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10 Inspiring Quotes By Jawaharlal Nehru To Celebrate Children's Day 2024

Children's Day, also known as 'Bal Diwas', is celebrated annually on November 14 in India. The day also marks the birth anniversary of the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who was known for his love for children.




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Guru Nanak Jayanti 2024: Date, Auspicious Time And History

Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated every year on Kartik Purnima, which falls in the months of October-November. This year, Kartik Purnima will fall on November 15.




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"Dirty And Dangerous, But...": Foreigner's Video Praising Delhi Goes Viral

An Irish-Persian vlogger's Instagram post about living in Delhi is going viral on social media. In his post, Sean Hammond shared a long caption detailing his experience living in the city.




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Patient's Son Walks After Stabbing Chennai Doctor, People Shout "He Cut Him"

A young man who stabbed a doctor multiple times at a Chennai hospital threw away the knife and calmly walked to the exit when people shouted "he cut him up" and security personnel grabbed him.




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Girl, 11, Sent To Work In Delhi 'Beaten Up', Case Filed Against Noida Couple

A couple has been booked for allegedly beating up an 11-year-old girl they employed as a house helper for Rs 5,000, police said on Wednesday.




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Delhi Police Issues Traffic Advisory Ahead Of Pragati Maidan Trade Fair

Delhi Police on Wednesday issued a traffic advisory ahead of the two-week-long India International Trade Fair (IITF) being held in the national capital.




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Delhi Government Appeals To Lt Governor For Reinstatement Of Bus Marshals

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday said only the lieutenant governor has the power to formulate a policy for permanently reinstating the bus marshals as it is a matter of services and law and order.




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In Pics: Taj Mahal Disappears Behind Thick Blanket Of Smog

Visuals showed the Taj Mahal, the UNESCO World Heritage site disappearing behind the smog, making it barely visible to tourists.












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Cabinet Welcomes Historic Issuing of Muslim Marriage Certificates

[SAnews.gov.za] Cabinet has welcomed the historic issuing of the first batch of 33 Muslim marriage certificates by the Department of Home Affairs.




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2025 Polestar 2 drops the best-driving, highest-range versions

The 2025 Polestar 2 lineup shrinks to just one configuration, dropping the less-expensive, higher-range models. First spotted by Car and Driver, the 2025 Polestar 2 will only be available in Performance Pack spec. That means the base single-motor version, as well as the non-Performance dual-motor version, are history. The single-motor version...




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China's CATL open to building US battery plant if Trump allows

Chines battery supplier CATL could build a plant in the U.S. The decision would hinge on whether Trump's administration allows the Chinese to enter the market CATL wanted to invest in the U.S. but to date the government's said no Chinese battery supplier CATL is open to building a U.S. factory if the incoming Trump administration allows it, the...




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Umahi queries contractor over failed Abuja-Minna road

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has decried the deplorable condition of the Abuja-Minna federal road, saying he did not see any work done by the contractor handling the project. The minister who travelled by road from Abuja to attend a stakeholders’ engagement on the construction of the 125KM three-lane single carriage of the Niger


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Edo NULGE restates support for LG autonomy, backs national leadership

The Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees has pledged its support to the union’s national leadership, headed by President-General Akeem Ambali. In a statement released on Wednesday, the Edo NULGE, led by Clifford Dauda, praised Ambali’s ability to unite stakeholders and members from across the country, highlighting this as a


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EFCC seizes Okowa’s passport, grants him bail

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has withheld the international passport of the former governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa. Okowa was arrested by the anti-graft agency on November 4, 2024, over an alleged diversion of N1.3tn derivation fund. The N1.3trn amounted to a 13 per cent derivation fund from the federation account between 2015


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Millions of Nigerians go hungry as floods compound hardship

