US hi-tech export controls to be scrutinized

Chinese vice premier arrives in Sydney for official visit to Australia

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang arrived in Sydney Thursday night to start his three-day official visit to Australia.

He said the purpose of his visit is to enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation and work with the Australian side to seek further development of bilateral ties.

During his stay in Australia, Li Keqiang will hold talks with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Apart from Sydney, he will also visit Canberra and Brisbane and meet with the state leaders of New South Wales and Queensland.

UN Security Council begins meeting on Afghanistan

The UN Security Council has kicked off a meeting on Afghanistan following Wednesday's attack that killed at least five UN staff members in the Afghan capital of Kabul.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed the closed-door meeting of the 15-nation Security Council calling for a realistic assessment of the situation and more effective protection in Afghanistan.

Five UN staff were killed and nine wounded after militants attacked a UN guest house in Kabul Wednesday morning.

A/H1N1 accounts for 80 pct of China's total flu cases: official

The A/H1N1 virus is responsible for nearly 80 percent of China's total flu infections with most mass cases occurring in schools, according to a senior official with the Ministry of Health.

As of Wednesday, a total of 1,502 mass cases were reported on the Chinese mainland with 96 percent occurring in schools.

Liang said the country will act fast in providing vaccines for citizens.

Meanwhile, China's top epidemiologist has urged people to take part in the H1N1 vaccine free inoculations campaign.

US hi-tech export controls to be scrutinized

Visiting U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke says the United States is reviewing the loosening of controls on exports to China.

Locke is currently in China to attend the 20th China-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade.

He was quoted on Tuesday as saying that Obama's visit to China next month will see "some major breakthroughs" in bilateral trade relations.

This has led some Chinese scholars to predict that one of the breakthroughs may be the recognition of China's market economy status.

African Union imposes sanctions on Guinean junta: reports

The African Union has announced the imposing of sanctions against Guinea's junta, according to agency reports.

The announcement came at a meeting of the African Union in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.

An arms embargo has been imposed in Guinea on Small Arms and Light Weapons, as well as Ammunitions and related materials, to prevent further killings of civilians in the African nation.

U.S. remains waiting Iran's "formal response" on nuclear deal

The U.S. says it is still waiting for Iran's formal response to the International Atomic Energy Agency's proposal to send low-enriched uranium abroad for further processing.

The U.S. government is keeping close contact with IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei as it awaits Iran's official response to the IAEA's proposal, Statement Department spokesman Ian Kelly says.

The nuclear-fuel talks held in Vienna last week concluded without final agreement.

Iran said it would inform the IAEA before Friday its decision on the United Nations-drafted proposal for Tehran to send low-enriched uranium abroad for further processing.

Firms sign agreement of largest Chinese investment in U.S. renewable energy

Chinese and U.S. firms Thursday signed an agreement to develop a 600 megawatt wind farm in Texas, the largest Chinese investment in U.S. renewable energy.

The U.S. Renewable Energy Group and Cielo Wind Power LP said that they will work with China's Shenyang Power Group on the project, which is expected to cost 1.5 billion U.S. dollars.

Arianespace shoots two commercial satellites

The European Space Agency launched two telecommunication satellites, the NSS-12 and THOR 6 aboard the Ariane 5 ECA launcher on Thursday in French Guiana.

Ariane 5 was ignited at the South American jungle of Kourou, with two direct broadcast satellites on mission: the NSS-12, for the operator of SES World Skies, a cross-continent satellite operator, and THOR 6 for Norwegian mobile operator Telenor.

6.0-magnitude earthquake strikes northeast Afghanistan

A 6.0-magnitude earthquake rocked the Hindu Kush mountain region in northeast Afghanistan on Thursday night.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the quake was 261 kilometers from the Afghan capital of Kabul where tremors were strongly felt.

Death toll from blast in Pakistan's Peshawar climbs to 106

The death toll from Wednesday's car blast in northwest Pakistan's Peshawar has risen to 106 with over 150 injured.

Rescue workers say more people could still be buried under debris.

The powerful bomb targeted a crowded market and triggered fire in nearby shops while an old building collapsed upon heavy impact.