Iraq seeks to ease Saudi-Iran hostility at Baghdad summit

Iraq has invited Iran and Tehran's Gulf Arab foes to a summit in Baghdad with the aim of calming tensions which have brought them close to open conflict in recent years. Officials say the meeting, which will also discuss the war in Yemen, Lebanon's collapse and a regional water crisis, could take a step towards Saudi-Iranian rapprochement even though they have yet to say what representation they will send. Iraqi officials hope that Iran's new hardline President Ebrahim Raisi will attend the meeting, planned for Saturday, and expect ministers from Gulf States.

High blood pressure driven by obesity, poverty: WHO

Nearly 1.3 billion people globally suffer from hypertension, a silent killer often driven by obesity that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday. Hypertension can be easily diagnosed by monitoring blood pressure, and treated with low-cost drugs, but half of affected people are unaware of their condition which is left untreated, the WHO and Imperial College London said in a joint study published in The Lancet. While hypertension rates have changed little in 30 years, the caseload has shifted to lower-income countries as wealthy nations have brought it largely under control, the study said. Some 17.9 million people died in 2019 from cardiovascular diseases, accounting for one in three global deaths, with hypertension a major factor, according to the WHO.

'Xi Jinping Thought' to be added to China curriculum

China will incorporate "Xi Jinping Thought" into its national curriculum to help "establish Marxist belief" in the country's youth, the education ministry said in new guidelines published on Tuesday. The Ministry of Education said Chinese President Xi Jinping's "thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era" would be taught from primary school level all the way to university.  Xi Jinping Thought was formally enshrined in the country's constitution in 2018. Xi's personal power has also been strengthened by the abolition of presidential term limits.

US issued over 85,000 student visas in China

The United States has issued more than 85,000 student visas in China since May, its Beijing embassy said yesterday, after the Biden administration eased restrictions on applications earlier this year. State Department data showed that 33,896 F1 student visas were issued to Chinese nationals in June, up from just 8 issued in the previous June. The easing of restrictions  gives a boost to US universities struggling financially during the pandemic.

Source: AFP, Reuters