Chinese golfer Li Linqiang triumphed in the final of the Guotai Cup Men's Professional Match Play on August 26, while Thailand's Dussavi Soopimjit claimed her title in the women's match in Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The initial lineup for the match consisted of 72 players, 32 men and 40 women. The tournament boasted a total prize fund of 800,000 yuan ($109,692). All professional players who advanced to the formal matches shared the prize money, with 100,000 yuan awarded to the men's champion and 60,000 yuan to the women's champion.

After a fierce competition with Liu Enhua, Li Linqiang clinched the final match over 18 holes, leading by just one hole.

"This is the first match play event I've participated in since turning professional. I felt a rush of excitement today, particularly during the opening holes against Liu. The pressure mounted in the latter stages, but I'm elated to have pulled through," Li remarked after the match.

Zhang Xiaoning, chairman of the China Golf Association, mentioned that this match play event represents an effort by the China Golf Association to create new opportunities for players. "Furthermore, this is the inaugural instance of a professional event being held in Guizhou. Through engagement with the local community, we aim to invigorate the growth of golf in Southwest China."

The Chinese delegation made an impressive start on the first day of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, on Sunday, clinching an astounding 20 gold medals across various sports, including rowing, shooting, wushu and swimming. 

In the rowing events, local Hangzhou girl Zou Jiaqi took the first gold medal of the Hangzhou Asian Games to start a Chinese gold rush at the Fuyang Water Sports Centre. Zou and her doubles partner Qiu Xiuping rowed a strong race in the lightweight women's double sculls final to finish nearly 10 seconds ahead of Uzbekistan, to the delight of the watching crowds both in the grandstands and on the banks of the course.

Qiu said that she was extremely excited when she saw the national flag and heard the national anthem as they rowed past the finish line. 

Zou told media that she wanted to tell her parents she was happy to see they were at the event. 

Speaking of their next goal, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the pair did not hide that they are reaching for the top podium. 

"Since we walked off the Hangzhou podium, Paris has become our goal," Qiu said. "We will restart from zero, completing every training session wholeheartedly. We hope to go to the top in Paris."

Later in the morning, Zhang Liang equaled the record of Li Jianxin by winning his fourth Asian Games gold medal in rowing. China won a further four of the five finals on the penultimate day of the rowing regatta. The men's pair was won by Lam San-tung and Wong Wai-chun, also marking China's Team Hong Kong's first gold medal of the ongoing Hangzhou Games.

China's six gold medals take their all-time Asian Games rowing total to 104, including 98 golds. The spectators at the event said that the Chinese rowers demonstrated their impeccable technique and stamina and that their remarkable performance set the tone for the rest of the day.

The Chinese wushu team displayed their agility, strength, and grace, captivating the audience with their breathtaking routines and clinching two gold medals in the men's Changquan final and women's Taijiquan and Taijijian all-round.

Winning the men's Changquan title, 34-year-old veteran Sun Peiyuan achieved his third consecutive Asian Games championships. He told the Global Times that he was excited after winning the title, despite enduring injuries during preparation for the Games. 

"I feel that all the efforts of me and the team, every point of hard work has been rewarded. I have lived up to the expectations of my country and my family," Sun said.

The shooting range also witnessed China's prowess as the country's shooters claimed a gold medal each in the 10 meters air rifle women's team event and 10 meters air rifle women's final. In the 10 meters air rifle women's final, China's 17-year-old Huang Yuting won with a 252.7 ring and set a new Asian Games record.

Powered by world champions such as butterfly queen Zhang Yufei, men's individual medley specialist Wang Shun as well as prodigy Pan Zhanle, the Chinese swim team secured seven gold medals in all seven competitions on the first day.

China's butterfly specialist Zhang eased to victory in the women's 200 meters butterfly with an Asian Games record of 2:05.57. 

