China reports record May Day railway passenger trips

Passenger trips on Chinese railways hit a new single-day high Saturday as the May Day holiday kicked off.

Official data shows nearly 19 million passenger trips were made on Saturday, the first day of the five-day holiday.

It marks an increase of 9.2 percent from the 2019 level.

The China State Railway Group says about 14 million railway passenger trips were made on Sunday.

May Day, also known as International Workers' Day, is observed on May 1 in China. 

The holiday lasts from May 1 to 5 this year, and many people choose to travel during the holiday.

Indian PM reviews oxygen availability amid COVID-19 spike

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held a virtual meeting with experts to explore ways of ramping up oxygen supply in the country.

Medical oxygen is in demand in Indian hospitals as they battle with a spike in COVID-19 cases, with more than 392,000 new cases recorded on Sunday. 

The Prime Minister's Office says the government is converting existing nitrogen plants to produce oxygen to meet the demand.

Officials say 14 industries have begun the conversion process and another 37 nitrogen plants have been identified for oxygen production.

Meantime, the state of Haryana, a virus hotspot, has begun a week-long lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

It's neighboring state of Delhi is already under an extended seven-day lockdown which will last until May 10th.

So far, more than 19.5 million people have been infected with the virus and over 215,000 have died in India.

Nepali gov't decides to suspend flights with India, South Africa, Brazil

Nepal has decided to suspend domestic flights fully and international flights with India, South Africa and Brazil.

It came after the Nepali health ministry confirmed infections for over 72 hundred people on Sunday, a new daily record since the pandemic hit the country early last year.

Nepal witnessed fewer than 100 daily cases through most of March but saw continuous rises in numbers through April.

The Nepali government also imposed a lockdown across Kathmandu Valley starting from April 29 and restrictions have been issued in different parts of the country.

U.S. forces in Afghanistan hand over base to Afghan national army: local media

U.S. forces in Afghanistan have handed over a key operating base to the Afghan National Army.

Local media say that the handover of the base in Helmand province occurred on Sunday.

Reports say the camp will be used as a base for Afghan Special Operations Forces.

President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. would withdraw troops by Sept. 11 to end two decades of foreign military presence.

There are about 3,500 U.S. troops and 7,000 NATO troops currently stationed in Afghanistan.

3 killed, 27 hospitalized after boat capsizes off San Diego

Three people were killed and more than two dozen others were hospitalized Sunday after a boat capsized just off the coast of the U.S. city of San Diego.

Lifeguards, the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies responded around 10 a.m. following reports of an overturned vessel in the surf near the rocky peninsula of Point Loma.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department says seven people were pulled from the waves, including three who had drowned.

27 people were transported to hospitals with injuries.

Officials say the group was overcrowded on a 12-meter cabin cruiser that is larger than the typical wooden boats used by smugglers to bring people illegally into the U.S. from Mexico.

Palace Museum's Ceramics Gallery reopens, 1,000 artifacts on display

The Ceramics Gallery at Beijing's iconic Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, has reopened to the public after two years of preparation.

Over 1,000 artifacts are on display, showcasing the history of Chinese ceramics spanning 8,000 years.

The gallery has been moved to the Hall of Martial Valor, or Wuying Dian in Chinese, offering visitors a larger exhibition space and a more interactive visiting experience.

Among the major treasures are the artifacts produced by the top five porcelain kilns of the Song Dynasty.

That era is often referred to as the zenith of ancient Chinese aesthetics.

Swimming: 15-year-old Yu Yiting renews 200 IM world junior record

In swimming,

Yu Yiting smashed the world junior record in the women's 200-meter individual medley heats at the Chinese National Swimming Championships.

The 15-year-old finished in two minutes and 9.88 seconds, beating the previous mark by less than 1 second. That record had been set by Rikako Ikee of Japan in 2017.

Olympic champion Ye Shiwen finished second after the heats in 2 minutes and 12 seconds.

F1: Hamilton wins in Portugal to extend F1 championship lead

In Formula One,

Lewis Hamilton has won the Portuguese Grand Prix for Mercedes to stretch his Formula One lead over Red Bull's Max Verstappen to eight points after three races.

The victory was a record-extending 97th of Hamilton's career, second of the year and repeated his win at the same circuit last season.

Max Verstappen finished second with Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas completing the podium, and taking a bonus point for the fastest lap, after starting from the pole position.