Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to start a four-nation tour in Central Asia next week, which are Turkmenstan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. 

It's widely expected that the President's first official tour of the region should help clairify the new administration's foregin policy in the region.

The trip will also take him through St. Petersberg, Russia for this year's G20 Summit.

His time there is expected to outline China's expectations for the reform of the International Monetary Fund.

 

Communist Party of China to hold key plenary meeting in November

It's been confirmed the Communist Party of China will hold a key plenary meeting in November.

It will be the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee.

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee has issued a statement, saying the meeting will discuss "major issues concerning overall and deepened reforms".

 

China joins global combat tax evasion efforts by signing Multilateral Tax Convention

Chinese authorities have stepped up their efforts to combat tax evasion by signing a multilateral convention to boost participation in global efforts to combat tax avoidance.

China becomes the 56th nation to sign the multilateral agreement. 

The Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters was developed by the OECD and the Council of Europe in 1988.

At present, it is the most comprehensive multilateral instrument available for tax cooperation and exchange of information.

 

China's lawmakers hold group reviews on consumer rights law

Chinese lawmakers are holding group reviews on draft amendments to the consumer rights law. 

It calls for the support of consumer associations in protecting consumers' rights.

It also stipulates that government at all levels provide assistance to the associations. 

The law regarding protection of consumer rights and interests took effect 20 years ago.

The draft amendment was now tabled for a second reading at the session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee this week.

 

UN inspectors postpone site visit in Syria for one day

The UN Chemical Weapons Investigation Team has postponed its second day of on-site investigations in Syria over safety concerns.

U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq says the decision has been made over safety concerns.

The U.N. experts came under sniper fire on their way to a site visit on Monday.

The U.S says it is considering taking limited military strike on Syria, although the UN says the only solution for the Syrian crisis is through negotiating.

 

Japan cancels launch of rocket

Japanese authorities have cancelled the launch of a new rocket.

Officials haven't said why the launch of the cheaper rocket has been cancelled, other than to say it suffered "a problem."

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency had been planning to fire-off the three-stage Epsilon rocket from a space centre on southern Japan earlier this Tuesday.

 

Wildfire may threaten San Francisco's water supply

A raging wildfire in California's Yosemite National Park is threatening the water supply for the city of San Francisco.

Local utility officials say they're concerned that runoff from the normal spring flooding will dump ash and charred debris into the city's Reservoir. 

A massive new 4.6 billion US dollars gravity-operated pipeline system to move water quickly to reservoirs closer to San Francisco is being put into operation.

 

Pakistan says Taliban unwilling to talk to Afghan gov't

Pakistan's government has come out and said the Afghan Taliban is unwilling to talk to the Afghan government and peace negotiators. 

It comes hours after Afghan President Hamid Karzai concluded a two-day visit to Pakistan.

A spokesman for the Afghan President says Karzai had pressed for Islamabad's help to bring Taliban leaders to the negotiating table. 

Pakistan says the Taliban is not willing to talk to the Afghan government.

For its part, Pakistan say more efforts will be made to try and negotiate talks.

 

Indian Lower House passes landmark Food Security Bill

India's lower house of parliament has passed a landmark Food Security Bill which will provide subsidized food to the country's poor.

The welfare scheme will cover two-thirds of the country's population.

If the bill is approved by India's upper house of parliamentent, about 800 million people will receive 5 kilograms of cheap grain every month.

The project is expected to cost the Indian government 24-billion U.S. dollars a year.

Critics argue the plan will hurt India's economy.

The main opposition in the Indian parliament says the scheme is still too narrow to tackle the widespread malnutrition in India.

 

First meeting of JCC on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor kicks off in Islamabad

The first meeting of the Joint Cooperation Committee on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is underway in Islamabad. 

Pakistan says the economic corridor is key to improving bilateral economic relations.

On the Chinese side, head of the delegation Zhang Xiaoqiang said the project would promote common development, benefit people from both countries, facilitate regional integration, and bring stability to South Asia.

The two sides held in-depth discussions on key issues including infrastructure, energy and investment.