The double open park at Taikoo Li Qiantan, a retail complex in Shanghai. [PHOTO BY CHEN YUYU/FOR CHINA DAILY]
>China's economy grows 9.8%
GDP in the first three quarters increased by 9.8% year-on-year
China's GDP grew by 9.8% year-on-year in the first three quarters of the year to 82.31 trillion yuan, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday.
The National Bureau of Statistics released data on October 18 that the gross domestic product in the first three quarters was 82.31 trillion yuan, an increase of 9.8% year-on-year.
China's economy continued stable recovery in the first three quarters of this year, with major indicators staying within a reasonable range, official data showed.
Official data show that in the first three quarters, China's national economy continued to recover and develop, and the main macro indicators were generally in a reasonable range.
In the third quarter, the country's GDP grew 4.9% year-on-year, slower than the growth of 18.3% in Q1 and 7.9% in Q2.
In the third quarter, GDP grew 4.9% year-on-year, slightly lower than the 18.3% year-on-year growth rate in the first quarter and 7.9% in the second quarter.
Output of industrial companies with annual revenue of more than 20 million yuan rose by 11.8% year-on-year over the first three quarters of the year, putting the two-year average growth at 6.4 percent.
In the first three quarters, the added value of industries above designated size in the country increased by 11.8% year-on-year, and the average growth rate in two years was 6.4%.
Retail sales grew by 16.4% on a yearly basis in the first three quarters and 3.9% on a two-year average basis. The growth in fixed-asset investment came in at 7.3% on a yearly basis in the January-September period, sending the two-year average growth to 3.8%.
In the first three quarters, the total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 16.4% year-on-year, and the average growth rate of 3.9% in two years. In the first three quarters, the country's fixed asset investment (excluding rural households) increased by 7.3% year-on-year, with an average growth of 3.8% in two years.
The surveyed urban unemployment rate came in at 4.9% last month, compared with 5.1% in August.
In September, the national urban survey unemployment rate was 4.9%, down 0.2 percentage points from the previous month.
A painted pottery basin is displayed at Yangshao Culture Museum. [LI AN/XINHUA]
>Top 100 archaeology finds released
'Top 100 Archaeological Discoveries in 100 Years' revealed
The National Cultural Heritage Administration announced the top 100 archaeological discoveries of China in the past 100 years on Monday at the opening ceremony of the third Chinese Archaeology Congress in Sanmenxia.
On October 18, at the opening ceremony of the 3rd Chinese Archaeological Congress held in Sanmenxia, Henan Province, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage announced the list of "Top 100 Archaeological Discoveries in a Hundred Years".
Many names familiar to the general public were on the list, including the Yangshao village site in Henan province, the mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang in Shaanxi province, the archaeological ruins of Liangzhu in Zhejiang province, the Sanxingdui site in Sichuan province and the Zhoukoudian site in Beijing.
Many names familiar to the public appear on the list, including the ruins of Yangshao Village in Henan, the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang in Shaanxi, the Sanxingdui site in Sichuan, the Liangzhu Archaeological Site in Zhejiang, and the Zhoukoudian site in Beijing.
The Neolithic period, which in China is roughly defined as between 10,000 and 4,000 years ago, contributed the most entries to the list, with 33 discoveries from that period. Henan leads all provincial-level administrative regions with 14 entries, followed by Shaanxi with 11.
From the perspective of chronological distribution, the Neolithic Era (about 10,000 to 4,000 years ago) has 33 entries, which is the most selected site, from the perspective of geographical distribution, Henan has 14 sites selected, ranking first among all provincial-level administrative regions, followed by Shaanxi with 11.
The Tung Wan Chai North site in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Beinan site in Taiwan are also on the list.
The Dongwan Chai North Site on Ma Wan Island in Hong Kong and the Beinan Site in Taiwan were also selected as the "Top 100 Archaeological Discoveries in a Century".
Greek actress Xanthi Georgiou, playing the role of the high priestess, holds the lit torch during the flame lighting ceremony on Monday for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Ancient Olympia archaeological site, the birthplace of the ancient Olympics, in southern Greece. [ARIS MESSINIS/AFP]
>Olympic Flame lit in Ancient Olympia
The Beijing Winter Olympic Flame was successfully collected
The Olympic Flame that will be burning for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games started its journey after being ignited at the birthplace of the Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece on Monday.
On October 18, the seeds of the Beijing Winter Olympics were successfully collected and passed on in ancient Olympia in Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic movement.
Greek actress Xanthi Georgiou in the role of an ancient Greek high priestess used a concave mirror to focus the sun's rays and light the torch before the 2,500-year-old Temple of Hera, a goddess in ancient Greek mythology.
In front of the 2,500-year-old ruins of the temple of Hera, the Greek actress Giorgiou, who plays the highest priestess, uses a concave mirror to gather sunlight and ignite the fire. Hera was a goddess in ancient Greek mythology.
"In our fragile world, where separation, division and mistrust are on the rise, the Olympic Games always builds bridges and friendship," International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said in his speech.
In his speech at the event, IOC President Thomas Bach said: "In this fragile world, divisions, estrangement and mistrust are intensifying, and the Olympic Games always build bridges and friendships. "
Ioannis Antoniou, a Greek skier, was the first torchbearer to receive the flame from the High Priestess inside the ancient stadium.
The priestess passed the torch to the first torchbearer, the Greek alpine skier Giannis Antonio.
The first Chinese torch bearer to receive the flame was Li Jiajun, a winner of five medals in short-track speed skating at the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Olympics.
The first Chinese torchbearer to take the torch from Antonio was former Chinese short track speed skater Li Jiajun, who won five medals in short track speed skating at the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics.
The flame will be handed over to the Beijing 2022 organizers on Tuesday at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens before it arrives in China on Wednesday.
On October 19, the Olympic torch will be transferred to the delegation of the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee at the Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, and will arrive in China on October 20.
Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell attends the Russia Forum 2013 in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]
>Colin Powell dies of COVID-19
Former U.S. Secretary of State died of COVID-19
Colin Powell, the first African-American US secretary of state, has died at 84 of COVID-19 complications, his family said Monday.
The family of Colin Powell, the first African-American secretary of state in the United States, posted a statement on Facebook on October 18 saying that Powell died at the age of 84 in the morning due to complications caused by the new crown virus.
Powell's family said in a statement on Facebook that Powell died Monday morning despite being fully vaccinated.
Powell's family said Powell had previously completed COVID-19 vaccination.
A professional soldier, Powell became the first African-American national security advisor during the end of Ronald Reagan's presidency and the youngest and first African-American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under former President George H. W. Bush.
As a career soldier, Powell became the first African-American national security adviser in the United States later in the Reagan presidency, later became the youngest Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the United States during the Bush Administration, and the first African-American to take up the position.
He was best known and most controversial when he served as secretary of state under former President George W. Bush between January 2001 and January 2005, and pushed for the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 with the claim the Middle Eastern country possessed weapons of mass destruction, which was proven to be false.
But the most famous and controversial event in Powell's life was the fact that during his tenure as Secretary of State in the George W. Bush administration from January 2001 to January 2005, he drove the United States to launch a war to invade Iraq in 2003 on the grounds that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, but the United States has so far failed to confirm that Iraq actually possesses such weapons.
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Source: chinadaily.com.cn