ALexWorld leaders start G7 meeting
Leaders of the world's major economies are gathering in Brussels for the Group of Seven summit, but without Russia.
Moscow has been exlcuded by western leaders because of the Kremlin's role in the Ukraine crisis.
Ahead of the meeting, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the group will follow its three-stage approach: to support Ukraine, to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis through talks with Russia, and finally, further sanctions against Russia would be possible if the situation in Ukraine gets worse.
Moscow has reacted, blaming the West for sparking the crisis.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticised western leaders for ignoring Russia's interests and refusing to treat it as an equal partner.
Ukraine leader says to unveil peace plan soon
Ukrainian President-elect Petro Poroshenko says he will unveil a plan for a peaceful resolution to the crisis in his country after he takes office on Saturday.
He didn't elaborate.
The comment comes amid intense government operation in the estern part of the country.
Ukrainian troops have launched an offensive against rebels in the eastern city of Slovyansk and advanced through the city's outskirts.
More than 300 rebels are reportedly killed during the operation.
Bashar al-Assad wins presidential election
Syria is going to miss the June 30th deadline to completely destroy its chemical weapons, but such remaining munitions are said to be "out of harms way."
That statement is from the UN agency overseeing the elimination of the country's chemical stockpile.
It comes after the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has secured a third term in office after winning over 88 percent of the vote in the presidential election.
The ongoing civil war in Syria has been blamed for an estimated 160-thousand deaths. Millions have been forced from their homes.
Meanwhile China has released another statement on the Syria crises, calling for a ceasefire.
China is urging all sides to proceed with the Geneva negotiations and a political settlement to the crisis.
Hamas, Fatah set to form reconciliation committee
Discussions are underway between the Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement and Fatah party to form a follow-up committee that will implement the landmark national reconciliation deal.
The two Palestinian former rivals agreed in April to end their political differences and formed a unity government earlier this week.
The new committee will work to solve any problems that the reconciliation deal might face.
Those include integrating the government institutions and security apparatuses as well as the return of the employees who stopped working since 2007.
Libyan PM's office hit by grenade
The office of Libya's new prime minister Ahmed Maitiq has been hit by a rocket propelled grenade.
An assistant to the prime minister says the grenade hit the government building in the early hours on Wednesday, leaving a crater on Matiq's office.
The prime minister was not in the building when the incident happened.
No one has claimed responsibility yet for the hit.
Russia, China inch toward another gas contract
Russia and China may be on the verge of signing a second major energy-related contract, following the landmark 30-year gas deal that was agreed to last month in Shanghai.
The new deal is for a gas pipeline construction project.
A Russian official says the contract could be inked "in the very near future."
The long-awaited gas deal in Shanghai ended a decade of natural gas supply talks between the two neighbors.
China 'strongly dissatisfied' with US tariffs on solar panel imports
CHina has expressed strong dissatisfaction with new US duties on Chinese solar panel imports.
The decision came after the US Department of Commerce ruled that Chinese companies including Trina Solar and Wuxi Suntech Power have benefited unfairly from Chinese government policies.
The preliminary duties range from around 18 percent to around 35 percent.
The Ministry of Commerce said in a statement, that the US ignored facts and applied contradictory "country of origin" trade rules.
And is says the US abused trade measures to protect its own industry, adding the US actions will inflame trade tensions in the solar industry.
Just recently, similar anti-dumping duties on steel wire from China were issued by the US government.
China faces "serious" environmental challenges
China has released an official report highlighting the challenges that it is facing in protecting its water, air and soil.
The report comes out ahead of World Environmental Protection Day today.
According to the report, in 2013, among China's top 10 river valleys, about 9 percent of water sections were classified as the worst level.
It also says that according to the newly released air quality standards, among 74 major cities, only 4.1% have met it.
Besides pollution and degradation, the report finds that almost one third of the country's land area is threatened by soil erosion.
Against that backdrop, authorities have called for improvements to the legal system, a more environmentally friendly development outlook, and better institutions to protect the worsening environment.
S. China downpours cause casualties, economic losses
A new round of rainstorms has been wrecking havoc in south China, causing casualties and economic losses.
Four people have been killed and two remain missing in southwest China's Guizhou Province.
More than 200 thousand people in the province's 14 cities and counties have been affected.
In Sichuan, a 70-year-old villager was killed by mountain torrents while rescuers are trying to save a woman buried in a landslide. |