The National People's Congress, China's top legislature, is set to conclude its annual session later on today.

Several key documents, including the government work report and both national and local budgets, are set to be put up for votes as part of the closing meeting.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is due to hold a news conference following the closing session.

 

Israel strikes Gaza targets; PLO decides not to extend peace talks

Tensions are on the rise between Israeli and Palestinian forces in Gaza and Southern Israel.

Israeli forces have launched a series of strikes on sites in northern and southern Gaza said to be targeting militant strongholds.

Israel has also closed the crossing points with the Gaza Strip.

All of these follow a series of rocket attacks into southern Israel earlier in the day on Wednesday.

Dozens of rockets have been fired from points along the border in the Gaza Strip into southern Israel.

At least 8 of the rockets have exploded in populated areas.

No word at this point about casualties on either side.

The uptick in violence and rhetoric comes on the heels of an announcement by the Palestine Liberation Organization that it has decided not to extend its current peace talks with the Israeli government beyond April.

 

At least 2 dead, 18 injured in New York buildings explosion

At least 2 people are dead and a number of others missing following a massive explosion inside a building in New York City.

The explosion, believed to have been caused by a gas leak, was strong enough to level two 5-story buildings adjacent to the building where the initial blast took place in New York's East Harlem area.

At least 18 others have been hurt.

Around 250 fire fighters have been on the scene trying to battle the subsequent fires and search for more victims in the rubble of the buildings.

 

Kerry to meet Russian FM on Ukraine

The foreign ministers of the United States and Russia are set to meet in London on Friday to discuss the rising tensions in Ukraine.

The meeting between John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov is scheduled to take place just two days before a controversial referendum is set to be held in Crimea, where voters are being asked to decided whether or not they want to seceed from Ukraine and re-join Russia.

In announcing the meeting, Kerry says he plans to present Lavrov "certian choices" to try to difuse the situation.

The Russian side has signalled it will respect the outcome of the vote in Crimea, while the US and its European allies have questioned the vote's legitimacy.

Sunday's referendum in the Crimea is the latest in a series of moves which have been escallating tensions in Ukraine following a parliamentary vote by lawmakers in Kiev last month to oust Ukranian President Viktor Yanukovych from his position.

 

European lawmakers threaten trade deal veto unless U.S. mass surveillance stops

The European Parliament has formalized an earlier threat to veto any forthcoming trade pact between the EU and the United States unless the US side stops spying on European institutions.

European lawmakers have passed a formal resolution with the threat, which also calls on EU officials to suspend its bank data and so-called Safe Harbor agreements with the United States as well.

The formalized threat by the European Parliament comes on the heels of last year's revelations by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden that the US spy agency routinely monitored high-level US and European meetings, along with bugging the phones of European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

 

UAE slams Iraqi PM's "terrorism" charges on Saudi Arabia

The United Arab Emirates is jumping to the defense of its Gulf neighbor amid allegations by Iraq's leadership that Saudi Arabia is supporting terrorism in his country.

The UAE's government has summoned the Iraqi ambassador in connection with recent comments made by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Nuri al-Maliki has suggested Saudi Arabia, along with Qatar, is openly funding Sunni insurgents in Iraq's western Anbar province.

The UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs has since issued a condemnation of the statement, suggesting the comments by Maliki are without foundation.

Iraqi forces have been struggling to fight a growing insurgency among members of the Sunni population in the western regions of Iraq which have left hundreds dead so far this year.

 

Canada ends military operations in Afghanistan

Canada has become the latest NATO country to officially bring its military operations to an end in Afghanistan.

A flag-lowering ceremony has taken place at ISAF headquarters in Kabul to mark the end of Canada's 12-year involvement in the Afghan mission.

Canada was one of the first NATO countries to send in troops into Afghanistan following the ouster of the Taliban, and at one point maintained the 3rd largest international contingent of troops in the country, behind the US and Britian.

Canadian forces were responsible for securing the Kandahar region, which is where the Taliban was founded.

Around 40-thousand Canadian troops took part in the Afghan mission, with 158 of them killed in action.