United News of Bangladesh

India’s 6 -week-long national election came to an end Saturday with most exit polls projecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to extend his decade in power with a third consecutive term. During the grueling, multi-phase election, candidates crisscrossed the country, poll workers hiked to remote villages, and voters lined up for hours in sweltering heat. Now all that’s left is to wait for the results, which are expected to be announced Tuesday. The election is considered one of the most consequential in India’s history. If Modi wins, he’ll be only the second Indian leader to retain power for a third term after Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister. Exit polls by major television news channels projected Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies were leading over the broad opposition alliance led by the Congress party. Most exit polls projected BJP and its allies could win more than 350 seats out of 543 — far ahead of the 272 seats needed to form the next government. Indian television channels have had a mixed record in the past in predicting election results. Modi’s campaign began on a platform of economic progress, with vows to uplift the poor and turn India into a developed nation by 2047. But it turned increasingly shrill in recent weeks as Modi escalated polarizing rhetoric in incendiary speeches that targeted the country’s Muslim minority, who make up 14% of India’s 1.4 billion people. Voting begins in the last round of India's election, a referendum on Modi's decade in power After campaigning ended on Thursday, Modi went to a memorial site honoring a famous Hindu saint to meditate on national television. The opposition Congress party called it a political stunt and said it violated election rules as the campaigning period has ended. When the election kicked off in April, Modi and his BJP were widely expected to clinch another term. Since coming to power in 2014, Modi has enjoyed immense popularity. His supporters see him as a self-made, strong leader who has improved India’s standing in the world, and credit his pro-business policies with making the economy the world’s fifth-largest. At the same time, his rule has seen brazen attacks and hate speech against minorities, particularly Muslims. India’s democracy, his critics say, is faltering and Modi has increasingly blurred the line between religion and state. But as the campaign ground on, his party faced stiff resistance from the opposition alliance and its main face, Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party. They have attacked Modi over his Hindu nationalist politics and are hoping to benefit from growing economic discontent. Pre-poll surveys showed that voters were increasingly worried about unemployment, the rise in food prices and an overall sentiment that only a small portion of Indians have benefitted despite brisk economic growth under Modi, making the contest appear closer than initially anticipated. Modi touts India's roaring economy as he seeks reelection, but many feel left behind The seventh round of polls covered 57 constituencies across seven states and one union territory, completing a national election to fill all 543 seats in the powerful lower house of parliament. Nearly 970 million voters — more than 10% of the world’s population — were eligible to elect a new parliament for five years. More than 8,300 candidates ran for the office. In Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, voters lined up outside polling stations early Saturday morning to avoid the scorching heat, with temperatures expected to reach 34 degrees Celsius (93.2 Fahrenheit). Modi was challenged there by the state’s chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, who heads the regional Trinamool Congress party. “There is a crunch for jobs now in the present market. I will vote for the government that can uplift jobs. And I hope those who cannot get jobs, they will get jobs," said Ankit Samaddar. In this election, Modi’s BJP — which controls much of India’s Hindi-speaking northern and central parts — sought to expand their influence by making inroads into the country’s eastern and southern states, where regional parties hold greater sway. The BJP also banked on consolidating votes among the Hindu majority, who make up 80% of the population, after Modi opened a long-demanded Hindu temple on the site of a razed mosque in January. Many saw it as the unofficial start of his campaign, but analysts said the excitement over the temple may not be enough to yield votes. Millions vote in India's grueling election with Prime Minister Modi's party likely to win a 3rd term Modi ramped up anti-Muslim rhetoric after voter turnout dipped slightly below 2019 figures in the first few rounds of the 2024 polls, in a move seen as a bid to energize his core Hindu voter base. But analysts say it also reflected the absence of a single big-ticket campaign issue, which Modi has relied on to power previous campaigns. In 2014, Modi’s status as a political outsider with plans to crack down on deep-rooted corruption won over voters disillusioned with decades of dynastic politics. And in 2019, he swept the polls on a wave of nationalism after his government launched airstrikes into rival Pakistan in response to a suicide bombing in Kashmir that killed 40 Indian soldiers. But things are different this time, analysts say, giving Modi’s political challengers a potential opportunity. “The opposition somehow managed to derail his plan by setting the narrative to local issues, like unemployment and the economy. This election, people are voting keeping various issues in mind,” said Rasheed Kidwai, a political analyst.