GUBIO, Nigeria — Unrelenting price rises and a brutal insurgency had already made it hard for Nigerians in northeastern Borno State to feed their families. When a dam collapsed in September, flooding the state capital and surrounding farmland, many people ran out of options. Now they queue for handouts in camps for those displaced by fighting between extremist Boko Haram rebels and the military. When those run out, they seek work on local farms where they risk being killed or raped by local bandits. "I can't even cry anymore. I'm too tired," said Indo Usman, who tried to start again in the state capital Maiduguri, rearing animals for the two annual Muslim holy days, after years of repeatedly fleeing rebel attacks in rural Borno. The flood washed that all away, driving her, her husband and their six children to a bare room at Gubio, an unfinished housing project about 96 km northwest of Maiduguri that has become a displacement camp. Torrential rains and floods in 29 of Nigeria's 36 states this year have destroyed more than 1.5 million hectares of cropland, affecting more than 9 million people, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Climate change is a factor, as is Nigeria's poorly maintained or non-existent infrastructure as well as vulnerabilities caused by the weakening Naira currency and the scrapping of a government fuel subsidy. The cost of staples like rice and beans has doubled, tripled or even quadrupled in a year, depending on location — an unmanageable shock for millions of poor families. Mass kidnappings for ransom in the northwest and conflict between farmers and pastoralists in the central belt, traditionally the nation's bread basket, have also disrupted agriculture and squeezed food supplies. 'Hungriest of the hungry' Roughly 40% of Nigeria's more than 200 million people live below the international poverty line of $2.15 per person per day, the World Bank estimates. Already, 25 million people live in acute food and nutrition insecurity - putting their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger, according to a joint analysis by the government and U.N. agencies. That number is expected to rise to 33 million by next June-August. "The food crisis in Nigeria is immense because what we are seeing is a crisis within a crisis within a crisis," said Trust Mlambo, head of program for the northeast at the World Food Program, in an interview with Reuters in Maiduguri. With international donors focused on emergencies in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, Mlambo said there was not enough funding to fully meet Nigeria's growing need for food aid. "We are really prioritizing the hungriest of the hungry," he said. In Borno, the Alau dam, upriver from Maiduguri, gave way on Sept. 9, four days after state officials had told the public it was secure. Local residents and engineers had been warning that it was under strain. Hundreds of people were killed in the resulting flood, according to aid workers who did not wish to be identified for fear of offending the state government. A spokesperson for the state government did not respond to requests for comment. Zainab Abubakar, a self-employed tailor in the city who lived in relative comfort with her husband and six children in a house with a refrigerator, was awoken at midnight by water rushing into her bedroom. They ran for their lives while the flood destroyed their house and carried everything away, including her sewing machine. Now, they are sheltering at Gubio and collecting rice from aid agencies in a plastic bucket. "There is no alternative," she said. In Banki, on Nigeria's border with Cameroon about 133 km southeast of Maiduguri, Mariam Hassan lost crops of maize, pepper and then okra in repeated flooding of her subsistence farm this year, leaving her with nothing to eat or sell. "I beg the neighbors or relatives to give me food, not even for me but for my children, for us to survive," said Hassan, who has eight children. "The situation has turned me into a beggar."




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New storms and flooding in Spain threaten hard-hit Valencia again

Madrid — New storms in Spain caused school closures and train cancellations on Wednesday, two weeks after flash floods in Valencia and other parts of the country killed more than 220 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Coastal areas of Valencia were placed under the highest alert on Wednesday evening. Forecasters said up to 180 millimeters (7 inches) of rain could fall there within five hours. Cleanup efforts in parts of Valencia hardest hit by the Oct. 29 storm were still continuing, and there were concerns over what more rain could bring to streets still covered with mud and debris. In southern Malaga province, streets were flooded, while 3,000 people near the Guadalhorce river were moved from their homes as a preventive measure. Schools across the province were closed, along with many stores. High-speed AVE train service was canceled between Malaga and Madrid as well as Barcelona and Valencia. There were no reports of any deaths. Spanish weather forecaster AEMET put Malaga on red alert, saying up to 70 millimeters (roughly 3 inches) of rain had accumulated in an hour. Parts of Tarragona province in the east also faced heavy rain and remained under red alert. The forecast in Malaga delayed the start of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals between Spain and Poland, which was set for Wednesday. The storm system affecting Spain is caused by warm air that collides with stagnant cold air and forms powerful rain clouds. Experts say that drought and flood cycles are increasing with climate change.




