China plans to launch unmanned space module next year, says expert
China plans to launch an unmanned space module, Tiangong-1, in 2011, which is expected to accomplish the country's first space docking.
Tiangong, or the Heavenly Palace, will eventually be transformed into a manned space lab after experimental dockings with three Shenzhou spacecraft.

Chinese envoy reiterates China's support to Darfur peace efforts
Chinese Special Envoy to Darfur, Liu Guijin, has met with Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and reiterated China's support for the ongoing efforts to find a peaceful settlement to the Darfur crisis.
He says China supports the ceasefire agreement recently signed by the Sudanese government and a key rebel group in Darfur and the normalization of relations between Sudan and Chad.

Brasil, US Disagree over Iran
Brazil has rebuffed a US appeal for new sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.
Brazillian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pre-empted U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before she could even make the case for new penalties, saying that he would not "bow down" to international pressure. Clinton was in Brazil as part of a Latin American tour.

Triple Suicide Blasts in Iraw Kill 30
Three suicide bombings in the Iraqi city of Baquoba, northeast of Baghdad, have left 30 people dead and dozens more injured.
The first two bombs exploded within minutes of each other, while the third targeted the city's hospital.

Pakistan army kills 38 militants in gun battle
Pakistani security forces have killed 38 militants in an operation in the frontier region of Peshawar.
An official says the terrorists used the area to launch missile attacks from Peshawar.
One soldier was killed in the military assault.

Chile Begins Clean-up, Assesses Damage
A clean-up operation has begun in Chile's southern region, as officials begin to assess the damage to the country's fishing and wine industry.
In Concepcion, Chile's second largest city, a strong aftershock provoked a brief panic, but no new injuries or damage have been reported.
The full cost of the damage is still unknown, although Preseident Bachelet mentioned a 30 billion US dollar estimate when she met with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier this week.

Ukraine parliament passes non-confidence vote against Tymoshenko's government
Ukraine's parliament on Wednesday passed a non-confidence vote against the government led by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
This should pave the way for a new government to be installed under the Presidency of Viktor Yanukovich, who defeated Tymoshenko in last month's elections.

Reaction to Greek austerity measures
Greece has decided to take extra austerity measures totaling 4.8 billion euros or 6.5 billion U.S. dollars.
The extra measures include a reduction to holiday bonuses, raising value added tax, a further cut to supplemental wages by two more percent as well as a pension freeze this year.
Unions, already angered over the austerity program say the working class should not be paying for a crisis they did not create.

Three jailed over melamine-tainted dairy foods in Shanghai
A court in Shanghai has sentenced three people to jail terms of three to five years for their roles in the production and sale of melamine-tainted dairy products.
The three executives of Shanghai Panda Dairy Co. were accused of deliberately making milk flavoring with melamine-tainted condensed milk.
The dairy was shut down in April last year.
The toxic milk powder scandal in 2008 killed at least six infants and sickened 300,000 children across the country.

Water shortages worsen in southwest China as drought lingers
More than 6 million people in southwest China's Yunnan Province are now facing water shortages as the lingering drought continues to worsen.
The Governor of Yunnan says they expect that number to rise to 10 million people by May.

Migrants in south China city compensated for black lung disease
Fourteen migrant workers who contracted black lung disease due to inadequate safety precautions at work have been compensated by the social security fund in Shenzhen.
The migrants, who are among dozens demanding compensation, have been paid more than 2 million yuan in total.
The payouts are said to range anywhere from 20,000 to 280,000 yuan.
The workers, all from Hunan, blamed inadequate protection at their jobs, which involved drilling and blasting at more than 10 businesses in Shenzhen.
Eighteen were diagnosed with black lung disease in January.

Ancient capital aims to expand into megacity
According to a new 10-year plan from the local government, the ancient Chinese capital of Xi'an is planning to expand into one of China's biggest cities over the next decade.
By 2020, Xi'an and neighboring Xianyang is expected to integrate into a super city with more than 13 million residents.