The death toll from a viral illness that is infecting children around China has risen to 34, state media said today, as the number of reported infections jumped to nearly 25,000.

China agreed today to meet an envoy of the Dalai Lama following growing calls for talks in the wake of Tibetans’ anti-government protests, which threaten to tarnish this summer’s Beijing Olympic Games.

China today demanded America drop a ceremony to honour the Dalai Lama.

UN nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei headed to North Korea today for talks on how to implement a landmark nuclear disarmament agreement.

US and North Korean envoys today ended talks failing to reach an agreement on when to resume six-nation talks on dismantling Pyongyang’s atomic weapons programme.