Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has called his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra to express sympathy with the flood victims of the Southeast Asian nation and provide fresh aid.

In the phone conversation, Wen Jiabao said Beijing has decided to provide more assistance to Thailand after previous aid. 

The premier said China is closely following the developments in flood-hit Thailand. 

He urged the two nations to join hands to face the common challenges, safeguarding and promoting common interests.

 

China urges to maintain sound development of Sino-U.S. ties 

China has called for maintaining sound development of Sino-U.S. ties and promoting the development of a cooperative partnership.

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, as well as vice foreign ministers Zhang Zhijun and Cui Tiankai, have met with visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns in Beijing to exchange views on bilateral relationship, upcoming multilateral and regional summits, and major global and regional issues, including situations concerning the Korean Peninsula and Iran. 

During the meetings, the Chinese side told Burns that both sides should seriously implement the consensus reached between the two state leaders, maintain close contacts, and expand cooperation, while respecting each other's core interests and properly handling sensitive issues, so as to remove disturbances and ensure the relationship to develop in a healthy and stable way.

 

Two killed, 28 trapped in coal mine in central China's Hunan 

A gas explosion has left two workers dead and 28 others trapped in a coal mine in central China's Hunan Province .

The State Administration of Work Safety says the accident happened last night in the Xialiuchong Coal Mine in Hengshan County in the city of Hengyang.

At that time, 35 miners were working underground, of whom five were rescued, and two have been confirmed dead, while the rest 28 workers remained trapped. 

The search and rescue efforts are under way.

 

China's first Airbus A380 superjumbo grounded by mechanical fault 

China Southern Airlines says it was forced to suspend the operation of its first Airbus A380 superjumbo Saturday due to a mechanical fault, only 12 days after the jet was first put into use in China.

The company says the jumbo jet was scheduled to fly from Beijing to Shanghai Saturday, but its flight had to be called off due to the fault. 

It says the company needs to transport air materials from abroad to fix the problem, without specifying the nature of the mechanical failure. 

The company used an A330 jet for the flight instead.

 

13 NATO soldiers killed in Kabul suicide attack

A Pentagon spokesman has confirmed that all 13 troops killed in the latest bomb attack in the Afghan capital Kabul were American.

A car packed with explosive driven by a suicide bomber exploded when it ran towards a personal transport of ISAF on Saturday. 

This was the deadliest of two attacks in the day that targeted either the US-led coalition or Afghan government offices in the country.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.

 

Death toll rises to 582 in quake-hit Turkey 

The death toll from a powerful earthquake that hit southeastern Turkey rose to 582 and the number of injured was over 4,100.

Nearly 187 people have been rescued, but chances of finding more alive decreased after the 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Turkey six days ago. 

Search and rescue operations are underway at nine sites in Ercis, which suffered the most serious damage with scores of buildings collapsed. 

The Chinese government has pledged to send one million U.S. dollars of aid to Turkey while the Chinese Red Cross has already donated 50, 000 dollars for the survivors.

 

China to properly fine tune macro policy, price control continues

China says it will make proper fine tuning on its macro policy, keeping it "more targeted, flexible and forward-looking," and continue measures to control consumer prices.

China's State Council, or Cabinet says the government should maintain control of the intensity, pace and focus of economic regulation and grasp the changes in economic development trend.

It says strong measures should be continued to keep consumer prices stable, and price subsidies should go to the needy timely with a moderate increase.

 

China funds tuition for college students serving in army 

Starting from the fall semester 2011, China will fund tuition for college students who suspend their studies to serve compulsory military service, in a bid to encourage them to serve in the army.

According to an official document issued recently by finance and education ministries and General Staff Headquarters of People's Liberation Army, China will fund each college student tuition of up to 6,000 yuan (around 948 U.S. dollars) for each academic year. 

The document says the policy initiative will help improve military recruits' quality and boost the national defense and PLA's modernization drive.

 

China's icebreaker gears up for new Antarctic expedition 

The Chinese research vessel and icebreaker Xuelong, or "Snow Dragon," left Shanghai for Tianjin today, where it will soon set sail for a six-month Antarctic expedition

Xuelong, an A2-class icebreaker capable of breaking ice 1.2 meters thick, will leave the northern port of Tianjin on November 3 for the vessel's 28th voyage since 1984. Its crew of 220 will work on 31 scientific research assignments.