SEOUL -- South Korean residents and peace activists who had protested against the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) rallied on Thursday near the presidential office in Yongsan district in central Seoul.

Around a hundred people for the anti-THAAD association told a press conference that all the procedures of the U.S. missile shield deployment have been abnormal and illegal, given the deployment decision without consent from residents and the parliament, the absence of environmental effect assessment, and the operation and the site construction under the name of "temporary deployment." (S.Korea-THAAD-Protest)

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MACAO -- China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Thursday reported 39 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of infections since Sunday to 110, according to the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center of Macao.

Of the infected people, 32 had developed symptoms while 78 others were asymptomatic, the center said. (Macao-COVID-19)

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KABUL -- The Taliban-run administration in Afghanistan has called for international assistance amid ongoing rescue operations following the devastating earthquake Wednesday in the eastern area of the Asian country.

In the 5.9-magnitude earthquake that jolted parts of Afghanistan including the capital city Kabul early Wednesday, more than 1,000 people including women and children have been confirmed dead and over 1,500 others injured in Paktika and the neighboring Khost provinces. (Afghanistan-Earthquake-Assistance)

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NEW DELHI -- Floods in India's northeastern state of Assam have affected over 5.45 million people and killed 101 people, officials said Thursday.

Apart from inundating several areas, the rains have triggered landslides.

On Wednesday, 12 deaths were reported across the state, which has pushed the death toll to 101 since mid-May when the floods started hitting Assam. (India-Floods-Casualties)

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HONG KONG -- July 1 this year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. A group of young people, who turned 25 years old this year, shared with Xinhua their stories and their wish to contribute to a better future of Hong Kong. (HK-25th Anniversary-Youth)