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.
]]>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.
from http://www.cdao.com.cn
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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"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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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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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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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.
from http://www.cdao.com.cn
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.
]]>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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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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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.
]]>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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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.
]]>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.
]]>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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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)
]]>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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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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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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"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.
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"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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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