S Korea reports suspected human infection of swine flu

Special Report:Swine flu raises world concern

SEOUL, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The South Korean government confirms a suspected case of human infection of swine influenza inthe country, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported on Tuesday.

A South Korean citizen who recently returned from a trip to Mexico has been classified as a possible swine flu patient, Yonhap quoted an unnamed South Korean government official as saying.

It is the first case of suspected human infection of swine influenza in the country.

The South Korean government on Monday designated swine flu as an infectious livestock disease and allowed authorities to limit movement. It also ordered to destroy and bury the sick animals, and compensate farmers if the outbreak of swine influenza is discovered in the country.

The agriculture and forestry ministry said Monday that the government and the Korea Swine Association are cooperatively setting up new standard operating procedures to check for possible infections of the H1N1 virus, and devising actions to be taken if a sick animal is discovered.

The South Korean government announced last Saturday to tighten quarantine measures for pork from the United States and Mexico after outbreaks of swine influenza in these countries were confirmed by the World Health Organization.

The government on Monday began to conduct inspections of the belongings of tourists who have traveled back from the U.S. and Mexico.

The World Health Organization confirmed on Saturday that dozens of people had been diagnosed with swine influenza in Mexico and the United States.

According to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, South Korea imported 28,726 tons of pork from the United States and 208 tons of pork from Mexico into the first quarter of this year.

Two tested positive for swine flu in Britain

Special Report:Swine flu raises world concern

LONDON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Scottish Health Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that two people coming back from Mexico have tested positive for swine flu in Britain, Sky news reported on Monday.

Sturgeon said: "I can confirm that tests have demonstrated conclusively that the two Scottish cases of swine flu are positive."

She added that the two patients are "recovering well" at Monklands Hospital.

The two people were admitted to hospital in Airdrie, Lanarkshire in northern Britain, after returning from holiday in Mexico, where over 100 people have died from swine flu.

The health minister added that seven of the 22 who had been in contact with the two patients have developed "mild symptoms," but they have not been confirmed as swine flu cases and are being "appropriately cared for" at home.

Earlier, British Health Secretary Alan Johnson told the House of Commons that a total of 25 possible cases had been reported in the country, eight of which initially proved negative.

Johnson insisted that Britain has enough anti-viral medication to treat half the population in the event of a pandemic.

According to the health secretary, the National Health Service has a stockpile of over 500-million-pound (750 million U.S. dollars) worth of the Tamiflu antiviral drug and scientists are working on developing a vaccine against the new strain.

The Health Protection Agency said it was keeping a close eye on the situation, adding there was currently a "very low level" of flu activity in the country.

The concern over swine flu has caused shares of travel firms and air line shares to drop on Monday whereas shares of pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline had witnessed remarkable rise.

Japan tries to block swine flu out of border

TOKYO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Japan said it will do its best effort to block the outbreak of the swine flu at the border to protect the safety of the people.

Japanese health minister Yoichi Masuzoe said in a statement Tuesday his ministry has declared the outbreak of a new influenza following the World Health Organization's upgrading of its alert level.

A suspected case of swine flu was reported in the neighboring South Korea, raising tensions in Japan.

The government will conduct quarantine activities on flights from Canada and the United States at three of Japan's key international airports as well as on flights from Mexico, having quarantine officers check passengers in the cabin before disembarking the aircraft.

Should people be suspected of infection with swine flu in Japan, the government will isolate them at designated medical facilities to prevent the disease from spreading.

The health minister also urged people to take care of themselves and avoid becoming infected with the new flu by gargling, wearing masks, washing their hands, and staying away from crowded areas as much as possible.

A task force headed by Prime Minister Taro Aso to deal with the situation has been set up. Counseling counters at local health centers have also been established across Japan.

Bulgaria takes precautions against swine flu

Special Report:Swine flu raises world concern

SOFIA, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria started to take serious precautions against the spread of swine flu to the country, the National Veterinary Service (NVS) announce Monday.

The Balkan country has stepped up border control on the import of foods of animal origin from countries outside the European Union, the NVS said.

Border policemen will check for pork products the hand luggage of all arrivals from Mexico, the United States, Canada and Japan.

The import of dairy and meat products for personal consumption from countries outside the EU will be banned with the exception of imports from Andorra, Croatia, the Fafoe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Liechetnstein, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland.

"Tightening veterinary control on the import of meat products from countries outside the EU is a precautionary measure," NVS director Yordan Voinov said. He said that no pork has been imported from countries outside the EU.