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North West businessman and his company fined for fraud and contravening tax laws




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Travel with ease this summer, thanks to Samsung’s Black Friday Deals




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Cabinet congratulates Mozambique’s Daniel Chapo, Botswana’s Duma Boko and US’ Donald Trump and seeks to deepen trade with China




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Former Standard Bank employee who claimed ‘kidnappers’ made him steal over R500,000 jailed




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Gloves come off: ‘Zuma is inviting me back to fight with him, I’m not scared,’ says Julius Malema




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Have you seen Mischief the cat? Help a distraught Durban family find her







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HONOR Spearheads Dialogue on the Future of the Smartphone Industry, Echoes Transparent and Ethical Use of AI




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South Africa's unemployment rate drops to 32.1% in the third quarter of 2024




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#PhotoEssay: Dr Cahi takes London




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Former Sri Lankan refugee pleads for South African citizenship after over 20 years of legal struggles




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Mamelodi man convicted for assaulting his neighbour




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Titans star Dewald Brevis smashes Dolphins as Western Province get Proteas boost




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State accountability urged amid pesticide-related child deaths




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Without action, by-law won’t protect children




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China clears memorial to mass killing victims as government scrambles to respond

ZHUHAI, China — Authorities in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai removed wreaths, candles and even bottles of Chinese alcohol laid at the scene of the deadliest mass killing in the country in a decade, as the government scrambled to respond and censor the outrage online. On Monday, a male driver angry at his divorce settlement rammed his car into a crowd at a sports center in the city of 2.5 million, killing 35 people and injuring 43, but the government took almost a day to announce the death toll. This prompted an outrage on Chinese social media, where posts complaining about the government's slow response and raising questions about the mental health of a nation shaken by a recent spate of similar killings, were being quickly removed. Despite the efforts to clear the site in Zhuhai, which is near Macau, delivery drivers on motorbikes kept dropping off fresh flowers on Wednesday morning, even as authorities erected temporary barriers around the makeshift vigil area and deployed security personnel. “The authorities hadn’t released any information - some colleagues mentioned it and I couldn’t believe it at first, but it was confirmed later,” said a 50-year-old man who identified himself as Zheng who brought flowers to the site. “It’s just a spontaneous feeling I had. Even though I don’t know them personally, I had family members who passed away in the past, so I understand that feeling," said Zheng. Some wreaths carried handwritten notes: "Strangers travel well. May there be no demons in heaven,” read one. On another: “May there be no thugs in heaven. Good will triumph over evil. Rest in peace.” After initially allowing journalists to briefly speak to the people laying the flowers, a handful of security personnel sporting light blue uniforms and caps told reporters not to talk to the people or to film specific messages on the bouquets. The attack happened as Zhuhai captured China's attention with the People's Liberation Army's largest annual airshow, where a new stealth jet fighter is on display for the first time. China’s state broadcaster CCTV did not mention the attack in its 30-minute midday news bulletin. Instead, the program led with President Xi Jinping's departure for the APEC summit in Peru and devoted a portion of the airtime to the airshow. Other state media, such as China Daily's Chinese language website, also prominently displayed the news of Xi's upcoming visit to Peru. The current affairs part of China Daily's website and the local area page did not mention the incident either. Hundreds of rescue personnel were deployed to provide emergency treatment, and more than 300 healthcare workers from five hospitals worked around the clock to save lives, state media's Beijing Daily reported on Tuesday. There was no indication that the attack was related to the airshow. But it was the second such incident to occur during the Zhuhai airshow: in 2008, at least four people were killed and 20 injured when a man drove a truck into a crowded schoolyard during the airshow. Police said that attacker had been seeking revenge over a traffic dispute. Xi, cited by CCTV on Tuesday, ordered all-out efforts to treat the injured and demanded severe punishment for the perpetrator. The central government has dispatched a team to provide guidance on handling of the case, CCTV said. Violent crime is rare in China due to tight security and strict gun laws. However, a rise in reports of knife attacks in large cities has drawn public attention to safety in public spaces. The deadliest attack Reuters was able to identify in recent years in China took place in Urumqi, in China's western Xinjiang region, in 2014, in which suicide bombers killed 39 people and four of the five attackers also died.




