Chinese Premier Li Keqiang says China and Singapore should strengthen exchanges and cooperation for steady development of bilateral ties. 

Both sides says they should bolster communication and coordination on international and regional issues.

It follows Li Keqiang's meeting with his Singaporean counterpart.

For his part Lee Hsien Loong says he is also committed to strengthening exchanges and expanding cooperation. 

The Singapore premier is paying an official visit to China. 

Yesterday he also met with Chinese president Xi Jinping.

 

Bo Xilai trail concludes

The trial of the former leading party official Bo Xilai concluded yesterday.

The court is reserving a verdict for a later date.

The trial began on Thursday, and has run through this weekend.

Bo Xilai is also accused of obstructing a criminal investigation into the murder charges his wife faced, on top of bribery and embezzlement.

Bo Xilai has admitted to making mistakes in his varoius political roles.

However, he insists his actions don't constitute abuse of power.

 

Kerry says Syria chemical weapons use "undeniable"

U.S Secretary of State John Kerry says the chemical weapons use against civilians in Syria is inexcusable and "undeniable".

He is describing the use of chemical weapons for what he describes as the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, killing of women and children and innocent bystanders, a moral obscenity.

Kerry said President Obama will be making his response later.

It comes just hours after UN chemical weapons inspectors were fired on near the Syrian capital, Damascus.

 

Snipers fire at UN inspectors in Damascus countryside

The UN says its chemical weapons inspection team has been fired upon in the suburbs of Damascus.

No one has been hurt.

However, the vehicle they were riding in was damaged.

Syrian state media is blaming "armed terrorist groups."

The UN inspectors were on the way to the site of an alleged chemical attack after the Syrian authorities granted the team access to the site on Sunday.

 

Peace talks meeting canceled due to killing of 3 Palestinians in W. Bank

A meeting between Israeli and Palestinian peace negotiators has been cancelled.

This comes after Israeli security forces killed 3 Palestinians during a raid in the West Bank.

Israeli troops shot and killed the Palestinians and wounded about a dozen others in an attempt to arrest a suspected militant in a refugee camp near Jerusalem.

Violence in the area is still on-going.

This comes amid an attempt by both sides to try to negotiate an end to their decades-long conflict.

 

Afghan president Karzai visit Pakistan on Taliban issue

Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai is now in Pakistan for a state visit.

Karzai has met with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

This is Karzai's first time in Pakistan since Sharif took office in June.

Karzai has been pushing to try to improve his government's ties with Pakistan.

 

Minister inspects Fukushima plant with TEPCO official

Japan's minister of economy, trade and industry has visited the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.

Toshimitsu Motegi is promising the government will take urgent action to curb the recent leakage of radioactive water.

Motegi is blaming lax maintenance by plant's operator TEPCO.

A 300 ton leak last week is the fifth and worst to date from a tank at the plant. 

The leaking water has been making its way into the Pacific ocean.

 

China will hit economic growth target, NBS spokesman

China's National Bureau of Statistics says this country's economy is poised to hit its annual growth target of 7.5 percent.

The government has unveiled a number of policies to cope with downward pressure in a bid to create room for further economic rebalancing. 

Growth rate of industrial added value was up 0.8 percentage points from June, indicating confidence in Chinese enterprises.

The bureau is also claiming local government debt is under control.

 

China to raise fines for trademark infringement

Lawmakers say China is expected to raise the compensation ceiling for trademark infringement to 3-million yuan, six times the current limit. 

The draft amendment will require the compensation be paid to the trademark holders in cases of infringement.

The draft has been tabled for a third reading at the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature. 

The current compensation ceiling is 500 thousand yuan. 

The number has now been raised twice for the previous two readings. 

The NPC's law committee says the move aims to protect exclusive trademark rights and crack down on infringement.

 

Beijing Mulls Measures to Consolidate China's Credit System

The National Development and Reform Commission is reportedly working on a new plan for dealing with credit cheats. 

The head of the NDRC says the government is drafting a system of rewards and punishments for the credit system.

He says the government is also working on establishing a credit blacklist.

At the same time, he says the NDRC is going to continue promoting the development of corporate bonds and other direct financing instruments.