Sirens once again wailed at the 9.18 Historical Museum in Shenyang City, northeast China's Liaoning Province on Monday as China marked the 93rd anniversary of the incident with commemorative activities countrywide.
On September 18, 1931, Japanese troops blew up a section of the railway in Shenyang and accused the Chinese military of doing it. Using the blast as a pretext, Japanese forces bombarded Shenyang on the same night, launching a full-scale invasion of northeast China.
In Tianchang City, east China's Anhui Province, young members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) visited the Memorial Hall of the Eighth Branch of the Chinese People's Anti-Japanese Military and Political University, renewing their pledge to the Party and paying their respects to the martyrs.
"Here we pay tribute to the revolutionary martyrs and remember the history of the war against Japanese aggression. We must carry forward the heroic revolutionary spirit," said Wen Yi, a young CPC member.
In Hejian City, north China's Hebei Province, a group of students visited the Jizhong Martyrs Cemetery and attended educational activities. The students laid flowers at the monument to express their deep memory and high respect for the martyrs.
Teachers and students in several schools in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province also attended themed events and class meetings to learn from history and work hard.
On the eve of the 93rd anniversary of the outbreak of the September 18th Incident, the 9.18 Historical Museum received a batch of precious cultural relics and historical materials from private collectors, which provide forceful evidence for the in-depth study of that period of history.
Commemorative activities held across China to mark Sept 18 incident
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a non-binding resolution on Wednesday demanding an end to Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory within the next 12 months by an overwhelming margin.
The resolution was adopted with 124 votes in favor, 14 against and 43 abstentions, during the UNGA's 10th emergency special session considering Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The resolution demanding that Israel comply with all its legal obligations under international law, including advisory opinions by the International Court of Justice, was introduced by the State of Palestine on Tuesday and was co-sponsored by more than two dozen nations.
By the newly adopted resolution, the UNGA "demands that Israel brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which constitutes a wrongful act of a continuing character entailing its international responsibility and do so no later than 12 months from the adoption of the present resolution."
The UNGA also demands that Israel comply without delay with all its legal obligations under international law, including as stipulated by the International Court of Justice.
In remarks before the vote, Mohamed Issa Abushahab, the permanent representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations, said the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza must be addressed through unimpeded access to those in need, a ceasefire deal and the full implementation of all related Security Council resolutions.
A credible peace process must be relaunched to work towards a two-State solution to diffuse this conflict, he said, expressing support for the State of Palestine's full statehood and UN membership. "The time has come to end the suffering," he noted.
Introducing the draft resolution on Tuesday, Riyad Mansour, the permanent observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, called for the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
He said the Palestinian people have been steadfast in the pursuit of their inalienable rights, just like all other citizens worldwide who seek self-determination.
"The Palestinians want to live, not survive -- they want to be safe in their homes, they want their children to go to school without fear. They want to be free in reality as they are in spirit," said Mansour.
UNGA calls for end to Israeli occupation in Palestine within a year
UNGA calls for end to Israeli occupation in Palestine within a year
