Two strong earthquakes struck villages in northwest Iran on Saturday killing some 180 people and injuring hundreds of others. 

Six villages near the city of Tabriz were completely destroyed and other neighbouring cities were facing damages and power outages.

The first quake at 6.4 magnitudes was followed by another one magnitude 6.3 after 11 minutes at a similar location and depth.

There is said to be at least 10 aftershocks.

China FM calls for further cooperation with Malaysia

China says it is willing to push forward cooperation with Malaysia and working together towards a peaceful and prosperous East Asia region.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said this in his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in Sabah state of East Malaysia Saturday. 

Yang Jiechi told Najib that China highly values the importance to develop strategic cooperation with Malaysia, which is an important partner to China in the region. 

He said China is willing to work with Malaysia for further bilateral cooperation and a closer China-ASEAN strategic partnership, as well as a peaceful, developed and prosperous East Asia region.

 

China launches emergency response to typhoon-hit Jiangxi 

China's central authorities have initiated a level-four emergency plan in response to torrential rains and flooding caused by typhoon Haikui in east China's Jiangxi province.

The National Commission for Disaster Reduction and the Ministry of Civil Affairs have dispatched teams to help with the relief work. 

Over one million people have been affected by the disasters, while some 145,000 have been evacuated.

Following east China's Zhejiang, Shanghai and Anhui, Jiangxi was the fourth provincial region covered by such level-four emergency plans in response to the latest typhoon since Wednesday.

 

4 dead, 1 missing in NW China flash flood 

A flash flood in northwest China's Qinghai province has killed four railway workers and left another missing.

Local authorities say the four workers were washed away by the flood Saturday in Datong Hui and Tu autonomous county in the city of Xining, capital of Qinghai, following a rainstorm.

One of the landslides also damaged a local highway. Rescuers have been sent to repair the road and search for the missing worker.

 

Some 1,000 HK students meet Shenzhou-9 astronauts 

More than 2,000 people attended a variety show to welcome the Tiangong-1/Shenzhou-9 space mission delegation at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center on Saturday, the second day of the group's visit to Hong Kong.

During the show, Tangong-1/Shenzhou-9 astronauts Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang described their 13-day experience in space with the audience and sang the song Descendants of the Dragon with a children's choir. Liu recited the poem Song of the Yangtze River with a student. 

Participants of the Young Astronaut Training Camp had the opportunity to ask the delegation questions about space and technology. 

The three astronauts who had fulfilled China's first manned space docking mission this June are now in Hong Kong for a 4-day visit.

 

Traffic accidents crippled Chinese insurers last year 

Chinese insurance companies were in the red last year due to road accident-related insurance, as they had to compensate a large number of victims of traffic accidents according to data from the industry association. 

The Insurance Association of China says insurance companies posted a combined loss of 9.2 billion yuan (1.45 billion U.S. dollars) in managing the compulsory auto traffic accident liability insurance.

The country's insurance companies have lost over 17 billion yuan in compulsory insurance over the past five years, according to the IAC.

 

Report predicts rapid chronic disease growth in China 

Chronic diseases will experience rapid development in China, as the number of patients is expected to triple or even quadruple in the coming two decades.

 

A report released by the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases says with an increasingly aging population and various factors that lead to cardiovascular threats, chronic diseases in China will rapidly increase. 

The report estimats an average of 3.5 million people die of cardiovascular diseases in China every year, equivalent to one person dying of such illnesses every ten seconds.

 

New agreement to simplify customs procedures in NE China 

Provincial government officials have inked an agreement in Heilongjiang province to simplify customs and quarantine procedures in the northeast China region.

The agreement, signed by officials from the provinces of Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Jilin and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, is intended to allow for more efficient processing of goods and personnel in China's industrial heartland.

 

Zou defends Olympic gold medal in men's boxing 

Defending Olympic champion Zou Shiming of China outscored Kaeo Pongprayoon from Thailand 13-10 to defend his Olympic gold at London Olympics on Saturday.

Chinese Qiu Bo claimed the Olympic men's platform silver medal.