Boao China confident to keep economy in proper range: premie
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has delivered his keynote speech to the opening of the Bo'ao Forum for Asia in Hainan, focusing largely on economic integration and regional cooperation.
Li Keqiang says China will work with all parties to accelerate negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
The premier also says the Chinese government has an open attitude toward the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Li Keqiang also addressed issues of security in Asia, saying China is firm in its resolve to uphold its territorial sovereignty.
Australian aircraft detected possible fifth signal
An Australian aircraft has detected what may be a fifth signal coming from the locator beacons of missing Malaysian Airlines jetliner mh370.
The finding adds to hope that searchers will soon deploy a submarine to confirm if the signals are connected to the missing plane.
The data is now under analysis.
If confirmed, the signal can further narrow the hunt for the missing jetliner.
Meanwhile, as the investigation of the flight crew continues, it is reported that the flight's captain was the last person on the jet to speak to air-traffic controllers.
Previously, media reports suggested the final words had been spoken by the co-pilot.
It is said that there is nothing unusual about the captain's voice and there were no third-party voices.
Chinese Tourist Kidnappers Demand $11 mln Ransom
The kidnappers who abducted a Chinese female tourist from a holiday resort in Malaysia have asked for a 500-million peso ransom. That's abount 11 million US dollars.
The latest development is according to a statement released by the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs.
A 29-year-old Chinese tourist from Shanghai was kidnapped along with a Filipino resort worker by a group of gunmen at a hotel in Sabah on April 2.
Philippine military officials say the search for the 7 gunmen is still underway in a province in the southern Philippines.
Putin suggests urgent consultations over Ukraine with European leaders/xinhua
Russian President Vladimir Putin is calling for talks with European Union leaders over the situation in Ukraine.
Specifically, he wants to discuss Ukraine's gloomy economy. Putin is insisting that Russia has been playing a supporting role in the country's stability.
In a letter sent to 18 European leaders, the Russian president says Ukraine's economy has been plummeting, with its industrial and construction sectors declining sharply.
Putin has told the other leaders that it is vital to stabilize Ukraine's economy and ensure delivery and transit of Russian natural gas.
Pentagon chief reiterates U.S. support to Ukraine
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has reaffirmed American support for the current regime in Kiev.
Hagel placed an in-flight call his counterpart in Kiev, following his recent Asia-Pacific tour that saw him stop here in China.
The Defense Secretary told his Ukrainian counterpart that the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine, and both sides pledged to remain in close contact going forward.
The two defense officials also discussed the situation in Crimea, as well as Russia's military activities along Ukraine's borders.
Car bombings kill 12 in Iraq
At least 12 people have been killed in two separate car bombings in Iraq. 55 others have been wounded.
One of the attacks on Thursday evening happened in an eastern suburb of the capital, Baghdad. Seven people died there.
Five others died in an attack near a hospital in Sadr City, a Shiite district of northeastern Baghdad.
Eariler in the day, 25 people were killed and 31 wounded in multiple attacks reported across the country.
The violence comes less than three weeks ahead of Iraq's landmark parliamentary elecions, scheduled for April 30th.
This is the first voting since the withdrawal of US troops from the country in late 2011.
General strike brings Argentina to standstill
A general strike in Argentina has borught the country to a standstill.
Most transportation unions in the country took to the streets on Thursday, in protest of the policies of President Christina Fernandez's government.
One union leader says more than a million workers joined the strike to protest inflation, crime, and the decreasing purchasing power of wages.
According to government figures, there are 10 million active workers in Argentina, of which 4 million are affiliated with a trade union.
A government spokesman has called the general strike "anti-democratic", saying the work stoppage by the transportation workers prevented employees in other sectors from getting to their jobs.
Greece successfully returns to int'l bond markets after 4 years
Greece has returned to international bond markets after a four year absence due to the debt crisis, selling 3 billion euro worth of five-year bonds at 4.75 percent interest.
The Greek Finance Ministry says the transaction is expected to settle next week, after the closure of the first long-term Green bond auction since 2010.
The auction process lasted just a few hours on Thursday and demand was very strong, exceeding expectations. The initial goal was to raise 2.5 billion euros at approximately 5 percent interest rate.
The Greek Finance Ministry says the participation of long-term investors outside Greece is expected to approach 90 percent.
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