China's 2nd sea-going cruise ship set to undock

China's second homegrown sea-going cruise ship, Adora Flora City, is scheduled to leave the dry dock in mid-March for the next phase of commissioning, China State Shipbuilding Corporation said on Friday.

The undocking, which involves moving the ship from the dock to the quayside, marks a critical milestone. Once berthed, the vessel will undergo comprehensive system installations, debugging, and trials, preparing it for its sea trials in the coming months.

With a gross tonnage of 141,900 tons, the Adora Flora City is themed around Lingnan or Cantonese culture. Compared with its predecessor, the Adora Magic City, China's first large homegrown cruise ship, the new vessel incorporates more advanced sci-tech and AI applications, introduces additional cabin types, and features enhanced entertainment and experiential facilities. Its superstructure rises to 16 decks.

Following undocking, the Adora Flora City is slated to commence sea trials at the end of May and is expected to be delivered by the end of this year, according to the plan.

China's 2nd sea-going cruise ship set to undock

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following with concern cross-border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Thursday.

In a note to correspondents, Dujarric said the secretary-general urges relevant parties to comply with their obligations under international law and to ensure the protection of civilians.

"Commending mediation efforts by several Member States in recent months, the Secretary-General urges the parties to continue to seek to resolve any differences through diplomacy," Dujarric said.

In the past few days, clashes have erupted between Afghanistan and Pakistan in several border areas. The clashes were caused by Pakistan's airstrikes on multiple locations it identified as terrorist camps along the border, carried out from Saturday night to early Sunday morning. Pakistan claimed that the airstrikes killed over 80 terrorists, while Afghanistan reported that the attacks led to 18 casualties, including women and children.

UN chief concerned about cross-border clashes between Afghanistan, Pakistan: spokesman