Alberto Bradanini arrived in Beijing to begin his mission as ambassador of Italy this month. Most recently posted as ambassador to Iran, Bradanini is no stranger to China, having served as commercial counselor in Beijing (1991-1996) and consul-general in Hong Kong (1996-1998). He entered the diplomatic service in 1975.

Irish Ambassador Declan Kelleher and the head of the EU delegation, Markus Ederer, have marked the beginning of Ireland's EU presidency at a news conference and reception at the EU delegation in Beijing.

The UK charity Barry and Martin's Trust presented its eponymous prize to Dr Cai Weiping from Guangzhou People's Eighth Hospital for his work in HIV/AIDS prevention and care. Martin Gordon, the trust founder, Alastair Morgan, the British Consul-General, and Liao Xinbo, deputy director of Guangdong Health Department, presented the award.

The trust, which supports hospitals treating HIV/AIDS patients throughout China, created the annual prize for excellence in AIDS education, prevention and care in 2000.

The British embassy in Beijing reports that the UK and Chinese governments are teaming up to help low-income countries cope with natural disasters. The first phase will run until March 2015, with a UK investment of 3 million pounds($4.8 million; 3.6 million euros) to provide technical support, and a Chinese contribution of government staff, facilities and technologies, and domestic program resources.

Ambassador Amel Kovacevic of Bosnia and Herzegovina is heading home after his three-year tenure, he says in a farewell note to diplomatic colleagues and friends. Calling life in China "so thrilling and dynamic", he says he has enjoyed watching Beijing opera, riding a bicycle in the capital's Chaoyang district and watching CBA games as well as conducting his official duties.

EU Ambassador to China Markus Ederer has launched the delegation's first smartphone app. Available as a free download for iPhone users, it is designed to provide the Chinese audience easy access to a vast amount of information about the EU and its member states.

The app trawls the Chinese-language weibo accounts and websites of the EU Delegation and the 27 EU member states and categorizes the information by topic, country or last-updated, for easier access.

The British Embassy hosted an exclusive screening of clips followed by a talk with Sir David Attenborough, Britain's best-known natural history filmmaker, in Beijing last week.

During his time in China, he is travelling with his producer, Anthony Geffen, to Yunnan and Liaoning to make a new series Rise of Animals (working title) about the evolution of vertebrates for the BBC.

Throughout his career, Attenborough has championed breakthroughs in innovation and technology, pushing new boundaries in filming the natural world and illustrating, among other things, global climate change.

British Ambassador to China Sebastian Wood, who hosted the event, said he hoped Attenborough's new series about China "will excite and engage audiences around the globe".

Send embassy news to michaelpeters@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 01/18/2013 page31)