Guangdong

Alert after Hong Kong H5 strain bird flu case

South China's Guangdong province is on high alert after a Hong Kong hospital confirmed that it has admitted a 2-year-old boy infected with the H5 strain of avian influenza.

The toddler was admitted to a Hong Kong hospital on May 28 with convulsions after arriving from Guangdong's capital city of Guangzhou.

He was confirmed to have been in contact with a live duck between May 17 and 19 at a farmer's market in Guangzhou. But tests conducted at the market and a hospital that had admitted the boy found no signs of a bird flu outbreak, said He Jianfeng, director of the Epidemic Studies Institute of the Guangdong Disease Control and Prevention Center.

Hebei

Six ancient kilns discovered in North China province

Archaeologists have discovered six kilns that date back to the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and Tang Dynasty (618-907) in Xingtai in North China's Hebei province.

According to Wang Huimin, an archaeologist from the Cultural Relics Institute of Hebei, they also found tools and large amounts of glazed china near the kilns in Neiqiu county.

Guangxi

Nearly 900 evacuated after land subsidence

Nearly 900 people in four villages in Nanning, capital of South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, were evacuated after a land subsidence occurred, local authorities said on Saturday.

A fissure 1.5-meter deep and 2.5-meter wide opened up Friday evening on the road outside the gate of a middle school in the city's Xixiangtang district, an official said.

It caused one building to collapse, while six others tilted.

Tunisia

China, Tunisia confident of bilateral ties

Top officials of China and Tunisia said on Friday that the two countries are confident of the prospect of their bilateral ties.

Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, who had a meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, said Tunisia is willing to strengthen cooperation and exchange with China in various areas.

Foreign Minister Yang expressed China's willingness to work together with Tunisia to enhance political trust, deepen cooperation in all areas, and promote cultural exchange.

Switzerland

China, Russia and Cuba against Syria resolution

China, Russia and Cuba have voted against a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on Syria, saying it is "unbalanced."

The UNHRC on Friday adopted a resolution at a special session, requesting the UNHRC Commission of Inquiry on Syria to conduct a "comprehensive, independent and unfettered special inquiry" into the killings of 108 civilians in Houla, a town northwest of Syria's central city of Homs, last week.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said China is not acting as an "obstacle" for resolving the Syrian crisis, but is instead a "positive force" in promoting a political resolution to the issue.

Singapore

US to improve strategic trust with China: Panetta

The United States will try to improve the strategic trust with China by strengthening military- to-military exchanges, while shifting some of its warships to the Pacific over the coming years, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Saturday.

Outlining details of the US plan for its "rebalancing" act toward Asia Pacific in a speech at the annual Asia security conference, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, Panetta said the United States recognizes the importance of the relationship between the United States and China, not only between the militaries but also in diplomacy and the economic development.

United States

Obama in hot seat as US jobless rate rises

The clock is ticking for United States President Barack Obama to turn the economy around by the end of summer as the jobless rate rose on Friday to 8.2 percent from the previous month's 8.1 percent, analysts said.

The US economy added a paltry 69,000 jobs in May, falling short of the 90,000 to 100,000 jobs that economists said are needed each month just to keep pace with growth in the working-age population.

Analysts believed that Obama has until September to show voters that the economy is turning around amid the lead-up to November's elections. Otherwise, many will view the president as unable to boost employment, which could cost him dearly in an election.

Newswatch

Britain's famed parliament clock tower Big Ben is set to be renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honour of the queen's diamond jubilee, a report said on Friday.

Prime Minister David Cameron is among 331 lawmakers who have signed up to a campaign to bestow the tribute to Queen Elizabeth to mark her 60th year on the throne, the Daily Mail reported.

The 86-year-old monarch gets four days of celebrations including a trip to the horse races.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to descend on London over the next few days for the festivities, with millions attending street parties across the country as the nation marks the queen's personal milestone.

Xinhua - Reuters - AFP

(China Daily 06/03/2012 page2)