The world's top wingsuit fliers put on a stunning show for tourists who were left in awe at the bravery of these daredevils as they soared among the mountainous landscapes of Zhangjiajie in central China's Hunan Province on Monday.
The tenth World Wingsuit League (WWL) Wingsuit Flying World Championship got underway on Monday at the Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park in Zhangjiajie, featuring the world's top 16 fliers during the four days of competition.
The starting platform is perched atop a mountain with an elevation of over 1,450 meters and a terrifying vertical drop to the landing point of 990 meters. After taking-off, the fliers will glide through the air in a straight-line distance of approximately 1.3 kilometers.
The competition consists of two main components, the first being a speed race which follows an S-shaped aerial course and is referred to as the "Aerial F1." Each wingsuit flier will be given two flight attempts, with the best time counting as their final result.
The second challenge involves a 'fly-through' competition which sees targets placed between mountain gaps just 15 meters above the ground at the popular tourist site. These bullseye-shaped targets have a maximum diameter of 0.8 meters at the outer ring and just 10 centimeters at the center.
Competitors, soaring through the air at incredible speed, must smash through the suspended bullseye with precision. Each flier gets two chances, with their final score determined by the total number of rings struck across both attempts.
Visitors have been marveling at the adrenaline-filled spectacle as these almost superhero-like competitors flew overhead.
"Very crazy. It's impressive. They probably need a lot of preparation to do that and they were amazing and very brave people," said a tourist from Italy.
"It's very exciting. It's the first time I saw such a real scene of wingsuit flying. I had only seen it on TV. The effect was different from watching it on TV. It's quite astounding and very exciting," said a Chinese visitor.
Tourists left in awe as wingsuit fliers soar through mountains of Zhangjiajie
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
