Chinese authorities have halted all imports of New Zealand milk powders from Australia and New Zealand. 

It comes as China's top quality watchdog names importers of potentially tainted products from New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra. 

Those four importers include China's largest beverage producer Wahaha and children's nutrition company Dumex. 

The companies involved here in China have issued recalls of their products.

It comes amid reports whey protein produced by Fonterra in May 2012 was found to contain clostridium botulinum, which can cause highly toxic food poisoning.

The protein is used in a range of products, including infant milk powder.

Fonterra is New Zealand's biggest exporter, it sells over 370-thousand tons of infant formula each year to China.

 

US extends embassies closure amid attack threat

The United States has closed 21 of it's embassies and consulates in the Middle East and North Africa, a day after US authorities warn of an al-Qaeda attack.

Embassies closed on Sunday include Amman, Cairo, Riyadh and Dhaka.

State department in Washington says US diplomatic missions in Algiers, Kabul and Baghdad are also closed.

Closures are expected to last for up to a week as a precautionary measure. 

It is also being reported heavy military is surrounding the US embassy in Yemen's capital of Sanaa following the closure of the US embassy there.

 

new Iranian president Hasan Rouhani speaks of moderation and reconciliation with the West

Iran's parliament has inaugurated Hassan Rouhani as the country's President.

Rouhani is promising a government of "prudence and hope" representing all Iranians.

Rouhani, who is a moderate cleric won a landslide victory in the June 14th presidential elections, was endorsed by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier on Saturday.

In his inauguration speech, Rouhani continued his call for dialogue with the West, while asking foreign powers to respect Iran in its negotiations.

The United States has said it can be a "willing partner" of Iran, if Rouhani seeks to resolve nuclear disagreements.

 

Kevin Rudd set date for Aussie national elections

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has set the date for the country's national elections. 

Rudd says the elections will be held on September 7th. 

The election will take place just over two months after Rudd returned home as Prime Minister, after toppling Julia Gillard in a party-room vote late June.

Rudd's Labor government currently holds 71 seats, the opposition 72, with one Green and six independent cross benchers.

　　

With Julia Gillard as prime minister, the polls suggested an electoral wipe-out for Labor. 

But the latest polls suggest that Rudd has lifted Labor's support to give the government a chance of victory.

 

Chinese police rescue baby allegedly sold by doctor

Police in northwest China's Shaanxi Province have rescued a newborn baby who was allegedly sold to human traffickers by a doctor.

Six suspects involved in the trafficking have been arrested.

Local authorities say the baby boy was sold for some 20-thousand yuan one day after his birth.

Local police say they are investigating five other similar cases reported in the same hospital.

 

23 missing backpackers return safe in C China

Twenty-three backpackers who went missing in a mountain in central China have returned safely.

It comes some 30 hours after they lost contact with the outside world.

Their bus driver filed a missing report to the police Sunday evening when the hikers did not return to their gathering point near the Three Gorges Dam in Hubei Province.

Over 100 people, including local police and fire fighters, joined the search efforts.

 

Chinese heavy ground combat vehicles join China-Russia drill

Heavy ground combat vehicles from Chinese army's battle group have joined the China-Russia joint drill taking place in Russia's Chelyabinsk.

The joint drill, code-named Peace Mission-2013, has entered it's battle planning phase.

The Chinese combat vehicles have been transported from over 5-thousand kilometers away, through the trans-Siberian railway.

Russian military officers say the deployment highlights the Chinese military's strategic mobility.

July non-manufacturing PMI rises to 54.1%

China has released July's figures for the country's non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index.

The figure saw a slight up-turn from the previous month.

July's PMI stood at 54.1 percent.

It is up from 53.9 percent for June. 

A PMI reading above 50 percent indicates expansion.

 

Sun Yang wins third gold at Barcelona, named Best Male Swimmer

The FINA World Championships have drawn to a close after a thrilling final day of competition yesterday. 

One of the most dramatic victories of the night was when China's Sun Yang won his 3rd gold medal in the 1500 meter freestyle. 

The 22-year old became only the second man ever to complete a treble in that event at a world championship.

 

Dying US boy is best man at parents' wedding

A dying two-year-old boy in the United States has served as the best man at his parents' wedding.

Logan Stevenson has acute myeloid leukaemia.

Doctors have given the boy weeks to live.

Logan was held by his grandmother during the ceremony.

He himself held on to his favourite stuffed rabbit.

His mother says "this is our dream come true".