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BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Olympic Cultural Festival will feature many activities with Beijing residents most welcomed to participate in, the organizing committee of the Beijing Olympic Games (BOCOG) said here on Monday.

The three-week Festival, the fifth and the last one before next year's Games, will kick off on June 23, when BOCOG starts the selection process for Beijing Olympics torchbearers.

There will be the "Olympic Rhythms" open air concert lasting from June 24 to July 14 with more than 300 pop stars making their appearances, singing Olympic songs with their fans.

International Forum for Beijing Olympics will take place, for the fourth year running, on June 24 and 25 while 2007 Beijing Cultural Forum is held to discuss how to deliver a "People's Olympics" on June 28 and July 12.

The 100 or so activities also include Beijing International Sports Film Week, a series of exhibitions by people with a disability as well as "Fitness for All" Sports Festival.

The Olympic Cultural Festival will be launched at Beijing Shijingshan International Sculpture Park and end at China Millennium Monument on July 15.

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BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- A big number of city volunteers will be needed to provide information, language and emergency services during the Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympics, said the organizers here on Monday.

Liu Jian, director of Volunteer Department of the Organizing Committee of the Beijing Olympic Games (BOCOG), said 400,000 city volunteers will be recruited and the recruitment started Monday.

"People as young as 14 can apply for the voluntary job on the condition that they get the permission of their guardians," said Liu. According to city volunteer general policies, people born before June 30, 1994 are eligible. For applicants under 18, they should get permission from their guardians.

"Actually we welcome parents to join their children instead of merely agreeing them to apply," he said.

"Compared with Beijing Games and Paralympics volunteer selection, we set lower standards in choosing city volunteers.

"If you are willing to do something for the two Games and have at least 12 hours of spare time then, you can apply," he said.

City volunteers will work at least three shifts with four hours each.

"We will set up 500 voluntary service posts around Olympic venues and in other major areas in Beijing, providing information, language and emergency services," he added.

Beijing residents can go to respective government website of the districts or counties they live in for application forms or people can dial 86-10-12355 to apply.
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BEIJING, June 25 -- A total of 23 events have been on display in Shanghai on Sunday as part of the celebrations to mark the 100-day countdown to the Shanghai Special Olympics 2007.

The celebrations were spearheaded by a jogging attended by at least 20,000 citizens, including some mentally handicapped people.

The mini-marathon was augmented by art shows, rummage sale, autograph-signing and some donating ceremonies.

"I came here to give my support to those mentally handicapped people, they are born equal," said Wang Junxia, China's former 5,000-meter Olympic champion, who headed the jogging. "And they can compete and live as everybody else does. I would like to call on the attention from all the corners of the society to those people."

According to Han Zheng, mayor of Shanghai and Chairman of the organizing committee of the Special Olympics, all the preparation has been well underway, with building a harmonious ambiance for the Games and the mentally handicapped people as the priority.

"We don't build new venues, we don't make profits from the Games, all we need to do is make it public and have more people involved to create a civilized and harmonious environment for the mentally handicapped people," Han said at Sunday's Special Olympics 100-day countdown ceremony.

The 12th Special Olympics World Summer Games will be held in Shanghai from Oct. 2 to 11. More than 10,000 athletes and coaches, 20,000 family members from over 160 countries and regions are expected to show up.
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BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch said on Sunday that he believes the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing would be the best ever in Olympic history.

"I would like to repeat I am sure that the Olympic Games in Beijing will be the best in Olympic history," said Samarach when addressing the opening ceremony of the World Olympic Collectors Fair in the Chinese capital.

Part of the fifth 2008 Olympic Cultural Festival, the fair is being held in China for the first time, featuring a large display of pins, stamps, coins and other memorabilia bearing the Olympic rings. Other items on display will include Olympic torches, trophies and warm-up suits. There will also be a collection of Olympic-related stamps donated by Samaranch to the Lausanne-based Olympic museum.

Over 320 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions will display their Olympic collections.

Olympic pin trading has become a tradition, arising from the first modern Olympics in Athens, Greece, where athletes, officials and judges exchanged cards with their names and titles affixed.

Beijing Olympic organizers launched a pin-designing contest in May, welcoming people from all over China to share ideas about the Beijing Games. The Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee (BOCOG) has issued over 500 types of Olympic pins with the figure expected to reach 4,000.
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LOS ANGELES, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors on Monday passed a resolution supporting Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The resolution encourages all Americans to support Chicago's bid and embrace the ideals of the Olympic Movement.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors passed the resolution at their annual meeting, currently taking place in Los Angeles. The annual meeting is being hosted by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who took the lead in shepherding through the resolution.

"This resolution is a clear sign of the unwavering, bipartisan support for Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games and shows that leaders from around America respect the ideals and guidelines that have sustained the Olympic Movement over the years," said Chicago 2016 chairman and CEO Patrick G. Ryan. "It's another positive development in an incredibly exciting process."

"I want to thank Mayor Daley and the Conference for their continued support of our efforts. I'd also like to thank the Conference not just for recognizing the benefits the Games can bring to our community, region and country, but also the benefits that having the Games in America can have on the Olympic Movement."

"It's an exciting time to be a Chicagoan as we continue to embrace sport and celebrate excellence."
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BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhuanet) -- A report recommending that internet and video gaming addiction be considered a mental disorder was watered down after a heated debate broke out among delegates at the American Medical Association's annual convention in Chicago, media reported Tuesday.

Some of the delegaes said more study is needed before excessive use of video and online games -- a problem that affects about 10 percent of players -- could be considered a mental illness.

"There is nothing here to suggest that this is a complex physiological disease state akin to alcoholism or other substance abuse disorders, and it doesn't get to have the word addiction attached to it," said Dr. Stuart Gitlow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

While occasional use of video games is harmless and may even help with some disorders like autism, doctors said in extreme cases it can interfere with day-to-day necessities like working, showering or even eating, they added.

"Working with this problem is no different than working with alcoholic patients. The same denial, the same rationalization, the same inability to give it up," said Dr. Thomas Allen of the Osler Medical Center in Towson, Maryland.

Researchers in Britain found that 12 percent of gamers are "addicted" according to World Health Organization criteria, and researchers in the United States found that as many as 10 to 15 percent of gamers are affected by "overuse," the report said.

"However, as with findings on long-term aggression, there is currently insufficient research to conclude that video game overuse is an addiction," the report concluded.
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PHNOM PENH, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The Thai government has provided the Cambodian government with medicines and medical equipment for the prevention and control of bird flu, local newspapers reported Tuesday.

The aid, approved at a signing ceremony at the Cambodian Ministry of Health, is in the framework of a joint project to fight avian influenza signed by Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, Chea Moneth, Deputy Director of the Communicable Disease Control Department in the Health Ministry, was quoted by the Koh Santepheap as saying.

The donation consists of 53 bird flu testing kits, four cases of masks, nine cases of N95 masks, 17 cases of Latex gloves, four cases of hand-washing gel, and seven bags of Surveillance and Rapid Response Team (SRRT) equipment, the newspaper said.

The Thai government has spent 2.5 million U.S. dollars on the aid from a fund it set up in 2005 to help the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) fight outbreaks of the virus, reported the Kampuchea Thmey newspaper.

The aid aims to strengthen the capacity of hospitals in the border provinces of Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, it added.
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BEIJING, Jun 26 (Xihuanet)-- Byetta, a diabetes drug formed of a hormone minicking a compound in the Gila monster's spit helped people with type 2 diabetes lose weight, according to a three-year study presented in U.S. Monday.

People with type 2 diabetes can neither produce enough insulin nor properly use it. The hormone called exendin-4 found in the lizard's saliva works to boost the production of insulin in order to regulate blood-sugar levels.

The study of 217 patients with type 2 diabetes found when the patients get an adequate good blood-sugar control over the three years period on the drug, they also get weight loss averaging 11 pounds.

"Overweight and weight gain is an almost universal problem for people with diabetes," lead researcher Dr. John Buse, chief of endocrinology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, said in a statement.

The study also found Byetta might improve the body's own insulin production.

The study was funded by two drug companies -- Amylin Pharmaceuticals (AMLN) and Eli Lilly (LLY)-- that collaborate on the development and commercialization of exenatide.

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NEW DELHI, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The number of people across the globe consuming drugs has remained constant since last year, a report released here Tuesday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said.
The report was released by the United Nations (UN) worldwide to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse And Illicit Trafficking.

The report said there are signs of stability in production, trafficking as well as consumption for almost all drugs including cocaine, heroin, cannabis and amphetamines.

There are 200 million people on drugs worldwide, which is 4.8 percent of the world population aged between 15 and 64 years.

A message by UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa, released here, said there is some ground for optimism that the run-away train of drug addiction is being slowed down.

Antonio said people worldwide must impress upon their governments, family, friends and co-workers the need to continue and push back against drugs.

With regards to Southeast Asia, the report said the region is closing a tragic chapter that has blighted the Golden Triangle for decades. The region is now almost opium free.

However, since the region is not free of poverty, farmers remain vulnerable to temptations of illicit incomes.

Farmers need assistance to move to alternate farming and need financial assistance.

The same goes for Afghanistan and Andean nations.