Wang, who lit the Asian Games cauldron on Saturday night, was crowned the men's 200 meters individual medley champion after setting a new Asian record of 1:54.62 on Sunday. 

Freestyle prodigy Pan Zhanle smashed the men's 100 meters freestyle Asian record with a sensational 46.97 seconds, becoming the first swimmer in Asia to break the 47-second barrier. 

Distance swimmer Li Bingjie topped the women's 1,500 meters freestyle with a new Asian Games record of 15:51.18, while female breaststroke specialist Tang Qianting claimed the women's 50 meters breaststroke with 29.96 seconds.

Local favorite backstroker Xu Jiayu brought the tally to six as he won the men's 100 meters final with an impressive 52.23 seconds, also a new Asian Games record. 

The night culminated with Chinese female swimming quartet Yang Junxuan, Cheng Yujie, Wu Qingfeng and Zhang Yufei winning the women's 4x100 meters freestyle relay with an Asian Games record of 3:33.96.

Sunday was also the concluding day of the Hangzhou Asian Games's Modern Pentathlon competitions, with the Chinese team collecting gold medals in the women's individual and women's team final.

The Hangzhou Games are scheduled to end on October 8. As the Asian Games continue, all eyes will be on the Chinese delegation as they strive to maintain their dominance and add to their impressive medal tally. The athletes' exceptional performances on the first day have undoubtedly inspired their teammates and instilled a sense of confidence in the entire delegation.

32-year-old Portuguese golfer Ricardo Gouveia won his seventh Challenge Tour tournament at the Hainan Open in South China's Hainan Province on Monday after four days of competition.

He recorded a 272 (-16) to clinch the victory in four rounds, standing out from 120 players from home and abroad. Gouveia carded four rounds under par with a 67 in his first and final rounds, a 68 in the second round, and a 70 in the third round. He recorded 20 birdies in the tournament, highlighted by six in the final round on Monday.

"What an amazing day today. It was one of the toughest rounds of the year, and I played really well on the back nine. I just stayed patient throughout the day. I knew the last few holes were playing into the wind and really tough, so I'm excited to get the win," he said during an interview.

Switzerland's Joel Girrbach finished in second place on 13 under par, while Chinese player Ding Wenyi, Italian Francesco Laporta, and Englishmen Steven Brown and Will Enefer finished a shot further back in third.

Zhang Xiaoning, Chairman of the China Golf Association, said that he is "looking forward to the return of the Hainan Open." The total prize money of this event has been upgraded to half a million dollars. It is the first highest-level international men's professional event held in China after the pandemic, which reflects the determination of the China Golf Association to further promote the development of golf.

Including a more than 2,000-year-old water diversion dam in East China's Anhui Province, four ancient Chinese irrigation works were recently listed as World Heritage Irrigation Structures (WHIS). 

The four Chinese heritage sites are Qimenyan, also known as the "seven-door weir" in Anhui Province; the ­Hongze Lake Irrigation System built in AD199 in East China's Jiangsu Province; Huoquan, a spring type water system in North China's Shanxi Province; and the Baini Weirs, two dams in Central China's Hubei Province. 

Although these projects are generally defined as "irrigation systems," their typologies, geographical conditions and historical value vary. Taking Qimenyan as an example, it is located in a hilly wetland environment and its main channel connected with sub-mechanisms like ponds, ditches and canals. Thus, the system could be used to store as well as distribute water.  

Another iconic project, the Baini Weirs, consists of two 1,000-year-old dams that are still being used for flood control and water supply. It is a typical example of a large-scale stone-built structure in ancient China. 

Yuan Han, an architectural and urban planning expert, told the Global Times that the scattered locations of these sites reveal that "water management" was a "national-level plan" in ancient China. The Chinese ingenuity in irrigation engineering equated with today's concept of "sustainability" as it respected natural conditions. 

"Yin Di Zhi Yi [lit: creating something in line with local conditions] is a major philosophy used in ancient design. It is early advice to the world from China on how to carry out sustainable development," Yuan told the Global Times. 