United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told a gathering of top security officials Saturday that war with China was neither imminent nor unavoidable, despite rapidly escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, stressing the importance of renewed dialogue between him and his Chinese counterpart in avoiding “miscalculations and misunderstandings.” Austin's comments at the Shangri-La defense forum in Singapore came the day after he met for more than an hour on the sidelines with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun, the first in-person meeting between the top defense officials since contacts between the American and Chinese militaries broke down in 2022 after then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, infuriating Beijing. Neither side budged from their longstanding positions on Taiwan — which China claims as its own and has not ruled out using force to take — and on China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea, which has led to direct confrontations between China and other nations in the region, most notably the Philippines. While declining to detail the specifics of their conversation, Austin said the most important thing was that the two were again talking. “As long as we’re talking, we’re able to identify those issues that are troublesome and that we want to make sure that we have placed guardrails to ensure there are no misperceptions and no miscalculations … that can spiral out of control,” he said. “You can only do that kind of thing if you are talking.” Addressing the same forum on Friday night, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. bluntly outlined what could be at stake, saying that if a Filipino were killed as China confronts his country's coast guard and merchant fleet to press its claims in the South China Sea, it would be “very, very close to what we define as an act of war and therefore we will respond accordingly.” Marcos added that he assumed the Philippines' treaty partners, which include the U.S., “hold the same standard.” In his own speech, Austin lauded how Marcos “spoke so powerfully last night about how the Philippines is standing up for its sovereign rights under international law.” But when pressed later, he would not say how the U.S. might react if a Filipino were killed in a confrontation with China, calling it hypothetical. He did say the U.S. commitment to the Philippines as a treaty partner is “ironclad,” while again stressing the importance of dialogue with China. “There are a number of things that can happen at sea or in the air, we recognize that," he said. "But our goal is to make sure that we don't allow things to spiral out of control unnecessarily.” Dong was to speak to the conference himself Sunday morning. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has been pushing for more air defense systems from Western allies, arrived unannounced on Saturday evening and will take part in a panel discussion on Sunday. Beijing in recent years has been rapidly expanding its navy and is becoming growingly assertive in pressing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea. Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles noted that not only had Philippine ships been rammed and hit with water cannons by China, but said a Chinese warplane dropped flares above an Australian helicopter earlier in the year, and in November a Chinese navy ship injured Australian divers in Japanese waters with sonar. “In the face of these multiple sources of tension, it’s even more imperative that every country plays its part in managing increasing strategic risk,” he said. In his own meeting with Dong, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara expressed “serious concerns” about China’s increasing military activities in the sea and airspace around Japan, including joint exercises with Russia, the Japanese Defense Ministry said in a statement. To counter the Chinese activity, the U.S. has been ramping up military exercises in the region with its allies to underscore its “free and open Indo-Pacific” concept, meant to emphasize freedom of navigation through the contested waters, including the Taiwan Strait. Chinese Senior Col. Cao Yanzhong, a researcher at China’s Institute of War Studies, asked Austin whether the U.S. was trying to create an Asian version of NATO with its emphasis on partnerships and alliances, a common Chinese claim. He suggested that could trigger conflict with China, citing ally Russia’s claim that NATO’s eastward expansion was a threat, which President Vladimir Putin has used as an excuse for his invasion of Ukraine. “The eastern expansion of NATO has led to the Ukraine crisis,” Cao said. “What implications do you think the strengthening of the U.S. alliance system in the Asia-Pacific will have on this region’s security and stability?” Austin said the U.S. is simply cooperating with "like-minded countries with similar values” and not trying to create a NATO-type alliance, while rejecting Cao's interpretation of the cause of the Ukraine war. “The Ukraine crisis obviously was caused because Putin made a decision to unlawfully invade his neighbor,” Austin said. Expressing the concerns of some in the region, Indonesian academic Dewi Fortuna Anwar said any de-escalation of tensions “would be very welcome to this part of the world,” but wondered whether the U.S. would allow China's assertive military posture to grow uncontested if Washington's main emphasis was now dialogue. “We are also worried if you guys get too cozy, we also get trampled,” she said. Austin said that many of those issues were best addressed through talks, but also assured that Washington will continue to ensure that the rights of nations in the region were protected and that they continued to have access to their exclusive economic zones. “War or a fight with China is neither imminent, in my view, or unavoidable,” Austin said. “Leaders of great power nations need to continue to work together to ensure that we're doing things to reduce the opportunities for miscalculation and misunderstandings," he said. "Every conversation is not going to be a happy conversation, but it is important that we continue to talk to each other. And it is important that we continue to support our allies and partners on their interests as well.”