In 2007, the report said, the UNODC plans to open regional narcotic information-sharing centers in central Asia and the Gulf to check drug trafficking.
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BERLIN, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Three swans were found dead with bird flu in a second German state one day after authorities confirmed six cases of bird flu in the southern state of Bavaria, local reports said Tuesday
The health ministry in the eastern state of Saxony said three dead swans were found near Leipzig and a quick test confirmed that they were infected with the deadly H5N1 virus, said a report by German news agency DPA.

Authorities said the infections could still be isolated cases. Experts have yet to establish if the infection is connected to the bird flu outbreak in the neighboring Czech Republic, said the report.

The H5N1 bird flu virus has been found in geese and turkeys in a total of four farms in Hungary, Britain and the Czech Republic this year.

According to the World Health Organization, the H5N1 virus has killed nearly 200 people out of more than 300 cases globally since2003.

Health experts fear that H5N1 could develop the characteristics of seasonal flu and begin spreading easily among people, causing a global outbreak that could kill millions. ??
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BEIJING, Jun 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Doctors are more likely to be wasting patients' valuable time when they want to make their patients more at ease by chatting, according to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine Wednesday.

In the study, researchers recruited 100 actors posing as new patients to pay 113 visits to 100 primacies care providers.

After analysis of the visit transcripts, researchers find that 34 percent doctors talked about their own health, personal life, or political views during the visit, 85 percent of which are not useful or relevant to the patient.

What is more only 21 percent of the time does the physician return to the patient topic preceding the disclosure.

"We found that physician self-disclosures were often non sequiturs, unattached to any discussion in the visit," said researcher Susan H. McDaniel, PhD, of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and colleagues in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Researchers believe these disclosures detract in some way from the doctor-patient relationship. The doctor-centered disclosures actually benefit the doctor, not the patient.

"They should not use self-disclosure. If they want to complain about their rent or the stress of the work, they should complain to their colleagues, not their patients." McDaniel said.

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BEIJING, Jun 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Los Angeles County launched a campaign against sexually transmitted diseases by using drink coasters, murals, sidewalk chalk art and other unconventional approaches Tuesday.

The campaign is to combat rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea, targeting at gay, bisexual men, African American women and Latinas.

The county will spend 1.3 million U.S. dollars in efforts to reach "people who are not going to be watching mainstream television or reading the newspapers," according to Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of the county Department of Public Health.

In Los Angeles, over 30,000 women get chlamydia every year, and syphilis in homosexual and bisexual men increased 365 percent between 2001 and 2005.

Although the county Board of Supervisors ordered a campaign last year, "it hasn't made the kind of progress that we absolutely need to make," said Fielding.

Craig E. Thompson, executive director of AIDS Project Los Angeles, praised the new campaign as being "sexier" and more likely to capture people's attention than the previous effort.

"We go from campaign to campaign," Thompson said. "Maybe we get people's attention for a while, then we don't have anything out there."

Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, also praised the new campaign and hoped that the county can set up a system in which every sexually active person gets screened at least every six month. ??
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LOS ANGELES, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Hollywood socialite Paris Hilton probably could not wait for her release from a Los Angeles jail, but some of her neighbors said they dread her return, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

Already annoyed by the wild parties the 26-year-old hotel heiress has thrown since she moved in, her neighbors in Hollywood Hills are bracing for her expected return Tuesday and the ensuing crush of media.

Residents of the affluent neighborhood fear a repeat of June 8,when paparazzi and other media representatives flooded in to follow Hilton's tearful ride to court and then to jail as helicopters buzzed overhead, according to the newspaper.

"Dear Neighbor, since the arrival of Paris Hilton to our neighborhood, we've seen our quality of life deteriorate," reads a flier being distributed around the neighborhood where Hilton leaves, on a twisty road of gated homes above the Sunset Strip. It called for a united stand by the neighborhood when Hilton gets out of jail.

Christopher Hauck, a resident who lives across the street from Hilton, said that just her parties were disruptive, with guests urinating in public and stumbling about drunk.

"I'm amazed that people have tolerated it as long as they have," he told the newspaper.

Paparazzi were camping out at the jail in a Los Angeles suburb overnight just in case the "Simple Life" reality television show star is released sooner than Tuesday, which is when authorities say Hilton will be let out.

Hilton was sentenced last month by a Los Angeles judge to 45 days in jail for driving on a suspended license in violation of her probation in a drunken driving case -- which was reduced to about 23 days for "good behavior."

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca was accused of giving Hilton the star treatment when he tried to reassign her to home confinement after just three days in jail, citing an undisclosed medical condition. A judge ordered her back to jail the next day.

Baca said that because of her celebrity status, Hilton actually received harsher punishment than most people convicted of the same offenses.

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BEIJING, Jun 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Washington D.C. Judge Judith Bartnoff Monday dismissed the case of a dry cleaning customer suing for 54 million U.S. dollars over a pair of misplaced pants and ordered the plaintiff to pay the defendants' court costs.

The plaintiff Roy L. Pearson, an administrative law judge, claimed that the dry cleaners' "satisfaction guaranteed" in the shop window poster misled customers and broke consumer protection law.

Pearson accused the Chungs, the dry cleaner, of losing a pair of suit pants he had brought in for 10.50 dollars and entitled him to thousands of dollars for each day over nearly four years since 2005.

"A reasonable consumer would not interpret 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' to mean that a merchant is required to satisfy a customer's unreasonable demands,?? said Bartnoff. ??

"The court finds that the plaintiff is not entitled to any relief whatsoever,?? Bartnoff added.

Lisa A. Rickard, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform President, called the 54 million-dollar lawsuit "the epitome of a frivolous lawsuit." However, "the case highlights a bigger problem."

"Some will say this outcome proves the system worked, and justice was served. To the contrary, this case only proves that the system is truly broken and in bad need of repair," she said.

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BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Hollywood Tom Sizemore was sentenced to 16 months in state prison by a judge who ruled the alleged discovery of methamphetamine in the actor's car had violated his probation in a previous drug case, media reported Tuesday.

Sizemore was arrested last month with another suspect. In court papers, Deputy District Attorney Sean Carney alleged that Sizemore violated his probation by being under the influence of methamphetamine, opiates and marijuana, and by possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Sizemore faces up to six years in prison if convicted of all the charges. He has been in jail without bail since June 5, when he surrendered on a warrant alleging he had violated his probation.

Sizemore was convicted in 2003 of domestic violence involving his ex-girlfriend, former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss. He remained free pending an appeal.

In October 2004, he pleaded guilty to a felony count of possession of a controlled substance identified as methamphetamine and was placed on probation. The probation was revoked in 2005 when Sizemore was caught using a prosthetic device during a drug test.

His probation was later reinstated, but he tested positive for drug use last year and was given another three years' probation, authorities said.

"Sizemore has been in every program, and here he is again. He abused the privilege of probation and needs to be in a lockdown setting," Superior Court Judge Cynthia Rayvis said.

(Agencies)
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LOS ANGELES, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Troubled Hollywood celebrity Paris Hilton was released from jail Tuesday after serving a three-week sentence in a case that roiled local political waters with charges of hypocrisy and favoritism.

The 26-year-old hotel heiress made a red carpet-type exit from a Los Angeles jail early in the morning, smiled brightly, waved demurely and fell into her mother's arms after 23 days in sheriff's custody for driving on a suspended license.

Her triumphant emergence concluded an episode that began as another story about a young celebrity in legal trouble but expanded to reflect both fissures within local justice system and community misgivings about unequal treatment.

While Hilton was driven off to freedom in a Cadillac Escalade luxury SUV, on her way -- not to her own Hollywood Hills home, but to her parents' compound in the exclusive Bel-Air area, paparazzi and television crews pursued the vehicle on the ground and from the air.

According to a spokesman of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Hilton thanked the guards, nurses and other staff before leaving the jail, where she was incarcerated in the medical ward.

It was reported that CNN's Larry King will get the first crack at interviewing Hilton about her jail life. She is slated to appear on the network's "Larry King Live" Wednesday evening.

Paris Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail last month for driving on a suspended license in violation of her probation in a misdemeanor alcohol-related reckless driving case, but her sentence was reduced to about 23 days for "good behavior."

County Sheriff Lee Baca was accused of giving Hilton the star treatment when he tried to reassign her to home confinement after just three days in jail, citing an undisclosed medical condition. Hilton was ordered back in jail the next day by the judge.

Paris Hilton to do 1st post-jail interview

Jailed socialite Paris Hilton will give her first post-prison interview on veteran CNN newsman Larry King's show on Wednesday, the cable network has confirmed. Full story

Paris Hilton to serve more time in jail

Paris Hilton will have to serve more time in jail than most inmates sent to L.A. County Jail for similar offenses, according to media reports Wednesday. Full story

Officials ask report on Paris Hilton's release

Officials here asked Tuesday for a report on why Hollywood celebrity and hotel heiress Paris Hilton was sent home from jail last week, amid persistent claims that local law enforcement gave the socialite preferential treatment. Full story

Paris Hilton determined to stop acting "dumb"

Paris Hilton has decided that she will no longer "act dumb."

