Chinese fishing fleet arrives in South China Sea

A Chinese fleet of some 30 fishing boats has arrived at an area just off the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.
It is the largest fishing fleet ever to sail from southern China's Hainan.
The fleet will spend at least a week in the region around the Yongshu Reef.
The fishing boats are also escorted by a Chinese fishery administration patrol ship.
China, Indonesia conclude anti-terrorism drill

China and Indonesia have concluded a two-week anti-terrorism exercise in eastern China's Shandong.
Some 140 special force troops from the two armies practiced air landing, shooting and anti-terrorist search and rescue operations.
It is the second set of joint anti-terrorism exercises by China and Indonesia, and the first inside China.
Chinese Premier urges economic growth again

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is calling on government departments and businesses to do more to stabilize the economy.
The Chinese premier promises the central government will make its macro-economic policies more "targeted" in the second half of this year.
He also promises to raise incomes and create more jobs particularly for college graduates.
Wen Jiabao called for more investments in construction projects to boost the economy earlier this month.
China's economic growth slowed to three-year low of 7.6 percent in the second quarter.
Red Cross says Syria in state of civil war

The humanitarian organization, the Red Cross, says that the fighting in Syria is now so widespread that in effect the country is in a state of civil war.
The change in status means that the conflict may now be subject to the Geneva Convention, and that combatants could be prosecuted for war crimes.
The announcement comes on the heels of last week's fighting in the town of Tremseh, close to Hama, in which over 200 people died. The Syrian military dispute claims that heavy artillery was used in the attack and claim that most of the dead were rebel fighters, not civilians.
Under the Geneva Convention, attacks on civilians, medical services or basic utilities can be prosecuted as war crimes.
African Union chooses first woman leader

The African Union has chosen South Africa's home affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as its leader.
Dlamini-Zuma also becomes the first woman to hold the post.
Dlamini-Zuma has beat incumbent Jean Ping of Gabon following a closely fought contest.
Many say Zuma's candidacy has broken an unwritten rule that Africa's dominant states should not contest the AU leadership.
Rwanda and Congo strike border patrol deal

Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have agreed in principle to allow a neutral international peace-keeping force to patrol their borders.
The force would tackle renegade militia groups active in eastern Congo that have displaced thousands of civilians.
Leaders from the two countries came to the agreement at a sideline meeting of the African Union summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
The almost two-decade long conflict has its roots in the bitter divisions between Tutsi and Hutu tribes dating back to the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.
Clinton meets Egypt's head of the military council

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is urging Egypt's military and its newly elected civilian leadership to respect the rights of all Egyptians.
Clinton, who's set to start her next stop of visit to Israel, pledged continued U.S. support for ongoing democratic reforms.
Clinton also discussed Egypt's turbulent democratic transition with the country's top general, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi.
The low-key, hour-long meeting with Tantawi came a day after she met Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.
North Korean army chief relieved of all posts

North Korean army chief Ri Yong Ho has been relieved of all duties due to illness.
The announcement comes following a weekend meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.
The official KCNA news agency failed to reveal more details.
Nepal bus crash kills dozens

At least 39 people have been killed in a bus crash in Nepal on Sunday.
The bus swerved off the wet road and fell into an irrigation canal near the town of Parasi, 93 km southwest of Kathmandu.
The overcrowded vehicle was taking Hindu pilgrims from the Indian state to Uttar Pradesh to the holy site of Triveni, close to the Indian border.
According to local officials, more than 100 people were crammed into the bus and some passengers were riding on the roof.
Buses in Nepal are often overcrowded. Last October, 41 people died in the east of the country when a bus veered off a road and plummeted into a river.
Lightening kills 2 in Texas

A lightening bolt struck a soccer match in the U.S. state of Texas on Sunday, killing two people and leaving another injured.
The three spectators were sheltering under a tree when was hit by the lightening.
Lightening strikes have killed nine people across the United States so far this year.
Nokia Cuts U.S. Price of Flagship Phone in Half

The price of Nokia's flagship smart phone has been cut in half in the US, little more than three months after its launch.
The Lumia 900 hit the market in April with the device been priced at $99 with a two-year agreement, but a new price of $50 was introduced early today.
The price cut comes with Nokia facing gloomy performance results and drops in market share.
Meanwhile, Nokia is also downsizing its Chinese operation by closing its regional sales offices in Chengdu and Shanghai and laying off staff.