The true swine flu (H3N2 strain) exists in Bulgaria and is not a risk for human health. The viruses are destroyed during thermal treatment of the meat at temperature over 70 C. Anywhere, there is no evidence that the virus is transmitted in any way other than aerial, the NVS director is quoted as saying.

He also said that Bulgaria is awaiting the World Health Organization's position for uniform measures to curb the spreading of the disease.

The Bulgarian Health Ministry has urged Bulgarians traveling to North America to take extra precautions: seek up-to-date information on possible case of swine flu in the specific part of the U.S. they will be visiting, or get an anti-viral medicine.

Sarkozy invites Hu Jintao for state visit: China confirms

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that French President Nicolas Sarkozy had invited Chinese President Hu Jintao to pay a state visit to France.

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in a press release Tuesday that the invitation letter was handed to the Chinese President during France's National Assembly President Bernard Accoyer's visit to China last week.

Jiang Yu said the French President repeated in his letter that the two countries should strengthen cooperation in politics, economics, education, science and technology.

President Sarkozy is willing to step up communication and coordination with China on major international issues, especially the global economic crisis and reform of world financial institutions.

The spokeswoman said China highly values the development of Sino-French ties and is willing to work with the French side to maintain high-level visits and push for a steady development of strategic partnerships.

During his meeting with Accoyer on Friday, Hu Jintao said the Chinese government has always attached great importance to its relations with France.

Echoing Hu, Accoyer said France also valued relations with China.

Relations between the two countries deteriorated in last December when French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with the Dalai Lama in Poland.

China and France issued a press statement re-affirming the mutual importance of their relations on April 1, and restated adherence to the principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs.

In the statement, France pledged not to support Tibet independence in any form.

The two leaders met in London ahead of the G20 summit on the global financial crisis.

This opened a new chapter in bilateral relations, Accoyer noted.

Bin Laden may be dead, says Zardari

Pakistan's president says his intelligence agencies believe Osama bin Laden may be dead. But he added there's no proof. Meanwhile, other Pakistani officials and a US counter terrorism official say they think the al-Qaida chief is still alive.

International media outlets interviewed Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday. During the interview, he offered his assessment of Bin Laden's whereabouts.

Asif Ali Zardari said, My own intelligence is of the same opinion -- that there is no news. They obviously feel that he does not exist any more. But that's not confirmed, so we can't confirm that.

Zardari says American officials have told him they do not know where bin Laden is. But U.S. officials do say bin Laden is most likely hiding in the mountains along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.

The latest purported recording from Bin laden emerged in March. But the authenticity of that recorded speech can not be verified.

Meanwhile, Taliban militants are declaring their peace deal with the Pakistani government worthless. This comes after authorities deployed helicopters and artillery against hide-outs for Islamist guerrillas.

The Pakistani military has justified the operation. They say the insurgents have plunged the Dir area into lawlessness. Especially by attacking security forces and abducting prominent people for ransom.

A spokesman for the Taliban in their Swat Valley stronghold has denounced the Pakistani military operation. He said the attack is a violation of the pact. He says the Taliban fighters will stay on alert... waiting to see if the cleric who mediated the deal rescinds the deal.

District police chief shoots three dead in Moscow

A Moscow district police chief opened fire on the street and in a supermarket early on Monday, killing three people and wounded seven others.

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Four are in a critical condition. Police Major Denis Yevsyukov, whose wife had recently left him, finished his late shift on Sunday and hitched a ride to the supermarket.

Moscow's chief of police says the investigation was "leaning towards the conclusion that this was mental distress." The officer has been detained.

Low-flying jets cause panic in New York, White House apologizes

NEW YORK, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A VC-25 aircraft and an F-16 fighter jet flew low above lower Manhattan on Monday morning, causing panic among some New Yorkers fresh with memories of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, and angering Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

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The planes, authorized by the U.S. military on a "photo-op" mission, flew as low as 1,000 feet to 150 feet (about 305 meters to 46 meters) over Manhattan, State Island, and neighboring New Jersey, and circled the Statue of Liberty, local media reported.

The VC-25 aircraft is the military version of Boeing 747. The one involved in Monday's flyover was one of the customized Boeing 747s that serve as Air Force One when the U.S. president is on board.

Thousands of people were evacuated from buildings in New York and across the Hudson River in New Jersey following the sighting of the low-flying jets, the New York Daily News reported.

