Bluefin-21 backs in water for second search
The unmanned submarine being deployed to look for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight is back in the water again after an abbreviated first mission yesterday.
The mission for the US Navy's Bluefin-21 was cut short yesterday after the sub exceeded its programmed depth limit in the Indian Ocean.
But the sub did manage to record a number of images from the ocean floor, covering about 30 percent of its planned search area.
Officials say the sub has then been reprogrammed with better instructions to keep it operating within its limits.
Meanwhile, in terms of the ongoing investigation of the flight's crew members, it is reported that the mobile phone belonging to the co-pilot was switched on and made contact with a network tower in Malaysia 30 minutes after the plane was diverted.
Malaysia has been tight-lipped about its ongoing investigation, saying that revelations could hinder further probes into the vanished flight.
UN chief calls on Russia to work to ease tension in Ukraine
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin and others to work together to de-escalate the situation in eastern Ukraine.
In a phone call with Putin, Ban "expressed his alarm about the highly volatile situation in eastern Ukraine and underlined that any deepening of the crisis would be profoundly detrimental for all concerned.
A new wave of unrest erupted in Ukraine's east over the weekend, as pro-Russia activists seized several government buildings in several cities demanding a referendum on autonomy and closer ties with Russia.
They were reports of heavy casualties on both sides.
Ban also phoned Ukraine's acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov, on Monday, expressing the hope that Ukraine can continue exercising restraint in its effort to de-escalate the situation and find a peaceful solution.
Chinese FM underlines dialogue to solve Ukraine crisis
The Chinese and Russian foreign ministers have held a meeting Beijing.
Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov discussed the forthcoming multilateral talks on Ukraine which begin tomorrow.
Wang says one of the keys to success at the bargaining table will be taking care of the reasonable interests and concerns of all parties at the discussions.
He reiterated that China has taken an impartial and objective stand on the crisis in Ukraine and will continue to play a constructive role in seeking a proper solution.
For his part, Sergey Lavrov says Russia is against the use of force to end the demonstrations in the eastern part of Ukraine.
Five nuclear-weapon states renew vows to disarmament
A meeting in Beijing between the world's five recognized nuclear-weapons states has wrapped up.
Representatives from China, the United States, Russia, the UK, and France have again reviewed the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, reaffirming that it remains the cornerstone of the control of nuclear arms.
The five nuclear powers have also agreed to complete nuclear disarmament step-by-step in keeping with the treaty's obligations.
190 countries have joined the treaty.
The next meeting is scheduled to be held in London next year.
UN committee receives letter from Iran on U.S. visa denial: spokesperson
A United Nations agency has received a letter from Iran regarding the US decision to reject Tehran's choice for UN ambassador.
A meeting regarding this issue has now been scheduled for next Tuesday.
According to the 1947 UN headquarters agreement, as host country for the United Nations, the United States must provide rights to persons invited to the New York headquarters.
But the US rejected Hamid Aboutalebi's visa application over his role in the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, in which the US emabssy in Tehran was seized by activists and its staff held captive for more than a year.
New policy for China's TV drama
China's media watchdog has announced a new policy regarding the broadcasting of TV dramas.
Starting from next year, each new TV series can only be aired by two different television networks, which is down from the current four.
The new policy also sets a cap of two episodes per night.
The administrative bureau released a statement explaining that the new policy is meant to balance the variety of programs and optimize channel resources.
China bear farm to be turned into rescue center
A black bear farm in south China, where the animals are raised for their bile, will be turned into a rescue centre.
The Animals Asia project made the announcement on Tuesday along with the Nanning-based Flower World Bear Farm in Beijing.
Bear farms profit from taking bile from live bears and selling it to drug stores.
The practice, which inflicts pain and damages the health of the animals, has drawn criticism from animal rights groups and the public.
130 bears live at the farm in Nanning. 28 of them are said to be sick, and five million dollars is to be spent to move those animals to a bear rescue centre in Sichuan for treatment.
In traditional Chinese medicine, bear bile is hailed as a cure for ailments such as eye and liver problems. But doctors believe there are at least 50 herbs that can be used as a substitute in herbal pharmaceutical products. |