Chinese VP's U.S. visit important for advancing China-U.S. cooperative partnership: ambassador
Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yesui says Vice President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to the United States is crucial to advancing the China-U.S. cooperative partnership.
He told reporters in Washington that Xi Jinping's visit is an important high-level visit between China and the U.S. this year and it is aimed at consolidating the China-U.S. cooperative partnership by implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state last year.
The ambassador says the key to building a China-U.S. cooperative partnership lies in properly dealing of frictions and disputes between the two sides.
He emphasizes that as a developing country, China will unswervingly adhere to the path of peaceful development and has no intention of harming the interests of any other countries during the process of its own development.

Syria expels ambassadors of Tunisia, Libya

叙利亚驱逐突尼斯,利比亚大使

Syria's Foreign Ministry says Damascus has given the ambassadors of Libya and Tunisia 72 hours to leave Syria.
It says the Syrian embassy in Qatar was also closed, and Syrian ambassadors to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have also been called back.
The expulsion of diplomatic missions of Libya and Tunisia came apparently in retaliation to similar actions taken against Syrian diplomats in those countries.
Tunisia was the first Arab country to announce the decision to expel Syria's ambassador and to cut relations with the Syrian government.

Iran ready for nuclear talks but not to yield to pressures: president

伊朗已经准备好核谈判但绝对不会屈服于压力

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Iran has always been ready for the talks over its nuclear issue, but it will not yield to Western pressures to quit its rights.
Ahmadinejad made the remarks addressing a large crowd of people gathered at Tehran's Azadi (liberty) Square on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the Islamic republic.
He said the only way Western countries need to observe is to respect the rights of Iranian nation and to come to the negotiation table.

Cold snap battering Italy causes 60 deaths

极寒天气致使意大利60人死亡

One of the harshest winters in decades continued to grip Italy on Saturday, bringing the number of victims to at least 60 according to local media.
A number of small towns remained isolated in worst hit central Italy, where extraordinary snowfalls that had not occurred in decades disrupted transport and cut power-lines forcing thousands of families to evacuate.
Blanketed Rome was put under high alert, with schools and public offices closed, while half flights were grounded at the capital's international airport.

China faces food security challenge despite high output
An agricultural official says China still faces increasingly greater pressures in ensuring food security despite a stably growing grain output.
Speaking at a forum in Haikou,capital of island province of Hainan, Vice minister of agriculture Li Jiayang says with rapid industrialization and urbanization, the country's food consumption level and structure have changed, posing increasing pressures on grain production.
China's grain output rose 4.5 percent year-on-year to a record high of over 571 million tonnes in 2011, marking eight consecutive years of growth.

China orders school food safety overhaul
China's top food watchdog has ordered a national food safety overhaul of school dining halls in spring 2012, as the country increases its efforts to prevent food poisoning in schools.
The State Food and Drug Administration issued a circular asking provincial-level authorities to check food safety in school canteens, especially in rural primary and middle schools.
The key aspects to be scrutinized include catering licensing, hygiene, food processing, materials storage, purchase records, sterilization and water use.
The circular stressed that any elements posing potential threats to food safety should be handled appropriately, calling for every measure to prevent food poisoning.

China moves to rein in extra charges of kindergarten fees
China's Education Ministry has required educational institutions to rein in the practice of charging extra fees from kindergarten students, as it moves to bring under control the excessively high costs of preschool education.
In its recent work plan for the new semester which kicks off this month, the ministry asked schools and education authorities to abolish unauthorized charges and make items and standards of all fees public.
Schools and education authorities are forbidden to collect extra fees in the name of organizing interest groups, learning workshops, specialty training programs or parent-student groups, according to the work plan.

China to loan two pandas to Canada
China has agreed to loan two of the country's precious giant pandas to Canadian zoos for a 10-year research program.
The panda pair, both around five years old, will stay in the Toronto and Calgary zoos for five years each after they arrive in Canada early next year, according to the agreement.