"I didn't know what was going on. Some planes were circling the building. I was afraid. I was here when the World Trade Center went down," the *** quoted Eunice Davis, who was evacuated from the New York Mercantile Exchange, as saying.

Obama at 100 Days: Enormous support among many African-Americans in Harlem

Since his inauguration on January 20th, US President Barack Obama's approval rating has averaged a solid 63 percent, according to a Gallop poll. But in Harlem, a predominately African-American neighborhood and cultural center in New York City, it appears, Obama's overall approval rating is much higher.

Nearly 100 days into his term, U.S. President Barack Obama, still has enormous support among many African-Americans in Harlem.

President Obama's first three months on the job have been preoccupied with addressing a number of global and domestic issues, including the near collapse of the U.S. banking industry, a bailout of the auto industry, as well as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But people say the public needs to give the new President time to solve many of the nation's most difficult problems.

Ali Saladin, Harlem Resident, said, So far I think he is doing the best he can. He's handling it quite well. I mean, the first hundred days is better than the last eight years.

Some acknowledge that 100 days is not enough time to judge how he will perform throughout his four-year term.

Khalfani Walker, Harlem Resident, said, I would like to see more for health care, and I would like to see him step it up a little bit in terms of our global appeal, but outside of that, it's 90 days, a 100 days, it's still so early.

A president's first 100 days are in many ways an artificial benchmark. But it is his best chance to make a first impression and use any political capital gained from his election victory.

In Harlem, a massive temporary wall has been erected on 125th Street for people to post their thoughts about President Obama's first 100 days.

Many of the handwritten notes tell of pride, hope, and personal dreams for the future of all Americans.

World Expo has plans for U.S. absence

Special Report:2010 Shanghai Expo Countdown

SHANGHAI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai World Expo organizers said Monday they had emergency plans if the United States fails to show at the event.

Tuesday's China Daily quoted Hong Hao, director-general of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau, as saying that the bureau has plans for the potential withdrawal of any participants from the event.

He said on request of the Consulate General of the U.S., the expo's organizers had allotted a very "good and appropriate" location for the U.S. pavilion in the expo site.

"Should the U.S. complete fund-raising and project design, it can still use the reserved land for the construction of its pavilion," he said.

Hong nevertheless sounded upbeat about US participation by adding, "progress had been achieved in fund-raising as far as I know thanks to support from both government and enterprises."

Organizers Monday also confirmed that preparations for the expo have been going smoothly, with 234 countries and international organizations having confirmed their participation in the event.

Vice mayor of E Chinas Hangzhou City dismissed for discipline violation

HANGZHOU, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Vice mayor of east China's Hangzhou City Xu Maiyong is dismissed for serious discipline violation, according to a decision made by the Zhejiang provincial committee of the Communist Party of China on Tuesday.

Xu is currently under discipline investigation, said the committee without disclosing details of Xu's case.

HK official to attend APEC transportation meeting

HONG KONG, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong Secretary for Transport and Housing Eva Cheng Monday left for Manila to attend the two-day Sixth Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Transportation Ministerial Meeting that starts on April 28.

According to the Hong Kong government website on Monday, during the meeting, transportation ministers and senior officials from the APEC region will discuss issues that will encourage the development of safe, secure and efficient regional transportation systems, including seamless and sustainable transport, enhanced transport security and safety, and innovation and the use of advanced technology in transportation.

Attendees will also discuss the role of transportation in responding to the global financial crisis.

Cheng will give a presentation on enhancing regional connectivity through transport infrastructure on April 29

Commentary: Developed nations should take more responsibility in tackling climate change

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Differences from different nations are still there when talking about the theme of climate change, Achim Steiner, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said after a just-concluded summit of the environment ministers of the Group of Eight (G8).

The only consensus is that time is running out for a worldwide agreement to be reached by the end of this year, said Steiner when referring to the outcome of the three-day meeting.

From Copenhagen to Bali, the world is staggering on a road of how to cope with the issue of climate change, where major differences exist between developed and developing countries and between developed countries themselves on greenhouse gas emissions.

The U.S. administration of Barrack Obama is considering cutting the greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2020 from the level of 2005, which was complained as a plan "not sufficient enough" by the EU, which has pledged to slash by 20 percent to 30 percent by 2020 from the level of 1990.

