Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has left Beijing to attend a series of meetings for East Asian leaders in Bali, Indonesia.

The premier will attend the 14th China-ASEAN summit commemorating the 20th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations, as well as the sixth East Asia Summit. 

Wen Jiabao will also pay an official visit to Brunei, the first by a Chinese premier in some 20 years.

 

 

19th ASEAN Summit kicks off in Bali, Indonesia

Heads of state or government of southeast Asian nations are gathering in Bali, Indonesia for a summit to solicit cooperation on reaching the ASEAN Community by 2015.

The 19th ASEAN summit is attended by leaders from its ten member states. 

The meeting is set to address a broad range of issues impacting the region such as global economy, disaster management, climate change, food and energy security and regional integration, among others.

 

 

U.S. seeks more cooperation opportunities with China: Obama

U.S. President Barack Obama says that the U.S. sees future in the Asia-Pacific region and wants more cooperation opportunities with China. 

When addressing Australia's Parliament in Canberra, Obama says Asia is critical to achieving his highest priority: creating jobs and opportunity for the American people.

Obama has also reaffirmed that the US is not increasing its military presence in Australia due to the threat from the rising China.

 

 

Education authority urges inspection of school buses after deadly accident kills 20

China's Ministry of Education is calling for an urgent nationwide inspection of school buses.

The announcement comes after a severely overloaded school bus collided with a truck in the northwest Gansu Province, killing 20, including 18 pre-schoolers.

The bus, designed to carry 9, was packed with 64 when the accident happened.

The emergency notice issued by the central authorities calls for a safety review of all the school buses across the country.

Any of them found to be at risk are to be pulled off the road.

 

 

Death toll climbs to 10 in NW China restaurant blast

The death toll from an explosion that ripped through a restaurant in northwest China's Xi'an early this week has risen to 10 following the death of a hospitalized victim.

32 people are still receiving medical treatment, including two in critical condition.

The blast, triggered by gas leak, struck the first floor of the Jiatian International Mansion, a commercial building. 

Most of the victims were passersby including children on their way to school.

 

 

Shenzhou-8 departs from in-orbit lab, ready for return

China's unmanned spaceship Shenzhou-8 is getting ready to return to earth.

The spacecraft has decoupled from the Tiangong-1 prototype space lab, and is due to return to earth later tonight. 

As part of its time in space, Shenzhou-8 has successfully docked twice with Tiangong-1. 

The experiments are critical to help establish a manned Chinese space station by 2020.

 

 

Lucas Papademos government wins confidence vote

Greece's new coalition government has won its first confidence vote by a wide margin.

255 of the 300-member parliament have voted to support the unity government of Lucas Papademos.

The vote should now pave the way for the government to ratify the new eurozone bailout for Greece, which is critical to keeping the country from defaulting.

Prime Minister Papademos.

"The European mechanisms that were created for the financial support and to deal with the crisis do not have the firepower. And its operational flexibility is also required to avert the spreading of the crisis."

Papademos is trying to build up support to try to secure its new 130 billion euro bailout deal.

He is also faced with the daunting task of trying to rally support for the country's highly unpopular austerity measures.

 

 

Rockets explode near Afghan Loya Jirga venue, 1 injured

Explosions from at least three rockets were heard at the venue of Afghanistan's grand assembly Thursday morning.

Witnesses say at least one person was injured.

The four-day traditional gathering, known as Loya Jirga, is attended by more than 2,000 tribal elders, lawmakers and government functionaries. They are discussing the proposed strategic partnership with the U.S. and government-initiated peace talks with Taliban militants.

The Taliban have threatened to attack the gathering.

 

 

China proposes tighter air quality index from 2016

China's environment watchdog says PM 2.5, a new and tighter air quality index, is going to be implemented nationwide in 2016.

The move comes amid mounting public criticism of the current air pollution monitoring standards.

The current standard being used only calculates particles 10-micrometers or higher.

A recent spate of high-pollution in Beijing has prompted a lot of discussion about the air-quality standards, given that there is a wide disparity in what the local government reports, compared to the standards used by others, including the US embassy.