The remark was made in a telephone call Sunday with Barbara Walters, in which Hilton described her brief spell behind bars last week -- after which she was released and then sent back to jail by an outraged judge. Full story

Paris Hilton leaves the Los Angeles County Correctional Facility in Lynwood, California June 26, 2007. Hotel heiress Hilton, who commanded as much attention behind bars as on the Hollywood party scene, regained her freedom on Tuesday after serving three weeks in jail for violating probation in a drunk-driving case.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Paris Hilton leaves the Los Angeles County Correctional Facility in Lynwood, California June 26, 2007. Hotel heiress Hilton, who commanded as much attention behind bars as on the Hollywood party scene, regained her freedom on Tuesday after serving three weeks in jail for violating probation in a drunk-driving case.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Paris Hilton leaves the Los Angeles County Correctional Facility in Lynwood, California June 26, 2007. Hotel heiress Hilton, who commanded as much attention behind bars as on the Hollywood party scene, regained her freedom on Tuesday after serving three weeks in jail for violating probation in a drunk-driving case.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Paris Hilton leaves the Los Angeles County Correctional Facility in Lynwood, California June 26, 2007. Hotel heiress Hilton, who commanded as much attention behind bars as on the Hollywood party scene, regained her freedom on Tuesday after serving three weeks in jail for violating probation in a drunk-driving case.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Paris Hilton talks to reporters as she arrives at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles, California June 3, 2007.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Rick and Kathy Hilton leave the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles June 12, 2007. The couple were there to visit their daughter, Paris Hilton, who is serving a jail sentence for violating her probation on a driving under the influence of alcohol charge. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Photo Gallery>>>

Paris Hilton's house with yellow ribbons and two American flags adorning the front gate is shown in West Hollywood, California June 21, 2007. Hilton is currently serving her sentence for probation violation and is scheduled to be released from jail on June 25, 2007. Hilton's neighbors have raised concern with officials about their neighborhood being swarmed by news media upon her release. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

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BEIJING, Jun 27 (Xinhuanet) -- A producer sued his former employer CBS news Monday for 50 million dollars in New York, claiming he was discriminated against for being gay and was fired for publicly discussing his assault experience, according to media reports Wednesday.

Richard N. Jefferson, 52, had started as a producer for CBS in January 1989 until he was fired on Nov. 20, 2006.

He was beaten with a tire wrench in a gay-bashing incident while on vacation in St. Maarten, an island in the West Indies on April 6, 2006.

Jefferson later complained about the slow response of the St. Maarten police to the attack and demanded a full investigation.

Jefferson said that senior vice president Linda Mason had asked him "appropriate questions" and tried to control his public comments about the incident.

"She told me this was a gay rights issue and I said it had nothing to do with gay rights; I was the victim of a crime," Jefferson said.

Jefferson claimed CBS "improperly pried into his private life, dictated his after hours activities, restricted his First Amendment rights, created false complaints about his performance," and then "terminated him on the basis of his sexual orientation," seeking up to 50 million dollars in damages from CBS, CBS News and Linda Mason.

CBS spokeswoman Sandra Genelius said Jefferson's contract was not renewed "due to legitimate issues with his performance that had been previously discussed with him," and the lawsuit reveals "a stunningly selective recall of the facts."

CBS News supported Jefferson's "right to discuss the attack publicly and to seek justice, which he clearly did," Genelius added.
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BEIJING, June 27 -- Tim Henman overcame Carlos Moya 13-11 on his seventh match point in the final set yesterday, completing another emotional five-set victory and giving Britain's long-suffering fans hope for another title run at Wimbledon.

A double-fault by Moya on the third match point of the 24th game of the set gave Henman a 6-3, 1-6, 5-7, 6-2, 13-11 win that enthralled the Center Court faithful at the All England Club.

Henman, a four-time semifinalist playing in his 14th Wimbledon, had been tied 5-5 with Moya in the fifth set when the first-round match was stopped by darkness on Monday night. Henman missed four match points at 5-4.

"It would have been pretty sweet to finish it off last night," he said. "Perhaps this scenario is even better."

The two men returned to Center Court after Amelie Mauresmo had opened the defense of her women's title yesterday by beating Jamea Jackson of the United States 6-1, 6-3 in just over an hour.

That was slightly less time that it took Henman and Moya, the 1998 French Open champion and former No. 1-ranked player, to complete their match.

Both players pulled out some brilliant shots under pressure - including aces, running passing shots and stab volleys - to keep the match going.

Henman saved two break points while serving at 11-all - the first with an ace down the middle, and the second with a stunning second-serve ace, a high-kicking delivery into Moya's backhand corner.

In the next game, Henman got to 15-40 on Moya's serve by lifting a soft backhand lob that just drifted over the leaping Spaniard's racket. Henman squandered the first match point with a mishit backhand return, and Moya saved the second with a backhand volley winner. After an error at deuce, the match ended with Moya hitting a second serve long.

"You'd like to finish on a running forehand pass, but at that point you're open to any gifts," said Henman, who has a tradition of pulling out five-set victories at Wimbledon.

Henman has lost in the second round at Wimbledon the last two years. The last British man to win the title at Wimble-don was Fred Perry in 1936, but Henman has been closest to ending that streak.

"This place is so special to me and I've had so many experiences over the years I always believe that good things are going to happen," he said.

Mauresmo, who beat Justin Henin in last year's final, is seeded only No. 4 because she was sidelined following an appendectomy in March and had a groin problem that led to an early exit at the French Open.

"It's great to be back as the defending champion here," Mauresmo said. "I feel good. This year is a little bit different because I didn't feel that well at the French Open, so it definitely makes it better here this year for me."

Mauresmo was never really tested by the 158th-ranked Jackson, who underwent hip surgery in December, hasn't won a match on the tour this year and looked shaky in her first Center Court appearance.

Mauresmo, who set the tone by going to the net on the first point for a winning forehand volley, raced to a 5-0 lead before the 20-year-old Jackson held serve for her first game.

Jackson settled down and took more chances in the second set, but it wasn't enough.

In other early women's action on a chilly day in southwest London there was a harsh lesson for junior world champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The 15-year-old Russian was handed a wildcard in recognition of her Australian and US Open junior titles but was no match for Slovakian 10th seed Daniela Hantuchova, losing 0-6, 1-6.

In men's play, No. 9 James Blake beat Igor Andreev 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to extend his record over the Russian to 5-0. Other winners included No. 13 Richard Gasquet, No. 15 Ivan Ljubicic and No. 26 Marat Safin.
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BANGKOK, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A number of top badminton players led by world NO. 2 Chen Jin and third-ranked Chen Hong will take part in the 2007 SCG Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold next month.

The Chinese stars head the 120,000 U.S. dollars tournament, which will be held at Bangkok's Nimibutr Gymnasium from July 3 to 8, local newspaper the Bangkok Post reported on Wednesday.

It has attracted 400 shuttlers from 40 countries and it is the biggest event ever held by the Badminton Association of Thailand, said the association's president Charoen Wattanasin.

"The tournament attracts many world-class players because it is one of the 2008 Olympic qualifying events," said Charoen.

Apart from Chen Jin, who was the 2007 Swiss Open champion and last year's Thailand Open runner-up, and world No. 3 Chen Hong, the Chinese squad also include Thailand Open defending champion Chen Yu, who is ranked fifth in the world.

Thailand's challenge will be led by world No. 8 Boonsak Ponsanawho is seeded fourth in the tournament. The Thai star will take on Malaysia's Pei Wee Chung in the first round of the men's singles.
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BEIJING, June 26 -- Not content with gold medals and millions of dollars in endorsements, Liu Xiang says he is ready to smash the 110m hurdles world record for a second time.

"I think I have the chance to break the world record again this year and I am sure I can run faster," Liu was quoted as saying on Sina.com. "Breaking the record requires a lot of factors and also luck, so I cannot tell how I will perform. But I think this year is probably the right time.

"I know a lot of people have very high expectations of me, but I won't set a target for myself before any tournament. I am not a high jumper, there is no clear standard for me. All I want to do is to win the race."

Liu broke the world record with a time of 12.88 seconds in Lausanne, Switzerland in July last year and prior to that he had equaled the record of 12.91 when he won the Olympic title in Athens in 2004.

The 2007 season has started promisingly, with the 24-year-old winning five out of six international tournaments.

A 12.92 victory in New York earlier this month, the fastest anyone has run this season, made him the only one on the planet to go sub-12.94 four times.

"The recent victories have made me more confident about winning at the worlds," said Liu. "Osaka has been a lucky city for me because I have never lost a competition there."

Liu's coach Sun Haiping is also confident that his man can do the business at the World Championships in Osaka in September.

"He is able to win there," Sun was quoted as saying on Sina.com. "Sometimes I joke that I wish the Beijing Olympics would take place this year, as I am sure Liu would win the gold medal.

"He is in incredible form and his desire to compete is really, really high. His times have always stayed around 13 seconds.

"Now with the world's best all coming together, it is a good chance for Liu to compete with them and better know their form ahead of the Beijing Games.

"The rankings show that Liu is very strong. We want to keep the top position as long as possible."

The Osaka tournament also gives Liu the opportunity to fill the one hole in his CV: the lack of a gold medal at the world championships.

"Gold is my sole target at the worlds in Osaka," said Liu after returning to Beijing after two weeks training and competing in the United States.