At least 20 people were killed when a boat sank while crossing a river in eastern Afghanistan Saturday morning, a Taliban official said. Quraishi Badlon, provincial director of the information and culture department in Nangarhar province, said that the boat sank while crossing a river in Mohmand Dara district, killing 20 people including women and children. Flash floods due to unusually heavy seasonal rains kill at least 68 people in Afghanistan Badlon said that the boat was carrying 25 people, according to village residents, of whom five survived. So far five bodies have been retrieved including a man, a woman, two boys and a girl, said the Nangarhar health department in a statement. It added that a medical team and ambulances were sent to the area. Flash floods in northern Afghanistan sweep away livelihoods, leaving hundreds dead and missing The officials didn’t provide details on the cause of the accident and said that rescuers are still searching for other bodies. Residents of the area frequently use locally made boats to travel between villages and local markets. Flash floods kill over 300 people in Afghanistan after heavy rains: UN

Narendra Modi swept to power a decade ago on promises to transform India’s economy, and it would be hard to argue he hasn’t made strides. As he seeks a third term as prime minister, the country’s economic growth is the envy of the world, its stock markets are booming, and new buildings and highways are popping up everywhere. There are cracks in the facade, though, that his political challengers hope to benefit from, including high unemployment, persistent poverty and the sense that only a small portion of India’s 1.4 billion people has been able to cash in on the good fortune. “You have a booming economy for people higher up on the socioeconomic ladder, but people lower down are really struggling,” said Milan Vaishnav, director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party have remained popular since he was first elected prime minister in 2014 on a strident Hindu-first platform and pledges to succeed where past governments had failed by finally transforming the economy from rural to industrial. He promised to clamp down on deeply rooted corruption and to leverage the country’s manpower advantage to turn it into a manufacturing powerhouse. While campaigning this spring — the six-week-long election concludes Saturday — Modi has vowed to make India’s economy the world's third-largest, trailing only those of the U.S. and China. Votes will be counted Tuesday. Modi has had successes. The economy is growing by 7% and more than 500 million Indians have opened bank accounts during his tenure — a big step toward formalizing an economy where many jobs are still off the books and untaxed. His administration has also poured billions of dollars into the country’s creaky infrastructure to lure investment, and notably streamlined its vast welfare program, which serves around 60% of the population and which his party is leveraging to try to win over poor and disillusioned voters. Despite these advances, though, Modi’s economic policies have failed to generate employment that moves people from low-paying, precarious work to secure, salaried jobs. With inequality, joblessness and underemployment soaring, they’ve become central themes of the election. Even as India’s millionaires multiply, nearly 90% of its working-age population earns less than the country's average annual income of around $2,770, according to a World Inequality Lab study. The top 1% own more than 40% of the country’s wealth, while the bottom 50% own just above 6%, the study found. To stem economic discontent, Modi and the BJP are hoping to win over poor and disgruntled voters with more than $400 billion in welfare subsidies and cash transfers. At the heart of their welfare agenda is a free ration program, which serves 800 million people. It existed under the previous government and is a right under India’s National Food Security Act. But it was greatly expanded during the pandemic to provide grain for free, instead of just cheap, and then extended for another five years beginning in January. Through roughly 300 programs, hundreds of