介绍:
Chinese FM hails Iran's nuke talks as "important step" towards comprehensive deal
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has hailed the Iranian nuclear talks in Lausanne, Switzerland as taking an "important step" towards a comprehensive deal by June 30.
Negotiators from the so-called P5+1 group and Iran are still meeting in Lausanne to reach a framework nuclear agreement after a self-imposed deadline expired on Tuesday.
Wang Yi says the remaining key issues are linked to each other, so all parties must think creatively to work out a deal.
Germany becomes AIIB prospective founding member
China's Ministry of Finance says Germany has been approved as a prospective founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
The ministry says the decision has been made by all existing members after discussion, which include China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Kazakhstan.
The total number of prospective founding members has now increased to 31.
The deadline for applications to join as founding members has expired.
The final number of founding members will be confirmed on April 15, after the opinions of all founding members are taken into consideration.
U.S., Chinese engagement in Central Asia "complementary": U.S. official
A senior US diplomat says the United States supports China's efforts to develop infrastructure in Central Asia and sees them as "complementary" to Washington's engagement in the region.
Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the US "doesn't see China's involvement in Central Asia in zero-sum terms."
A series of major infrastructure projects is expected to take roots in Central Asia with the building of "the Silk Road Economic Belt".
China to launch three or four more BeiDou satellites this year
China says it plans to launch three or four more satellites for its indigenous global navigation and positioning network this year.
Yang Changfeng, chief designer of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, says a complete network will take shape by 2020.
The 17th satellite of the global network was launched on Monday, marking the first step to expand it from a regional to a global service.
When completed, the network will be made up of 35 satellites, five of which will be in geostationary orbits.
China kicks off "Fox Hunt 2015"
Chinese authorities have launched the latest version of the "Fox Hunt" campaign to track down corrupt officials who are at-large overseas.
The Ministry of Public Security says this year's program, which begins today, will last until the end of December.
It's part of the so-called 'Skynet' operation to fight corruption, focusing on nabbing corrupt officials or suspects who have fled to industrialized countries, including the US, Canada, and Australia.
Authorities nabbed 680 suspects in last year's "Fox Hunt" campaign, which ran for six months.
Opposition candidate Buhari wins Nigerian presidential election
Nigeria's opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari has been officially declared the country's president-elect.
Buhari's victory marks the first time in Nigeria's history that a sitting president has been defeated at the polls.
Earlier, outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat, saying he has kept his promise of free and fair elections in the nation.
Buhari defeated Jonathan by a margin of 2.57 million votes.
Indian Navy evacuates 348 Indians from Yemen in night-long operation
India says its navy has evacuated another 348 Indian nationals from war-torn Yemen.
Indian officials say the latest group of evacuees brings the total number of countryman removed from Yemen to 750.
About 4,000 Indians had been stranded in Yemen, which is mired in a bloody conflict amid Saudi-led airstrikes on Houthi militants.
Turkish police detains 22 suspects after hostage shootout
Turkish police have detained 22 suspects after a hostage siege in an Istanbul courthouse that killed a prosecutor and two hostage-takers.
The detained suspects are reportedly students in Akdeniz University.
Yesterday, two militants took Istanbul prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz hostage in his office, threatening to kill him if their demands were not met.
Their demands were related to the investigation Kiraz was leading into alleged police killing of teenager Berkin Elvan last March.
British GDP growth revised up, outlook remains rosy
The British government has revised its economic growth estimate for the fourth quarter of last year, and for the whole of 2014.
New stats show the UK economy expanded 0.6-percent in the fourth quarter, up slightly from the previous estimate of 0.5 percent.
For the whole of 2014, British gross domestic product grew by 2.8 percent compared with 2013.
That's up 0.2 percent from the previous estimate.