"I think the time is ripe for me now. I've had some great performances over the past two months and I've trained really hard and stayed away from injuries, so I am confident I will taste gold in Osaka this time."

He will face stiff competition in Osaka from American Dominique Arnold and Doucoure.

Legs Insurance

Following nightmare injuries suffered by gymnast Wang Yan and star spiker Tang Miao, Sun is planning to buy Liu an insurance policy - for his legs.

Wang and Tang both broke their necks last week and may remain paralyzed for life.

"Liu has life insurance from the national team but I hope there is a kind of insurance that is specifically for his legs," said Sun. "There isn't this kind of insurance in China, but given his legs bring not only world records and gold medals but also guarantee a big market behind him, I will talk with officials about it."

Liu is arguably the most popular athlete in China and his endorsement fees have rocketed over the past two years to make him the second richest Chinese athlete behind Houston Rockets center Yao Ming.

He recently signed a deal with Amway reportedly worth 10 million yuan (US$1.25 million). His earnings have increased 30 fold since 2004.

Liu has a total of seven sponsorships this year for products ranging from sports equipment to credit cards.

According to his coach Sun, the sponsorships are divided into different levels with a top contract costing over 10 million yuan (US$1.25 million) and the second level five million yuan (US$625,000).

But Liu says the deals are more about the fun than the money.

"I don't put pressure on it," he said. "Staying on the track the whole day makes me dull, I need to relax off it, for example by making some ads or public appearances. I think this is also a good way to communicate with my fans and give something back to society."

Local media estimate that the young Olympian could be earning more than 20 million yuan (US$2.5 million) per year.

Liu will leave for Paris later this month for the Golden League event that takes place on July 6.
from http://www.cdao.com.cn

BEIJING, June 26 -- Former Ferrari technical manager Nigel Stepney has accused the Formula One team of waging a dirty tricks campaign against him amid legal proceedings and allegations of sabotage.

"I have confidence I'll be cleared by the legal process that is now taking place," the 47-year-old Briton told the Sunday Times newspaper.

"It is just part of a dirty tricks campaign and everything is in the hands of my lawyer, so we'll wait and see what happens."

Ferrari said on Thursday that they had started court action against Stepney, who remains an employee, but declined to give details. A spokesman said they had also started internal disciplinary procedures against the Briton.

Stepney said in February that he was open to offers after expressing unhappiness at management changes following the departure of technical director and compatriot Ross Brawn.

He was moved to a new role, in charge of team performance development and away from the racetrack, before the start of the season in March. The Briton has also been linked to a possible switch to struggling rivals Honda.

Stepney had previously played an important role in leading the pit crew at races after joining Ferrari in 1992 as chief mechanic. His time at the team coincided with Michael Schumacher's golden period there.

Italian and British newspapers have mentioned a mysterious white powder that was allegedly found in the petrol tanks of the Ferrari race cars six days before this year's Monaco Grand Prix.

The Sunday Times said Italian police had also searched Stepney's house near the Maranello factory and left with a small container.

A Ferrari spokesman refused to comment on the speculation on Sunday, other than observing that "clearly there are a few papers that are very well informed".

Stepney, holidaying in the Philippines with his partner and child, dismissed suggestions that he had fled the country.

"Why would anyone say I am not contactable," he told the Sunday Times. "I booked the flights through the Ferrari travel office. They know where I am."
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BEIJING, June 26 -- Juan Pablo Montoya demonstrated his road racing prowess again by stretching his final fuel load to the limit and grabbing his first NASCAR Nextel Cup win at Infineon Raceway on Sunday.

Montoya, who qualified a disappointing 32nd in the 43-car field for the Toyota/Save Mart 350, was the first driver to win on the Northern California road circuit starting further back than 13th.

The Colombian driver, who jumped from Formula One to the American stock car circuit late last season, got his first Cup win in his 17th start and gave team owner Chip Ganassi his first win in NASCAR's top series since Jamie McMurray won in October 2002.

"It's huge" Montoya said. "I would say right now it's the biggest thing I've done. In open-wheel, that's what I was meant to be winning in. In stock cars, I wasn't.

"To get our first win in our first year is huge. We know we're a little bit behind on some of the ovals, but I think this is a big boost for everybody working in the shop."

Series points leader Jeff Gordon overcame a 41st-place start to finish just behind Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart in seventh with a strategic effort in the first road race for NASCAR's new Car of Tomorrow.

Gordon, who became a father for the first time Wednesday when his daughter, Ella Sofia, was born, and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson, the reigning Cup champion, were both banned from practice and qualifying on Friday and had to start from the rear of the field after NASCAR inspectors found their cars had illegally modified front fenders.

Both drivers and their crew chiefs face more penalties from NASCAR in the next few days, but they ran hard to overcome their handicapped start Sunday. Johnson's fuel strategy didn't work as well as Gordon's and, after getting into the top 10 for a while, he finished 17th.

Montoya, whose only other NASCAR victory came earlier this year in a Busch Series race on the road course in Mexico City, passed McMurray, who now drives for Roush Fenway Racing, eight laps from the end and stayed out front of the 110-lap event on the 1.9-mile (3-kilometer), 12-turn course.

"I was very surprised by the level of the drivers here on the road course," Montoya said. "In Mexico, we had a really good car and the top five cars were really strong. But, behind that, it was really easy."

The winner got past McMurray for a moment two laps earlier, driving his Dodge past McMurray's Ford in the slow hairpin near the end of the circuit, but Montoya got too wide and McMurray was able to squeeze back by.

The pass that counted came in turn two, with Montoya getting under McMurray's car and passing easily.

"I saw he was always hugging that corner and I thought, 'This is it.' I knew I could pass him there," Montoya said.

Donnie Wingo, his crew chief, said it was mostly Montoya's ability to conserve fuel that won the race. Wingo figured Montoya would run out about a lap short of the end.

"Today, we had to play a little bit of catchup, so we had to take a gamble there at the end," Wingo said. "He did a great job on saving fuel, everybody did a good job on the stops and the motor shop did a great job. Without the fuel mileage we'd have never made it."
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CARACAS, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The presidents of Venezuela and Bolivia, Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales, will attend the opening game of the 2007 Copa America, where Bolivia plays Venezuela.
The latest edition of the world's oldest soccer competition for national teams will begin at 8:45p.m. local time at the Pueblo Nuevo Sports Stadium in San Cristobal, Tachira, one of the nine sites for the 42nd Copa, some 816 km west of Caracas.

Morales's presence was confirmed on Friday in a statement from the Palacio Quemado, the Bolivian president's office. Morales will travel with a committee of 40 to the match.

Chavez's attendance was confirmed when his presidential security staff began arriving in the Tachira city on Monday night.

Jaime Escalente, chief of Tachira state's Number One Command, said that 6,500 officers would provide security in San Cristobal.
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KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 (Xinhua) -- India's Feroz Ali won the Proton Terengganu Masters title in Kuala Terengganu, capital of Malaysia's northern state of Terengganu on Tuesday, local media reported on Wednesday.

A late challenge by Malaysia's golfer Mohd Rashid Ismail failed to stop Feroz, the New Straits Times said.

The turning point for the 37-year-old Feroz, who finished the day with three-under 69, was at the 11th hole when Mohd Rashid missed a 2-foot par putt.

Feroz, a former Indian Open champion, kept a 3-shot lead up until the 15th when Mohd Rashid managed to close in and trail by one with two straight birdies.

"I was consistent enough throughout the day although it was hard to stay focus Rashid and Shaifubari hot on my heels," said Feroz after the prize presentation ceremony.

Mohd Rashid, meanwhile, said he only had himself to blame for missing some good opportunities but was satisfied with his overall performance in the 3-day tournament.

Another Malaysia's athlete, Shaifubari Muda also made a late charge with 5 birdies to share second place with Mohd Rashid with a similar total scores of 207, taking home 19,500 ringgit (5,735 U.S.dollars) each while the champion received a trophy and 35,000 ringgit (10,294 U.S. dollars).
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BEIJING, June 27 -- Wet track, headwind - nothing appears to slow new American sprint sensation Tyson Gay.
The 24-year-old put on history's most impressive 100-200 meters show at the weekend in booking his trip to August's world championships in Osaka, Japan.

No sprinter has run 9.84 seconds for 100 meters and 19.62 seconds for the 200 in the same championships.

Only one man has run a faster 200 meters - world record holder Michael Johnson, who clocked 19.32 seconds for gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

"He will become the best 100-200 combination ever," sprint coach John Smith, the mentor of former 100 meters world record holder Maurice Greene and numerous Olympians, told Reuters after watching Gay at the US championships.

Statistically, Gay has already achieved that honor. His runs of 9.84 seconds in the 100 and 19.68 in the 200 last year pushed him past Namibian Frank Fredericks as the combined fastest in the two events.

The US championships only amplified Gay's hold on the honor.

The 100 meters run came into a headwind of 0.5 meters per second on Friday. Only Greene, in his 9.82-second dash to the 2001 world title, has run faster into a headwind.

On Sunday, Gay rushed through a slight headwind to his 19.62-second clocking in the 200 on a wet track.

"It was probably as perfect as it's going to be in these conditions," Gay said.

Family motivation

"After the prelims (on Saturday), I did not want to run, Gay said. "But my family is here and they motivated me, and I wanted to come out and do my best for them."

