China, S. Korea hold high-level talks
中韓兩國舉行高層會談
The Chinese and South Korean governments have held their annual high-level talks in Seoul to discuss issues on the Korean Peninsula.
The talks come a day before the funeral of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il.
That funeral is slated for later today.
Senior diplomats from the Chinese and South Korean sides have discussed, among other things, how to resume the stalled six-party denuclearization talks.
Chinese vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhizhun,
"We hope that some situations that occurred recently do not bring any negativity to the resumption of the six-party talks. We hope that the talks could restart as soon as possible. But of course, there are things to consider in order to realize this."
The high-level talks between China and South Korea are the fourth of their kind.

China's indigenous navigation satellite network starts providing services
我國本土導航衛星網絡開始提供試運行服務
A Chinese navigation satellite system has started providing services in China and other parts of the immediate region.
The Beidou navigation system is currently offering services to consumers and businesses, including global positioning, navigation and journey times.
Ran Chengqi, the director of China's satellite navigation system office, says the Beidou system also includes a new text-messaging service.
"Usually, navigation satellite networks only tell you what time it is and where you are. Beidou can do better. It can send your position information to others who want to know where you are."
Beidou will be available for much of the Asia-Pacific region by the end of next year, and worldwide by 2020.

U.S. Treasury declines to name China as currency manipulator
美國財政部拒絕透露貨幣操縱公司名稱
The U.S. Treasury Department has once-again decided NOT to name China as a currency manipulator.
The US side says it has made the decision based on the ongoing appreciation of the RMB, the decline in China's current account surplus, and China's commitments on exchange rate flexibility.
However, the Treasury says it will closely monitor the pace of the RMB's appreciation and press for policy changes that yield greater exchange rate flexibility.
The value of the yuan has risen by 4 percent against the dollar this year and 7.7 percent since the central authorities decided to further loosen up the RMB exchange rate regime in June 2010.

Violence on the rise in Syria as AL observers start monitoring the country's unrest
阿盟觀察團開始監控人國家的動蕩 敘利亞暴力流血事件不斷上升
At least 6 more people have been killed in the lingering violence in Syria.
Syrian media reports say the six were killed in a bomb attack on their bus along a highway near the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.
Earlier in the day, fighting between Syrian security forces and what's being described as "armed groups" also left a number of people dead near the border with Turkey.
The lingering violence comes as Arab League observers begin to fan out across the country, including the flash-point city of Homs, to take note of the situation on the ground in Syria.

Iranian VP reiterates threats to close Hormuz Strait if oil exports sanctioned
伊朗副總統重申如果石油出口遭到制裁關閉封鎖霍爾木茲海峽威脅
A top Iranian leader is issuing a renewed threat to shut down the Strait of Hormuz if the international community moves to sanction the country's oil exports.
Iranian first vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi says not one drop of oil will pass through the Iranian-dominated waterway if Iran's oil exports are threatened.
The Iranian navy is already conducting military exercises near the Strait of Hormuz, which is the only waterway linking the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea.

Chinese premier stresses agricultural modernization, farmers' rights
我國總理強調農業現代化及農民的權利
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has issued a new call for the protection of farmers' rights and agricultural modernization.
Wen Jiabao has made the comments at the opening day of the central rural work conference.
The Premier says agricultural development is as important as urbanization and industrialization here in China.
Wen Jiabao also says farmers' land rights need better protection.
That suggestion comes amid increased scrutiny over illegal land grabs here in China, following mass demonstrations in southern China earlier this month.

China stresses quick response to grievances, cautious use of force after protests
A leading Chinese official is now suggesting that rapid response to grievances, and not force, is the best way to solve protests.
Zhu Mingguo -- who was responsible for ending this month's land-grab protests in the village of Wukan, Guangdong Province -- is putting the onus on local authorities.
He says local leaders here in China need to be proactive in dealing with disputes before they boil over.
China has seen a surge of protests this year, mostly in this country's wealthy coastal regions, amid growing concerns about pollution and land seizures.

Five victims identified in bus crash in south China
A 4-year old boy from the mainland has been identified as one of the 5 pedestrians killed in a bus crash yesterday afternoon in Shenzhen.
A long-distance bus lost control and slammed into the pedestrians at a local parking lot.
The four adults killed in the accident were from Hong Kong.
The 4-year old boy was from Chongqing.
Five others have been hospitalized in the accident.
One of the victims remains in critical condition.
The driver of the bus is currently being held by police.