Including the newly added sites, China has a total of 34 irrigation projects on the WHIS list. The 2023 list was announced at the 74th International Executive Council Meeting of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) in India. 

A total of 15 projects from countries like India, Iraq and Turkey were all added to the 2023 list. Among them, China's landscape of irrigation systems are the richest and have the widest distribution.  

Environmental expert Jia Boyang told the Global Times that a site should have "several boxes ticked" to be considered a "heritage" site. The evaluation is not limited to looking at a site's history or characteristics.  

"A heritage site should be able to show continued value to humanity and social and cultural developments. These ancient irrigation systems across the country also reflect China's long-standing strength in agriculture," said Jia. 

China's "water project" heritage is an open door for many to look into the country's agricultural history. Ancient irrigation supported not only the harvest on farms, but also the entire country's economic development and cultural exchanges. 

Besides the new batch of function-oriented sites, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal that was built during the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC) carries great social importance. Starting from Hangzhou to Beijing, the grand water belt is a major part of China's South-to-North Water Transfer Project. It has promoted the country's overall economic growth while allowing folk and cultural traditions to be exchanged between the northern and southern parts of China. 

Founded in 1950, the ICID is an international platform dedicates to the innovative sustainability of irrigation system design and flood control around the world. 

As a member of the organization, with its burgeoning technological and manufacturing powers, China has co-launched several irrigation projects overseas with countries like Egypt and Kazakhstan.   

"Chinese water engineering projects reflect the country's creative character and also the continuity of the country's profound civilization," said Yuan. 

The Philadelphia Orchestra, which in 1973 became the first US orchestra to visit China, is back in Beijing for a concert with the China National Symphony Orchestra. The joint performance, which will take place on Friday, marks the 50th anniversary of their groundbreaking cultural exchange that helped improve relations between the two countries.

The two orchestras will be led by Li Xincao, the chief conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra, and Tristan Rais-Sherman, the assistant conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Rais-Sherman, who joined the Philadelphia Orchestra two years ago, told the Global Times after Wednesday's rehearsal that he was honored to be part of this historic event. 

The concert, hosted by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and organized by the China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd, will feature a blend of Western and Chinese music. 

Rais-Sherman added that he learned about the history of the Philadelphia Orchestra and China after the cooperation was confirmed nearly half a year ago.

"The Beethoven's Symphony No.5 we are going to play is actually historically connected to our visit as we first played it here in 1973. And we also have Tang Dynasty poetry songs and Erquan Yingyue, the choice of music is a blend of both, which is significant," he told the Global Times.

He also praised the cooperation with the China National Symphony Orchestra, saying it was fantastic to work with them for the first time.

"Every time working with a new orchestra, you don't know what would happen. We didn't really know each other at first. Everyone is finding each other and figuring things out from the beginning. However, by the end of today, the level here is very high. They (the Chinese orchestra) are very enthusiastic, flexible and they are great listeners," he said, adding that it was a privilege to be there.

"I hope that other American orchestras can continue to come back, and I hope this visit is a starting point of restarting the visits," he added. 

"To be a major part of this is a special experience to me."

The Philadelphia Orchestra, which arrived in Beijing on Tuesday with 14 members, will also hold master classes, panel discussions, and a chamber music performance in Shanghai as part of their tour, which will also include stops in Suzhou and other cities.

A total of 50 Hungarian art works were featured on Tuesday at the Chongqing Art Museum. The 2023 Western China Hungarian Cultural Festival and the 2nd Chongqing Urban Arts Festival with the theme "The Journey: Janos Fajo and The Pesti Workshop," were co-organized by the Chongqing Art Museum, the Liszt Institute Hungarian Cultural Center Beijing, the Consulate General of Hungary in Chongqing, and Central Bank of Hungary. 
Czégel Bálint, consul general of Hungary in Chongqing, Kohári Lajos, head of Department at the National Assembly of Hungary, Wang Rongfa, director of Chongqing Art Museum, and other guests attended the ceremony. 

