3 Chinese citizens have been killed and another two are missing in the Afghanistan capital Kabul.

The Chinese Embassy says the Chinese nationals were murdered in an apartment building in the city.

It is believed the attack focused specifically on Chinese citizens.

The Chinese embassy in Kabul is calling on the Afghan government to ensure the safety and security of all Chinese citizens and institutions in Afghanistan.

 

Chinese, Russian troops conduct first joint live fire exercises 

Chinese and Russian troops conducted their first joint exercises using live ammunition during anti-terrorism drill Peace Mission-2013 on Friday.

The joint maneuvers were carried out at the Chebarkul combined training range here in Russia's Ural Mountains. 

The troops also practised joint reconnaissance, joint block and control (of accident areas), joint strike and joint support for campaign equipment. 

Peace Mission-2013, running from July 27 to Aug. 15, has three phases -- troop deployment, battle planning and simulated combat.

 

Suicide attack attempt foiled in Pak capital of Islamabad

A suicide attack attempt on a mosque was foiled on Friday when a suicide bomber was shot dead in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.

Officials say the suicide bomber successfully entered a mosque in Bara Kahu area of Islamabad but failed to explode his jacket before being gunned down by a security guard. 

Earlier in the day, at least 10 people were killed and 26 others injured when some militants opened fire at worshippers coming out of a mosque after offering Eid prayer in Pakistan's southwestern provincial capital of Quetta.

 

Eiffel Tower reopened to public following false bomb alert 

Paris' iconic Eiffel Tower was reopened to the public two hours after authorities evacuated the iron tower over a false bomb alert on Friday afternoon.

The 324-meter-high monument is a frequent subject to bomb scares, although these threats are usually quickly found to be hoaxes. 

The latest bomb scare came as a number of western countries issued terror alerts and temporarily closed some of their overseas embassies.

 

Japan, U.S. wraps up 1st TPP-linked talks

Japan and the United States have wrapped up their three-day trade talks on the U.S.-led Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade negotiations, recognizing that challenges still lie ahead. 

The talks, which covered autos, insurance and non-tariff barriers in nine areas, were held in parallel with the dialogue Japan participated in last month. 

The dialogue was under a request by the United States, which seeks to further open up Japan's market through the establishment of unified auto safety standards and other measures.

 

Japan, Russia to hold talks on territorial disputes on Aug. 19

Japan and Russia have set new plans to hold a working-level talks in Moscow on August 19th in connection with their territorial disputes. 

The meeting will be attended by Vice Foreign Ministers from the two countries. 

The two sides are also expected to discuss bilateral ties and international affairs, including a possible peace treaty between the two countries.

 

300,000 people affected in NW China flooding

One person has been killed in flooding in Gansu.

The province has been hit by heavy rains since Tuesday.

The heavy rains are impacting an area home to around 300-thouasnd in seven different cities.

Rain-triggered flooding has also damaged around 23-hundred houses.

Over 34-thousand people have been evacuated as a result of the flooding.

 

China allocates cash for regions suffering extreme weather

The central government here in China is allocationg 460-million yuan to help ease drought and prevent flooding.

200 million yuan of it has been given to the provinces of Hunan, Guizhou and Hubei, where a record heat wave has led to water shortages, power supply problems and issues with agriculture.

The rest of the central government allocation has been given to flood-stricken Sichuan, Jilin and Shaanxi.

The central government has earmarked a total of 3.24-billion yuan this year for drought and flood relief.

 

Ministry reiterates crackdown on teachers' sexual assaults

Education authorities are promsing to punish teachers who sexually abuse their students.

The Ministry of Education says it will investigate and punish teachers whose acts are unprofessional or that constitute crimes. 

The move comes following multiple reports of teachers molesting or raping students.

 

GMG under CRI Signs Deal to Buy China.com

Global Broadcasting Media Group, the company controlled by China Radio International, has officially signed an agreement with China.com to buy its website china.com.

The agreement will see GMG aquire the website, its domain name as well as related share-holding rights.

China.com, one of the leading web portals in China, has some 20 channels offering news in both Chinese and English.

 

Kunming to offer 72-hour visa-free stays

The city of Kunming in Yunnan is set to become the latest city in China to offer international transit passengers 72-hour visa-free stays.

The program is going to be launched later on this year. 

Provincial authorities in Yunnan are also expected to create new tourism products to try to attract more international tourists. 

Kunming is set to become the fourth Chinese city to implement the policy after Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.