Chinese central government has rolled out another slew of measures to help boost green industries.

The State Council has reiterated in its latest policy initiative its plan of maintaining a 15-percent annual growth for the environmental protection industries.

The government is planning to raise total output of the whole sector to 4.5 trillion yuan or over 700-billion US dollars by the year of 2015.

It is considered to be another major step designed to increase domestic demand and rebalance the economy.

 

investigation over dead Chinese nationals underway

Afghan authorities say an investigation is underway after three Chinese nationals were found dead and two others went missing in Kabul.

One of the missing Chinese managed to escape on his own before receiving help from American troops.

The Chinese national has now been transferred to a safe place by the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan.

Three Chinese including one male and two females were killed earlier in an apartment building in central Kabul.

It remains unclear if this attack was purposefully targeted.

 

Five dead in N China flash floods

Flash floods triggered by heavy rains yesterday have left five people dead in north China's Shanxi Province.

Three others are listed as missing.

The accident took place Sunday afternoon when flood water submerged a construction site in the city of Lvliang.

Meantime, weather forecasters say heavy rain will continue to hit the northeast and north in the coming three days.

 

China's waters haven't been affected by Fukushima water leakage: SOA

Chinese authorities say China's waters have not been affected by the contaminated water leakage from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan.

The State Oceanic Administration says they have been sampling seawater from 39 stations along China's coast.

Last week, the Japanese government admitted that the Fukushima nuclear power plant was leaking nearly 300 tons of radioactive water per day into the sea.

 

New settlement plan angers Palestinians; freed Palestanian prisoners namelist out

Palestinian authorities say they are outraged by Israel's plan to build 12-hundred new housing units in occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank.

On Sunday, the Israeli Housing Ministry confirmed that 793 apartments would be built in East Jerusalem and 394 in West Bank settlements.

Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat says the move brings into question Israel's commitment to the peace process.

The second round of direct peace talks between the two sides will be held in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

As a goodwill gesture, the Israeli authorities have approved a list of 26 Palestinian prisoners set to be released.

This is the first batch of prisoners out of a total of 104 set to be freed.

 

Mali presidential election runoff concludes

The second round for Mali's presidential election has just concluded.

Some international observers say the election process was legitimate.

Former Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is facing ex-finance minister Soumaila Cisse in the second round.

The election comes after more than a year of turmoil including a coup and a French-led military intervention to oust an Islamic insurgency from the north.

 

Snowden father secures visa to visit son in Russia

Edward Snowden's father Lon has secured documents to visit his son in Russia.

Lon's lawyer Bruce Fein says the trip will happen "very soon."

But Fein has not revealed the whereabouts of Snowden in Russia.

The former CIA contractor was granted a year-long asylum in Russia earlier this month.

Snowden is facing espionage charges in the US after he angered the US government by disclosing a major intelligence surveillance project.

 

22 people killed in flash floods near Kabul

At least 22 people, including six children have been killed in flash floods that hit a plain near the Afghan capital of Kabul.

Several people were injuried and about a dozen homes washed away.

The latest floods followed hours of torrential rain and hail on Saturday.

Earlier this month more than 60 people were killed in flooding east of the capital.

 

Lin Dan defeats Lee Chong Wei to win at the world championships

China's Lin Dan triumphed at the BWF world badminton championships in Guangzhou yesterday after Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei was forced to abandon the final match with an injured knee. 

China's badminton superstar came back from being one set down to win 16-21, 21-13, 20-17. 

Lin had entered this year's tournament as a wild card, after dropping in the rankings during a year off from the sport.

 

Usain Bolt claims mens 100m dash world title

World record holder Usain Bolt claimed the mens 100 meter world title at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow yesterday. 

The reigning Olympic champion clocked a personal season best of 9.77 on a track slick with rain. 

The victory was the redemption Bolt wanted after being disqualified for a false start in the 100 meter final at the Daegu worlds two years ago.