Gay's coach, Lance Brauman, was not present.

He is in prison on embezzlement, theft and mail fraud charges related to using student assistance funds at a Kansas community college to pay athletes, including Gay, for work they did not do. Gay was not charged.

Prior to leaving for prison in November, Brauman gave each of his athletes, including Gay and world 200 silver medalist Wallace Spearmon, notebooks with their workout schedules.

The coach and his athletes also talk by phone, Gay said. They cannot call him, however. Brauman must initiate calls.

He was scheduled to watch Gay's races on television.

Record challenge

Gay also has turned to retired sprinter Jon Drummond, an exceptional starter who won Olympic relay gold, for assistance.

"From where he was, it was a 180 (degrees improvement)," Drummond said.

"Tyson never lacked speed or turnover. He just had a lot of technical flaws," Drummond said of the former collegiate champion whose best global showing is fourth in the 200 at the 2005 world championships.

Now, Drummond said, "I would not be surprised if he ran 9.6 (in the 100), not at all. If anyone is going to do it, he has the potential."

Before the national championships, Gay proved he could challenge Jamaican Asafa Powell's 100 meters world record of 9.77 seconds.

He blitzed to a time of 9.79 seconds with an assisting wind in May, then clocked 9.76 in early June but was denied a world record because of an aiding wind.

"I believe I can run 9.73 (seconds) or faster," Gay said.

When Gay will first meet Powell this season is unclear.

Gay's first scheduled race in Europe is a 200 meters at Lausanne on July 10. He is also considering a 100 or 200 at Sheffield on July 15.

European promoters no doubt will be seeking other races after the past weekend.

"He's not big, but is strong for his size," said Smith of the 1.83 meter, 73 kg Gay.

"Tyson's maturity also is impressive", said collegiate coach Pat Henry, who will guide the US men at the worlds.

"He has done a great job of running fast and staying healthy and knowing when he has got to be at his best," Henry told Reuters.

"He is probably prepared to meet any challenge that is thrown at him," he added.

"He has the potential to run very, very fast."
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BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- "The overseas craze for learning Chinese has spread from university to primary and secondary education," said a senior official with the Office of Chinese Language Council International here Tuesday.
At the opening ceremony of the "Chinese Bridge for American and Korean Schools," an exchange program on Chinese language teaching, 1,000 primary and middle school principals from the United States and the Republic of Korea expressed their interest in adding Chinese lessons to their school curricula.

Incomplete statistics show that more than 800 U.S. universities and 300-plus universities in the ROK have already offered Chinese courses. And the number continues to rise.

Latest statistics from the U.S.-based Society of Modern Language Research show that the number of primary and middle school students learning Chinese in the United States increased from 33,000 in 2002 to 50,000 in 2006.

"The huge demand for Chinese courses overseas poses challenges and opportunities," said Xu Lin, director of the Office. "These exchange programs spur school-to-school cooperation."

According to Xu, the American and ROK principals will visit 18 Chinese provinces and cities, talk with Chinese counterparts, and sign cooperation agreements with them. Once links are established, the Chinese schools will dispatch teachers to counterpart schools and help compile teaching materials.

With most of the principals visiting China for the first time, the Chinese organizers include cultural exhibitions, lectures and Chinese lessons in the program.

Chinese Minister of Education Zhou Ji said language is a key to cultural exchange. Young people should learn both their own language and other languages.

"We have to help people learn foreign languages," Zhou stressed. "Cooperation on language teaching will benefit young people from all three countries and promote bilateral and multi-lateral ties."

Prior to this, the Office of Chinese Language Council International had sponsored the visit of 400 U.S. headmasters and 110 British headmasters; most of them signed agreements with Chinese counterparts.

The Office said that 30 million people are learning Chinese the world over, but predicted the figure will hit 100 million by 2010.
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HAVANA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of youth organizations from Cuba and China reaffirmed their close ties when they met here Monday.
Yang Yue, secretary of China's Youth League central committee, was heading a delegation on a visit to Cuba.

Yang met with Julio Martinez, first secretary of Cuba's Young Communist League (UJC) national committee.

Yang expressed admiration for the young Cubans braving the economic blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba for nearly 50 years.

Martinez briefed Yang on Cuban youth's political preparation and offered to show him the UJC's social programs.

Yang, who arrived in Cuba on Saturday, is scheduled to visit the Cuban Communist Party headquarters, the Foreign Ministry and the island country's legislature, the National People's Power Assembly. He will also speak to the Information Sciences University and to young Chinese students there.
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ROME, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Italy Monday handed back to Pakistan a precious haul of stolen antiquities.

Italy's art police spotted the 100 or so figurines, bowls and terracotta works, some dating back to 5,000 BC, at a northern Italian antiques fair in 2005.

The vendor was trying to pass them off as earthenware from Thailand.

The police, helped by experts on Oriental art, succeeded in establishing the true provenance of the artifacts and their huge value, the local media reported.

Italy will send a team to Pakistan to help restore the artifacts.

Handing over the articles to Pakistani Ambassador Mirza Qamar Beg, Italian Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli said: "Italy returns works to countries with legal title to them and wants to get its own works back from museums which have them" -- a reference to a long-running dispute with the John Paul Getty Museum in California.

Rutelli said Italy had started talking to museums worldwide to secure the restitution of plundered artifacts.

"Some of them have understood and are giving back what was stolen, while others have not understood."
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CHRISTCHURCH, Brunei, June 26 (Xinhua) -- United Nations will help the reconstruction of the Al-Askari Holy shrine, in Samarra (Iraq), badly damaged by two attacks in February 2006 and June 2007.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Government of Iraq signed a memorandum of understanding on June 24.

UNESCO Director-General Matsuura said here Tuesday the commitment of the Iraqi authorities and the international community to work together on the reconstruction of this highly symbolic site"is a reason for hope."

"Respecting cultural heritage is one of the fundamental principles of the reconstruction process for a country such as Iraq, and a decisive step towards national reconciliation," said Matsuura.

The reconstruction will start as soon as security conditions are guaranteed and will continue over a period of ten months.

The first phase of the project includes preventive works, an assessment of needs and the preparation of the final restoration project.

The total budget amounts to 8.4 million U.S. dollars.

The United Nations Development Group Iraq Trust Fund (UNDG ITF)will provide 5.4 million U.S. dollars and the Government of Iraq 3million U.S. dollars.

The Al Askari shrine is one of the holy sites of Shi'ite Islam.It is home to the tombs of Ali Al Hadi, the tenth imam, who died in 868, and his son Hassan al-Askari, the eleventh imam, who died in 874.

The explosion on Feb. 22, 2006 caused the collapse of the shrine 's Golden Dome and of the Ali al-Hadi shrine.

The explosions of June 13, 2007 destroyed two 36-meter-high minarets of the Al-Askari shrine.
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CHRISTCHURCH, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The World Heritage Committee inscribed Tuesday the Galapagos (Ecuador), and Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal) on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.

The World Heritage Committee, meeting for its 31st session in Christchurch, made this decision as it is reviewing the state of conservation of sites inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, which totals 830 sites.

The Committee said the move is to mobilize support for their conservation.

Prior to the Christchurch session 31 sites were put on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Situated in the Pacific Ocean some 1,000 km from the South American continent, the 19 islands of the Galapagos and their surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique living museum and showcase of evolution.

They are threatened by invasive species, growing tourism and immigration. The number of days spent by passengers of cruise ships has increased by 150 percent over the past 15 years, for example.

This increase has fueled a growth in immigration and the ensuing inter-island traffic has led to the introduction of more invasive species.

Inscribed in 1978, the Galapagos is the first site to have been placed on the World Heritage List. Its boundaries were extended in 2001.

Inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1981, Niokolo-Koba National Park is located along the banks of the Gambia River. The forests and savannahs of the park are home to a rich fauna, which includes Derby elands (the largest of the antelopes), chimpanzees, lions, leopards and a large population of elephants, as well as numerous birds, reptiles and amphibians.

The site is endangered by poaching and by plans to construct a dam on the Gambia River just a few kilometers upstream from the property.

The dam threatens to stop the flooding of the grassland of the site, which is essential to sustain wildlife.
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MACAO, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The Macao 2008 International Jewelry Exhibition will be launched here from June 14 to 17 next year, local media reported Tuesday.

The Macao Post Daily quoted Cheung Chi Won, chairman of the Hong Kong Jewelry Manufacturers Association, as saying that the exhibition is hopefully to attract 500 world jewelry manufacturers, mostly from Southeast and East Asia.

Many business people regard Macao as a platform to enter the China market, which brings the jewelry exhibition to Macao, Cheungwas cited by the newspaper.

The hosting Hong Kong organization has a long history in holding jewelry exhibitions in Hong Kong and Las Vegas, according to the newspaper.
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BEIJING, June 26 -- People admire Shanghai's development when they see the staggering Pudong skyline, but last week a group of British designers were getting very excited about a normally unremarkable patch of Pudong.

The land will be the future site of the UK Pavilion, located on the Pudong side of the World Expo site, beside the Lupu Bridge.

The six visiting teams of British architects and designers are involved in a competition to design the UK Pavilion for the 2010 World Expo, both the pavilion and the exhibition itself.