millions have received household goods ranging from cooking gas cylinders to free toilets. Millions of homes have been built for the poor, who now have greater access to piped water, Wi-Fi and electricity. And the government has ramped up cash transfers to farmers and other key voting blocs. When Rajesh Prajapati lost his job at a chemical factory in Prayagraj, a city in India’s largest state, Uttar Pradesh, his family of five survived on government grain. “For almost a year, the free ration was our only solace,” he said, adding that it was the reason they voted for Modi again. Indian parties have always used welfare to win elections. But experts say the BJP has done it better. Benefits such as subsidies, pensions and loans are now delivered through cash transfers directly to bank accounts linked to each individual’s biometric identity card, which the government says has helped eliminate leakages and corruption by cutting out intermediaries. These large-scale handouts provide relief, but some say they are only a temporary fix and a sign of rising economic distress. To reduce inequality, they should be accompanied by investment in health and education, which have stagnated in recent years, said Ashoka Mody, an economist at Princeton University. Subsidies are helpful, “but they do not create the ability of people to put themselves on a trajectory where they and their children can look forward to a better future,” he said. Tuntun Sada, a farmworker from Samastipur, a city in the eastern state of Bihar, said the 18 kilograms (40 pounds) of free grain that helps feed his family of six each month has only marginally improved their lives. He still earns less than $100 a month after working the fields of wealthier landowners. “People like us don’t get very much,” Sada said. “Modi should walk the talk. If we don’t earn enough, how will we raise our children?” The free rations don’t last through the month, piped water has yet to reach his community and there are no nearby schools for his four kids to attend. What he really needs, he said, is a better job. Modi’s opposition, led by the Congress party, are betting on the jobs crisis to dent the BJP’s chances of securing a majority. Before the election, a survey by the Center for Study of Developing Societies found that more than 60% of voters were worried about unemployment and believed finding a job had become tougher. Only 12% felt like economic opportunities had increased. Official government data, which many economists question, shows the unemployment rate declining. But a recent report from the International Labor Organization found that youth unemployment in India is higher than the global average, that more than 40% of Indians still work in agriculture, and that 90% of workers are in informal employment. The liberalizing of India’s economy in the 1990s laid the foundation for the remarkable growth since, with millions escaping poverty and spawning a middle class. But it has also allowed for the growing disparity between rich and poor, economists say. Rahul Gandhi, the main face of the opposition, has sought to tap into the growing resentment felt by the country’s many have-nots by promising to take on the issue of wealth distribution if his alliance gains power. Modi, who says his government has lifted 250 million Indians out of poverty, is unapologetic. In a TV interview this month, he said wealth distribution is a gradual process and dismissed criticism of the growing inequality by asking, “Should everyone be poor?” Both the BJP and the Congress party say they will create more employment through various sectors including construction, manufacturing and government jobs. Experts say this is crucial for reducing economic disparities, but it's also hard to do. Mass unemployment and underemployment have always been intractable problems in India, so parties inevitably fall back on the promises of handouts, said Mody, the Princeton economist. Case in point: The Congress party has pledged to double people's free rations if voted into power. “It’s completely the wrong focus… what we need is job creation,” Mody said. "And there is no one today who has an idea of how to solve that problem.”