This exhibition is to implement the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) development strategy, strengthen the mutual understanding of civilizations and people-to-people communication with Belt and Road countries, and enrich the series of exhibitions of the 2nd Chongqing Urban Arts Festival to meet the high-quality spiritual and cultural needs of the public. 

More than 50 pieces were put on display at the exhibition ranging from oil painting to printmaking and other media. The works are rich in context, experimental, and of high artistic value, reflecting the contemporary style and unique artistic characteristics of Hungarian contemporary painting.

The exhibition runs until November 17, according to official Wechat account of Liszt Institute Hungarian Cultural Center Beijing.

The venues for the Hangzhou Asian Games and Para Games have been bustling with activity again as local people have been enjoying the rich legacies of the Asian multi-sport showpiece. 

Since the preparations for the Asian Games, Hangzhou has set the goals of not only hosting a successful event but also building a city for international events and allowing its citizens to benefit from the legacies now that the Games have finished.

Following large-scale sports events, the reuse of stadiums and facilities has always been a challenging issue confronting host cities worldwide. One probable solution is to repurpose the idle venues, focusing on enhancing people's livelihoods by providing mass fitness services that are accessible to individuals of all ages. 

But Hangzhou has come up with a hybrid solution that connects people's welfare with the sustainable development of the city. 

Actually, before the Games, Hangzhou experimented with opening the venues to the public, making it the first city in China to open venues before an international multi-sports event. 

After the Games, Hangzhou has fulfilled its commitment by introducing a hybrid model that combines mass fitness, youth training bases, and the hosting of large-scale professional sports events.

Focused on repurposing the venues, the hybrid model aims at opening the facilities to the public while continuing to host domestic and international events to boost the reputation of the city. 

It was confirmed on Friday that six elite teams will compete in the 2023 Volleyball Women's Club World Championship from December 13 to 17 in Hangzhou's Huanglong Sports Center, which hosted gymnastics events during the Asian Games. 

Meanwhile, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) has confirmed that the World Tour Finals 2023 to 2026 will be staged in Hangzhou. 

This year's event will be held from December 13 to 17. The finals are the highest-level event in the tour series. 

Only the top eight players in each individual event's annual world rankings are eligible to participate at these competitions.

Hangzhou has signed memorandums of cooperation with the International Canoe Federation, the International Hockey Federation, and the International Equestrian Federation. 

In addition to the badminton finals, the inaugural International Super Cup of Canoe and Kayak will be held in Hangzhou in October 2024. 

Hangzhou will also bid to host top international events such as the 2024 Global E-Sports Games, the 2024 World Archery World Cup, and the 2025 International Shooting Federation World Cup.

Among the 56 competition venues of the Asian (and Para) Games, 19 will be open to the public to promote mass fitness, 21 will be managed by third-party companies and will be made accessible at rates lower than prevailing local market prices, eight will be turned into training bases for professional teams and eight university venues will be used for educational purposes, according to the organizing committee of the Hangzhou Games. 

Mao Genhong, chief spokesperson of the Hangzhou Asian Games, told the Global Times that the Games have yielded dividends in three aspects for Hangzhou. 

First, the venues and facilities give people better access to exercise. The per capita sports area increased from 1.8 square meters to 2.71 square meters over the past eight years. Second, the Games helped upgrade Hangzhou's infrastructure and the Para Games promoted the construction of barrier-free facilities and volunteerism. 

Last, the Games drove the development of local sports. For example, the Tonglu Equestrian Center has laid a foundation for the future development of the industry, said Mao.

Chen Weiqiang, vice mayor of Hangzhou, said the venues will serve the city and its people after the Games. 

