World Briefs

CHINAWhen legislators head back to their provinces once Beijing’s annual parliamentary gathering concludes today, they’ll be tasked with implementing the eight specific policies outlined and the less tangible philosophies of Xi Jinping that underpin them, in what the party’s mouthpiece Xinhua News Agency has started referring to as “Xi Jinping political economics.”

VIETNAM-IRAN Iran’s official IRNA news agency says the country hopes to boost its trade with Vietnam to USD2 billion from the current $350 million within five years. Hassan Rouhani said he and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang discussed cooperation against terrorism as well as unspecified “problems” in East Asia, according to state TV.

MALAYSIA‘s transport minister says two plane pieces found in Mozambique will be sent to Australia to verify if they belong to Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

AUSTRALIA is concerned about the detention of two Australian journalists who attempted to interview the Malaysian prime minister over corruption allegations.

IRAQ A Palestinian-American member of the Islamic State group gave himself up to Iraqi Kurdish forces in the country’s north – a rare instance of a voluntary surrender of a militant fighting with the extremist group in Iraq.

SYRIA The U.N. special envoy for Syria restarted peace talks between the government and the opposition, warning that the only alternative is a return to war and describing the political transition in the country now led by President Bashar Assad was “the mother of all issues.” Staffan de Mistura (pictured) laid out both high stakes and low expectations for what may be the most promising initiative in years to end the conflict that moves into its sixth year today. At least a quarter of a million people have died.

VATICAN Sparks may fly this week with the first testimony in the Vatican’s controversial trial over leaks of confidential documents that revealed waste, mismanagement and greed in the Catholic Church’s hierarchy. Two journalists face up to eight years in prison if convicted of putting pressure on a Vatican monsignor to obtain the documents and publish them.

NIGERIAN drug agents say they have arrested four Mexicans helping Nigerian criminals build a “super-lab” capable of producing billions of dollars’ worth of methamphetamine.

USA Rihanna will be honored at BET’s “Black Girls Rock!” awards. The singer will receive the Rock Star Award at the annual event honoring black women, BET announced. “Black Girls Rock!” will tape April 1 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. The show will air April 5 on BET. Other honorees include writer-producer Shonda Rhimes, R&B icon Gladys Knight, “Walking Dead” star and playwright Danai Gurira and actress Amandla Stenberg.