Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has issued a new call for this country's macroeconomic policies to be more "scientific, forward-looking and targeted" in order to promote more sustainable growth.

Li Keqiang has made the comments at a conference in Beijing among several economists and business leaders, who have gathered to discuss China's economy.

It comes as latest government data shows China's economic growth slowed to 7.5 percent in the second quarter from 7.7 percent in the first.

Li Keqiang says the country's economy has entered a new phase, where it has to rely more on economic transformation and upgrading.

 

Chinese political advisors warn of urbanization risks

China's top political advisors have held a special meeting in Beijing to discuss China's economy.

Several political advisors are warning of the risks of sacrificing the quality of urbanization for speed.

Top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng says the urbanization process should be more coordinated and "human-oriented".

Over 52 percent of China's population now lives in cities.

This represents a 20-percent increase compared the start of Reform and Opening-up some 3-decades ago.

 

Central gov't sincere about universal suffrage: liaison office chief in HK

The central government's chief liaison in Hong Kong has gone on record saying authorities on the mainland are sincere in achieving universal suffrage for Hong Kong.

Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Liaison Office of the Chinese Central People's Government in Hong Kong, has made the comments during a lunch meeting with the city's Legislative Council.

Zhang Xiaoming is calling for the combined effort of everyone in Hong Kong to make universal suffrage a reality.

Zhang also says the process needs to adhere to the current governing principle of "one country, two systems".

 

Xi Jinping meets Belarusian counterpart

Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with visiting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko here in Beijing.

The two leaders have agreed to raise the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Both sides have also agreed to increase cooperation in infrastructure, telecommunications, energy and finance.

The two sides are also hoping to set up a joint industrial zone.

As part of Lukashenko's three-day visit to China, both are expected to sign a joint declaration and more than 20-bilateral agreements, protocols and contracts.

 

Egypt's interim gov't takes oath

Egypt's interim government has been sworn in.

The new temporary administration is headed by Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi.

Beblawi's cabinet contains no representatives from any of the Islamic-based parties.

Military head Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who is also the defense minister, is also acting at Beblawi's deputy.

The Muslim Brotherhood has rejected taking part in the new cabinet.

Ousted President Mohamed Morsi's political party is also refusing to take part in national reconciliation talks being requested by President Adli Mansour.

Mansour has gone on record saying he expects most Islamic-based political groups in Egypt to take part in his reconciliation efforts.

 

Syrian refugee crisis worst since the 1990s Rwandan genocide: UN

The UN Security Council has been told the Syrian refugee crisis is at the range not seen since the Rwandan genocide nearly 2-decades ago.

The United Nations now estimates some 6-thousand people are leaving Syria per day.

Around 1.8-million people have fled the fighting over the past 2-years.

The UN Security Council has been told the flow of refugees into Lebanon, as an example, would be the equivilant of 75-million additional people flowing into the United States, which has a population of around 350-million.

Lebanon, with a population of just over 4-million, has already taken in over 600-thousand people.

 

U.S. urges Snowden's return from Russia

The White House has issued a statement, once again calling on Russia to hand over NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The new call from the Obama administration comes following word Snowden has officially filed a request for temporary asylum in Russia.

A spokesperson for the White House says the US and Russian sides maintain contact on a number of issues, including the Snowden case.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested this week that Snowden could be granted temporary asylum as he tries to find transit to a different country, provided he stop harming US interests.

Snowden has been stuck in the international transit lounge at Moscow's main airport since arriving there from Hong Kong some 3-weeks ago.

 

L.A. protest against Zimmerman acquittal turns violent, over dozen arrested

Over a dozen people have been arrested after a protest against the aquittal of George Zimmerman turned violent in Los Angeles.

Authorities say that while the original demonstration was peaceful, a group of young protesters began to turn violent, setting fires and attacking people.

The rioters also began trashing retail outlets in the suburb of Crenshaw.

The Crenshaw district of Los Angeles was the scene of some of the worst upheaval during the Rodney King Riots which hit the city in 1992.