China formally rejects request by the US, EU and Japan to examine China's rare earth

China has formally rejected a request by the US, European Union and Japan to have a World Trade Organization panel settles a dispute over its rare-earth export quotas.
China has made the objection at a special meeting held by the WTO to consider the request.
However, the US, EU and Japan claim that China's export policies have distorted the market for rare-earth metals, and unfairly advantaged Chinese manufacturers.
Under WTO rules, China is allowed to object once to the creation of a panel, but cannot block it for a second time.
It means a panel will be set up when the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body meet again on July 23rd.
ASEAN+3 FMs agree to further enhance friendship relations, cooperation

Foreign ministers from ASEAN members and China, Japan and South Korea have agreed to further tighten relations and cooperation between the ASEAN and +3 countries.
The 13th Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting was concluded in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, on Tuesday.
Speaking at the half-day meeting Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said cooperation in the fields of education, scientific research, culture and health has maintained steady progress.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Cooperation. A Commemorative Summit will be held in November.
China hopes for cooperation regarding South China Sea issue

China says it does not want efforts to safeguard the peace and stability of the South China Sea to be disturbed or damaged".
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin made the remarks in response to a question about discussions of the South China Sea issue at the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, which is underway in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
He stressed that the meeting is an important platform for enhancing mutual trust and cooperation between countries, but not a proper venue for discussing the South China Sea issue.
Egypt's court halts presidential decree reinstating parliament

Egypt's Supreme Court has overturned a decree by President Mohamed Mursi to recall the country's parliament.
Mursi had issued the decree on Sunday, reconvening the legislative body controversially dissolved last month by Egypt's military council.
Members of parliament gathered for a brief 15-minute session early on Tuesday before the Supreme Court's ruling was announced.
The ruling will likely lead to political stalemate in Egypt. The Supreme Court has declared that its decision is final and binding, but Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups are strongly protesting the ruling.
Annan shuffle diplomacy tour brings his to Iraq

UN and Arab League Joint Envoy, Kofi Annan, is continuing his diplomatic efforts to end the violence in Syria.
Annan met Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad on Tuesday.
"I have the opportunity to discuss with the leaders concerned the need to do everything possible to stop the killing. To stop the killing for the sake of the Syrian people, and to ensure that the conflict in Syria does not spill over to its neighbours. And I also discussed the need to get people to the table to discuss the political future."
The former UN Chief touched down in Baghdad after a one-day trip to Iran, a key Syrian ally. Annan has been reaching out to Syria's allies to salvage his faltering peace plan to end the bloodshed in the country.
ICC hands down 14 year sentence for Congolese warlord

The International Criminal Court in The Hague has sentenced Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga to 14 years in prison.
Lubanga, a former politician in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was found guilty of recruiting and using child soldiers in his rebel army between 2002 and 2003.
Human Rights Watch estimates more than 60-thousand people were killed in the conflict between ethnic groups in northeastern Congo.
However, Lubanga did not offer an apology.
China's Youku inks deal with NBCU

The Youku China online TV Company has signed a licensing deal with the US network NBC.
It is seeking cooperation with NBC's TV distribution arm for video-on-demand rights for Youku Premium, which has more than 300 million users.
The multi-year deal will include the rights to 100 classic films plus new titles like "Battleship" and "Snow White and the Huntsman,"
China's online video market has more than 400 million viewers with many of them accessing content via handsets.
In March, Youku formed a joint-company arch rival Tudou.
Google to pay record fine for violating Apple users' privacy

Google, the search giant is close to agreeing to pay $22.5m to settle a privacy complaint.
Media reports revealed that Google had bypassed a "do not track" setting in Apple's Safari web browser.
However, Google claims it was an unintentional mistake.
The loophole permitted Google's cookies to be installed via adverts on websites even if users' browsers' preferences had been set to reject them.
This allowed the firm to track people's web-use habits without their permission.