Chinese, Kazakh FMs hold talks on strengthening bilateral cooperation

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China and Kazakhstan will continue to boost cooperation in various areas in the future.

He made the remarks on Tuesday while meeting with Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi in Nur-sultan.

The two sides agreed to promote the high-quality joint construction of Belt and Road.

They will work to strengthen cooperation in production capacity, investment and energy and expand cooperation in manufacturing.

They will also explore new growth points of high-tech cooperation such as 5G, artificial intelligence and green energy.

While in Kazakhstan, Wang Yi will also join his counterparts from Central Asia for a special meeting.

China to extend VAT credit refunds to more sectors

China will extend value-added tax credit refunds to more sectors to help enterprises navigate difficulties and stabilize the economy.

Firms in seven sectors, including wholesale and retail sales, agriculture, accommodation and catering, will enjoy the VAT credit refund policy starting July 1.

The country's VAT credit refunds will rise to around 1.6 trillion yuan, or over 240 billion U.S. dollars this year.

World Bank downgrades 2022 global growth forecast to 2.9 percent

The World Bank is predicting the global economy to grow by 2.9 percent this year, down from 4.1 percent from the January projection.

In its latest Global Economic Prospects, the World Bank predicts growth in advanced economies to decelerate from 5.1 percent in 2021 to 2.6 percent in 2022.

Growth is projected to fall from 6.6 percent in 2021 to 3.4 percent in 2022 among emerging market and developing economies.

World Bank President David Malpass says for many countries, it is urgent to encourage production and avoid trade restrictions.

Ukraine says in talks with UN over humanitarian corridor for food exports

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry says Kyiv is holding talks with the United Nations and other partners on the establishment of a humanitarian corridor for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products.

The ministry says Ukraine needs effective security guarantees to restore navigation in the Black Sea.

It says Ukraine appreciates Turkey's efforts aimed at unblocking Ukrainian ports, adding that no agreement between Ukraine, Turkey and Russia on the issue has been achieved yet.

It says Ukraine has already started supplying grain to the world market by trucks, railway and river transport.

The supplies of Ukrainian grain to the global market have been affected in the recent months as the ports have been blocked due to the conflict between Kyiv and Moscow.

Russian parliament votes to exit European Court of Human Rights

The Russian parliament has passed two bills, ending the European Court of Human Rights' jurisdiction in the country.

It comes after the country announced plans to exit the court amid the conflict in Ukraine.

One of the bills sets March 16 as the cut-off point, and the court's rulings against Russia made after that date will not be implemented.

Earlier in March, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided to expel Russia from the organization.

Russia claims it independently decided to leave the organization.

Mainland, Hong Kong palace museums to co-launch grand exhibitions

The Palace Museum in Beijing will co-launch a set of opening exhibitions with the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

These events will open to the public on July 2.

The exhibitions will feature more than 900 pieces of cultural relics from the collection of the mainland's Palace Museum.

Around 70 percent of them will be displayed in Hong Kong for the first time.

The display duration of the exhibits will range from one to 12 months, and some are planned to be showcased on a rotating basis.

China to establish national park at Qinghai Lake

China has approved a plan to establish a national park in Qinghai Province.

The Qinghai Lake National Park is expected to be established in 2024.

Qinghai Lake is located in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

It is the country's largest inland saltwater lake with an area of over 4,600 square km in 2021.

It is an important ecological barrier in northern China and a key stopover site for migrant birds.