Xiamen

Swim race strengthens cross-Straits ties

The fifth annual Xiamen-Kinmen Swimming Competition was held on Saturday, when 192 competitors raced across open water from the Chinese mainland to Taiwan's Kinmen county. Aimed at strengthening cross-Straits ties through sports, this year's event saw competitors ranging from the ages of 14 to 56. More than 10 swimmers traveled from Hong Kong and Macao this year to take part in the competition, while 80 came from Taiwan. The event was organized by the Chinese Swimming Association, Xiamen city government, the Chinese Taipei Swimming Association and Kinmen county government.

Nanjing

Living victims of massacre honored

China has newly identified 10 more living survivors of the Nanjing Massacre in 1937, sources with the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall confirmed on Saturday. The survivors received the certificates and their personal experiences will be put in the permanent collection as part of the history textbook in the hall, said Zhu Chengshan, the memorial hall curator. Ranging from ages 76 to 92, the three male and seven female survivors were found and identified after investigations, including interviews, testimonies and expert argumentations during the past year.

Tibet

Rain-triggered mudslide traps 1,500

More than 1,500 people and 300 vehicles were blocked after two mudslides stopped road traffic in Bomi County, southwest China's Tibet autonomous region, rescuers said on Saturday. Two rain-triggered mudslides occurred successively after 9:30 pm on Friday, halting traffic on a road section in Bomi's Niutagou region, said rescuers. The debris flow, about 12,000 cubic meters, covered a road section of about 120 meters. Rescuers and large equipment have been sent to clear the road.

Beijing

Ding appointed CIC head

The State Council has appointed its deputy secretary-general Ding Xuedong as the new chairman of China Investment Corp, the country's sovereign wealth fund, according to a statement on Friday. Ding, 53, will be filling the vacancy left by former CIC chairman Lou Jiwei, who was appointed finance minister in March. Ding has both a strong academic background and practical experience. Ding faces the prospect of rising interest rates after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said bond purchases that have buoyed assets worldwide may be halted in 2014 if the world's largest economy performs in line with the central bank's projections.

Changsha

Chinese proficiency contest opens

The 12th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese proficiency competition for foreign college students opened in Changsha in Hunan province on Saturday. The topic of the competition this year will be "My China Dream". A total 123 contestants from 77 different countries as well as past contestants and artists took the stage to create a spectacular show for the opening ceremony. The competition tests the contestants' Chinese abilities, from listening and speaking to Chinese literacy. Contestants are also tested on their knowledge of China and Chinese culture as well as cultural talents. The focus is to see how well the contestant has studied Chinese and how well they can apply what they learned to real world scenarios.

Republic of Korea

Koreas hold rare border talks

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea held rare talks on Saturday on re-opening the Kaesong joint industrial zone seen as the last remaining symbol of cross-border reconciliation. The talks followed months of friction and threats of war by Pyongyang after its February nuclear test attracted tougher United Nations sanctions, further squeezing its struggling economy. Kaesong was the most high-profile casualty of the elevated tensions on the Korean peninsula, but neither side declared the complex officially closed, instead referring it to a temporary shutdown.

News Watch

Snowden offered asylum

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro offered on Friday to give "humanitarian asylum" to US intelligence whistle-blower Edward Snowden, who is waiting in a Moscow airport for a nation to give him sanctuary. His announcement came after Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega said his government was willing to give asylum to the US fugitive, offering a glimmer of hope to Snowden, who has been in limbo at Moscow's international airport since June 23. Snowden has applied for asylum in 27 countries as he tries to evade the US government for disclosing a vast US electronic surveillance program.

Xinhua - AFP

(China Daily 07/07/2013 page2)