"The landmark venues will host international events and large-scale activities, showing the image of Hangzhou as an open and inclusive modern city and leaving the legacy of the Asian Games to the city and its citizens," Chen said. 

Looking like a silkworm cocoon, the Shaoxing Keqiao Yangshan Sport Climbing Centre emerged from a deserted quarry and served as a sport climbing venue during the Games. The center will be transformed into a rock climbing park featuring competitions, training, workshops, research and tourism.

Chun'an Jieshou Sports Centre, whose road cycling courses run along the Qiandao Lake and impressed riders with its expanse of clear water and verdure, will become part of a water resort that will hold road cycling, mountain biking, bicycle motocross and triathlon training and competitions.

Editor's Note:
Some observers believe that China-UK relations are at its lowest point, but Alistair Michie, secretary general of the British East Asia Council and winner of the Chinese Friendship Award Medal in 2013, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview that he does not agree with this assessment. Instead, it would be highly desirable for all nations to have golden eras of understanding with China, Michie said, noting that one of the key issues is that a significant number of UK politicians are heavily influenced by the US. He also said that the UK should consider joining the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well as other initiatives that can move both countries in a more positive direction. Global Times reporters Xie Wenting and Bai Yunyi (GT) talked with Michie to get his insightful opinions on China-UK relations, the BRI and more. 

GT: The Chinese version of the book Consensus or Conflict? China and Globalization in the 21st Century co-edited by you has been published recently and distributed in China. Could you tell us why you wanted to compile such a book? What feedback have you received?

Michie: I was motivated to do the book in 2020. What I felt was that at that time, there was an opportunity for the world to gather together and deal with the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, in the same way that the world dealt with the global financial crisis in 2008. Back in 2008, the G20 played a particularly crucial role in stabilizing what was a very serious global financial crisis. The way the economic crisis unfolded in 2008 posed extreme danger for the world. So, at the start of 2020, I hoped that the world and nations would gather together in a way that could lead to the development of solutions, where the world would unite toward a common destiny.

I was also greatly influenced by the Chinese leader's repeated calls over many years for the world to move forward with mutual understanding and mutual respect toward a community of common destiny. I believed that the only way to effectively and efficiently address global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, was through collective action and a shared purpose. 

This motivation laid the foundations for the book. I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to gather over 30 distinguished writers from around the world, who provided their perspectives on why it is crucial for the world to address issues like pandemics through consensus rather than conflict in terms of global matters. This served as the motivation and genesis of the book.

Regarding the feedback, I was particularly pleased that we gathered 10 recommendations from distinguished global leaders, printed in the front of the book. They emphasized the importance of reading this book as it promotes consensus over conflict. These high-level individuals from around the world recognized the crucial theme and message of the book. However, the outcome has been disappointing. Since the English version was published in September 2021, the world has significantly shifted toward conflict and away from consensus. 

GT: Are you disappointed with the direction in which the world is progressing?

Michie: I am deeply frustrated because, since publishing the book with hopes of achieving consensus, the world has instead been steadily moving toward conflict. This is a critical issue for humanity, as there are numerous threats such as climate change, future pandemics, nuclear concerns, challenges in biosciences, and artificial intelligence. These issues require nations to act together in the interest of all humanity, but unfortunately, consensus is lacking. The lack of cooperation is deeply concerning as it can lead to misunderstandings, miscalculations, and catastrophic conflicts. It is a dangerous world. While I find some satisfaction in expressing these views and highlighting the dangers, I am still deeply frustrated by the world's trajectory toward conflict rather than consensus.

By nature, I have always been positive that humanity will find a solution. However, it is also crucial to be realistic. One issue I addressed in my book is the communication crisis our world is facing. Different nations struggle to explain their perspectives, largely due to the fact that we think differently. For instance, China, with nearly 20 percent of the world's population, has a distinct way of thinking compared to America and Europe.

Therefore, the lack of effective communication is causing a crisis in understanding different perspectives and points of view. 

