Talking points

Beijing Book Fair gets under way

The annual Beijing Book Fair opens, featuring 500,000 titles by over 650 publishers. More than 3,500 bookstores and government buying agencies from home and abroad will attend the fair. According to the organiser, 2,350 exhibition booths at the China International Exhibition Centre have been reserved. For the first time, the fair will provide retail services and sell used books at a discount.

Carrie Lam heads for Shenzhen talks

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor leads a Hong Kong delegation to the latest round of the Hong Kong/Shenzhen Co-operation Meeting across the border. Senior officials of the neighbouring cities are expected to have much to discuss in the closed-doors session, not least the problem of parallel traders from the mainland, who are accused of clogging up border towns and hogging resources. Lam has previously called for close co-operation with Shenzhen to tackle the problem.

Police report on Savile's abuse of girls

British police release a report on their investigation into the entertainer Jimmy Savile, who has been revealed since his death as a serial abuser of under-age girls. Investigators have called Savile, a disc jockey turned television presenter, one of the worst sex offenders in British history, and say he used his stardom and charity commitments to gain access to vulnerable teenagers.

Obama, Karzai meet in Washington

Afghan President Hamid Karzai holds key talks with President Barack Obama at the White House as Obama finalises plans to pull most of the 68,000 US troops out of Afghanistan. The US and its allies have already agreed to withdraw combat troops by the end of 2014, but questions remain on a US training and security role after that.

Group reviews air pollution levels

The Clean Air Network environmental pressure group stages a review of air pollution in Hong Kong last year and reveals its recommendations ahead of next week's policy address by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. The group has long urged the government to take immediate action to implement anti-pollution measures, such as setting up low-emission zones and a scheme to scrap old commercial diesel vehicles.

Muslims gather for Bishwa Ijtema

Millions of Muslims gather in Tongi, north of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, for the second biggest annual Islamic congregation of the year, the Bishwa Ijtema, or Global Congregation. Pilgrims - who have numbered up to five million in recent years - spend three days on the banks of the Turag River. The event focuses on prayers and meditation and does not allow political discussion, organisers say.