介绍:
China Feb. inflation quickens to 1.4 pct
The latest reading of the consumer price index for February shows inflation in China grew 1.4 percent year on year in February.
The figure is higher than the market expected, and up from the 0.8-percent gain recorded in January.
The National Bureau of Statistics attributes the rebound in inflation to rising food and travel prices during the Lunar New Year Holiday.
Food prices, which account for nearly one-third of China's CPI weighting, increased 2.4 percent year on year in February.
Two helicopters crash in midair, killing 10 in Argentina
Two helicopters have crashed in northwest Argentina, killing at least 10 people. It happened during the filming of a TV program.
The crash happened in a remote area about 12-hundred kilometers north of the capital, Buenos Aires.
Local reports suggest most of the victims are French nationals who were taking part in a French reality TV show about international endurance and survival which has been running the past three years.
It's being reported the victims include a total of 8 French competitors and the two Argentinian pilots.
The same reports suggest weather conditions at the time were fine.
Xinjiang remains stable despite terror attacks: official
A senior official has said that the overall situation in Xinjiang in northwest China remains stable and controllable despite terror attacks.
Shohrat Zakir, chairman of the Xinjiang regional government, made this remark on Tuesday in Beijing.
The official says authorities have cracked down on terrorism, with the help of people from all ethnic groups in the region.
China faces arduous task of ensuring employment: minister
China's human resources minister has said that the country is faced with a more complex and arduous task of ensuring employment in 2015 amid an economic slowdown.
Yin Weimin says that about 15 million students need to find jobs this year, including 7.5 million college graduates and a similar number of those graduating from vocational, technical, or middle schools.
The minister adds that another 3 million laborers from rural areas will also be seeking employment in towns and cities.
China aims to create more than 10 million urban jobs and ensure that the registered urban unemployment rate does not rise above 4.5 percent in 2015, according to a government work report released last week.
HK politicians condemn protesters against mainland shoppers
A number of leading Hong Kong officials are condemning the latest protests targeting mainland shoppers in Hong Kong's Tuen Mun area.
A number of stores were forced to close in the middle of the day because of the protests.
Retail sales in Hong Kong plunged over 14.5-percent in January, the largest monthly drop since 2003.
Sales were also down at boutiques, supermarkets and department stores by over 10-percent during month.
Iraqi forces launch operation to retake Tikrit from IS
Iraqi security forces have launched a major offensive against Islamic State militants in northern city of Tikrit.
Sources say thousands of allied Shiite and Sunni militias have entered outer neighborhoods of the city Tuesday.
Tikrit is located 170 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, and has been the site of heavy clashes between forces loyal to the Iraqi government and IS militants.
The battles to free Tikrit started one day after the troops retook control of the last IS stronghold in al-Alam, east of Tikrit.
Some 30,000 Iraqi troops and thousands of allied Shiite and Sunni militias have been involved in a week-long offensive to recapture Tikrit and other nearby towns and villages from IS militants.
74 militants killed, 49 injured in Afghanistan: gov't
The Afghan interior ministry says 74 Taliban militants have been killed by security forces in several provinces within the last 24 hours.
21 landmines recently planted by the militants were defused.
However, the interior ministry does not disclose if there were any casualties among the security forces.
Afghan security forces have assumed the full responsibility for the country's security from NATO and U.S. forces after a NATO-led force switched from a combat to a support role after Jan. 1 this year.
Consumers warned as poison threat to New Zealand infant formula made public
Families in New Zealand have been warned about a threat to poison infant formula.
Food safety officials are advising consumers to check packaging for tampering, because of an anonymous threat.
That threat was actually made four months ago. It was sent to diary company leaders ahead of the perpetrator's warning they would go public if their demands were not met.