At last year's G8 summit in Hokkaido, Japan, the participants had pledged to set a mid-term target for the reduction of gas emissions between 2020 to 2030, but no specific goals nor a blueprint were finally worked out at the end of the meeting.

Macao unveils 300-member chief executive election committee

MACAO, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The eligibility of all the 300 members of Macao Special Administrative Region's (SAR) Chief Executive (CE) Election Committee have been officially confirmed, the name list of which was made public on Monday.

By law, Macao's new chief executive will be elected within the 300-member CE Election Committee, the tenure of which is five years, starting from May 4 when the members' name list is published on the SAR's Official Gazette and their memberships become effective, according to a press release from the CE Electoral Affairs Committee, which oversees the CE election.

The 300 committee members comprise of 254 representatives from seven local socio-economic sectors, who automatically elected due to the lack of contests, and the rest includes the SAR's 12 deputies to the National People's Congress, 16 representatives from the SAR's 29-member Legislative Assembly, 12 representative from Macao's 34 deputies to the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and six religious representatives.

Previously, the incumbent CE Ho Hau Wah has told local media that the date of the CE election will be announced next month. So far, no eligible local resident has declared his or her candidacy for the SAR's top job.

Russia pleased with development of relations with China

MOSCOW, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said here Monday that he was satisfied and pleased with the smooth development of strategic partnership of cooperation with China.





RussianPresidentDmitryMedvedev(L)meets
withvisitingChineseForeignMinisterYang
JiechiinMoscowonApril27,2009.
(Xinhua/LuJinbo)

Medvedev said during his meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi that he was looking forward to the upcoming state visit of his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao, whom he has held a "successful" meeting with on the sidelines of the G20 London Summit.

GM to cut 21, 000 US factory jobs

General Motors could soon be majority owned by the US federal government under a massive restructuring arrangement.

The plan laid out on Monday would cut 21 thousand US factory jobs by next year and phase out the famous Pontiac brand.

GeneralMotorsPresidentandCEOFritzHendersonaddresses
thecompaniesviabilityplaninDetroit,MondayApril27,
2009.(APPhoto/PaulSancya)

Once the world's largest automakers, General Motors, is currently living on 15.4 billion US dollars in government loans.

It also faces a June 1st deadline to restructure and get more government money.

If the restructuring doesn't satisfy the government, the struggling company could go into bankruptcy protection.

Brown, Karzai discuss security plan

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has arrived in Pakistan. Earlier, he visited Afghanistan to tout a new security strategy for the region, as alarm spreads over Taliban advances.

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PrimeMinisterGordonBrownpriortoajointpress
conferenceatthepresidentialpalaceinKabul,Afghanistan
onMonday,April27,2009.(APPhoto/MusadeqSadeq)

Brown told Afghan President Hamid Karzai that the border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan form the start of a "chain of terror," which Western powers must combat for their own safety.

Britain's new strategy will be published on Wednesday. It will echo a plan unveiled by the US administration in calling for a tight focus on fighting al Qaeda and Taliban militants.

UN urges humanitarian pause in Sri Lanka

The UN humanitarian chief, John Holmes, has asked Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for a "humanitarian pause" in fighting with the Tamil Tiger rebels.

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AffairsJohnHolmes(L)shakeshandswithSriLankan
PresidentMahindaRajapaksabeforetheirmeetingin
ColomboApril27,2009.
REUTERS/SriLankanGovernment/Handout

He says this would allow trapped civilians to escape or at least emerge from their bunkers to forage for food.

The UN humanitarian chief met the Sri Lankan President in Colombo on Monday.

Holmes said humanitarian organizations are dealing with "two crises simultaneously". One is trying to free those people still trapped in the war zone, and another "dealing physically with all the people who got out about a week ago".

Sri Lanka agreed to stop firing heavy weapons into the northern war zone to safeguard thousands of civilians trapped there.

Non-Aligned Movement meets in Cuba

Foreign ministers and high-level diplomats from more than 120 countries are in the Cuban capital Havana for a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, or NAM.

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audienceduringtheopeningofaministerialmeeting
oftheNon-AlignedMovementsummitinHavanaApril27,
2009.REUTERS/EnriqueDeLaOsa

The meeting is being held to organize the 15th NAM Summit to be held in Egypt in July. Over the last four weeks, diplomats have met in New York preparing the Final Declaration document.

This will be signed in Havana by the end of this week. The document contains the NAM's working guidelines and reaffirms its policies.

It includes an assessment on the current international situation.