The UK has chosen to build a 6,000-square-meter pavilion. The constructing budget for the pavilion, said to be no less than 10 million pounds (US$19.94 million), will be shared by the government and the final winner of the competition, according to Barry Nicholson, consul for Trade and Investment.

After selecting these teams from 40 design groups, the contest organizer, Malcolm Reading & Associates, arranged a trip to Shanghai for the teams to help inspire their final proposals.

"We thought it was quite worthwhile to spend the time doing this because we are looking for an important team for an important building," said Malcolm Reading.

"We want the architects to know how grand the site is and how much work there will be with this project, as well as letting them understand the culture of Shanghai," he said.

James Gibson, managing director of DCM Studios, told Shanghai Daily that they hadn't realized the tremendous scale of this Expo.

"We have so much to do here," said Gibson. The British architect is very interested in building the pavilion for the World Expo. The competing teams even include the creators of the London Eye - the largest Ferris wheel in the world - and the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize, considered the top award in architecture.

"The UK has been very active in preparing for this Expo," said Chen Jiang, an official with the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination.

"What attracts us here is that the UK Pavilion in Shanghai is a very high-profile project and it will represent the British people and government," said Gibson.

Mark Bingham from Draw Architects and Ross Hunter of Graven Images, working jointly in the same team with Gibson, noted that Shanghai isn't just a growing exciting, economic powerhouse, it's also sophisticated city where it would be possible to do exciting design work.

Compared to traditional Beijing, the culture in Shanghai is more open-minded, said Bingham, not conservative at all. It is a place for innovation and challenge, he added.

Gibson revealed that their pavilion will be designed with young Chinese people, between 15 and 25 years old, in mind. "The real messages must be delivered to them, so that's a big issue, they are the target audience," he said.

Reading said one of the key themes will be sustainability.

"It will say lot about British culture in the 21st century and it will point to what issues people are likely to face in the future, such as climate change," said Reading.

The British consulate will do some research into what Shanghai people are expecting from the Expo, and then they will decide their approach.

After the competing teams have submitted their preliminary ideas, the models of their plans will be showcased at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London between July 26 and September 6.

The winning design will be announced in October. Construction is expected to kick off in 2009.

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BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- All three major Chinese stock indices climbed slightly after slipping for two trading days in a row, with scientific and technological sectors as the major driving force in the late session.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index concluded Tuesday's trading at 3,973.37 points, up 32.29 points, or 0.82 percent, with a daily transaction volume of 126.76 billion yuan (16.7 billion U.S. dollars).

The key stock index, which covers both yuan-denominated A shares and foreign-currency-denominated B shares, moved between 3,818.85 and 3,976.19 points.

The Component Index on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange crept up 110.16 points, or 0.84 percent, to close at 13,219.41 points with a turnover of 61.41 billion yuan (8.1 billion dollars).

Analysts said speculation over a possible new interest rate hike and resignation of Chen Tonghai, chairman of Sinopec, a heavyweight on the Shanghai bourse, contributed to selling, which dampened the market mood in the morning session.

It is rumored that Chen was involved in the alleged corruption case involving former Shanghai leader Chen Liangyu, but analysts said the resignation would not affect the performance of the largest oil refiner in China.

Sinopec was driven down by the rumor in the morning session, but managed to bounce back slightly at the end of the day to close at 98.98 yuan, up 0.27 percent.

The analysts attributed end of the bearish run in the late session to the fact that no "bad" news had come yet from the monetary authorities.

Most other heavyweights climbed gradually with China Life, the country's largest life insurer, a major exception, and falling 2.52 percent to 43.14 yuan.

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China rose 0.6 percent to 4.99 yuan, while the Bank of China was up 0.4 percent to 5.03 yuan.

Despite the lackluster in the morning session, defense industry shares performed well all the way following the recent promulgation of new guidelines to transform military industrial enterprises into joint-stock companies. According to the guidelines, the shareholding reform might allow limited foreign investment in China's weapons makers.

The Shanghai exchange recorded 611 gains and 357 losses and Shenzhen bourse, 452 gains and 209 losses.

On Tuesday, the Hushen 300 Index, which tracks 300 companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, closed at 3,928.21 points, up 50.62 points, or 1.31 percent, from the previous close.
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BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- China is intensifying monitoring of short-term capital inflows in a bid to curb speculative money rushing in from abroad, according to a statement on the website of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.
It will also detect and penalize fraudulent export activities, which often disguise speculative capital inflows, according to the statement.

Speculative money often flows into China for investment in Chinese equity markets and in real estate projects, threatening the nation's macro economic control, the statement said.

Forex inspectors are required to investigate products and service trades, external debts and real estate and tourism sectors.

Meanwhile, inspections of banking services have been stepped up, as commercial banks are major institutions dealing with forex settlement in China.

The statement said the investigation could help efforts to identify the main channels and forms through which speculative capital flows in and to detect loopholes in government policies, which need to be amended.

Last year, the administration penalized 19 Chinese commercial banks and 10 foreign-funded banks which violated forex control rules, according to the statement
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HONG KONG, June 26 (Xinhua) -- A decline on Wall Street and trading activity ahead of a futures settlement this week dragged Hong Kong shares slightly down Tuesday by 18.78 points, or 0.09 percent.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index opened at 21,800.77 and closed at 21,803.57, fluctuating between 21,755.29 and 21,950.02 during the day's trading, with a total market turnover of 74.21 billion HK dollars.

Two of the four major stock categories lost ground. The finance fell 105.36 points, or 0.31 percent to close at 33,461.35. The Commerce and Industry went down 25.68 points, or 0.21 percent to close at 12,317.70. The other two major stock categories gained. The Utilities rose 226.59 points, or 0.66 percent to close at 34, 743.65. The Properties moved up 256.37 points, or 1.02 percent to close at 25,503.92.

Blue chips in Hong Kong were mixed. HSBC, the heavyweight of the market, went down 0.07 percent to close at 144.10 HK dollars, on concerns about the deteriorating quality of the subprime mortgages.

Mobile Giant China Mobile rose 0.65 percent to 84.80 HK dollars on news of a possible A-share listing.

The three insurers witnessed profit taking finally after days of strength. China Life was down 0.55 percent to 28.30 HK dollars.Ping An went down 4.03 percent to 54.80 HK dollars. PICC P&C fell 8.26 percent to 6.22 HK dollars.

Analysts said local stocks will likely move in a narrow range between 21,800 and 22,000 before Thursday's futures expiration, but they said flush liquidity would continue to support share prices in the long term.

'In the long term, the index is still in an upward trend due to ample liquidity, but in the short term, coming IPOs will likely pull liquidity out of the stock market in July,' said Y.K Chan, strategist at Phillip Capital Management (HK).

'There is a strong resistance level at 22,000. The index needs additional good news like a further expansion of China's Qualified Domestic Institutional Investment program to pass through the resistance level,' said UOB-Kay Hian Ltd. director Steven Leung.

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HONG KONG, June 26 (Xinhua) -- China Development Bank (CD announced Tuesday that it will issue five billion yuan (about 657 million U.S. dollars) RMB bond in Hong Kong, which is the first Chinese currency bond to be launched outside the Chinese mainland.

  The two-year bond, which will be synchronously sold to institutions and individual investors from June 27 to July 6, yields three percent annually. The return is relatively high compared to the 0.7 percent interest rate for six-month deposit here, with the anticipation of RMB appreciation.

The minimum subscription for an individual investor is 20,000 yuan, and at least one billion yuan of the bond is targeting at retail investors.

The joint lead managers and book runners for the bond issue are Bank of China (Hong Kong) and the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited. The distributors comprise of 14 placing banks with branches in Hong Kong, including Bank of Communications, China Construction Bank (Asia), Dah Sing Bank, and The Bank of East Asia.

The bond did not apply for independent ratings. CDB Governor Chen Yuan explained that despite the bank's on-going market-oriented reform, CDB will adhere to its mission of helping to achieve the government's goals, and "our debt rating will also remain intact."

CDB is China's largest policy bank and solely owned by the Ministry of Finance. It has been raising capital by issuing bonds since 1998, and has been given sovereign ratings by Moody's, Standard and Poor's and Fitch Ratings.

Analysts say both Hong Kong and the mainland could benefit from floating RMB outside the mainland.

"The issuance of RMB bonds here will strengthen Hong Kong's status as an international financial center," Ma Delun, assistant governor of the People's Bank of China, said at the launch ceremony of the bond.

The issuance of renminbi bonds in Hong Kong signifies the city's role as the country's premier international finance center, giving local investors more choice, said Henry Tang, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, when addressing the ceremony.

"The arrangement is a fresh step in Hong Kong-Mainland co-operation," he said.

Noting the renminbi is the fourth currency to go on the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) System, Tang said this will facilitate the trading or the liquidity of the renminbi bond.

"Although the total amount of renminbi in Hong Kong is not very large, about 25 billion HK dollars, I think that with further co-operation and integration between Hong Kong and the Mainland in terms of financial and monetary instruments, the pool can only grow," he said.

Tang said there is no plan to list renminbi bonds on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange because many of the brokers are not on the RTGS system.