GT: Not long ago, you mentioned that there are many Americans who have closed their minds and turned a blind eye to significant global changes, which is "extremely dangerous" for the world. What specific "significant global changes" do you mean? Could you elaborate on the potential dangers it poses to the world if Americans turned a blind eye to these changes?

Michie: One of the major dangers that the world faces is the way many Americans are thinking today. The US holds a very dominant position in global governance despite only representing 4 percent of the world's population. This massive influence held by a small number of people is frustrating for the rest of the world. Additionally, it is also frustrating that many Americans tend to look inward.

For example, many Americans do not accept that there is a threat and danger from climate change. They are not actively dealing with other serious global threats like nuclear issues, artificial intelligence, or biosciences. This turning inward is extremely dangerous because these are issues that affect all humanity and the world. 

Additionally, we have a situation where the US political system is deeply fractured, and this creates great dangers for the world going forward.

GT: UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly recently paid a visit to China and he said that it would not be "credible" to disengage with China. However, the British parliament referred to Taiwan as an "independent country" in an official document for the first time, coinciding with Cleverly's visit. What's your perspective on it? In recent years, the UK's attitude toward China has undergone major changes. What do you think are the reasons behind this?

Michie: I think what we need to do is to be very careful about making statements that can cause anger between countries like this one. As I mentioned earlier, we are currently facing a communication crisis, and what we truly need is more dialogue and discussion to foster an intelligent conversation among nations. Fortunately, there are many people in the UK who are working toward creating that environment. However, there are also individuals in the UK who are not interested in engaging in an intelligent dialogue; they have their own agendas. 

One of the issues we face is that a significant number of UK politicians are heavily influenced by the US, which aims to hinder China's progress. On the other hand, there are US politicians who are also striving to build an intelligent dialogue. Nonetheless, this situation is extremely dangerous, particularly given the current communication crisis and social media. It is so easy to have many comments that can be misunderstood and create conflicts and misunderstandings on social media. Therefore, it is crucial to engage in as much dialogue as possible to foster an intelligent conversation among nations.

GT: Do you think the current UK policy toward China is too influenced by Washington?

Michie: I believe that one of the root problems is that the US still wishes to be the hegemonic leader of the world, despite comprising only 4 percent of the global population. It has convinced itself that this is the right path to follow. However, due to many Americans focusing inward and ignoring critical global issues such as climate change and other threats, a significant problem arises for the world.

GT: Some observers have said that China-UK relations are at the lowest point. Do you agree with this? Do you think the bilateral relations can get back to a golden era?

Michie: No, I don't think we're at the lowest point at all because one of the most important trends in the last two decades is the tens of thousands of Chinese students who have come to the UK to study. I think that we rank second or third in the world in terms of attracting Chinese nationals to come and study in our education system. That is the kind of foundation-laying for intelligent dialogue that I have argued is so important in creating the kind of understanding that will lead to consensus.

I am very hopeful that this student exchange will help to create a more peaceful and sustainable world in the future. 

It would be highly desirable for all nations to have golden eras of understanding with China. Unfortunately, at the moment, we are not moving in that direction, but we must do everything in our power to engage in intelligent dialogue and create understanding, so that we can move toward what you describe as a golden era of relationships. This will enable us to address the significant challenges facing humanity.

GT: Many Western politicians have recently been talking about so-called decoupling from China. What's your take on it? Is it possible for the West to decouple from China?

Michie: I believe that decoupling and de-risking are not the right direction. What we must do is focus much more on creating an intelligent dialogue so that we can understand each other better and avoid moving toward conflict. It is absolutely crucial to move away from de-risking and decoupling, as I argue that the fundamental need is to create a much deeper and better understanding. The only way we can solve the crises facing all of humanity is by coming together in consensus and creating mutual understanding and respect, in order to move toward a community of common destiny. That is the only way, but it poses a huge challenge for the world.