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NBA: Coby White, Bulls hold off hard-charging Knicks

Coby White made three free throws with 3.2 seconds left to cap his 22-point effort, and the Chicago Bulls rallied after squandering a 22-point lead to beat the host New York Knicks, 124-123, in the NBA on Wednesday. After falling behind 90-68 late in the third quarter, New York — playing the second leg of a back-to-back — ended the period on a 17-0 run to set up an intense fourth quarter. There were 10 lead changes in the final period, the last coming on White’s free throws on a tough foul call against Josh Hart. "They called a foul, […]...

Keep on reading: NBA: Coby White, Bulls hold off hard-charging Knicks




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Miss Universe 13th crown proudly made in the Philippines

CEBU CITY, Philippines— Miss Universe coronation night is just a few sleeps away. And with that, many things are starting to slowly unfold for the most beautiful night for 73rd Miss Universe. One of which is the 13th crown that will be  worn by the newly crowned Miss Universe. READ MORE: LIST: Miss Universe Philippines Cebu 2025 candidates Filipina queens share bonding moments at Miss Universe 2024 This will be the first time in the Miss Universe history wherein the crown that will be used for the coronation night is made in the Philippines. This is the “Lumière de l’Infini” […]...

Keep on reading: Miss Universe 13th crown proudly made in the Philippines




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BIR reminds e-commerce platforms to pay right taxes this holiday season

Amid the anticipated increase in revenues this coming Christmas season, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued a warning to online marketplaces to pay the right taxes, saying that they are closely monitoring them this Yuletide season. “If retail or physical stores are registered and paying their taxes, online stores should do the same. In the coming months, we are expecting an increase in revenue of online businesses due to the holiday spending spree,” BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said in a statement. The government’s tax agency said that they can block website access, similar to their “oplan kandado program” […]...

Keep on reading: BIR reminds e-commerce platforms to pay right taxes this holiday season




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Beyond fantasy and nostalgia: 5 life lessons from Studio Ghibli films

Known for its distinct animation style and worldbuilding, Studio Ghibli films offer important lessons that still hold up to this day     Watching “Spirited Away” on Disney Channel was my earliest memory of being introduced to the world of Studio Ghibli, a Japanese animation studio known for its animated feature films. It was an experience I didn’t completely understand until later in my teenage years when I would revisit the film with my family.  There is such nuance in the stories of Studio Ghibli films that you have to rewatch them to fully understand them. Most of the time, […]...

Keep on reading: Beyond fantasy and nostalgia: 5 life lessons from Studio Ghibli films




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Taiwan chip giant TSMC sued for alleged discrimination

Washington, United States — More than a dozen US-based employees of Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC have sued the company for apparent discrimination against non-Asian workers, according to a recent lawsuit. The suit alleges that the world’s largest contract manufacturer of chips — used in everything from Apple iPhones to Nvidia’s AI hardware — unfairly favors […]...

Keep on reading: Taiwan chip giant TSMC sued for alleged discrimination




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UN nuclear chief heads to Iran for crucial talks

