China
Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a welcome ceremony for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday afternoon.
Steinmeier is paying a state visit to China from Tuesday to Saturday at Xi's invitation.
Xi to hold welcome ceremony for German president
Xi to hold welcome ceremony for German president
The Iranian navy said Thursday evening that an oil tanker was forced to halt operations after striking a mine and catching fire in a restricted zone east of the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident came hours after the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) reported that three oil tankers that sought to cross the Strait of Hormuz through the "unauthorized" route south of the waterway exploded and caught fire after striking naval mines.
The IRGC navy said no vessel is allowed to pass through the restricted zone in the Strait of Hormuz without prior coordination or in the mistaken belief of U.S. claims. Uncoordinated navigation in dangerous waters has posed, and will continue to pose, a serious threat to vessels and crew, it added.
Iran's navy says oil tanker hit mine east of Hormuz Strait