The divided U.N. Security Council voted Thursday to extend an arms embargo on South Sudan despite appeals from the world’s newest nation, the African Union and half a dozen countries including Russia and China to lift or at least ease the restrictive measure. The U.S.-sponsored resolution got the minimum nine “yes” votes in the 15-member council, with six countries abstaining – Russia, China, Mozambique, Algeria, Sierra Leone and Guyana. The resolution also extends travel bans and asset freezes on South Sudanese on the U.N. sanctions blacklist until May 31, 2025. U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood welcomed the resolution’s adoption saying extending the U.N. arms embargo “remains necessary to stem the unfettered flow of weapons into a region awash with guns.” But Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador Anna Evstigneeva accused the United States of ignoring all the positive achievements in South Sudan and focusing on sanctions “which they present as a sort of panacea for all of the country’s problems.” She called the sanctions “burdensome,” noted calls for their lifting from South Sudan and the African Union, and said: “It is clear that at this stage, many of the Council sanctions regimes including South Sudan’s are outdated and need to be reviewed.” South Sudan’s U.N. ambassador Cecilia Adeng told the council that sanctions “impede our progress” and reiterated the country’s call for the measures to be lifted. Eliminating the arms embargo “will enable us to build robust security institutions necessary for maintaining peace and protecting our citizens,” she said. There were high hopes when oil-rich South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after a long conflict. But the country slid into a civil war in December 2013 largely based on ethnic divisions when forces loyal to the current president, Salva Kiir, battled those loyal to the current vice president, Riek Machar. The war, which left nearly 400,000 people dead and more than 4 million displaced, ended with the 2018 peace agreement, bringing Kiir and Machar together in a government of national unity. Under the agreement, elections were supposed to be held in February 2023, but they were postponed until December 2024. In early April, South Sudan’s president warned lawmakers “not to cling to power just weeks after Machar proposed a further postponement of elections. A report two weeks ago by experts monitoring sanctions against South Sudan said the elections would be “a significant milestone” and warned that the country’s leaders are running short of time “to ensure divergent expectations do not fuel further tensions and strife.” South Sudan’s Adeng told the council her country is committed to ensuring the upcoming elections are conducted peacefully, “with full participation of all stakeholders.” "South Sudan remains dedicated to working with the international community and our regional partners to achieve a peaceful and prosperous future for all South Sudanese," she said. “We appeal to the Security Council to support our efforts by adopting measures that facilitate rather than hinder our progress.”

A bus carrying Hindu pilgrims skidded and rolled into a deep gorge on a mountainous highway in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Thursday, killing at least 21 people, officials said. Health official Akhnoor Saleem Khan said 35 passengers were injured in the accident and some of them were in serious condition. Road accidents claimed 708 lives in April: Jatri Kalyan Samity The crash happened in the Jammu region when the bus plunged 150 feet (45.7 meters) into the gorge. The cause of the bus crash was being investigated. State transportation chief Rajinder Singh said the bus was carrying pilgrims to the Shiv Khori temple in the Reasi area of Jammu. India has some of the highest road death rates in the world, with hundreds of thousands of people killed and injured annually. Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles. 4 family members among 5 killed in Habiganj road accident In 2022, a century-old cable suspension bridge collapsed into a river in the western Indian state of Gujarat, sending hundreds plunging into the water and killing at least 132 in one of the worst accidents in the country in the past decade.  

Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated calls for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and promised more humanitarian aid for people in Gaza as he opened a summit with leaders of Arab states Thursday in Beijing. “Since last October, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has escalated drastically, throwing people into tremendous suffering,” Xi said in a speech opening the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. “War should not continue indefinitely." He restated China's backing of a two-state solution and pledged 500 million yuan ($69 million) in humanitarian aid for Gaza. He also promised to donate $3 million to a United Nations agency that provides assistance and relief to refugees of the Israel-Hamas war. Beijing and the Arab states back Palestinians in the conflict, where Israel is facing growing international condemnation after its strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah in which at least 45 people were killed over the weekend. The overall Palestinian death toll in the war exceeds 36,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. China and Russia reaffirm ties as Moscow presses offensive in Ukraine Beijing has long backed Palestinians and denounced Israel over its settlements in the occupied territories. It has not criticized the initial Hamas attack on Oct. 7 — which killed about 1,200 people — while the United States and others have called it an act of terrorism. However, China has growing economic ties with Israel. Besides addressing the war, Xi also called on Arab states to deepen cooperation in areas such as trade, clean