IN BRIEF (Page 12)

China

Premier meets foreign guests

Premier Li Keqiang held separate talks with visiting Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich on Tuesday in Dalian, Liaoning province. During his talks, Li promised that Beijing would further cooperate with the three nations.

ASEAN officials to discuss pact

Southeast Asian nations will hold meetings on implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea this weekend, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei announced on Tuesday. The gatherings would be the sixth Senior Officials' Meeting and the ninth Joint Working Group on the implementation of the document, he said, adding that the meetings will involve in-depth exchanges of views on the implementation of the declaration.

Iraq

Deadly bombings kill at least 14

Officials say separate attacks in Iraq have killed at least 14 civilians and wounded dozens. Police say the deadliest of Tuesday's attacks took place near the eastern city of Baqouba, where three car bombs targeted outdoor markets, killing at least 10 civilians and wounding 34. Baqouba, a former al-Qaida stronghold, is 60 km northeast of Baghdad.

The Philippines

Hostages held as human shields

About 200 Muslim rebels, enraged by a broken peace deal with the Philippine government, held scores of hostages as human shields on Tuesday in a standoff with government forces for the second day with no solution in sight. More battle-ready troops and police were flown to the southern port city of Zamboanga in a bid to end the crisis.

China Daily - Xinhua - AP-Reuters

(China Daily 09/11/2013 page12)