IMF projects China economy to grow 8.2 percent in 2012

The International Monetary Fund now says it believes China's economy will grow by 8.2 percent this year, signaling a soft landing, even with the drag on external demand.
The IMF's latest World Economic Outlook report says both investment and private consumption remains strong in China, supported by solid corporate profits and rising household incomes.
The IMF also predicts that the growth of Chinese consumer prices will fall to 3.3 percent this year after a 5.4 percent gain in the previous year.
The IMF has also revised its outlook for global economic growth for this year to 3.5-percent, up from its previous forecast of 3.3-percent.
China, Thailand upgrade bilateral ties, vow closer trade links

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra have signed-off on a number of agreenments as part of her visit here to China.
The agreements cover areas including trade and the environment.
At the same time, Wen Jiabao says his side wants to see bilateral trade expand to 100 billion US dollars a year in the next 3-years.
Gelatin plant manager detained for arson amid capsule scandal

The head of a gelatin plant in Hebei has been detained amid the unfolding scandal surrounding contaminated medicine capsules.
The manager of the gelatin factory in Hebei allegedly set fire to the plant Sunday afternoon to try to destroy evidence.
Investigators say the company in question has been selling industrial-grade gelatin to companies producing drug capsules here in China instead of the medical-grade gelatin
Industrial-grade gelatin contains excessive levels of potentially-toxic chromium.
U.S. decides not to levy antidumping duties on Chinese steel wheels

The United States Trade commission has decided not to impose anti-dumping duties or countervailing duties on steel wheels from China.
The US side has determined the U.S. steel-wheel industry is not threatened or injured by Chinese imports.
The decision by the USITC runs counter to an earlier US Commerce Department ruling, which suggested Chinese companies had been dumping steel-wheels at a range of between 45 and 194-percent, on top of being subsidized by upwards of 38-percent.
UN will release a full plan to maintain the ceasefire in Syria

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is now planning to release his plans for full UN supervision in Syria to try to maintaining the ceasefire.
The UN chief says they may need to send more observers into Syria.
The Secretary General also notes the Syrian government is ultimately responsible for the safety of the observers.
At the same time, U.S. envoy to the United Nations, Susan Rice, is warning the realities on the ground could jeopardize plans to extend the monitoring mission.
DPRK says not to follow deal with U.S., vowing to continue satellite launch

North Korea is now backing away completely from its earlier food-aid agreement with the United States.
An official with the North's defense ministry says the country will no longer be confined by its earlier agreement with the US, suggesting the United States has breached the terms of the deal through confrontational acts.
At the same time, the North is promising more satellite launches.
The deal in February obliged North Korea to stop all of its nuclear tests and long-range missile launches in exchange for food aid from the US.
The United States has already suspended the agreement in the wake of this month's failed satellite launch by the DPRK.
U.S. eases financial sanctions on Myanmar

The U.S. Treasury Department has announced its easing some of its financial sanctions on Myanmar.
This initial move will allow American non-governmental organizations to operate in the country.
This is one of a number of steps the US government is expected to make in the near-term to try to normalize its relationship with Myanmar.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is already on record as saying Washington will ease its financial and investment restrictions on Myanmar.
The move follows this month's landmark parliamentary by-election in Myanmar.
Bin Laden's family to leave Pakistan overnight

Osama bin Laden's three widows and their nine children are scheduled to be deported to Saudi Arabia, almost a year after the al-Qaida chief was killed in northwest Pakistan.
The family was detained by Pakistani authorities immediately after the raid last May.
The group spent 45 days in prison on charges of illegally entering and living in the country.
Their prison term ended Tuesday.
The lawyer of the family say they are scheduled to fly to Saudi Arabia overnight.
Russia to conduct another mission to Mars

Russia's space agency has unveiled a new set of plans to try to launch another mission to Phobos, the larger of the two satellites orbiting Mars.
The head of Russia's space agency says they're not going to copy the previous mission to Mars, which failed last year.
The Russian probe, which was carrying a Chinese satellite with it, failed to reach its intended orbit last November.
The craft eventually crashed into the Pacific Ocean a couple of months later.
U.S. shuttle Discovery makes final flight

The space shuttle Discovery has made its final flight.
However, its last flight was not a space mission, but rather a transport mission from Cape Canaveral in Florida to Washington, DC.
The world's most-flown spacecraft arrived in DC on Tuesday, circling over the capital on the back of a modified Boeing 747 before finally touching down.
Discovery is now set to be put on display at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington.