In a statement, Taiwan's Coast Guard said the fishing boat, Dajingmen 88, was intercepted by two Chinese Coast Guard vessels near the Kemen Islands, which lie just miles from the

Chinese cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou. According to Taiwan's authorities, all five crewmembers were also detained. China's Coast Guard officers boarded the fishing boat and escorted it to a nearby Chinese port. Taiwan's Coast Guard vessel answered a call for help but retreated to avoid conflict when they were outnumbered by their Chinese counterparts. China's Coast Guard confirmed it detained the boat, stating Wednesday that its Fujian division had lawfully boarded, inspected and detained a Taiwanese fishing vessel suspected of illegal fishing near Quanzhou.

China Coast Guard spokesperson Liu Dejun accused the Taiwanese boat of violating a summer fishing moratorium by operating trawl nets in a prohibited area and using nets with mesh sizes smaller than China's national minimum requirements, thereby, damaging marine fisheries resources and the ecological environment. The Chinese statement did not mention the status of the crew members. In a news conference Wednesday, a senior Taiwan maritime official said the Taiwanese vessel was detained amid an annual summer fishing ban implemented by China in May. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese

President Xi Jinping held their Eurasian Security Club on Wednesday as a force for global stability at a summit of the regional body, which Moscow and Beijing sees as a tool to counter Western influence. Putin and Xi has expanded the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a club founded in 2001 with Russia, China and Central Asian nations, to include India, Iran and Pakistan as a counterweight to the West. Putin said the organization has firmly established itself as one of the key pillars of a fair, multipolar world order, adding that bilateral ties between

Moscow and Beijing were at their best in history. In his opening remarks, Xi told Putin that

China and Russia should uphold the original aspiration of friendship for generations in response to an ever-changing international situation. Calling Putin an old friend, Xi alluded to the progress the two countries had made in establishing plans and arrangements for the next development of bilateral relations. The Kremlin said Putin had held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the SCO summit, which is taking place in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, and ends on Thursday. The SCO promotes common approaches to external security threats such as drug trafficking and also focuses on countering domestic instability.

Sierra Leone officially banned child marriage on Tuesday, with President Julius Mada Bayo signing into law a bill to end the practice that remains widespread. Advocates hope the new legislation will best protect girls in Sierra Leone, around a third of whom are married before they turn 18, increasing the maternal death rate due to the physical risks they face from pregnancy. Under the law, any man who married a girl under the age of 18 could face at least 15 years in prison and a fine of around $4,000. Parents of those attending such marriage ceremonies could also face fines. The U.S. Bureau of African Affairs welcomed the passage of the bill as a significant milestone that not only protects girls but promotes robust human rights protections. According to the UN Children's Agency UNICEF, West and

Central Africa has the highest prevalence of child marriage in the world and is home to nearly 60 million child brides. A 21-year-old Sierra Leonean former child bride, who requested anonymity, told Reuters that she was forced into marriage at the age of 14 and was considering going to court since the new law would allow her to file for an annulment. Human Rights

Watch researcher Betty Kaberi said the legislation should break the cycle of early marriage and its devastating consequences. It also sets a pathway forward for other African nations, such as Tanzania and Zambia, to revoke laws that permit child marriage.

Greece has introduced a six-day working week for some businesses to boost productivity and employment. The regulation, which took effect on July 1, goes against the global trend of companies exploring shorter working weeks. Under the new legislation, passed as part of a broader labor law last year, employees of private businesses that provide round-the-clock services can work an additional two hours per day or an extra eight-hour shift. This means a traditional 40-hour work week could extend to 48 hours for some businesses. Food services and tourism workers are not included in the six-day working week initiative.

The pro-business government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said the measure is both worker-friendly and deeply growth-oriented. It is designed to ensure employees are sufficiently compensated for overtime work and to help crack down on the problem of undeclared labor.

Labor unions and political observers have sharply criticized the move. Georgos Katsimbekis, a lecturer in European and international politics at the UK's Loughborough University, described the Greek government's introduction of the labor law as a major step back for a workforce that already works the longest hours in the European Union. Workers in Greece work more than those in the US, Japan, and other countries in the 27-member EU.

Australia is facing an egg supply crunch due to bird flu outbreaks, leading McDonald's to trim breakfast hours by 90 minutes. According to Mari Watt, the country's Minister for

Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry, Australia has been battling outbreaks of the avian influenza virus in recent months, resulting in about one million egg-laying hens being euthanized to limit the spread of the disease. Citing industry challenges, McDonald's announced on Tuesday that it was temporarily serving breakfast until 10.30 a.m. instead of midday across Australia. Supermarkets have reportedly imposed restrictions on Australians, implementing a two-carton limit per consumer. Retail giants Coles and

Woolworths have imposed limits on the number of egg cartons that can be purchased in one transaction across most states. In its latest update, the Australian government stated that consumers may expect to see some empty shelves in the short term, with supplies redirected to areas facing the greatest shortages. The government added that there has been no impact on chicken meat supply at this time and that it is currently responding to outbreaks of the H7 high-pathogenicity avian influenza, HPAI, at 11 poultry farms. The impact of avian influenza in Australia is being felt across the poultry industry, but the government signalled that consumers should not be overly concerned at this stage.

According to Research and Market, fashion trends among the younger population and growing purchasing power have boosted the market for hair extensions and wigs in Africa and the Middle East, which could reach a value of $710 million by 2028. Extensions are typically made from human hair or synthetic materials such as nylon, polyester, acrylic and PVC.

Synthetics are popular in Uganda because they are much cheaper, but they are not biodegradable or easy to recycle. Some people complain that synthetic hair can irritate their scalp, and a study of synthetic hair in Nigeria found the presence of potentially harmful heavy metals and chemicals.

Uganda is Africa's largest producer and consumer of bananas, producing about 10 million metric tons of bananas per year. According to the World Economic Forum, Ugandans consume nearly one kilogram of the fruit per person per day, with over 75% of the population relying on bananas as a staple food. Chavo Organique works closely with local banana farmers, purchasing stems that would otherwise be discarded. These stems are split and the fibers extracted by machine. The extracted fibers are then dried, treated, and combed out to achieve a hair-like texture. The company is not unique in creating plant-based hair. In the US, St.

Louis-based Rebundle also sells hair extensions made from banana fibers, while Nori Hair offers a hair alternative for braiding using ginseng root extract and rosemary.

The answer for yesterday was A, abruptly. The talk ended abruptly when one of the delegations walked out in protest. Did you answer correctly? Now let's delve into the news of Greece introduced a six-day work week.

1. Initiative 倡議新方案 Government initiatives to help young people have been inadequate.

2. Round the clock 日夜不停地 持續一整天的 His parents kept a round-the-clock vigil at his bedside.

3. Sharply 兼刻地 嚴厲地 The report was sharply critical of the police.

Next we have a multiple-choice question for everyone to practice. Which answer would you choose? You can write your answer in the comment section. The correct answer will be announced tomorrow.

And that's it for today's Funday News. Be sure to tune in to Funday News from Monday to Friday, and click the link below to join Funday for free. I'm Wade Lee, your host.

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