energy, space exploration and health care. The summit attended by heads of state from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Tunisia among others was set to focus on China’s expanding trade ties and on security concerns related to the Israel-Hamas war. “China’s priorities in the region are primarily economic,” said Maria Papageorgiou, a lecturer in politics and international relations at University of Exeter. “It wants to continue the momentum established in recent years with Gulf states and expand its investments, particularly in trade, technology (5G networks), and other cyber initiatives.” Additionally, China wants to present itself as an alternative to the West and a more credible partner to the region, one that doesn't interfere in the nations' domestic affairs nor exert pressure, Papageorgiou said. Present at the forum is Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who met Xi on Wednesday. The two leaders signed a series of cooperation agreements in areas such as infrastructure, technology and food imports meant to further their countries’ ties. China has invested billions of dollars in Egyptian state projects, including a Suez Canal economic zone and a new administrative capital east of Cairo. Investments between Egypt and China amounted to around $14 billion in 2023, compared to $16.6 billion in 2022, according to Egypt’s statistics agency. Also at the forum are Tunisia’s President Kais Saied, Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Bahrain King Hamad. The China-Arab States Cooperation Forum was established in 2004 as a formal dialogue mechanism between China and Arab states. China is Tunisia’s fourth-largest trading partner after Germany, Italy and France. Beijing has financed hospitals and sports complexes in Tunisia, and its companies have been contracted to build strategic infrastructure such as bridges and deep-water Mediterranean ports. The UAE also has expansive, growing economic ties with China and has faced U.S. criticism for an alleged Chinese military facility being built in Abu Dhabi. Besides China’s expansive trade ties in the Middle East, it has increasingly sought to play a diplomatic role in the region. In 2023, Beijing helped broker an agreement that saw Saudi Arabia and Iran reestablish ties after seven years of tension in a role previously reserved for longtime global heavyweights like the U.S. and Russia.

People in northern India have been struggling with an unrelenting, weekslong heat wave that has forced schools to close in some places and raised the risk of heatstrokes for laborers working outdoors. India’s weather department expects the high temperatures to persist across the region for the next few days and has put several states on high alert. Some parts of India’s capital reported up to 49.9 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, with the weather bureau saying the temperatures were 9 degrees higher than expected. The nearby states of Punjab and Haryana also saw temperatures soar, with one place in Rajasthan topping the 50 C (122 F) mark. Hundreds of people suffer heatstroke in Pakistan, and dangerous heat is forecast to stay a while India declares a heat wave whenever temperatures are above 45 C (113 F). The extreme heat in northern India has coincided with a 6-week general election, increasing health risks as people wait in long lines to cast their vote. The voting ends on Saturday. The sizzling temperatures are also taking a toll on animals, putting them at risk of dehydration and heatstroke. Sitaram, an animal conservationist in the city of Bikaner in Rajasthan who goes by one name, said that endangered chinkaras — also known as Indian gazelle — are facing a shortage for water. His rescue center has been looking after the sick and injured chinkaras and providing them shelter and water to beat the heat. Over 10,000 Sri Lankans affected by inclement weather April, May and June are always hot in most parts of India before monsoon rains bring cooler temperatures. But extreme heat is fast becoming a public health crisis in India, with the warm weather getting more intense in the past decade and typically accompanied by severe water shortages. Tens of millions of India’s 1.4 billion people lack running water.

A speeding passenger bus fell from a highway into a rocky ravine in southwest Pakistan early Wednesday, killing at least 28 people and injuring 20 others, officials said. Local police officer Asghar Ali said the driver lost control suddenly in Washuk town as the bus was traveling from Turbat, the second-largest city in Baluchistan province, to Quetta, the province’s capital. Police were trying to collect details from the injured. Ismail Mengal, a government administrator in Washuk, said the driver of the bus was among the dead. He said officers are still trying to determine the cause of the crash. He said rescuers and police quickly responded and provided initial medical treatment to the injured passengers. Police transported the dead and injured to a hospital, where some of the injured were in critical condition. 13 die, 16 missing as stone quarry collapses in India’s northeast Local media pictures showed the wreckage at the bottom of a rocky ravine. In a statement, Sarfraz Bugti, the chief minister in Baluchistan, expressed grief over the loss of lives, and he ordered the best possible medical treatment be provided to the injured. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in separate statements expressed sorrow over the deaths. Road accidents are common in Pakistan where traffic rules and safety standards are sparsely followed, even on battered roads in particularly rugged areas. The latest accident occurred three days after 13 members of a family were killed in a deadly collision between a van and a truck in Multan, a city in the eastern Punjab province. At least 20 people were killed and another 30 were injured earlier this month in a similar crash.

