A dynamic light show was presented Friday night on the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to commemorate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the UAE.
The spectacular display began with a captivating perspective through the eyes of the UAE's iconic falcon, journeying from the country's desert landscapes to the Great Wall of China. Featuring vivid images of camels and fleet of ships, it brought viewers back to the ancient Silk Road, a vibrant trade network that once connected the two regions across Eurasia.
Building on historical ties, China-UAE relationship continues to flourish in modern times. The light show demonstrated the two countries' shared commitment to growth through maritime trade, high-speed rail technology, and energy cooperation. It also paid tribute to their strong partnerships in cultural exchange, tourism, and some high-tech sectors, ranging from electric vehicles and flying cars to space explorations.
Spanning over two minutes, the light show highlighted the enduring friendship between China and the UAE while embodying hopes and blessings for a brighter future in their bilateral relations.
World's tallest building lit up to celebrate 40 years of China-UAE diplomatic ties
Russia on Friday announced a series of cluster strikes targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure, while Ukraine reported repelling multiple Russian assaults, indicating that French-provided Mirage 2000 fighter jets were deployed in its attacks for the first time.
According to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry on Friday, the past week has seen Russian forces employing precision-guided munitions and drones to launch multiple cluster attacks on a range of Ukrainian military facilities. These include airbases, ammunition depots, military production facilities, drone storage points, and naval bases. Notably, during the night of the Thursday into the early hours of Friday, Russian military operations involved air-based, sea-based, and land-based high-precision long-range weapons and drones aimed at natural gas energy facilities essential to Ukraine's military-industrial complex, successfully hitting all designated targets.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko confirmed on the same day that the country had experienced a large-scale missile and drone assault on energy and gas infrastructure across multiple regions. He said that Ukraine is taking all necessary measures to stabilize energy and gas supplies and mitigate the impact of these attacks.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on Friday that a total of 56 battles had occurred along the frontlines by 16:00 the same day, during which Ukrainian troops successfully thwarted several Russian offensives in the Pokrovsk and Kursk directions.
The Ukrainian Air Force announced that it had downed 134 aerial targets belonging to Russian forces on Friday, and for the first time, it deployed the French-made Mirage 2000 fighter jets in combat operations.
In February this year, France delivered the first batch of Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the provision of these aircraft by the West would only exacerbate the existing stalemate.
Russia claims cluster strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities; Ukraine deploys Mirage 2000 fighter jets for first time
