China

Hollande to pay state visit

French President Francois Hollande will pay a state visit to China from April 25 to 26, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman announced on Monday. According to Hua Chunying, Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold talks with Hollande during his visit. Premier Li Keqiang and Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, will also meet Hollande.

Iraq

Bombs kill 36 before elections

Car bombs and blasts in cities across Iraq, including two explosions at a checkpoint outside Baghdad's international airport, killed at least 36 people on Monday, days before provincial elections. No one claimed responsibility for the attacks in Baghdad, Kirkuk, Tuz Khurmato and other towns across.

South Africa

Mandela 'doing well': wife

Nelson Mandela is recovering well at home after being released from hospital this month, his wife Graca Machel said on Monday. "He's doing well," she said after giving a speech just outside Johannesburg.

Bulgaria

Shutdown at nuclear plant

Officials say a turbo generator at Bulgaria's only nuclear power station has been shut down because of a hydrogen leak in the cooling system, but they insist there is no danger to the public. A statement on Monday from the Kozloduy power plant said the component that was shut down was part of its conventional, non-nuclear unit.

Xinhua-AFP-Reuters-AP

(China Daily 04/16/2013 page12)