Chinese president and general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping urged China's Shandong province to write a chapter of Chinese modernization of its own as a new highland for high-level opening-up to the outside world He emphasized during his recent inspection tour in Shandong province that the province should position itself well and play a major role in the overall development of the country. “Shandong should fully and faithfully implement the new development philosophy, further deepen reform in order to be a pioneer in serving and integrating into the new development paradigm, in advancing innovation in economic and social development, and in promoting ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin,” he said. The province was urged to accelerate the building of itself into a pilot zone for green, low-carbon, and high-quality development, and into a new highland for high-level opening-up to the outside world so as to write a chapter of Chinese modernization of its own. From May 22 to 24, Xi conducted fact-finding missions in cities including Rizhao and Jinan. He was accompanied by Lin Wu, secretary of CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, and Zhou Naixiang, governor of Shandong. On the afternoon of May 22, Xi first visited Rizhao Port. The port stands as an important transfer base of energy resources and bulk raw materials. Xi was briefed on port development and construction in Shandong province as well as the planning and layout of Rizhao Port, and inspected the operation scenario of a fully automated container terminal. Xi said that Rizhao, as a new port after China’s reform and opening up, has transformed itself from a traditional port into a modern one through scientific and technological innovation in recent years. It has not only made the cargo throughput among the forefront of the country, but also accumulated experience in developing new quality productive forces through the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, which is worthy of praise. Xi extended cordial greetings to port science and technology workers, operation personnel and shipping personnel, hoping that everyone will make continuous efforts and continue to work hard to raise the management and operation of Rizhao Port to a higher level. Later on, Xi inspected the Sunshine Coast Greenway in Rizhao City. In recent years, Rizhao City has carried out an ecological restoration project on the exposed coastal sites and damaged shoreline, and built about 28 kilometers of coast greenway, providing citizens and tourists with a good place for sports and leisure. Xi was also briefed on the overall construction of the greenway, and inspected the ecological environment of the coastline that has been restored and harnessed. Pointing out that the construction of the greenway meets residents' need and is a popular project, he said to advance Chinese modernization is to constantly improve people's lives, and a more favorable environment brings a real sense of happiness to the residents. He urged local people to work together in building and protecting their beautiful homeland. On the morning of May 24, Xi listened to the report of CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and Shandong provincial government on their work in Jinan, and affirmed what the province has achieved in various aspects of its work. Xi pointed out that Shandong has great potential to tap in promoting the deep integration of innovation in science and technology and that in industries, in developing new quality productive forces, and improving modern industrial system. Chinese president Xi also noted that the province should vigorously promote the transformation of its development mode to a green and low-carbon one, and advance innovation in green and environmentally friendly science and technology and industrial development. “The province should actively develop an international logistics corridor, vigorously promote innovation through collaboration in free trade zones, and build a demonstration area of institutional opening-up and integrate itself into high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and build a high-level platform for international exchange and cooperation so as to become an important hub for smooth domestic and international economic flow,” he said. Xi pointed out that as a major agricultural province and leading grain producer, Shandong plays a crucial role in safeguarding China’s food security and stressed that Shandong should shoulder the new mission of cultural development in the new era, and take proactive actions to promote cultural prosperity, build the country’s strength in culture and advance modern Chinese civilization. Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the inspection tour while Li Ganjie, He Lifeng, and leading officials from relevant central Party and state departments were also on the inspection tour. On the morning of May 23, Xi met with military officers above colonel level of the armed forces stationed in Jinan. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, he extended sincere greetings to all officers and soldiers of Jinan-based troops, and had a photo taken with the military officers. Zhang Youxia accompanied Xi during the meeting.