Liang Met with Former Flying Tigers

Visiting Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie has met the representatives of the "Flying Tigers" in Washington.
The legendary "Flying Tigers" joined their Chinese counterparts in the fight against the Japanese invaders during the World War Two.
They destroyed some 2,600 Japanese warplanes and established the famous Hump Route to provide supplies to the US and Chinese armies.
Liang Guanglie told the American friends that the story of the Hump pilots has been written into the Chinese textbooks and its nickname "the flying tigers" has become a household name to many Chinese.
Hollande meets Chinese ambassador, calls for closer ties

French president-elect Francois Hollande has vowed to further the Sino-French exchange and cooperation in a meeting with Kong Quan, the Chinese Ambassador to France.
Hollande said France recognizes China's important influence over international politics and economy, and would like to see continuous development in a friendly and cooperative relationship between the two countries.
Chinese President Hu Jintao has earlier sent Hollande a congratulatory message.
Hollande will become the second left-wing president of the French Fifth Republic.
Putin sworn in as Russian president

Vladimir Putin has been sworn in as Russia's president.
The swearing-in marks the start of his third term in the Kremlin.
The 59-year-old political veteran, who served as prime minister from 2008 to 2012, won a resounding victory in the country's presidential election in March.
Putin has already nominated outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister, a role he held during Putin's first two terms as President from 2000 to 2008.
Putin has also signed a decree following his inauguration, stressing strong economic growth, income hikes and innovation.
Chinese president Hu Jintao has passed on his congratulations to Putin, saying he hopes the relationsship between the two countries can maintain its momentum.
World Economic Forum on Africa to focus on continent's transformation

Africa is often a continent associated with poverty and hunger, but did you know that the it is also home to six of the world's 10 fastest growing economies?
It's these changing economic dynamics that are setting much of the agenda at World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa starting this Wednesday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Adaba.
Over 700 delegates from over 70 countries will be putting forward ideas to further boost growth in Africa as well as face up to the challenges still being posed.
Much of Africa's economic rise has been fuelled by exports of raw resources such as oil and gas,. However, this also leaves much of the continent's economy wide open to market price volatility.
The World Economic Forum will run for three days.
Obama, Romney tie in presidential race in crucial swing states: poll

The latest series of US opinion polls indicates that November's presidential election could be the closest contest since 2000.
In a poll of 12 crucial so-called swing states that most likely will decide the winner, President Barack Obama and his assumed Republican opponent, Mitt Romney are running neck and neck but also points out key areas where each candidate needs to up his game.
Obama still appears to be distrusted on running the US economy whereas Romney still has to make a personal connection with his core support, one of Obama's strong points.
However, the USA Today/Gallap poll also indicates that Obama's supporters in key states are more likely to go out and vote in November than Romney's.
China's first deep-water rig to drill in South China Sea

China's first deep-water oil drilling platform is set to begin operations in the South China Sea on Wednesday.
China National Offshore Oil Corp, the country's largest offshore producer, says operations will begin around 320 kilometers southeast of Hong Kong.
The South China Sea is estimated to have up to 30 billion tonnes of oil and 16 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, accounting for one-third of China's total.
About 70 percent of oil and gas reserves in the South China Sea is contained more than 300 meters below the sea floor.
Hubei governor begins eight-day Taiwan visit

Governor of central China's Hubei province Wang Guosheng has arrived in Taipei for an eight-day visit, expected to cement business and cultural ties between his province and Taiwan.
Wang is the mainland's third high-level local official to visit the island this year, following top officials from Beijing and Fujian.
Hubei is home to more than 2,200 Taiwan enterprises.
Qinghai-Tibet railway transports 49 mln passengers since operation

More than 49 million people have traveled on the Qinghai-Tibet railway since the route opened in July 2006.
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company says that passengers have increased by an avearge of more than 10 percent every year.
The world's highest railway connects Xining, capital of Qinghai province, to Tibet's capital Lhasa.
The railway has also greatly boosted tourism to Qinghai and Tibet.
China to have its first subway fire brigade

Beijing Police is planning to set up China's first subway fire brigade later this month.
It will be responsible for supervising, checking and eliminating fire hazards in Beijing's subway lines,

conducting emergency rescue and fire-fighting missions.
Beijing has 15 subways line in operation, covering a length of more than 370 km. It carries over seven and half million commuters daily.