He said if more companies can go on the RTGS system on the approval of Mainland authorities for renminbi transactions, then there will be better liquidity so it can be listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Joseph Yam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, said he believed that RMB businesses in the bond market may pave the way for similar businesses in Hong Kong's soaring stock market.

"In Hong Kong, a free capital market, the price of RMB bonds will fully mirror international investors' expectations of RMB's revaluation, which is of reference value for the foreign-exchange reform of the Chinese currency," said Yang Tao, a researcher with the Institute of Finance and Banking of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Besides, the floating of RMB bonds outside the mainland will give China more say in pricing RMB derivatives, he said.
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BEIJING, June 27 -- The mobile phone after-sales service sector has become an emerging lucrative market in China and is set to boom in the coming years, a research firm said on Tuesday.

Beijing-based CCID Consulting said the handset after-sales service sector generated 3.19 billion yuan in revenue last year, up 16.8 percent year-on-year, an indication that it's becoming a profit center for manufacturers.

That marks a major departure from the traditional perception that after-sales service, as part of manufacturers' customer service offerings, is an internal non-profit segment, according to Jiang Lifeng, an analyst with CCID Consulting.

The researcher forecast handset after-sales services revenue would see compound annual growth of 19.8 percent between 2007-09 and hit 5.48 billion yuan by 2009.

The tough competition in China's handset market has boosted consumer demands for after-sales services.

Unlike most markets elsewhere in the world, China's handset sector is overcrowded, with about 80 manufacturers bombarding consumers with new models each month.

According to the Ministry of Information Industry (MII), 900 new models were launched in the domestic market in the first five months of this year.

A shortened product development cycle has resulted in a rise of consumer complaints against quality. A survey by CCID Consulting found 69 percent of consumers have had their phones fixed.

Currently there are more than 70,000 handset maintenance and service outlets in China, but most are small, local and uncompetitive.

CCID Consulting said the increasing profitability of after-sales services would lead to an industry consolidation or the creation of some large national independent service providers.

Besides maintenance, value-added services such as software downloads, upgrades, refurbishing and content services are also fueling a boom in the after-sales service market.

In 2006, 18.2 percent, or 600 million yuan, of the handset after-sales service revenue was generated from value-added services, compared with 2.5 percent two years ago, according to CCID.

Some manufacturers might seek to outsource a part of their after-sales services to third-party companies, the consultancy said.

"We would not outsource our after-sales services, but we are ready to serve users of other brands, apart from our own customers," said Shi Yuanzheng, head of domestic maker Haier's customer services.

from http://www.cdao.com.cn

BEIJING, June 27 -- It's occurred from Airbus to Lenovo, General Motors to Citigroup, and Dell to Motorola. A string of multinational companies (MNCs) have entered into merger and acquisition deals or carried out internal restructuring, resulting in layoffs.

Jobs are usually slashed in developed markets, such as the US and Europe. But in emerging markets, including China, jobs are usually maintained and even added. In some cases, senior management positions are moved to developing nations.

Citigroup Inc in April said it would eliminate 17,000 jobs, or 5 percent of its workforce, as part of a broad restructuring plan designed to cut costs and bolster its stock price.

It also declared that more than 9,500 jobs will be moved to lower-cost locations worldwide, including China and India.

Behemoth aircraft maker Airbus announced in January it would cut 10,000 jobs across Europe, as well as transfer three plants and share research and development cost with partners over the next four years.

The move is to help the company's pre-tax profit reach 210 billion euros by 2010, compared with a negative pre-tax profit last year. It also hopes to accumulate 5 billion euros in cash between 2007 and 2010.

While the job reduction plan did not cover China, some senior managers have been sent to the world's fastest-growing market.

Lenovo Group, the world's third-biggest PC maker, said in April it would lay off 1,400 people, mostly in the US and Europe.

The effects of the restructuring will be felt hardest in Raleigh, North Carolina, where roughly 20 per cent of jobs will be cut or relocated to emerging markets like China, India and Eastern Europe. Through the restructuring, the company expects to save about $100 millon in the current fiscal year.

"The main driver of (the layoff) trend is cost savings, considering how much lower the cost of labor is in developing marketplaces," said Leigh Baker, senior advisor of human resources consulting services firm New Leaders International.

However, Andy Xie, former Morgan Stanley chief economist in Asia, said that labor costs have continued to climb, particularly in China's eastern coastal provinces, due to renminbi appreciation and a shortage of skilled workers.

A survey from the London-based Economists Intelligence Unit showed that China's average labor cost increased $1.36 per hour in 2005, up 72 percent by 2001, and is to double to $2.70 per hour by 2010.

Baker said that in addition to the cost of workers, MNCs' decision to keep or expand their workforce in China is due to the large market.

"Normally, they want a lower manufacturing cost base for their global business," Baker said. "Secondly, they want to supply the local market and can only be competitive against local companies over time if they have a similar cost base."

Bill Amelio, Lenovo's chief executive, said the reason behind relocating jobs to emerging markets was to be "closer to Lenovo's suppliers and manufacturing operations".

PepsiCo, the world's No 2 soft drink company, has announced a plan to double its workforce in China over the next half decade as it fights for a bigger slice of the growing market.

Meanwhile, because of the shortage of experienced local senior managers, MNCs transferred senior foreign managers to join the local management team.

"Those senior managers are assigned to implement corporate production, supply, financial and other business systems, all of which require in-depth knowledge of the systems themselves and long work experience in MNCs," said Baker, a veteran MNC consultant.

Baker forecast that MNCs will ultimately phase out their senior foreign managers and replace them with Chinese managers they have been training to take over.

He said Chinese managers will be more effective in managing Chinese staff and operating in the local market, which can save costs and improve corporate profit growth.

(Source: China Daily)

from http://www.cdao.com.cn

BEIJING, June 27 -- As ordinary people pay more attention to needs such as health, convenience and comfort, their consumption habits are also changing.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the average income of China's urban residents continued to grow rapidly last year. The 2006 survey about Chinese residents' quality of life by Horizon Research Consultancy Group also shows that urban residents are optimistic about income and living standards in the coming year.

Improving living standards enables city dwellers to go beyond basic material satisfaction, and pay more attention to demands such as health, convenience and comfort. But the trend also leads to changes in their consumption habits, which poses a new challenge for Chinese companies.

Health & convenience

Currently, 86 percent of urban residents recognize health as top priority, according to the Horizon Research's Health Index report of China's urban residents. As more people become white-collar workers, spending on sports, pressure-relief and healthcare services and products will increase. We have already seen people paying more to stay healthy. Presently, urban residents spend an average 62.42 yuan for tonics each month and 148.4 yuan at gyms.

Meanwhile, urban residents' entertainment interests are growing increasingly varied. According to the 2006 Life Style Survey of Chinese Urban Residents, city dwellers are spending more and more time in front of TV and computer screens. A click of a mouse or remote control helps people get the information and entertainment they want.

Meanwhile, visiting pubs, online chatting and attending parties are becoming popular among young city residents.

As their purchasing power rises, people are also presented with more choices. And urban residents are attaching more importance to individual expression. The phenomenon reinforces the idea that people are more concerned with emotional demands. Our study finds that 74.5 percent urban residents hope their clothes, accessories and so on are different from others and reflect their personal tastes.

The tastes of urban residents are changing at a rapid pace. Take clothes for example: during the past six months, urban residents bought 4.6 pieces of clothing on average. People born after 1980 bought 6.4 pieces of clothes.

Meanwhile some products that were used to be considered durable goods are now becoming fast moving consumer goods. More than 16 percent of urban consumers change mobile phones every year, and 26.1 percent of them change handsets every two years.

The trend makes it difficult for new products stay in fashion. No matter how popular they are when they launch, they will be quickly replaced by new items.

Traditional Chinese consumers focus mainly on the functionality of products, but now urban residents put more emphasis on personal demands, such as taste and style. We have found urban residents have spent an average of 10,000 yuan on fashion in the past year, about one-fifth of their total expenditure.

Fashion is now becoming an important part of the economy. More than 40 percent of city dwellers think fashion is an important part of their life and are willing to spend more to become fashionable.

There is a phenomenon worth mentioning regarding fashion spending. People at different income levels are willing to pay for something beyond their income level. For example, low-income urban residents have developed a taste for luxury products and some of them are willing to buy luxury goods by reducing their expenditure on daily consumption.

Also, those with comparatively lower incomes, such as fresh graduates and young students, allocate more than one-third of their expenditures on fashion consumption, far more than senior white-collar workers and the new rich. We found that more than 20 percent of the people we surveyed have saved for a while to buy luxury goods.

The trends we mentioned above are now the most dramatic changes in the economic life of Chinese people. But they only represent the nation's affluent city residents. Actually, despite growing consumption, there is still a huge low-income population with very limited purchasing power.

from http://www.cdao.com.cn

UNITED NATIONS, June 26 (Xinhua) -- A UN border assessment team proposed on Tuesday measures to improve Lebanon's border security, including the creation of a Lebanese multi-agency mobile force and the deployment of international border security experts.

In a report to the UN Security Council, the team, which was dispatched to Lebanon in late May to monitor alleged arms smuggling into Lebanon, said "the present state of border security was insufficient to prevent smuggling, in particular of arms, to any significant extent."

