Chinese premier arrives in Angola for visit
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has arrived in Angola to continue his visit in Africa.
He says China is willing to enhance bilateral and strategic ties.
During his stay, Li Keqiang is scheduled to meet with the Angolan President and hold a seminar with Chinese companies and nationals.
Angola has become China's second largest trading partner in Africa.
In 2013, trade between the two countries reached 36 billion U.S. dollars. By the end of 2013, China's total investment in Angola had exceeded eight billion dollars.
Angola is the third stop of Premier Li's Africa tour, which has already taken him to Ethiopia and Nigeria. He will next travel to Kenya.
China requires Vietnam to stop any form of disruptions of Chinese company's operations
China has issued another call, urging the Vietnamese side to stop its disturbance to China's drilling operation in southern waters administered by China.
The Chinese government has accused Vietnam of carrying out intensive disruption of a Chinese company's oil drilling since May 2.
Yi Xianliang is the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of China's Foreign Ministry.
"This operation is a normal drilling activity in China's coastal waters undertaken by China Oilfield Services. The waters of the operation is only 17 nautical miles away from the Zhongjian Island of Xisha Islands of China. It is 130 to 150 nautical miles away from Vietnam. Chinese company's operation in waters off the Xisha Islands completely falls within China's sovereignty. It has nothing to do with Vietnam. The operation is completely rational, legal and justified. "
Yi says Chinese companies started operating in these waters ten years ago, and the recent operation is only a routine continuation.
The official urges the Vietnamese officials to cherish the current diplomatic achivements between the two sides and work together with China to solve the issue.
Kiev makes "round table" proposal
Authorities in Ukrainian have proposed holding "round table" talks to resolve the conflict in the country.
The idea calls for the involvement of political forces and civil groups from all regions, as well as help from international mediators.
Kiev has laid out three key conditions, which include the immediate de-escalation of the conflict, a nationwide dialogue on issues, and the upcoming elections scheduled for May 25th.
The pledge comes after pro-Russian protesters in eastern Ukraine decided to go ahead with Sunday's referendum on autonomy, despite a call from Russian President Vladimir Putin to delay it.
Despite the "round table" call, Ukrainian authorities have also said they will continue their "anti-terror " operation and do everything to stop the referendum.
Syrian government retakes control of Old City of Homs
Officials says the Old City of Homs will be "clear and free" soon, as rebels continue to evacuate the historic city after holding it for three years.
They have moved to rebel-held territory outside of Homs under a deal between the insurgents and government troops.
After the full evacuation, the entire city of Homs will be under government control except the al-Waer neighborhood, whose rebels have rejected calls to join the deal.
Homs, Syria's third largest city, was one of the first to sympathize with the anti-government movement in the country.
Fully securing Homs is crucial for the government ahead of presidential elections in June, as the takeover connects the capital Damascus with central and northern regions.
Former Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra indicted over rice scheme charges
Thailand's former Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, has been indicted by the National Anti-Graft Commission on charges of dereliction of duty involving a contentious rice subsidy program.
The vote comes a day after the Constitutional Court ousted Yingluck and nine Cabinet members for abuse of power.
Yingluck faces an impeachment vote in the Senate. If found guilty, she would be barred from politics for five years.
As a flagship policy of Yingluck's administration, the rice subsidy programme helped her win the votes of millions of farmers.
However, the program accumulated losses of at least 4.4 billion US dollars and has been dogged by corruption allegations.
Nigerian President pledges to find abducted schoolgirls
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has pledged to find the schoolgirls abducted by Islamist extremist group Boko Haram.
More than 200 were taken in a mass abduction last month, with several more girls taken in recent weeks.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Jonathan has thanked foreign nations, including China, for their assistances in the fight against terror.
China has promised to supply useful information acquired by its satellites while the U.S is sending teams to Nigeria.
Earlier, Nigerian police offered a 300,000 dollars reward to anyone who could provide information leading to the rescue of the schoolgirls.
Boko Haram has been trying to root out Western influence by targeting schools and government buildings.
The group is reported to have killed 300 people earlier this week in the same area where the schoolgirls were abducted last month.
Strong 6.8-magnitude quake rattles Mexico City
A 6.4 magnitude earthquake has shaken Mexico City, rattling buildings and prompting office evacuations.
There are no immediate reports of damage.
The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake epicentre in the western Mexican state of Guerrero at a depth of 14.9 miles, or about 24 kilometres, just inland from the Pacific Coast.
No tsunami alert has been issued.
One assailant shot dead, another captured in attack on Xinjiang police
One suspect is dead, and another is in custody, after police were ambushed by a group of attackers in the city of Aksu in Xinjiang this afternoon.
Responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle shortly after one this afternoon, the officers were attacked, with the assailants hurling burning objects at their patrol cars and attacking them with knives.
The police officers responded, shooting dead one of the attackers.
Another was subdued and is now in custody.
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