Arrival of giant pandas ignites mania in Indonesia

JAKARTA - A giant panda pair from China arrived in Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday on a 10-year joint research lease, making Indonesia one of the 16 countries and regions to host and help breed the endangered bear species.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

'Slim chance' of military response

ISTANBUL - As Iraq's neighbors are cooperating with Baghdad to impose sanctions against the Iraqi Kurds over an independence referendum, Turkish analysts downplayed the possibility of a military intervention.

Saudi women will be allowed to drive

RIYADH - Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Tuesday issued a royal decree granting driving licenses for women in the kingdom, local media reported.

Fire prompts mass evacuation

KALYNIVKA, Ukraine - A huge fire at an ammunition depot in central Ukraine has set off a series of explosions and prompted an evacuation of thousands of people, officials said on Wednesday.

Sino-French forum staged in Lyon

LYON, France - The second Sino-French cultural forum was held on Tuesday in the southern French city of Lyon. The two-day event, under the theme of "The Cultural Silk Road, the Franco-Chinese Confluences", had participants sharing their insights and experiences in various fields, including culture, art and education.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Changing preconceptions

Young people stole the limelight at the second China-Russia New Media Forum held in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on Tuesday.

Deal between China Daily Website, SPB TV

A license agreement has been signed between the China Daily Website and Russia's SPB TV at the Second China-Russia New Media Forum held in Russia on Monday and Tuesday.

Network now: Consensus reached on new media strategy

After two days' discussion, media insiders, experts and scholars reached the Consensus of China-Russia New Media Cooperation at the Second China-Russia New Media Forum at Don State Technical University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on Monday and Tuesday. Following are the excerpts of the consensus:

US rejects claim of war on DPRK

NEW YORK - The United States has not declared war on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the White House said on Monday, in response to remarks from the DPRK's top diplomat.

3-day countdown to search for survivors

MEXICO CITY - Rescuers are unlikely to find any more survivors of Mexico's earthquake still buried in the ruins and will cease operations to find them at the end of Thursday, the emergency services chief said.