介绍:
China plans national days on Nanjing Massacre, anti-Japanese war victory
China's top legislature is considering designating September 3rd as the Victory Day of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
The draft is set to be discussed at this week's bi-monthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.
Lawmakers are also mulling the idea of making December 13th as a national memorial day to commemorate those killed during the Nanjing Massacre.
Japanese troops initiated the massacre on December 13th, 1937, killing some 300-thousand people over a period of 40-days.
Ukraine not caught in East-West battle: Kerry
The United States and Britain have rejected suggestions that Ukraine is caught in a battle between East and West.
US Secretary of State John Kerry says it's not a zero-sum game and called for all nations including Russia to work together to bring stability to Ukraine.
Kerry was speaking at a panel discussion in Washington, which was also attended by his British counterpart, William Hague.
Earlier, Ukraine's interim President Olexander Turchynov expressed concern about what he called the serious threat of separatism following the ousting of President Victor Yanukovych.
The new administration in Kiev is facing continuing opposition from Ukraine's Russian-speaking regions.
US planning full Afghan pullout: Obama
US President Barack Obama has ordered the Pentagon to prepare for a possible complete withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan by the year's end.
The order came after Afghan President Hamid Karzai refused to sign a bilateral security pact.
The US insists the deal must be in place before it commits to leaving some troops behind for counter-insurgent operations and training.
White House spokesperson Jay Carney.
"The fact that President Karzai has indicated that it is unlikely he will sign the BSA (Bilateral Security Agreement) means that if he doesn't sign, it is at least possible that a successor Afghan government might sign it. But that pushes us later into the year and the longer we go, without a signed BSA, by necessity the more narrow in the size and ambition the mission for a post 2014 force would be."
The US has had troops in Afghanistan since 2001 when it toppled the Taliban.
Mexican drug kingpin Guzman formally charged
Federal courts in Mexico have formally charged drug lord Joaquin Guzman with organized crime and drug trafficking.
The leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel was arrested over the weekend after escaping 13 years ago from a maximum-security prison.
Guzman, known as El Chapo or Shorty, was the world's most wanted drug lord.
He is thought to have smuggled more drugs to the United States than anyone else.
Thai protesters demand justice after weekend of violence
Anti-government protesters have rallied outside the national police headquarters in the Thai capital of Bangkok, demanding justice for five people killed in two separate attacks over the weekend.
Around two-thousand demonstrators marched to the compound.
The attacks were the latest in a spate of protest-related violence roiling Thailand over the past three months.
At least 20 people have been killed since November last year.
Indian submarine suffers mishap with sailors injured
A small explosion has occurred on an Indian submarine as it's on a trial voyage after a refit.
Local media say the incident happened about 40 to 50 km off the Mumbai coast.
At least four to five sailors have been left unconscious and sent to hospital.
No casualties or grave damage to the submarine have been reported.
A suspected gas leak from battery is said to be the cause.
Faulty landing gear grounds home-made planes
China's home-made aircraft Xinzhou or Modern Ark will be grounded after a delayed landing triggered a safety scare last night.
Flight BK2870 landed at Shenyang airport after circling over for more than two hours as the instrument panel showed a landing gear malfunction.
It appeared to be a fault in its landing signal system.
Some 30 people on board were safe.
Aircraft maker, Xi'an Aircraft Industry Company, says it will report the fault to aviation authorities and have a full-scale check.
Cold front to lift China's smog
A strong cold front is expected to sweep across northern China late today and help disperse the persistent smog that covers a vast part of the country.
The national observatory says the cold front will bring temperature drops of up to 14 degrees Celsius.
Heavy smog has been blanketing Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province for almost a week.
Authorities have issued 12 alerts for smoggy weather, with 9 yellow alerts and 3 orange alerts.
