Google says its Google.cn site redirected
After months of speculation, Google Inc says it will stop censoring its search results in China, although it wont shut down its Chinese site altogether.
Visitors to Google.cn are now redirected to Google.com.hk—the search engine's Chinese-language service based in Hong Kong.
Google says it still plans to maintain some of its presence on the mainland, with its Research and Development and Sales operations in China set to continue.
The Chinese government responded quickly.
An official with the Cabinet's internet bureau says Google has 'violated its written promise' and is 'totally wrong' in refusing to censor its search results and blaming China for alleged hacker attacks.
He stressed that foreign companies must abide by Chinese laws and regulations when they operate in China.
Envoy says Rio Tinto exec admits truth to some charges
One of four Rio Tinto executives facing trial in Shanghai has "acknowledged the truth" to some bribery charges he faces.
They were charged with bribery and stealing commercial secrets in China.
Australia's consul-general in Shanghai, Tom Connor says Stern Hu admitted taking bribes of 1 million yuan. Hu was Rio Tinto's senior executive in China in charge of iron ore.
The four Rio Tinto employees were arrested nine months ago when the company was acting as lead negotiator for global iron ore suppliers in price talks with Chinese steel mills.
China expects to solve problems with U.S. in May dialogue: PM
The Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao says that the upcoming high-level political and economic dialogue in May "will be a chance for China and the United States to settle disputes and problems" that the two countries face regarding trade and currency.
Speaking to business leaders at the China Development Forum in Beijing, Wen Jiabao said that confidence in the China-US relationship is growing within both countries.
The Chinese Premier said he believes differences on the appreciation of the yuan and other trade issues can be solved through fair consultation.
Obama Set to Sign Health Bill into Law
President Barack Obama is set to sign into law a historic health care bill tomorrow at the White House.
The bill will usher in near-universal medical coverage in the US for the first time in the nation’s history. It was approved yesterday in the House of Representatives with a vote of 219 in favor to 212 opposed.
The 10-year, $938 billion bill will extend health care coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans.
Pakistani Police Foils Plot to Bomb Restaurant
Pakistani police have foiled a plot to blow up a hotel and restaurant in Islamabad's diplomatic zone, a place frequented by foreigners.
Militants associated with Qari Hussain, known as the Taliban's "mentor of suicide bombers," were arrested before they could attack the Serena Hotel and the French Club restaurant.
Taliban insurgents have previously attacked Western targets to destabilize the government of President Asif Ali Zardari, as part of a campaign to frighten away foreign investors.
Clinton accuses Israel of hurting US credibility
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has accused Israel of undermining the US's credibility as a peacemaker in the Middle East—comments which come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington DC for talks with President Barack Obama.
Israeli-US relations have been strained since Israel announced the construction of new settlements in East Jerusalem during a visit by US Vice President Joe Biden to the region.
Tomorrow's meeting between Obama and Netanyahu will be the first high-level talks since the diplomatic row began.
Sarkozy Reshuffles Cabinet after Elections Loss
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has dismissed his labor minister and reshuffled several other Cabinet posts, after losing heavily to the country’s Socialist Party in regional elections.
A total of twenty of Sarkozy’s cabinet ministers ran for regional posts—All lost.
The election loss leaves Sarkozy’s presidency weakened and exposes his inability to convince the public on his economic reforms.
EU to pledge euro1 billion in Haiti aid
The European Union says it will grant reconstruction aid worth 1 billion euros or 1.3 billion US dollars to Haiti in the next three weeks.
Haitian officials have said they will also ask for donations of up to 11.5 billion US dollars
The earthquake that struck Haiti in January killed an estimated 230-thousand people.
Over a million people are still homeless, with many living in camps vulnerable to dangerous flooding in the forthcoming rainy season.
Russia vital for Chinese enterprises "going global": Chinese vice president
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping says Russia is a vital market for the "going global" strategy of Chinese enterprises.
He made the comments while inspecting a Sino-Russian joint commercial and real estate project in St. Petersburg.
The project was launched in 2006 with a total investment of over 1.3 billion U.S. dollars.
Probe into Vaccine Scandal Finds Embezzelment
A probe into a vaccine scandal that left almost 100 children dead or ill in North China's Shanxi Province has found that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, was involved in embezzlement.
According to the provincial government, the former director of the provincial CDC, Li Wenyuan, embezzled 270,000 yuan from a vaccine company's safety guarantee deposit.
A recent report also found that the CDC had exposed vaccines to heat during the summer, causing quality problems.
Li Wenyuan has since been removed from his role as head of the provincial CDC.
