Headline News 2014 June 16

Chinese premier leaves for Europe visit Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has left Beijing for an official visit to the UK and Greece. Accompanied by his wife Cheng Hong, the premier will attend the annual meeting of Chinese premier and British prime minister during his stay in London. During the visit, China and the UK are expected to sign more than 40 cooperation deals, reportedly worth more than 30 billion US dollars. Infrastructure, high-speed rail, nuclear and finance deals, as well as London's role as an offshore yuan trading hub, will be key topics during the visit. Li is leading a delegation of two hundred-plus Chinese business leaders. Three in Tian'anmen terror attack sentenced to death Three people have been sentenced to death for a terror attack near Beijing's Tian'anmen Square last October. A court in the northwest region of Xinjiang also jailed five others over the attack, ranging from five years to life. The eight criminals were indicted last month on charges of organizing, leading and participating a terrorist group and endangering public security. In the attack, Usmen Hasan, his mother and his wife drove an SUV to crash into a crowd of people near the Tian'anmen Square, leaving two dead and 40 injured. All three of them died after they set gasoline in the vehicle on fire. A total of eight suspects were captured in connection with the terrorist attack. Militants raid Kenyan town, killing 48 Suspected Islamist militants have attacked hotels and a police station in a coastal town in Kenya, killing at least 48 people. Witnesses in Mpeketoni said gun battles went on for several hours and reported seeing buildings set on fire. The town is close to Lamu island, which is a well-known tourist resort. It is unclear who the militants are, but the Kenyan army say they are likely to be al-Shabab. Kenya has suffered a number of militant attacks since 2011 when its forces entered neighboring Somalia to combat al-Shabab fighters. Advancing Iraq rebels seize northwest town in heavy battle Sunni insurgents have seized a mainly ethnic Turkmen city in northwestern Iraq, solidifying their grip on the north after a lightning offensive. Residents in the city of Tal Afar say it has fallen to the rebels from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant after a battle that saw heavy casualties on both sides. Tal Afar is a short drive west from Mosul, which the ISIL fighters seized last week. In the face of the mounting security crisis, the Unites States has ordered military personnel to boost security for its diplomatic staff in Baghdad, with some embassy staff evacuated. Meanwhile, the BBC reports that Washington is considering direct talks with Iran on the security situation in Iraq. Pakistan jets renew strikes on tribal North Waziristan Reports from Pakistan say fighter jets have carried out fresh air strikes against militants based in the north-west tribal area of North Waziristan. The strikes came hours after the government announced an offensive in the mountainous area bordering Afghanistan. Many civilians fled in anticipation of the offensive. It is just one week since a deadly militant attack on the country's largest airport in the city of Karachi. Russia's Gazprom says Ukraine fails to pay debt by deadline Russia's gas giant Gazprom says Ukraine has failed to pay at least part of its gas debts by a Monday deadline and would now have to pay up front for deliveries. Gazprom says Ukraine's state-controlled firm Naftogaz has also failed to pay for June deliveries, suggesting supplies could now be cut. Gazprom had earlier warned it would cut off its gas supplies to Ukraine if the country fails to pay the 1.9 billion US dollars it owes by Monday. This came after negotiations between Moscow and Kiev on Sunday failed to reach an agreement. NPC to consider revising food safety law China's top legislature is to review a draft revision of the country's food safety law. It's among a series of draft amendments, bills and reports to be reviewed at a bimonthly session of the legislature later this month. Details on how the food safety law would be changed are not revealed. The Chinese public has been crying out for strengthened management of food producers after a rash of food scandals in recent years. China launches new ivory smuggling crackdown China's customs has launched a new campaign to crack down on the smuggling of ivory and endangered species in the country. The six-month campaign will be backed by legal assistance from overseas customs authorities. China has stepped up action against ivory smuggling in recent years, confiscating about 21 tonnes of smuggled tusks and ivory products since April 2012. Nearly 400 suspects have been also been arrested. China DUI cases spike during World Cup Chinese police have caught 5,700 people driving under the influence of alcohol nationwide since the FIFA World Cup began on Friday. One tenth of these cases were classed as serious, according to the Ministry of Public Security. The ministry has organized a nationwide campaign to restrict a World Cup spike in traffic accidents caused by DUI. Police have been stationed near restaurants, pubs, food stalls and karaoke bars that are popular with football fans.