Tehran, Iran — International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi is set to visit Tehran on Wednesday for crucial talks on Iran's nuclear program, warning just ahead of his trip that room for maneuver is narrowing. His visit comes only two days after the defense minister of Iran's nemesis Israel warned the Islamic republic was "more exposed than ever to strikes on its nuclear facilities". Israel has long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran denies. The two countries have traded missile strikes this year, as tensions soar over Israel's war with Iran's allies, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The strikes have brought to the surface their years-long shadow war and fueled fears of a wider Middle East conflict. "The margins for maneuver are beginning to shrink," Grossi said in an interview with AFP ahead of his visit, adding that "it is imperative to find ways to reach diplomatic solutions". While the IAEA is allowed to carry out inspections in Iran, Grossi stressed the need for "more visibility" into Iran's nuclear program, given its scale and ambition. "They have a lot of nuclear materials that could be used eventually to make a nuclear weapon, the IAEA chief told CNN on Tuesday, adding: "They do not have a nuclear weapon at this point."  Trump's warning Grossi's trip comes after Donald Trump -- who pulled out of a hard-won nuclear deal with Iran negotiated under Barack Obama -- was voted back into the White House. Trump said last week that he was not seeking to harm Iran and instead wanted its people to have "a very successful country", while insisting "they can't have a nuclear weapon". In 2015, major world powers including the United States reached an agreement with Iran on its nuclear program after 21 months of talks. The text provided for an easing of international sanctions on Iran in exchange for guarantees that it would not seek nuclear weapons. But Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018 before re-imposing US sanctions on Iran. A year later, Iran started to gradually roll back its commitments to the nuclear deal, which only allowed Tehran to enrich uranium to 3.65 percent purity. The IAEA says Iran has considerably increased its reserves of enriched uranium to 60 percent, close to the 90 percent needed to develop an atomic bomb. It is against this backdrop that Grossi is schedule to visit Iran for the first time since May. In a statement, the IAEA said it would hold "high-level meetings with the Iranian government" and conduct "technical discussions on all aspects". Cameras unplugged Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who came to office in July with hopes of improving ties with the West and having sanctions lifted, favors a revival of the nuclear deal. But all efforts to get the nuclear agreement off life support have so far failed. The IAEA chief has repeatedly called for more cooperation from Iran. In recent years, Tehran has decreased its interaction with the UN agency by deactivating surveillance devices needed to monitor the nuclear program and effectively barring its inspectors. The foundations of Iran's nuclear program date back to the late 1950s, when the United States signed a civil cooperation agreement with Iran's then Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. In 1970, Iran ratified the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which requires signatory states to declare and place their nuclear materials under the IAEA control. But with Iran threatening to hit back at Israel for its latest missile strikes, some lawmakers in the Islamic republic have called on the government to revise its nuclear doctrine to pursue nuclear weapons. The parliamentarians called on supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who wields ultimate authority in Iran, to reconsider his long-standing religious edict or fatwa banning nuclear weapons. The Islamic republic has maintained its policy against acquiring nuclear weapons, insisting its nuclear activities were entirely peaceful.          




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US military says it hit Iran-backed group in Syria

American forces on Tuesday carried out strikes against targets linked to an Iran-backed group in Syria, the U.S. military said, with a war monitor saying the attacks killed five fighters. The raids were in response to a rocket attack on U.S. troops in the country, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. The strikes targeted the group's "weapons storage and logistics headquarters facility... in response to a rocket attack on U.S. personnel," CENTCOM said in a post on social media that did not identify the group by name. "There was no damage to U.S. facilities and no injuries to US or partner forces during the attack," CENTCOM added. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said "five pro-Iranian fighters were killed and others injured, after American jets targeted" one of their bases in the city of Albukamal, in Syria's eastern Deir Ezzor province. The previous day, U.S. forces bombed nine targets associated with Iran-backed groups in response to recent drone and rocket attacks, according to the Pentagon. The Observatory said those strikes killed four members of groups loyal to Iran. The U.S. military has around 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq as part of the international coalition that was established in 2014 to help combat the Islamic State jihadist group. Since war broke out in the Gaza Strip after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, pro-Iran groups have repeatedly targeted US forces in Iraq and Syria in response to Washington's support for Israel. The United States has on multiple occasions responded to such attacks with strikes on Iran-backed groups.




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China looks to expand global influence with Xi’s Latin America tour

