The Chinese government and the European Union have unveiled a wide-ranging cooperation plan following a summit between their leaders here in Beijing.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is describing the plan as "unprecedented." 

The comments follow meetings on Thursday with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

The two sides have agreed to kick off the discussions over an trade protocol and a free trade area.

They have also promised to increase their bilateral trade to one trillion US dollars by 2020.

The summit is the 16th between the two sides, but the first since the new Chinese leadership took over in March.

 

China, US officials say people-to-people exchange brings on trust

Chinese vice Premier Liu Yandong has concluded co-chairing the latest round of People-to-People talks with US Secretary of State Secretary John Kerry.

Following the talks in Washington, the two have signed an updated memorandum of understanding, promising to continue the People-to-People communication mechanism.

Liu Yandong is the first member of the Chinese leadership to visit the US following the recent CPC plenum, which has outlined the new Chinese government's roadmap.

 

Progress made during China visit: U.S.envoy for North Korea

The United States' envoy for North Korean affairs, Glyn Davies, says "good progress" has been made following his meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wu Dawei, here in Beijing.

This is the second meeting between the two in less than a month.

However, Davies says that at this point it is very difficult to resume the six-party denuclearization talks due to a lack of commitment from the North Korean side.

Davies is also set to travel on to Seoul and Tokyo later this week.

 

U.S. Senate seeks new sanctions on Iran next month

The U.S. Senate has announced plans to start deliberations on further sanctions against Iran in December.

Defying President Barack Obama's appeal to hold-off on imposing new restrictions on Tehran, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says the Senate has to be prepared to move forward with a new Iran sanctions bill.

Reid says lawmakers need to have legislative options available after they return to Congress following the Thanksgiving holiday.

This comes as Iran and the P5+1 continue to negotiate in Geneva.

Iranian negotiators conceed there are still serious obstacles to overcome in their current round of talks.

Negotiators for the P5+1 also admit the current round of talks are bogged down with -quote- "serous gaps."

The Obama administration has been pleading with US lawmakers to allow for more time before voting on a house bill which would enact sweeping sanctions on Iran's oil exports.

 

Ukraine suspends plan to seek EU membership

The Ukranian government has decided to hold off on signing a new political and trade pact with the European Union.

This, after the Ukraine parliament voted to reject legislation which would have allowed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko safe passage to Germany for medical treatment.

Tymoshenko's current imprisonment has been a key stumbling block in negotiations between Ukraine and the EU.

The two sides have been set to meet next weekend in Lithuania to finalize new political and trade agreements.

In backing away from those talks, the government of Ukraine also says its going to "renew active dialogue" with Russia and other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The CIS makes up the majority of the former Soviet Union.

Russia has threatened to impose trade restrictions on Ukraine if it signs the agreement with the EU.

 

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan falls ill in London: Media

Nigerian authorities are moving to try to reassure the public President Goodluck Jonathan is in no serious situation.

This, after he fell ill while attending a meeting with foreign investors in London.

The 56-year old was in London on a 3-day meeting when he came down with an undisclosed illness.

A spokesperson for Jonathan says the Nigerian President has been advised to rest for a few days.

It's unclear if Jonathan will be able to return to Nigeria from London, as scheduled, on Saturday.

 

4 killed, dozens trapped after supermarket roof collapses in Latvia

Dozens may be trapped following a roof collapse at a supermarket in Latvia.

At least 4 people are dead and dozens of others hurt after the roof came down at an outlet of a popular supermarket chain in the capital, Riga.

The deputy mayor of the city says around 50 people are believed to be trapped under the rubble.

30 others have been hospitalized.

Initial indications are suggesting the collapse of the roof may have been caused by either a boiler explosion or by recent renovation work on the building.

The building was constructed in 2011.

 

7 dead, 5 injured in construction accident

Authorities in Hubei have just revealed that 7 people have been killed in an industrial accident in the city of Xiangyang.

5 others were hurt, after a scafolding collapsed Wednesday evening.

Authorities have only said 12 of the 13 workers on the site at the time were buried under concrete and desbris.

Few other details have been released at this point.

 

China's mobile phone users hit 1.22 bln, mobile payment market to exceed 800 bln yuan

New data shows the number of Chinese mobile phone users has hit 1.22 billion as of the end of October.

The same stats show that two-thirds of the mobile phones currently in-use here in China are connected to the internet.

35-percent of those are using 3G technology.