GT: This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). How do you view the development of the BRI over the past decade and its future prospects?

Michie: I think the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been a hugely important initiative by China because it serves as a channel for creating human connection. Communication can take various forms, such as infrastructure development including roads, airports, and harbors, which facilitate the exchange of ideas and foster understanding. This initiative also promotes intelligent dialogue, and China possesses the expertise to extend these infrastructure developments worldwide.

So, I believe it is a hugely important contribution toward improving global governance. At the moment, global governance faces a challenge as it is dominated by just 14 percent of the global population, which includes 4 percent in the US and under 10 percent in Europe. It is understandable that the rest of the world becomes frustrated when such a small percentage of the world's population holds such a dominant influence. Initiatives like the BRI are a way of striving toward creating a broader form of global governance that can lead us toward international consensus. 

I hope that the BRI will continue to evolve, fostering exchanges and understanding that can truly guide us toward a more peaceful and sustainable world.

GT: Do you think that the UK should consider joining the BRI?

Michie: I believe that everything should be considered in any way forward that we can create in dialogue and understanding, in order to create a world that is moving toward a common destiny. We can only solve the incredibly serious and dangerous challenges that the world faces if we move toward consensus. Initiatives like the BRI should be considered, as well as anything that can move us in a more positive direction.

The Islamic Republic has developed dozens of increasingly sophisticated turboprop and rocket-powered unmanned aerial vehicles over the decades, designed for missions ranging from reconnaissance to long-range precision strikes against land and sea targets.

Iran has reportedly developed a new hybrid aerial and sea-based drone capable of landing on and taking off from water, with senior military officials calling on Persian Gulf nations to ensure security collectively, while warning Washington and its allies of the consequences any aggressive moves.

"The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has built drones that can take off from and land on the water," IRGC Commander Ali Reza Tangsiri said in an interview with local media over the weekend, pledging that more details about the drone will be provided at a later date.

"The IRGC Navy has also built hybrid drones that fly with one engine, with the second engine serving as a propelling engine," Tangsiri said. That UAV is said to have the capability to carry out reconnaissance missions lasting up to 15 hours.

The water-landing drones, reportedly designed to be able to carry missiles and bombs, would dramatically enhance the IRGC Navy's already substantial naval and coastal defense capabilities in the defense of the nation's vast coastlines in the Persian Gulf, along the crucial world energy transportation chokepoint in the Strait of Hormuz, and in the Gulf of Oman.

Tangsiri reiterated Tehran's long-standing diplomatic stance that Persian Gulf security can be assured by regional countries, without any interference from non-Gulf countries, and proposed the creation of an eight-nation pact of Persian Gulf-adjacent countries to ensure regional security, including Iran, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The opportunities to forge such a regional security pact shot up dramatically this spring after Iran and Saudi Arabia signed a surprise normalization of relations deal mediated by China. Washington, Riyadh's longtime traditional partner in the region, was forced to begrudgingly accept the warming of relations between the traditional Gulf foes, while expressing skepticism over the agreement's ability to last, and leveling new sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Separately, at a military ceremony outside Qom, central Iran on Monday, Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Baqeri warned Iran's potential enemies that the nation's military is on a hair-trigger alert to respond instantaneously to any aggression.

"The Iranian Armed Forces have set up a unified body to establish security in the country," Baqeri said. "State of readiness is a familiar concept for our armed personnel. That is, every moment we have our hands on the trigger and our eyes on the radar screen, along with surveillance and intelligence equipment so that no conspiracy is organized against the country and the enemies do not wish to launch aggression and undermine our security," the top commander added.

Also speaking at the event, Iranian Army Ground Forces Commander Kioumars Heidari warned that "if the enemies put a foot wrong and commit a foolish or mischievous act" against Iran, they "will receive a decisive response from the Army's ground forces."

"If the enemies attack Iran from the air, they will have no place to sit on the ground, and if they attack Iran from the ground, we will annihilate them within seconds by God's grace," Heidari added.

