China Daily
The publication says the central axis of Beijing, which is connected by many cultural relics in the old city, is now in the "sprint stage" of applying for World Heritage Site status, according to Shan Jixiang, the president of China Antique Academy and former director of the Palace Museum.
There are three World Heritage Sites along the central axis: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Jinghang Grand Canal.
"There are also many other cultural relics, historical sites and cultural landscapes on the central axis, so the overall application of the central axis as a World Heritage Site meets the requirements of authenticity and integrity," he said.
"Beijing is rich in history and culture, with a total of seven World Heritage Sites. From prehistoric times to the Ming and Qing dynasties, the whole cultural foundation is presented in the city," noted Lv Zhou, the director of the National Heritage Center at Tsinghua University. "How to better present the historical development of Chinese civilisation through the central axis is of great significance to the application."
New Zealand Herald
Cyclone Dovi is reportedly gathering strength as it storms towards New Zealand with heavy rain and severe gales expected to lash parts of the country.
The Herald said the MetService yesterday (Thursday) announced the cyclone was now a Category 3 storm since passing over New Caledonia.
However, by the time it reaches New Zealand forecasters predict the cyclone will have dropped back to a Category 2 storm and unravel as it made landfall.
The latest projected storm track issued by Weatherwatch.co.nz shows the storm on a collision course with the centre of New Zealand, with its impact to be felt across the entire North Island.
Current estimates have it making landfall on Sunday night on the North Island's west coast.
A slew of heavy rain and strong wind alerts are currently in place across the North Island and top of the South Island.
Heavy rain is expected to start falling in the centre of the country for 40 hours starting at 8pm.
Up to 300mm (12in) of rain could be dumped in central New Zealand depending on how fast the cyclone passes over.
The newspaper said any regions could expect to be walloped by cyclonic gale-force winds, including the top and bottom of the North Island.
Forecasters are warning those living in the lower North Island and upper South Island should prepare for heavy rain, slips and possible flooding. Strong winds and dangerous coastal conditions are also possible elsewhere.
Het Laatste Nieuws, Belgium
The Antwerp-based newspaper reports that the city of Ghent has banned "convoys". That ban comes in response to the planned "freedom convoy" that was to come to Brussels on Monday and has also now been banned, apparently on the grounds that no application was submitted,
There were signals that "practice" would already be taking place in Ghent tomorrow (Saturday).
A freedom convoy that - like in Canada - would block the entire capital in an ultimate call against coronavirus measures, against the CST (Covid Safe Ticket system) and against curtailing freedom. That was planned for next Monday in Brussels. According to the publication, such convoys have already left on Wednesday in various places in Europe.
HLN says the ban takes effect from this evening (Friday), amid signals that a kind of "practice convoy" would be organised in Ghent tomorrow afternoon. More specifically, a column of vehicles would move from Oostakker (a municipality) to the Citadel Park. "But that party isn't happening."
San Francisco Chronicle
The publication reports that the Community Foods Market, a mission-driven grocery store in West Oakland, is permanently closing on Sunday, after less than three years in business. It’s the only full-scale grocery store in this part of Oakland, and its shuttering means nearby residents will have to travel for groceries.
The decision was apparently made yesterday (Thursday), sharing on Instagram that the economic pressures of the pandemic have become impossible to outlast. Customer traffic is down by 30 per cent, and labour shortages, supply chain issues and inflation have also been difficult, according to the post. The biggest issue was a lack of adequate funding even before it opened, which is common with small minority-owned businesses, CEO Brahm Ahmadi reportedly said.
The Chronicle reports that the store was barely scraping by when a last-ditch financing attempt fell through on Monday. That’s when Mr Ahmadi knew he was out of options. He said the closure will likely have far-reaching impacts beyond folks in the neighbourhood no longer being able to easily access fresh food.
“People were hopeful this would have symbolic meaning as well as real impact as far as catalysing improvements and changes in the neighbourhood,” he reportedly said. “Obviously this not sustaining will have some impact on the community’s efforts to do that and it will probably make it harder for subsequent projects that want to do something — not just in this neighbourhood but in similar neighbourhoods across the country.”
Daily Pakistan
The newspaper reports that police in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have thwarted a mob’s attempt to "lynch" an officer of a Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) over allegations of blasphemy, it emerged yesterday (Thursday).
A mob of nearly 500 men, with some carrying wooden sticks, entered the TMA office of Razar in Swabi district in search of a Tehsil revenue officer when police "timely intervened" in the matter and tried to avert any untoward situation.
The publication says a police officer told international media that they had shifted the officer to a safe place after receiving information about the violent crowd. It appeared that it was an organised attempt, the officer said.
As per the initial investigation, the revenue officer used to collect fines and rents from a local market where a former president of a traders' association provoked the public against the government officer.
Police also sought help from local religious scholars, who asked people to not take the law in their own hands.
Kalu Khan police stations’ head Ajab Durrani told media that they also produced the revenue officer before the scholars where he denied the allegations of blasphemy.
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