LaNUBlog™

A Chinese man named Pu Zhao recently realized his childhood dream of walking on the moon. The 31-year-old is a cross-country and photography enthusiast. When he was planning for a road trip to north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region earlier this month, he heard about the Gobi Desert in Suhongtu, part of Inner Mongolia’s Alashan League, that very much looks like the surface of the moon. This was the moment Pu decided to fulfill his lifelong dream of exploring the moon. Before departure, he spent 200 yuan (30 US dollars) buying a simple space suit online, and wore it for possibly the best lunar experience of his life.

Kenyans began voting Thursday in a repeat election that has polarized the nation and is likely to be fiercely disputed in the absence of opposition leader Raila Odinga, who is boycotting the vote.  In stark contrast to the first edition of the election, which was annulled last month by the Supreme Court, many polling stations in the capital and Odinga's strongholds saw only a trickle of voters.  "It is my duty to vote. Last time the queue was all around the block and I waited six hours to vote, this time the people are few," said taxi driver David Njeru, 26, as he waited to cast his ballot in Nairobi's Mathare slum.  After a night of driving rain, only 50 people stood on the boggy grass outside the Redeemed Gospel Church polling station, where more than 8,000 are registered to vote.  People queue to cast their votes at a polling station during a presidential election re-run in Gatundu, Kenya, October 26, 2017. /Reuters Photo Assured victory for Keny...

If Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont unilaterally declares independence of Spain's Catalonia region, it would be a "historical mistake," said Fernando Sanchez Costa, a pro-unity member of parliament (MP) of Catalonia. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced last Saturday that his government would ask the Senate to approve its plan to trigger Article 155 of Spain's constitution, allowing it to suspend Catalonia's political autonomy, dismiss the Catalan administration and call a regional election there within six months. The Senate is expected to approve Rajoy's request on Friday.   "We still have time for dialogue, for coming to an agreement," Costa told CGTN in a recent interview, expressing his hope that Puigdemont would not declare independence. "It would be a very very important mistake, a historical mistake if he proclaims independence," he said. "We can lose everything. Everyt...

Putin Handchacked Xi on being re-elected CPC leader China will not change its determination to deepen relations with Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday in a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin congratulated Xi on his re-election this week as the general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Xi said Russia is China's comprehensive strategic partner of coordination, and will remain so whatever volatile changes take place in international environment.  Putin has also offered congratulations on the successful conclusion of the 19th CPC National Congress. The Russian president said he is willing to keep close contacts with Xi to promote the bilateral cooperation in all fields, and keep close communication and coordination in major regional and international issues.