been ramping up efforts to crack down on drug smuggling since last year.

–IANS

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Tehran, July 30 (IANS) Presidents, Prime Ministers, Foreign Ministers, and other senior leaders of various countries have reached Iran to attend the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday evening.

According to Iran, 10 delegations headed by the Presidents and Prime Ministers, 15 delegations headed by the presiding officers of Parliaments, 16 delegations headed by Vice Presidents, Deputy Prime Ministers, Vice Presidents of Parliaments and Ministers, 17 delegations headed by special envoys, as well as Secretary Generals and Ambassadors and 12 delegations, headed by resident or non-resident ambassadors of the countries, will participate in the inauguration ceremony in the hall of the Islamic Council.

Among the dignitaries that have arrived were Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidzem Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdel Ati, and European Union’s deputy foreign policy chief Enrique Mora.

India is being represented by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Among other foreign leaders that are participating are Qatar’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad bin Sultan Al Muraikhi, Kazakhstan Senate Chairman Ashimbayev Maulen Sagathanuly, Malaysia’s House of Representatives Speaker Tan Sri Dato Johari bin Abdul, and Senegal National Assembly’s President Amadou Mame Diop,

Hamas’ Head of the Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem, Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhalah, and Yemen’s Ansarullah spokesman Mohammad Abdul Salam are also in Tehran to participate in the ceremony.

Most of the visiting foreign leaders have held meetings with Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei, President Pezeshkian, and Majles Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

–IANS

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