"There is still substantial room for improvements on the Lebanese border security management, some of which can only be reached through assistance and support from the international community," it said.

Therefore, the report recommended the establishment of a "multi-agency mobile force focusing on arms smuggling with the purpose of creating seizure results within a short time span through its intelligence and rapid interception capabilities."

It also proposed the deployment of "international border security experts" to the multi-agency force and other relevant Lebanese units to help improve the country's border security.

Other recommendations included the establishment of "a dedicated border guard agency" and training programs, as well as establishing cooperation with Syria to ensure "a joint effort to secure border and prevent illegal cross-border activities."

Known as the Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team, it was dispatched to Lebanon from May 27 to June 15, during which it held consultations with Lebanese officials to assess border security with a focus on preventive measures against arms smuggling.

In a presidential statement issued in April, the Security Council expressed concern at reports of illegal movements of arms into Lebanon, and called on UN chief Ban Ki-moon to send such a team.
from http://www.cdao.com.cn

VIENNA, June 26 (Xinhua) -- A UN report said on Tuesday that the world drug markets have undergone "significant and positive" changes, and drug-related crimes have been under effective control.

Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the Vienna-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said in a statement that "the run-away train of drug addiction has slowed down. For almost all drugs, cocaine, heroin, cannabis and amphetamines, there are signs of overall stability, whether we speak of production, trafficking or consumption."

The 2007 World Drug Report said coordinated drug law enforcement by the international community had driven up the volumes of drug seizures.

"More than 45 percent of the cocaine produced in the world is now being intercepted, up from 24 percent in 1999, and more than a quarter of all heroin, against 15 percent in 1999, is seized," said the report.

However, "Africa is under attack" as cocaine traffickers from Colombia and heroin smugglers in Afghanistan were seeking new routes through Africa, the official said.

He called for a quick address of this threat in a bid to stamp out organized crime, money-laundering and corruption and to prevent the spread of drug across Africa.

Meanwhile, due to deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, opium production in 2006 reached 6,100 tons, 49 percent higher than the previous year, according to the report.

from http://www.cdao.com.cn

TAIYUAN, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The government of north China's Shanxi Province on Tuesday dispatched 11 teams comprising police, labor and other officials to supervise the crackdown on labor abuse.

The teams will go to each county in the next 15 days to check that local authorities have investigated every brick kiln and enterprise suspected of labor abuse and how they dealt with the kilns and enterprises.

Shanxi governor Yu Youjun also ordered the teams to investigate local authorities to see if and how officials involved in the forced labor are punished.

The province launched a crackdown on labor abuse and illegal brick kilns on June 14 after a forced labor scandal made headlines all over China in early June, sparking outrage among the public and arousing concern among the central leadership.

The laborers were forced to work more than 15 hours a day on poor food. Dogs were used to prevent them from escaping. Many received burns and other injuries working in hot kilns.

Officials announced on Friday that 359 people, including 12 children, have been rescued from illegal brick kilns in Shanxi.

Yu Youjun has apologized over the forced labor scandal, promising to do everything in his power to root out illegal practices.

from http://www.cdao.com.cn

TIANJIN, June 26 (Xinhua) -- China will make efforts to establish a biological security system in 20 years to fight against bio-terrorism and prevent serious epidemic diseases, according to a report released here by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) on Tuesday.

The report, issued at the International Biological Economy Meeting held in Tianjin, said by the end of 2007, China will develop vaccines and medicines for genes used in bio-terrorism and the physical protective technology and equipment, and establish a monitoring network over bio-terrorism.

A research center to exam and prevent serious epidemic diseases will also be established, according to the report.

The country will also further develop the security evaluation technology of genetically modified plants, the report said.

The meeting, held by the MOST, Tianjin Municipal Government and the United Nations Development Program, attracted 262 biological experts, including Nobel Prize winners, from home and abroad.

State Councilor Chen Zhili attended the meeting and delivered a speech, stressing the development of biotechnology.

from http://www.cdao.com.cn

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- China's quality watchdog cracked 23,000 cases of fake and low-quality food from December 2006 to May 2007, involving 200 million yuan (26 million U.S. dollars).

A total of 180 food manufacturers were shut down during the six months for making substandard food or using unedible materials for food production, said Han Yi, a senior official with the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, at a press conference on Tuesday.

The administration launched the nationwide fight against illegal food production and processing in December last year, mainly targeting food makers in the countryside and food for everyday consumption, including baby milk powder, rice, wheat powder and meat products.

In 2006, China's industrial and commercial authorities ferreted out 68,000 fake food cases and withdrew 15,500 tons of substandard food from the market, according to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. Forty-eight cases were handed over to judicial departments.

from http://www.cdao.com.cn

BEIJING, June 27 -- The country's leaders demonstrated their commitment to energy conservation on Monday by attending a conference in Beijing dressed only in their shirt-sleeves.

Broadcast on national prime time news, the meeting, chaired by President Hu Jintao, featured a host of high-profile figures, almost all of whom were wearing light-colored shirts.

"The scene was a sharp contrast to previous meetings, which invariably featured a sea of formal black suits," Huang Wenqing from Beijing, said.

The move followed a call made earlier this month by members of the State Council for office workers to dress casually in a bid to save electricity.

The call followed a cabinet order that the temperature of China's public buildings must not rise above 26 C in summer.

The order to cut energy use applies to schools, office buildings, supermarkets, restaurants, shopping malls, government agencies and private owners of public buildings.

Fan Xuecheng, a cabinet official in charge of supervising energy conservation in government bureaux, said air conditioners account for about 30 to 50 percent of the total power consumption of office buildings in summer.

"So there remains the huge task of controlling energy use in the summer," Fan said.

At least 300 million kWh of electricity and 150 million yuan ($19.7 million) would be saved if air conditioners in Beijing's public buildings were set to 26 C, the People's Daily Online said.
from http://www.cdao.com.cn

BEIJING, June 27 -- The Ministry of Civil Affairs engaged a level-4 emergency response mechanism yesterday afternoon to deal with the damage inflicted by the heavy rains that have doused East China's Jiangxi Province.

So far 32 people have died as a result of the rains in Jiangxi.

Rainstorms killed 48 people and 12 more were missing yesterday in Jiangxi, Hubei, Zhejiang, Hunan, Guizhou provinces and Shanghai Municipality, the ministry said.

Lightening strikes were the leading cause of death, killing 37 people. Seven died in flashfloods, and collapsing houses killed four.

Level-4 is the minimum threshold for an emergency response by the ministry. It is triggered when between 30 and 50 people die in a disaster. The response typically involves the release of funds and the dispatch of a ministry work team to help coordinate disaster-relief work.

The disaster has so far affected 3.6 million people, and 73,000 people have been evacuated.

It has also resulted in economic losses of 1.06 billion yuan ($138 million).

Clashing cold and warm fronts are to blame for the violent showers that fell on the eastern part of Southwest China and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River between June 22 and 25.

Water shortage in Jilin

Meanwhile, in Northeast China's Jilin Province, the severest drought in the region's history has resulted in a water shortage that is threatening 288,700 people and 181,300 livestock.

Recent rainfalls have amounted to only 10 percent of what they were last year.

As the hot and dry weather is expected to continue, the drought is not likely to ease up and could actually get worse, weather authorities said.

Some 1.3 million hectares of farmland have been affected by the drought, while 36,000 hectares are almost entirely dried out, according to Jilin provincial disaster-relief authorities.

Nineteen small and medium-sized reservoirs have dried up, and 12 cities have been hit by water shortages.

The soil is cracking because of the drought, and many farmers have begun to worry about the autumn harvest.

from http://www.cdao.com.cn

BEIJING, June 27 -- China's bioeconomy will witness more dynamic development, with its output reaching new heights in the coming years, the country's science and technology chief said yesterday.
"The total output value of the bioindustry will reach 500 to 800 billion yuan by 2010. The industry value will be about 1,600 billion yuan by 2015. By 2020, the value of the segment will hit 2 to 3 trillion yuan, accounting for more than 4 percent of the country's domestic gross product," Wan Gang, minister of science and technology, said in Tianjin yesterday at the opening ceremony of the 2007 International Conference on Bioeconomy.

China will adopt a three-step strategy to strengthen its science and technology muscle, according to Wan.

The first step, from now until 2010, will mostly involve technology accumulation. In the second stage, until 2015, China will emerge as a world power in the area and in the third, until 2020, the country will focus on holding on to the top position.

The minister said China has set 10 priorities, such as agriculture-oriented biotechnology, medical biotechnology, biofuel technology, environmental biotech and marine biotech, in driving its bioindustry.

The country is also attaching more importance to making breakthroughs in 35 categories of key biotechnologies, such as stem cell and genetic modification technology, Wan said.

The science and technology chief contended that to further drive the bioindustry forward, one of the keys lies in improving the financing mechanism and creating a better investment environment.

Echoing Wan, State Councillor Chen Zhili said more favorable fiscal, taxation, financing and intellectual property right protection policies are needed to cultivate a better industrial environment for bioeconomy.

Biotechnology can help lower the cost of agricultural production, facilitate medical revolution, upgrade industrial manufacturing, reduce emission and ease the problem of energy shortage, said Xu Guanhua, former minister of science and technology.

from http://www.cdao.com.cn