DPRK holds military parade to mark 60th anniversary of Korean War Armistice
North Korea held a military parade marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement on Saturday.
North Korea's top leader Kim Jong Un was seen standing on an upper podium overlooking Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square to inspect massive throngs of goose-stepping soldiers.
Armored vehicles and trucks carrying cannons, multiple rocket launchers and missiles followed the march.
The Korean War came to a ceasefire on July 27, 1953, when the Armistice Agreement was signed in Panmunjom on the border of North Korea and South Korea. But the war is not officially over because no peace treaty has ever been signed.
Chinese soldiers leave for anti-terror drills in Russia
China has begun to send military personnel and armaments to Russia, where they will join 20-day joint anti-terrorism drills held by both parties.
The transfer of Chinese troops for the exercise will be completed by Aug. 2, according to Zhang Yan, deputy commander of the 646 Chinese military personnel participating in the drill.
He says the Chinese officers and soldiers will be sent to the drill venue in Russia's Chebarkul training range in seven batches, with four traveling by air and three by train.
The exercises, dubbed "Peace Mission 2013" and scheduled to run from July 27 to Aug. 15, will be carried out in Chelyabinsk in Russia's Ural Mountains region.
Death toll of Egypt's clashes rises to 139
Death toll of clashes erupted late Friday between supporters and opponents of Egypt's ousted President Mohamed Morsi has climbed to at least 139 on Saturday, and over 5,200 people were injured across the country according to Muslim Brotherhood official and medic source.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim says the massive sit-ins of supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi will be cleared "soon and legally."
Death toll in Pakistan's Parachinar twin blasts jumps to 57
A dozen more people injured in Friday evening's northwest Pakistan's Parachinar twin blasts died at hospital overnight, bringing the death toll of the deadly attacks to 57.
Local officials say the blasts also wounded over 180 others.
Abu Baseer, a purported spokesman of Ansarul Mujahideen militant group, has claimed the responsibility for the attacks, according to local media.
The massive killings of innocent civilians in Parachinar shocked the whole nation as killings are strictly prohibited during Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims, which started in the country on July 11.
U.S. says won't seek death penalty for Snowden
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has sent a letter to Russian authorities, saying the United States won't seek death penalty for Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor who leaked the massive surveillance program of the agency.
In a letter, Holder said Snowden's arguments for temporary asylum in Russia are without merit, as he is seeking asylum on grounds that he will be tortured and face death penalty if returned to the United States.
Holder said death penalty is not an option given the current charges against Snowden, and even if additional charges are filed, the Justice Department won't seek death sentence. He also said Snowden won't be tortured and would face a civilian trial.
Russian says it would not hand over Snowden, who is stuck in a Moscow airport, to his home country.
Philippines, Japan agree to strengthen maritime cooperation
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have agreed to strengthen bilateral maritime cooperation, describing it as "a pillar of their strategic partnership."
In a statement released after the bilateral meeting in Malacanang, the presidential palace on Saturday, Aquino said that he and Abe reviewed the security challenges that confront both nations.
21 dead, 4 missing in Gansu floods
Twenty-one people have died and four are missing after rainstorm-triggered floods and mud-rock flows hit a city in northwest China's Gansu Province.
The Local government says four rounds of downpours, which swept Tianshui City recently, triggered floods, landslides and mud-rock flows in seven townships and left people missing and buried.
The local meteorological station forecast the city would have a new round of heavy rain in the next few days.
Gov't reassures on world's tallest building construction
Local authorities have reassured critics of the planned world's tallest building in Changsha, central China, that there will be no substantial construction until the project goes through relevant legal procedures.
They say examination of the construction plans for the "Sky City" basic structure and its firefighting facilities, and application for official licenses are under way as required.
Nine domestic construction experts have carried out a series of examinations on the project, including its structure and quake resistance.
A ground-breaking ceremony was held on July 20 for the 838-meter-tall tower. But it immediately sparked doubts on the project's safety, environmental concerns and construction speed.
China's June industrial profits up 6.3 pct
Major Chinese industrial firms saw their combined profits rise 6.3 percent year on year in June, slowing from the 15.5-percent rate seen in May.
An analyst with the National Bureau of Statistics says the drop in June industrial profits was mainly due to the slow-down in enterprise business revenue growth, higher costs and relatively higher base for the year-on-year comparison. |