China's Foreign Ministry has released a new statement, hailing the importance of ties between China and the United States.

Foreign MInistry spokeswoman says China-US relations are on a steady growth generally and maintain close communication and cooperation at different levels to biuld the new model of major-country relations.

She made the comment ahead of US Secretary of State John Kerry 's visit to Beijing today.

The U.S. State Department says Kerry's visit is tasked with reaffirming the U.S.'s commitment to building a "positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship with China." 

The two sides will also discuss cooperation on issues of shared interest, including the Korean Peninsula situation, climate change, and clean energy.

 

North Korea unacceptable as nuclear state: Kerry/xinhua

The US Secretary of State says North Korea will never be accepted as a nuclear nation.

John Kerry made the comment in Seoul during a joint press conference with his South Korean counterpart, Yun Byung-se.

It's the fifth meeting between the two top diplomats in the last two years.

South Korea is the first stop on Kerry's latest Asian tour, with visits to China, Indonesia, and United Arab Emrirates still on the agenda.

Kerry says North Korea has yet to demonstrate its commitment to denuclearization, despite previous promises.

 

PM Letta says he's resigning after party rival withdraws his support

Italian Premier Enrico Letta has announced he will resign after a party rival withdrew essential support for the 10-month-old coalition government with the aim of getting the premiership for himself.

Letta says he will hand in his resignation to Italy's president Giorgio Napolitano on Friday, citing the overwhelming vote against him by his Democratic Party leadership.

Florence Mayor Matteo Renzi told fellow Democratic Party leaders it's time for "radical change" in economically stagnant and politically unstable Italy.

After Letta officially resigns, President Napolitano is due to begin a first round of consultations among political forces to verify whether it's possible to achieve a majority in support of a new cabinet. 

If successful, Renzi could be tapped to form a new government, which would need to win a vote of confidence in both houses of Parliament.

 

Russia, U.S. promise to help push forward Syira peace talk

Lakhdar Brahimi, UN Envoy to Syria, has described a recent trilateral meeting Russian and US officials as useful and important.

Brahimi met with Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Gennady Gatilov and U.S. Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.

Brahimi mediated a second round of talks between delegations from the Syrian government and opposition in Geneva.

The two sides haven't been able to find common ground during this round of talks with each sides unwilling to soften their demands.

Meanwhile, the American ship MV Cape Ray has arrived at the Spanish naval base of Rota for crew rest and refueling.

It will them collect and destroy the chemical materials that have been transfered out of Syria into international waters.

 

U.S. Forces-Afghanistan condemns Taliban prisoners' release

The United States has condemned the release of Taliban inmates by the Afghan government, from the former U.S.-run Bagram detention center.

Sixty-five detainees have been released despite repeated protests from U.S. Forces. 

The decision to set the prisoners free was made at a meeting chaired by Afghan President Hamid Karzai on the grounds that the suspects are innocent or held without adequate evidence.

The U.S. says the release of these dangerous individuals poses a threat to the U.S., Coalition and Afghan National Security Forces as well as the Afghan population.

 

EU official lays out plan to end Ukraine's crisis/xinhua

The European Union has presented a plan to resolve the political crisis in Ukraine.

The EU's Commissioner for Enlargement, Stafan Fule, says urgent steps toward constitutional reform are needed, along with a new inclusive government and free and fair elections.

The Commissioner says he's not talking about holding early elections, but the regular presidential vote that is coming up in 2015.

Opposition leaders in the country have been calling for early elections.

Ukraine has been divided poltically since last fall, when a deal that would have brought the country closer to the EU was rejected in favour of a financial bailout package brokered by Moscow.

Street protests have been ongoing ever since.

 

1 Chinese killed, 6 injured in Zambian attack

Armed robbers have attacked a Chinese firm in the Zambian capital of Lusaka, killing one Chinese worker and injuring six others.

Two robbers were killed in the process.

A Chinese medical group in Zambia rushed to the local hospital where the injured are being treated, and Chinese volunteers have donated blood. 

The Chinese ambassador in Zambia is comforting the injured and will work with Zambian officials to ensure the matter will be solved and the murderers arrested.

 

Three killed in China wedding tragedy/xinhua

Seven people have died at a wedding in eastern China.

Authorities in Zhejiang province say the building collapsed during the wedding ceremony.

It happened around 5:30 Thursday afternoon in Yazhuang village.

Dozens others people were injured and have been rushed to hospital.

The cause of the collapse is still under investigation.

 

Lew will attend G-20 summit in late February

US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has confirmed he will attend the G-20 summit for finance ministers and central bankers in Sydney later this month.

The summit is slated on February 22nd to 23rd.

Lew will reportedly hold one-on-one meetings with top economic officials from several key countries including Germany, Japan, Brazil and Turkey.