Iran unveiled a new ultra-long range drone last week at a military parade dedicated to the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988, with the UAV, named the Mohajer-10, capable of flying up to 2,000 km with a weapons payload of up to 300 kg, able to stay airborne for up to 24 hours at a time.

Regional tensions flared between the Iran and the US have recent months amid Washington's decision to dramatically ramp up its naval, air and troop presence in the Persian Gulf following Iran's crackdown on oil smuggling and maritime navigation violators.

Last month, IRGC Navy Commander Tangsiri stressed that the large US warships traversing Persian Gulf waters have been forced to obey Iran's maritime rules.

Armed with an impressive and technically advanced military-industrial complex, Iran's military design philosophy seems aimed at providing the country with David vs. Goliath-type asymmetric warfare capabilities against larger and technically more powerful adversaries, with the country building up mosquito fleets of fast boats armed with machineguns and artillery, hundreds of coastal defense batteries, dozens of drone designs, and maritime power projection capabilities using old tanker ships converted into mobile support platforms to save on costs. Iran's strategy has enabled it to become one of the top 20 militarily most powerful countries in the world, while spending just a fraction of what the US does on defense ($6.8 billion vs $877 billion in 2022).

Recent research led by ETH Zurich scientists has unveiled surprising revelations about the inner workings of the red planet. The mission, which spanned four years and concluded in December 2022, exposed seismic secrets beneath the Martian surface.

New findings have offered a fresh, groundbreaking perspective on Mars' internal structure, specifically regarding the planet's Martian core.

The collaborative work has revealed that core possesses a significantly lower density than expected, with a surprisingly high proportion of light elements such as sulfur, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, constituting around 20% of the core's weight.

The initial analyses, which left scientists puzzled as Earth's core is predominantly composed of iron, was made by a team of researchers with the ETH Zurich and the Institut de Physique de Globe de Paris. 
The findings were carried out with data collected by NASA's InSight lander, which recorded various marsquakes.

"This means that the average density of the Martian core is still somewhat low, but no longer inexplicable in the context of typical planet formation scenarios," says Paolo Sossi, assistant professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich and member of the National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCRs) PlanetS.

The new revelations show the Martian core is smaller than initially estimated, reducing its radius from 1,800–1,850 kilometers to a range of 1,650–1,700 kilometers, representing about 50% of Mars' radius. 

This adjustment in size implies a higher density and, in turn, a reduced presence of light elements in the core, now estimated to be between 9 and 14% by weight.

The findings suggest the Martian core formed at an early stage in the planet's history, when the sun was still surrounded by a nebula gas rich in light elements. The research also benefited from seismometer data from marsquakes, particularly two quakes occurring on the opposite side of Mars in 2021, one of which was induced by a meteorite impact. The seismic events provided crucial information about the core and mantle structure.

"It took us a while to realize that the region we had previously considered to be the outer liquid iron core wasn't the core after all, but the deepest part of the mantle," explains Dongyang Huang, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich.

To determine the composition of the Martian core, scientists typically rely on comparing seismic data with synthetic iron alloys containing various proportions of light elements. However, these experiments are primarily designed for Earth's conditions and do not precisely mirror Mars' interior.

ETH Zurich researchers took an innovative approach, using supercomputer simulations and quantum-mechanical calculations to explore a wide range of alloy compositions. The calculations were then compared with measurements derived from InSight's seismic data.

Surprisingly, the researchers discovered the region previously assumed to be the outer liquid iron core was, in fact, the deepest part of Mars' mantle, composed of liquid silicates. This insight reshapes our understanding of the Martian internal structure and may help solve mysteries related to planet formation.

While InSight's mission ended, leaving questions unanswered, the data it collected will continue to yield insights for years to come, shedding light on the core of the red planet.

The findings of the study were published in the journal Nature.