And, it deals with other issues like de-colonization and self-determination processes, regional conflicts, human rights, migration, drug trafficking, disarmament and natural resources.

Ecuadorian president congratulated on reelection

QUITO, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Incumbent Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa received congratulations from the country's Latin American neighbors after his triumph in Sunday's general elections was ratified on Monday by the Electoral National Council.

Correa won 51.72 percent of the vote, becoming the first Ecuadorian president to win outright in the first round of the elections. His new four-year term will end in 2013.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega extended his congratulations by phone on Monday to Correa in name of the Nicaraguan people, said Ortega's spokeswoman.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez congratulated Correa on the overwhelming and historical victory and said he will visit Quito in May.

The Venezuelan president's office said in a statement that Chavez made a phone call to Correa as early as Sunday night when Correa's victory was confirmed.

The Colombian Foreign Ministry said in a communique that the Colombian government salutes the triumph of Rafael Correa and congratulates the brother people of Ecuador for the democratic day on Sunday.

The Costa Rican government said it gives its warmest congratulations to President Correa and the Ecuadorian people, and expressed its respect to the contenders in the general elections for their contribution in this way to the consolidation of democracy in Ecuador.

In his message of greetings, Bolivian President Evo Morales said the process of change in Latin America is in progress, and called for the protection of the democratic development from the aggressions of some small groups.

Iran asks U.S. not interfere with U.S.-Iranian reporters case

TEHRAN, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi asked the United States and the Europeans not to interfere with the U.S.-Iranian reporter's case, local Press TV reported Monday.

The case of reporter Roxana Saberi is a strictly domestic matter, other countries should end hyping the issue, Qashqavi was quoted as saying.

Saberi is of Iranian nationality and will therefore be treated according to Iranian laws, he told the weekly press briefing in Tehran.

Saberi, 31, was arrested in the second half of January 2009 on charges of espionage for the United States.

Last week, Saberi's lawyer said Iran's revolutionary court sentenced Saberi eight years in jail for espionage and he had made an appeal against the verdict.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Iranians for a re-examination of the spy case against the Iranian-American journalist, saying that We hope the actions will be taken as soon as possible by the authorities in Iran...to bring about the speedy release of Ms. Saberi and her return home (to the United States).

On Monday, Iran's daily Tehran Times reported that Roxana Saberi in Tehran has reportedly gone on a hunger strike.

Iran's judiciary spokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi has expressed hope that her sentence would be reconsidered in the appeals court.

US firms upbeat about China

US companies in China remain committed to, and highly optimistic about, the long-term prospects of the domestic economy, the 2009 White Paper on the state of American business in China, released yesterday by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), showed.

The country was still a top investment priority for American businesses, the *** said. According to a survey carried out by AmCham, 22 percent of its members said China was their No 1 global investment destination. Between 75 and 78 percent have ranked the country as a top-three investment destination every year since 2004.

Although the outlook for 2009 was considerably less optimistic than responses in recent years, US firms consistently reported being profitable in China. For 2008, 74 percent of members reported being "profitable" or "very profitable", according to the White Paper.

The survey also found that US firms were still confident about their long-term growth prospects in China. Although nearly half of the companies said they were pessimistic about this year's outlook, 63 percent were optimistic about their two-year outlook and over 80 percent were upbeat about five-year prospects.

These trends indicated that the vast majority of US firms here were focused on market opportunities within the country, the *** said.

Almost two-thirds of members indicated they were in China to produce or source goods and services for the Chinese market, rather than for exports. "This number represents a significant increase from 51 percent in 2008, and that shows that most American businesses are for here the Chinese market," said John D Watkins Jr, AmCham-China Chairman.

In addition, two-thirds of US companies in China expected to directly or indirectly benefit from the country's 4-trillion-yuan stimulus package, according to Watkins.

Economic institutes expect strong rebound in second quarter

China's economy will see a strong recovery in the second quarter as the government stimulus package pays off, according to a survey of leading Chinese economic institutes.

The poll of 27 economic institutes by Capital Week, a weekly magazine specializing in securities and investments, showed that the institutes had raised their growth projections for China's economy in the second quarter by an average of 0.51 percentage points to 7.01 percent.

The average forecast of China's annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth had also been raised to 7.84 percent, compared with 7.77 percent three months ago, according to the survey.

