Asia needs sustainable, durable security: Chinese president
The Shanghai Declaration calls for a comprehensive, lasting and just security in Asia.
The statement echoes the call made by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the start of the fourth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.
The event in Shanghai has now concluded.
President Xi also touted a "new Asian security concept" and told the assembled leaders that common development is key to security.
He has called on the 26 member nations to adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism, separatism, and extremism, and for the resolution of territorial disputes through peaceful means.
China, Russia ink long-awaited gas deal
The Chinese and Russian governments have finally inked a long-awaited natural gas deal.
The agreed price is not known.
The new deal should allow Russia to supply China with about one-tenth of this country's overall natural gas needs by 2020.
The contract will see the east route pipeline start providing China with 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from 2018.
At least 27 killed in Nigeria: reports
At least 27 people are reported to have been killed in two villages in north-east Nigeria, close to the town where hundreds of schoolgirls were kidnapped last month.
Witnesses in the village of Alagarno say gunman stormed the village, razed homes and fired on fleeing residents.
The attacks came just a day after twin car bombs exploded at a market in Nigeria's central city of Jos, killing over 100 people.
Extremist Islamist group Boko Harma has been blamed for the blasts.
The group abducted over 200 schoolgirls last month, threatening to sell them into slavery.
Countries including China, US and UK have offered assistance in finding the schoolgirls.
The US has already sent about 80 military personnel to Chad to help with the search.
Nigerian authorities have vowed to fight terror acts in the country.
Libyan PM calls for national dialogue amid "coup" standoff
Libya's prime minister is calling for a national dialogue in order to reach a peace deal.
Ahmed Maitiq made the call after a retired general mobilized forces, attacked islamists, and detained several lawmakers.
General Khalifa Haftar has led a series of campaigns against Libya's interim parliament in the name of "purging terrorists."
He is urging the judiciary to appoint a crisis government to oversee new elections.
Libya's election commission has earlier announced parliamentary elections to be held on June 25th.
Many lawmakers have condemned the general's actions, accusing him of attempting to stage a coup.
Army backed meeting to be continued in Thailand
Face-to-face talks between key political rivals in Thailand are expected to resume later today.
Wednesday's meeting was chaired by the Thai army chief in an effort to mediate escalating tension in the country.
Many of the country's highest-profile political figures were summoned, including the acting Prime Minister, leaders from both pro and anti-government groups, and members from the Election Commission.
The talks come on the heels of the powerful Thai army imposing Martial Law this week amid the lingering political unrest in the country.
Egypt's Mubarak sentenced to 3 years in jail for embezzlement
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been sentenced to three years in jail for embezzelement.
The court in Cairo has also sentenced two of Mubarak's sons to 4-years in prison for the same offense.
The three have been convicted of pocketing public funds used for the maintenance and upkeep of the presidental palace.
They've also been hit with fines totalling over 17-million US dollars.
Mubarak, his two sons, and four of his aides were originally charged with misappropriating some 14-million dollars earmarked for the presidental palace.
The four aides were eventually aquitted for a lack of evidence.
Iran, IAEA agree to resolve more key issues of Iranian atomic plan
The International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran have agreed to take further steps to resolve concerns over the possible military dimensions of Tehran's nuclear program.
An IAEA statement says the sides have agreed to five practical measures to be implemented by Iran by August 25th of this year.
Two measures deal with the long-stalled investigation into allegations that Iran is attempting to develop nuclear weapons in secret.
Iran has been consistantly denying such allegations.
Tehran has agreed to turn over more information to the IAEA, this time regarding neutron studies and other calculations, among other things.
Thousands in Yemen demand separation from north
Thousands of protesters have held a rally in southern Yemen demanding separation from the north.
The protests were organized by the Southern Movement and high-ranking members of the former state of South Yemen, which was independent until unification in 1990.
While unification happened peacefully, the relationship deteriorated in 1994. Southerners have complained of being marginalized, particularly after losing a 4-month civil war in '94.
There is concern the tension is creating instability and this could let groups like al-Qaeda gain a foothold. |