Taipei, Taiwan — Chinese President Xi Jinping departs on a nine-day diplomatic tour to Latin America on Wednesday, during which he will inaugurate a Chinese-financed megaport in Peru and attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Lima and the G20 Summit in Brazil. Analysts say the trip is part of China’s attempt to expand its global influence and present itself as “a responsible global power” at a time when countries around the world brace for uncertainties following U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory on November 5. “The trip is especially significant since Latin America is viewed as ‘the backyard’ of the United States; and [since] the next U.S. president is likely to return to a unilateral approach in world affairs, it provides China with the opportunity to expand its influence around the world as a champion for global development and multilateral cooperation,” said Zhiqun Zhu, an expert on Chinese foreign policy at Bucknell University. During his state visit to Peru, Xi will inaugurate the $3.5 billion Chancay port with his Peruvian counterpart Dina Boluarte on Thursday. Situated 80 kilometers north of the Peruvian capital Lima, the port has a maximum depth of 17.8 meters and is expected to become a major trading hub between Latin America and China. “The port will become the largest deep-water port in South America and it will drastically reduce the time needed to ship products from Peru to China,” Leland Lazarus, associate director of national security at Florida International University, told VOA in a video interview. China’s state-run Cosco Shipping Corporation has a majority 60% stake in the port and a 30-year concession to operate the terminal. According to China’s official data, the port can handle up to one million containers and 160,000 vehicles in the first year of operation.  The port is among 17 ports globally where China holds a majority stake, according to the Council on Foreign Relations and is one of more than 100 port projects built globally under China’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative. The port is expected to become a major hub for exporting critical commodities such as lithium, copper, iron and soybeans to China more efficiently. Latin American countries including Peru, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador, which had a combined export of $135 billion to China in 2023, could all benefit from the launch of the Chancay Port.  “There is a huge gap in infrastructure development in Global South countries and Western powers are not active in helping [to] fill the gap. [As a result,] China’s investments in such large infrastructure projects are welcomed by host countries,” Zhu at Bucknell University told VOA in a written response. While Latin American countries will likely welcome the inauguration of the Chancay Port, the U.S. has warned about the potential for the port to be used for military purposes by China. That Washington claims could threaten its interests in Latin America.  “It could be used as a dual-use facility, it’s a deepwater port,” said Laura Richardson, the outgoing chief of the U.S. Southern Command told the Financial Times in a recent interview, adding that the Chinese navy could use the port in a scenario that, she said, fits “Beijing’s playbook.” Some experts say it’s difficult for China to deploy its naval vessels to Latin America in the near future and that Peru is unlikely to let Beijing militarize the Chancay port. “Currently, the Chinese navy is not capable of projecting its power across the Pacific, and since Peru still needs to maintain its relationship with the U.S., Peruvian authorities won’t allow the port to be militarized,” Kung Kwo-Wei, an expert of Latin American affairs at Tamkang University in Taiwan, told VOA by phone. However, Lazarus told VOA that Beijing’s activities in other ports around the world suggest it could still use the Chancay port for military purposes in the future. “When looking at Chinese behaviors [at other ports around the world], such as the Port of Bata in Equatorial Guinea and the Ream Naval Base in Cambodia, Chinese state-owned enterprises would promise to expand the ports for commercial purposes, yet there have been allegations that there’s been construction for what looks like military purposes on these areas,” said Lazarus. In addition to the Chancay Port, Peruvian Foreign Minister Elmer Schialer told Reuters news agency in an exclusive interview that Beijing and Lima plan to sign around 30 agreements, including an updated free trade agreement, during Xi’s visit.  Kung in Taiwan said these developments show that China’s investment in Latin America is now focusing on logistical infrastructure and access to minerals from Latin America. “China relies heavily on ports and logistical infrastructure to ensure it can export and import commodities at a steady pace, and as Beijing continues to expand its renewable energy industries, its appetite for minerals from Latin America will also grow,” Kung told VOA. As the U.S. could possibly adopt a more isolationist foreign policy approach during Trump’s second term, Lazarus said Xi will use the upcoming APEC and G20 summits to amplify the message that China is a more consistent global power than the U.S. “While the U.S. is going to potentially look inward with another Trump administration, [the summits] are Xi’s big opportunities to show that China is playing a much more global role,” he told VOA. However, some experts say it remains unclear whether China will achieve its intended goals. “Beijing will double down on the image of being the leader of the Global South and some countries will be attracted by that message,” said Ian Chong, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore. “But others who are more clear-eyed and who have followed developments from the Belt and Road Initiative and other Chinese projects will recognize that China is just another great power,” he told VOA in a phone interview.