China's quarter-on-quarter GDP growth rose to 1.8 percent in the first quarter this year from 0.2 percent in the previous quarter, which was "almost back to normal", said Zhu Jianfang, chief macro-economist of Citic Securities, one of the surveyed institutes.

Zhu said more favorable policies on living standards, employment and consumption should be implemented, as stimulation of investment might not improve employment, which is seen as one of the toughest tasks of the year.

Several foreign banks also raised their forecasts on China's economy for 2009 in recent reports. Goldman Sachs last week revised its prediction for China's GDP growth this year from 6 percent to 8.3 percent after the release of strong economic data in the first quarter.

Switzerland's largest bank, UBS, adjusted its estimate of China's GDP growth to 7 or 7.5 percent this year from 6.5 percent, while Morgan Stanley raised its forecast to 7 percent from 5.5 percent.

Central China Expo records 2b yuan in contracts

Contracts valued at 2 billion yuan (about $300 million) had been signed by Monday at the Central China Expo in Hefei, Anhui Province, its second day.

Organizers said that despite the global downturn, the number of attendees was about twice that of last year's event.

The fourth Central China Expo targeted six central provinces - Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Henan and Shanxi - and attracted about 16,000 participants from about 300 multinational companies such as Carrefour and IBM.

Jean Luc Lhuillier, vice president and general manager for Carrefour's operations in central and western China, said he had discussions about new stores with an official from Zhoukou City, Henan Province.

I will make an appointment with him for an on-the-spot visit to see whether we can open a new store, he said.

The first foreign company to open stores in the capitals of central provinces like Hubei in 1998 and Anhui in 2002, Carrefour will further explore the central China market, he said.

This year we will open at least one store in Anhui, two in Hubei, one in Henan and one in Hunan, Lhuillier said.

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Fears of swine flu drag Wall Street

NEW YORK, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Wall Street ended lower on Monday as investors are nervous that the swine flu outbreak could spread and block economic recovery.

Fears had weighed on shares of airlines and cruise lines and dragged down major indexes after U.S. health officials said on Monday that there are now up to 40 cases of swine flu in five U.S. states.

Investors also closely watched General Motors, after the company stepped up dealer shutdowns and job cuts and offered equity to bondholders under a plan to reduce liabilities by 44 billion U.S. dollars. GM soared more than 20 percent on the restructuring plan, to above 2 dollars a share.

Humana Inc., the second-biggest provider of U.S.-backed medical benefits, jumped after profit more than doubled. CVS Caremark Corp. and Walgreen Co. advanced on speculation that the spread of swine flu will boost sales of pharmaceuticals.

The Dow Jones average fell 51.29, or 0.6 percent, to 8,025.00. The Standard

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With the implementation of several industrial stimulus plans, a new wave of acquisitions have emerged among Chinese industries. That's mainly thanks to merger and acquisition loans, which have provided strong financial support for companies looking to expand.

Withtheimplementationofseveralindustrialstimulusplans,
anewwaveofacquisitionshaveemergedamongChineseindustries.

Shanghai-based Bailian Group is China's largest retailer by volume. Amid the global economic downturn, the state-owned firm has begun to focus on low-cost expansion.

It decided to speed up acquisition of high quality assets by purchasing Lianhua Supermarket Holdings -- one of the largest supermarkets in China. Thanks to acquisition loans, Bailian has become Lianhua's biggest shareholder.

Ma Xinsheng, Board Chairman of Bailian Group said "Business opportunities are transient. If it weren't for the M&A loans, companies would have encountered strong resistance to expansion and development."

ICBC Q1 profit up 6.03%

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the world's largest bank by market value, has posted a six percent increase in first quarter net profit.

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largestbankbymarketvalue,haspostedasixpercentincrease
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The lender's net profit in the first three months was 35.3 billion yuan and total assets rose 12.5 percent. In its first quarter report, the bank says its income from commission charges played an important role in sustaining profit growth.

ICBC's total loans and advances to customers rose almost 14 percent to 5.2 trillion yuan during the first three months. Its non-performing loan ratio stood at 1.97 percent, down 0.32 percentage points from a year earlier.

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Agricultural Bank of China profit up 17.5%

A new report by the Agricultural Bank of China says its net profit reached over 51 billion yuan in 2008 -- up 17.5 percent over the previous year. This is the first report the bank has released after the State Council approved its shareholding transformation plan in October.

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profitreachedover51billionyuanin2008--up17.5percent
overthepreviousyear.

