介绍:
China, UK pledge to advance all-round pragmatic cooperation
Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has had a fruitful day in London, inking multi-billion-dollar deals and pledging further cooperation with his British counterpart, David Cameron.
The two sides have signed trade and investment deals worth over 30 billion dollars, covering areas in finance, technology, education, energy and infrastructure.
During their meeting, Li and Cameron pledged to deepen all-round pragmatic cooperation and inclusive development while celebrating the two countries' decade-old comprehensive strategic partnership.
The Chinese premier proposed that China and Britain expand two-way trade to reach a target of 100 billion dollars by 2015.
Earlier, Premier Li and his wife met with Queen Elizabeth II and discussed ways to boost cultural exchanges.
Iraq hits militants from the air north of Baghdad
Iraqi government forces have carried out air strikes on Islamist-led militants advancing from the north towards the capital Baghdad.
They are fighting to push back the ISIL and its allies in Diyala and Salahuddin provinces.
In the west, the militants are reported to have made advances, with new fighting in the city of Ramadi.
In the capital, wealthier residents are stockpiling food and water.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appeared on television with Sunni Muslim and Kurdish leaders on Tuesday to issue a call for national unity.
He also fired four army commanders for failing to halt the sweeping advance by the militants.
There are also reports that the commander of an elite unit of Iran's revolutionary guards is in Baghdad, helping military and Shiite leaders co-ordinate their campaign against the rebels.
15 Turkish citizens kidnapped in northern Iraq
Iraqi militants have kidnapped another 15 Turkish citizens working in a construction site near Kirkuk in northern Iraq.
Suspected ISIL militants raided the construction site of a hospital and kidnapped about 60 foreign workers from countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Turkmenistan.
Last week, 80 Turkish citizens including embassy staff in Mosul were taken by militants.
Rescue efforts are still underway.
35 still missing in boat sinking accident in Malaysia
35 people are still missing after a wooden boat carrying 97 Indonesians sank off the western coast of Malaysia.
Malaysian officials say two people are dead and 60 others, including women and children, have been rescued.
The vessel sank in windy weather and tough waters.
According to Malaysian authorities, the passengers are illegal migrants working in Malaysia.
Rescue efforts are continuing.
Blast hits Nigeria World Cup TV venue
An explosion has torn through a venue in a northeast Nigerian town where fans had gathered to watch a World Cup football game.
Residents in Damaturu of Yobe state say a suicide bomber in a tricycle taxi detonated the explosives as people watched Brazil's match against Mexico.
Several are believed to be killed and many more wounded.
An emergency has been declared in three states including Yobe amid attacks by suspected Boko Haram militants.
Commercial vessel joins Chinese ship to map ocean floor in search for MH370
An Australia-contracted survey ship has joined Chinese efforts to map the sea floor ahead of the deep water search for the missing Malaysian airliner that is due to commence in August.
The Fugro Equator is joining Chinese navy ship Zhu Kezhen in surveying a defined search area of the south-west Indian Ocean.
The search area is based on new satellite data from British satellite firm Inmarsat.
The survey by the two ships will give officials a better understanding of the ocean floor and help them choose the best search vessels.
Gaokao ghostwriters to face punishment
China's education authority has warned of severe punishment to those involved in the newly exposed gaokao ghostwriter scandal in Henan province.
The Ministry of Education says the move aims to guarantee the fairness and justness of the gaokao, or the national college entrance exams.
So far, Henan province has discovered 127 surrogate exam-takers in the gaokao.
Several people claiming to be university teachers have organized college students to be ghostwriters for the real exam applicants.
They have allegedly bribed officials and test monitors, who then help the surrogate exam-takers to pass the strict checks before the exams.
China receives surging charitable donations in 2013
China received surging charitable donations last year, with non-governmental organizations raising the lion's share.
Official figures show a total of 56.7 billion yuan or 9.2 billion US dollars of donatioins were received in 2013.
NGOs with charitable status raised 46 billion yuan in money and goods.
There were some 547,000 NGOs across China by the end of 2013, increasing by 9.6 percent from the previous year.
