China's Dragon Boat Open Championship commences in Guangdong

The first race of the 2024 China Dragon Boat Open Championship commenced on Saturday in Qingyuan City of south China's Guangdong Province, attracting 20 professional teams from across the country and 12 local teams from Qingyuan, adding to a lively atmosphere on the competition scene.

With the resounding beats of gongs and drums, the participating teams energetically propelled their vibrant dragon boats, evoking the imagery of majestic dragons conquering the waves. The riverbanks were teeming with a multitude of spectators, creating a vibrant atmosphere filled with continuous cheers and applause.

"I haven't watched a dragon boat race in a long time, so I came here specifically to experience the atmosphere. It's a great way to carry on the tradition of this festive event," said a spectator.

The event is categorized into divisions for men, women, general participants, and exhibition teams.

In this event, the dragon boat races include 100-meter, 200-meter, and 500-meter straight-line races and a 3000-meter race around buoys.

"We started preparing right after the Spring Festival, and we have been planning for three months. We will continue to work hard and strive to win the championship at every race this year," said a Sanya Dragon Boat Association member.

Many young dragon boat teams are participating in the competition this time, and many university students are competing for the first time.

"I'm a freshman, and I started preparing for this since I first entered university. The teams we are competing against are all formidable opponents, and many of them are in national teams. We are here to learn from their experience," said Zhan Yizhou, a member of the dragon boat team of South China Normal University.

The China Dragon Boat Open Championship, established in 2011, is a prestigious competition in dragon boat racing.

China's Dragon Boat Open Championship commences in Guangdong

Algerians headed to polls on Saturday to elect their next president, with more than 23 million eligible voters across the country expected to cast their ballots.

Voting began early in the day, with polling stations nationwide opening at 8:00 a.m. local time (0700 GMT). Mobile polling stations have been in operation since Wednesday to access remote areas, while overseas voting commenced on Monday, catering to over 800,000 Algerians living abroad.

The National Independent Authority for Elections oversees the voting process.

The presidential race involves three candidates: the incumbent 78-year-old President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, seeking a second term as an independent candidate with broad support; Abdelaali Hassani Cherif, 57, head of the Movement of Society for Peace; and Youcef Aouchiche, 41, secretary general of the left-wing Socialist Forces Front.

The election comes after Tebboune's decision on March 21 to reschedule the presidential polls, traditionally held in December, for an earlier time for "purely technical reasons."

According to the Algerian electoral law, the candidate who receives more than half of the votes is elected as the new president. If no one crosses the mark, the top two candidates will compete in a runoff within 30 days.

Algerian presidential election kicks off as sitting president Tebboune enjoys broad support