By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jul 26 (PTI); China has quietly resumed its activities in the Doklam area and neither Bhutan nor India has sought to dissuade it, a top US official has said while comparing Beijing's actions in the Himalayan region with its manoeuvres in the disputed South China Sea.

China claims sovereignty over all of South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims.

Islamabad, Jul 26 (PTI); Pakistan is willing to improve its ties with India, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan said today, asserting that the blame game between the two neighbours, detrimental to the sub-continent, should stop.

"If they take one step towards us, we will take two, but at least need a start," 65-year-old Khan said in his first public address after leading his party to victory in the general elections held yesterday.

Khan said Kashmir is the "core" issue between the two countries and it should be resolved through talks.

CANBERRA, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Property prices in Australia have fallen over the past 12 months for the first time in six years, a report has revealed.

The national median property price fell one percent in the 12 months to the end of June 2018, according to a report published by property group Domain on Thursday, the first time prices have fallen in a 12-month period since June 2012.

It comes on the back of falling prices in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's two biggest and most expensive cities.

Kolkata, Jul 26 (PTI); Former President Pranab Mukherjee today said despite the country having high GDP growth and being among the top economic powers, it is "way behind" in the overall happiness ranking.

India occupies the 133rd place (according to a world survey) in overall happiness ranking in 2018, Mukherjee said.

He said this was so in spite of the impressive GDP numbers, high average life expectancy, which went up from 31.4 years (in four years after Independence) to 68 years at present, and a quantum jump in foodgrain production since 1947.

KIGALI, July 25 (Xinhua) -- China remains a sincere partner for most of African countries, Rwandan experts told Xinhua in recent interviews.

China and Rwanda enjoy a long history of friendship and fruitful cooperation in various sectors such as business, health, education, tourism, infrastructure, said Ismael Buchanan, Dean of the School of Economics and Governance at the University of Rwanda.

Mumbai, Jul 26 (PTI); Actor Priyanka Chopra has thanked an online magazine for including her in its list of the 500 most influential people, saying it encourages her to tell important stories.

Popular magazine Variety had recently unveiled its list of influential people and apart from Priyanka, it also featured the names of Indian celebrities such as Karan Johar, Salman Khan and Ekta Kapoor among others.

The 36-year-old actor took to Instagram to express her happiness over being included in the list and shared the credit with her team.

FLORENCE, July 25 (NNN-Bernama) -- A 70-year-old priest working at a parish near Florence has been arrested for sexual assault, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The priest has been accused of sexual assault after being caught in a car with a 10-year-old girl on Monday, sources said Wednesday.

26 July 2018; AFP; Japan on Thursday executed six more members of the cult behind the deadly 1995 sarin attack on the Tokyo subway, local media said, weeks after the group's leader was hanged.

Public broadcaster NHK and other outlets said all six Aum Shinrikyo cult members remaining on death row had been executed on Thursday morning. There was no immediate official confirmation.

The executions come after authorities hanged "guru" Shoko Asahara and six of his one-time followers earlier this month, after years on death row.

JOHANNESBURG, July 26 (NNN-SABC) -- President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed the first decade of the existence of the BRICS grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa as a major success in the global developmental agenda.

Addressing the opening of the BRICS Business Summit here, the South African head of State said that over the past ten years, the bloc had made enormous strides in a number of co-operation areas including climate change and promoting sustainable development.

Damascus, SANA- The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Syria Ali al-Zaatari denounced the terrorist attacks that took place in Sweida province and caused dozens of civilian causalities.

In a statement on Wednesday, al-Zaatari reaffirmed the UN firm stance and its demands to protect civilians, infrastructure and keep civilians away from the impacts of war wherever they were.

JOHANNESBURG, July 25 (Xinhua) -- From new global growth drivers to the international landscape and the global governance system, Chinese President Xi Jinping here Wednesday shared his thoughts on the changes the world is going to witness in the next decade.

BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- China expressed strong dissatisfaction and opposition on Wednesday to a U.S. defense spending bill which includes propositions aimed at China, and urged the U.S. not to disrupt the stable development of bilateral ties.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks at a routine news briefing when asked for comments about a draft bill of the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019.