The death toll from the 7.2-magnitude earthquake in southeastern Turkey has risen to 138.

Searchers are racing against the time to search for survivors in the quake-hit area, which lies near the border with Iran.

Another 350 people have been hurt.

The death toll is expected to rise significantly, given that dozens of buildings have been leveled in the strong quake, which hit at a shallow depth of just 7 kilometers.

Turkish officials have warned that the death toll could reach a thousand.

 

 

NTC leaders declare Libya liberated

Libya's transitional government has declared national liberation in Benghazi, where the uprising against former leader Muammar Gaddafi began.

In the wake of national liberation, tens of thousands of people have gathered in central squares, both in Benghazi and the capital Tripoli.

Elections are due to be held this coming June.

Meanwhile, Libya's interim government is coming under increase pressure to investigate how Muammar Gaddafi was killed.

An initial post-mortem has shown that Gaddafi was show in the head.

 

 

Tunisians vote in historic election

Nearly 70 percent of all eligible voters in Tunisia have turned out to vote in the first election following the Arab Spring.

The vote comes 10 months after Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire, in a protest that

led to Former Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali being overthrown by protests that eventually spread across much of the Arab world.

Tunisians are electing a 200-seat assembly that will draft a constitution and appoint an interim government.

Results are due out later on Monday.

 

 

Chinese vice premier meets DPRK premier on ties

Chinese vice Premier Li Keqiang is now in North Korea.

He's held talks with North Korean Premier Choe Yong Rim, urging the North Korean side to improve the country's ties with South Korea and the United States.

Li Keqiang also says that the Chinese side wants to see a resumption of the 6-party talks as soon as possible.

The Vice-Premier has also overseen the signing of a number of agreements on both economic and technical cooperation.

 

 

All stranded Chinese sailors return to China after deadly attack

The final group of 21 Chinese sailors has returned home, after being stranded in northern Thailand for the last couple of weeks.

They are among 164 Chinese sailors who became stranded after the Mekong River was shut down to commercial boat traffic, following the murder of 13 Chinese sailors earlier this month.

The two Chinese ships were assaulted by suspected drug-runners who wanted to commandeer the ships.

So far, no arrests have been made.

 

 

China promoting Taoism's influence abroad

An International forum on Taoism is underway in Hunan.

The 3-day event is expected to touch on issues including environmental protection, sustainable development and cross-religious harmony.

Taoism is based on the philosophy of Lao Tze.

The 18-hundred year old religion in China, was originated from Lao Tze's work, known as Tao De Ching.

There are an estimated 100-thousand Taoist priests and over 5-thousand Taoists sites on the mainland.

 

 

EU leaders agree on position for G20 summit

European Union leaders have agreed on the bloc's position for the upcoming G20 summit.

The leaders are calling on all G20 members to reform the international monetary system, strengthen financial regulation and tackle the excessive volatility of commodity prices.

European leaders also say the G20 should ensure that the International Monetary Fund has adequate resources to fulfill its systemic responsibilities.

The next G20 summit is set to be held in Cannes, France late next week.

 

 

KPMG vows to remain a multi-disciplinary firm

KPMG is promising that it's going to keep its auditing and consulting arms together.

The pledge comes, despite a regulatory crackdown by the European Commission that has raised the prospect of a break-up of the Big Four accountants.

The world's fourth-biggest accountancy network by sales – after PwC, Deloitte and Ernst & Young – has even alluded to the possibility of giving up some audit work to avoid a mooted ban on providing other services to audit clients.

The auditors have come under fire for failing to do more to warn investors of the financial crisis.

 

 

Argentine president Cristina Fernandez wins re-election in peaceful vote

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirshner has been re-elected.

Fernandez de Kirshner has taken 55-percent of Sunday's vote.

The election is being viewed as the largest margin of victory in Argentina since the country emerged from Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship.

The 58-year old Fernandez de Kirshner is the widow of former Argentinian President Nestor Kirchner.

He died a year ago of a sudden heart attack.

 

 

Bangkok prepares for floods

People in northern Bangkok are getting ready for the worst flooding in Thailand in over half a century.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is warning people in Bangkok to be prepared, saying the situation is "extremely serious".

Flooding in Thailand has already killed over 350 people, with over 100-thousand others evacuated from their homes.