Chinese president calls for joint efforts in Asia to alleviate poverty
Chinese President Hu Jintao says the Communist Party of China (CPC) hopes to work with all Asian political parties to promote poverty alleviation and development while building a harmonious world with lasting peace and common prosperity.
Hu Jintao's remarks were conveyed in a message at the Poverty Alleviation Conference of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) held in Kunming, capital city of southwest China's Yunnan Province.
In his message, Hu Jintao said poverty alleviation and development is a common challenge for the world.
He said Achieving the United Nation (UN)'s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and promoting common development is the hope of developing countries around the world.

Parliamentary leaders pledge to promote Sino-Swiss ties
Parliamentary leaders of China and Switzerland have exchanged views on bilateral ties, parliamentary exchanges and mutual concerns and agreed on closer exchanges between legislative bodies of the two nations for better Sino-Swiss ties.
China's top legislator Wu Bangguo who's in Switzerland for a visit appealed that both countries should properly deal with sensitive issues between the two nations to maintain the momentum of the Sino-Swiss relationship.
He suggested both sides should take more actions to continuously deepen mutual political trust, expand economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

Premier Wen refutes allegation Chinese investment environment worsening
Premier Wen Jiabao says it is untrue to say that the investment environment in China is worseningm, adding China sticks to its opening-up policy
The premier said this Saturday as he invited more foreign companies to invest in the country.
In talks with heads of prestigious German and Chinese firms in northwest China's Xi'an city, Wen Jiabao and visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel aim to boost cooperation between the two nations.
Wen Jiabao said China has relatively good infrastructure as well as fair and stable market environment.
He said China welcomes companies which meet China industry policies to invest in China, adding that the government will ensure such companies having access to the Chinese market.

China orders nationwide efforts to avoid geological disasters
China' s State Council has issued a notice ordering governments at all levels, along with relevant ministries, to upgrade prevention against geological disasters to safeguard the safety of the public.
The notice reads, in this period with frequent flooding and geo-disasters, governments and relevant ministries should give priority to disaster prevention, strengthen disaster-prone sites and facilities, and set up close surveillance within these areas.
The notice also suggests mass media spread information about prevention and relief instructions.

Fire extinguished at NE China port 15 hours after blasts hit oil pipeline
Flames that engulfed a port in Dalian, a coastal city in northeast China's Liaoning Province, were basically extinguished Saturday morning, 15 hours after blasts hit two oil pipelines.
A local government official said the fire and explosion caused no casualties.
The accident aroused the attention of China's top leadership, prompting instructions from President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang rushed to the fire site Friday night to direct the rescue work.
Authorities in Dalian are yet to assess the damage to the environment.

Coal mine blaze kills eight in central China
Eight workers were killed after a fire engulfed a coal mine in Henan Province Saturday.
The blaze broke out Saturday morning in Xinling Colliery of Mangchuan Township, Ruzhou City.
Rescuers found the bodies of eight miners in the shaft of the coal mine.
The rescue operation has completed and local authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.

Iran arrests 40 for mosque bombings
Iran's deputy police chief Ahmad Reza Radan says his troops have arrested 40 suspects who aimed to create insecurity in the southeastern city of Zahedan in Sistan-Baluchistan province.
Radan says two policemen were killed during the bombing attack and 10 others injured, some of them in critical conditions.
He also blames foreign hands for the recent insecurities in Sistan-Baluchistan province, and warned enemies against the consequences of such terrorist acts..
Two successive explosions in front of the Zahedan Grand Mosque have killed at least 27 people and injuring more than 270 others.

New terrorist group claims responsibility for blasts in Lahore
Tehrik-e-Tuhafaz Pakistan, A new group which has never been heard before, has claimed the responsibility for Saturday's twin blasts in Lahore of Pakistan, which has so far left five people injured with more casualties feared.
Prior to the blast, all the local TV stations have reportedly received warnings from unknown people about the possible bomb attacks in the city.

OSCE meeting considers Kyrgyz situation a test for bloc
The informal foreign ministers' meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe considers the restive situation in Kyrgyzstan a "vitality test" and aims to reinforce assistance to the country.
The two-day meeting convened while the world awaited substantial measures to restore peace and stability in Kyrgyzstan, which was hit by a series of deadly riots which killed more than 300 people and injured thousands more.
The meeting says the complex situation in Kyrgyzstan is a threat to regional security, and its negative impact could spread to other regions.
The OSCE will send a 52-member unarmed police mission to the central Asian nation to monitor the situation.