CHINA DAILY General News Highlights

1. Diaoyu row will not derail ties. Foreign ministers try to defuse tension caused by Aso's remarks.

China and Japan agreed over the weekend that their conflicting claims over the Diaoyu Islands should not undermine overall bilateral relations.

2. Chang'e 1 ends lunar mission with a bang.

China's lunar probe ended its 16-month mission with a controlled crash onto the moon yesterday, officials said.

3. Wen: We'll do whatever it takes to fight crisis.

The global financial crisis has not yet hit bottom, Premier Wen Jiabao has warned, promising that the government is "ready to take firmer and stronger action whenver necessary".

4. Trade team spends $13b in Europe.

A high-powered trade delegation ended its European shopping trip over the weekend, signing deals worth more than $13 billion in four countries.

5. Curator in Taipei for relics loan.

The curator of the Beijing Palace Museum began a high-profile visit yesterday to arrange an exhibition of 29 Qing Dynasty relics from the mainland in Taiwan, the first joint cultural program in 6 decades.

5. Govt formulating food safety rules.

The State Council is drafting detailed rules to accompany the just-passed Food Safety Law to ensure its implementation starting June 1, Li Yuan, with the National People's Congress Standing Committee's legislative affairs commission, said yesterday.

6. Stop overseas sightseeing, officials told.

The government issued a circular yesterday ordering officials at all levels not to spend public money on sightseeing overseas.

CHINA DAILY General News Highlights

1. Govt on track to reach GDP growth goal.

China has conditions, confidence to achieve 8% target despite crisis. The government is confident of achieving its goal of 8 percent GDP growth this year, despite the global financial crisis, a senior official said on Friday.

2. China protests Japan's Diaoyu Islands stance.

China lodged yet another protest with Japan on Friday over Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone's remarks that the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between Japan and the United States was applicable to China's Diaoyu Islands as well.

3. Public engagement key to better image: Spokesman.

For Zhao Qizheng, 2008will be remembered as the year when China made a mark in "public diplomacy". That is because, last year, the government disseminated timely and accurate information to the public on such major events as the Beijing Olympics, the destructive snowstorms and the devastating May 12 earthquake, Zhao told China Daily yesterday.

4. Prisoner was beaten to death.

The man who died in custody in what police said was a "game of hide-and-seek gone wrong" was actually beaten to death by fellow prisoners, a Yunnan Provincial inquiry has found.

5. Stocks see worst week in Feb.

Shares fell for a second straight day on Friday on the Chinese mainland, wrapping up the market's worst week this year. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index lost 38.4.

6. Corrupt official gets death.

CHONGQING: A disgraced planning official from CHONGQING was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on Friday after being found guilty of corruption.

CHINA DAILY General News Highlights

1. Christie's put on notice after sale.

Heritage authority warns of severe impact on auction house's business.

2. Locke's commerce nomination gets thumbs up.

The nomination of Gary Locke, former governor of Washington State, as secretary of commence by US President Barack Obama has drawn praise from the business community and Chinese Americans.

3. Beijing protests Aso's remarks.

China yesterday voiced great dissatisfaction and lodged a protest to Japan over Prime Minister Taro Aso's remarks that the Diaoyu Islands are Japanese territory.

4. US human rights record rapped.

China hit back at US criticism of the country's human rights record by publishing a report on the US human rights record yesterday.

5. A good hair day, hoping for some good, too

Yesterday was a good day for haircuts-especially for the well-being of maternal uncles-but not the right day in crowded saloons.

6. Mutineers surrender.

The Bangladeshi government said yesterday all the mutinous border guards have surrendered after a 2-day revolt.

CHINA DAILY General News Highlights

1. 9 die as Turkish jet crash-lands.

A Turkish Airlines plane crashed while attempting to land at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport yesterday. The plane broke into three parts when it hit the ground 3 km away from the runway, killing nine and injuring more than 50.

2. Food safety body set to take shape.

Commission set to strengthen supervision and law enforcement.

3. 3 set themselves on fire in Wangfujing.

3 people-2 men and a woman- are suspected of "setting themselves on fire" in a car in Beijing's busiest shopping district yesterday afternoon.

4. As good times fade, "good guys" are a good catch.

In the go-go- pre-2009 days, gold diggers in China were busy digging golden boys who raked in bundles of cash.

5. Iran conducts nuclear test run.

6. Liu's quit threat.

Olympic gold medalist hurdler Liu Xiang warns he will retire if he suffers another serious injury.

7. Obama: we are not quitters.

US President Barack Obama traded gloom for reality in his first speech to a joint session of Congress, saying that better days were just over the economic horizon. He said Americans were not consigned to withering economic suffering that gripped the country in the 1930s.

8. Stimulus packages for two sectors.

The State Council yesterday announced support plans for the country's nonferrous metals and logistics sectors.