New Zealand, U.S. scientists to study fishing impact in South Pacific

New Zealand and U.S. scientists are set to survey one of the world's longest underwater mountain ranges next month to determine whether the unique ecosystem has been damaged by commercial fishing.

Abbas proposes three-year withdrawal for Israel

Palestinian President Abbas says an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied West Bank as part of a future peace deal should not take longer than three years.

Cuban leader opens CELAC Summit

Cuban leader Raul Castro on Tuesday opened the 2nd Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), welcoming regional heads of state to the two-day event in Havana.

Putin vows to honor Ukraine loan and energy deal

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia will honor its obligations to lend Ukraine 15 billion U.S. dollars, even if the country's opposition forms the next government. Speaking during a press conference in Brussels, he also said Russia had no intention of revising its agreement to reduce gas prices.

World map featuring dumplings goes viral

Jiaozi, or Chinese dumplings, are a favorite of many people in China, commonly seen at family get-togethers especially during the Spring Festival. Recently, a teacher at Tianjin’s Foreign Studies University created a world map featuring different country’s interpretations of dumplings.

7 killed, 14 injured in fire on bus in western India

At least seven people were charred to death and over 14 others injured in a fire which broke out on a luxury bus after it collided with a diesel tanker in the western Indian state of Maharashtra in the early hours of Wednesday, a senior police official said.

China reports eight new cases of H7N9

Eight new human H7N9 cases were reported on Tuesday, bringing the total number across the country to 110 this year. Twenty deaths have been reported in January.

Capital's Expensive Plan to Fight Air Pollution Misguided, Expert Says

An expert has cast doubt on a large spending plan the Beijing city government has announced to fight air pollution, saying it takes aim at the wrong problem.
Beijing's mayor, Wang Anshun, said in mid-January that the central government has given him an "ultimatum" to get air pollution under control within three years. As a result, the capital

Ukrainian PM's resignation accepted by president, gov't dissolved

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on Tuesday accepted the resignation tendered by Prime Minister Mykola Azarov earlier in the day, and the government is subsequently dissolved, according to the presidential office.