ABC is the main financial service provider for farmers and the agriculture industry in China. The state-owned bank became a shareholding company in January, the last of the "big four" state-owned commercial banks to complete restructuring.

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Former WBA champ Page dies at 50

WASHINGTON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Former heavyweight boxing champion Greg Page died of brain injury complications at 50 on Monday, it was reported.

His wife Patricia Page said a severe brain injury eight years ago led to complications of which Page died at his Kentucky home, according to AFP.

Page was in a coma for a week following the March 2001 World Boxing Association title fight when he was floored by 24-year-old Dale Crowe after 10 rounds and did not get up.

He suffered a stroke during post-fight surgery and was paralyzed on his left side and received intensive physical therapy.

Page won a 1.2 million dollar suit two years ago over the lack of medical help at the match.

Page knocked out South African Gerrie Coetzee in 1984 to win the world championship title. He lost the belt five months later to Tony Tubbs.

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Barcelona to face Chelsea in Champions League semi

Barcelona faces Chelsea in the first leg of the clubs' UEFA Champions-League semi-final on Tuesday.

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NouCampinBarcelonaApril27,2009.BarcelonawillplayChelsea
intheirChampionsLeaguesemifinalfirst-legsoccermatchon
TuesdayREUTERS/GustauNacarino(SPAINSPORTSOCCER)

Pep Guardiola hopes to guide Barca to its second European Cup triumph in three years, while Chelsea aims to go one better than last year when they finished runners-up to Manchester United after a dramatic penalty shoot-out.

Barcelona's reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for a record-equaling sixth time, and for the second year in a row. But Manchester United eliminated Barca in last season's semi-final round, and Liverpool did the same the year before. For coach Pep Guardiola, the match against Chelsea at the Camp Nou is likely to define Barcelona's season.

Pep Guardiola, Barcelona coach, said, "I must say I was very impressed watching some of their matches... We need to achieve great control of the game. They are very, very powerful and strong with the ability to cover long distances. They are a team with great experience. They've been playing together for many years and are very used to this type of game."

Bolt looks ahead to world championships

Double Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt is throwing down the gauntlet to his sprint rivals ahead of this year's world championships in Berlin. He warned that they will have to work hard to beat the fastest man in the world.

OlympicrunnerUsainBoltofJamaicagesturestothe
crowdbeforethrowingouttheceremonialfirstpitch
priortothebaseballgamebetweentheNewYork
YankeesandtheBostonRedSoxatFenwayParkin
BostonSaturday,April25,2009.(APPhoto/Elise
Amendola)

The 22 year-old Jamaican spoke at the launch of the 'Puma Street Meet World Tour' in Boston on Sunday. The worldwide project is expected to find the sprinting talent of the future. Hundreds of fans gathered to buy up some merchandise and catch a glimpse of the sprint superstar.

Bolt is the biggest name in athletics since his astonishing performances in the Beijing Olympics last year. The big meeting of the 2009 Athletics season comes up in August, with the World Championships in Berlin. Bolt is planning to be at his best at the tournament and says he is going to be very hard to beat.

Usain Bolt, Olympic Sprint Champion, said, "Well, training is going well so far. I'm looking forward to the World Championships, going there to do my best. I'm definitely going there to win, that's my aim to be a world champion, so I'm definitely going there focused and ready."

Higgins defeat Cope into last 8

Two-time world champion John Higgins avoided elimination at the World Snooker Championship. Higgins trailed 12-10 before winning the last three frames to beat unseeded Jamie Cope 13-12 in Sheffiled, England. With the win, Higgins books a place in last 8.

Higginstrailed12-10beforewinningthelastthree
framestobeatunseededJamieCope13-12in
Sheffiled,England.Withthewin,Higginsbooksa
placeinlast8.

The left bottom pocket seemed unkind to Higgins as he missed potting again and again. Cope potted this blue ball, and completed a break of 103 to go 12-10 ahead of Higgins with just one more frame to score an upset win. But this time around, the left bottom pocket turned against Cope.

The red ball just stopped at the mouth of the pocket. Higgins used the opportunity to turn the match around. He easily potted the ball, and the rest of the match was smooth sailing. He didn't give Cope any chance for a comeback. Even a delay caused by a sick spectator didn't distract his focus.

Higgins again potted the ball to the left bottom pocket and knew victory was at hand. He swept the last 3 frames to complete a remarkable come-from-behind win. He'll next meet Mark Selby in the quarterfinals.

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CCTV5 to air cheerleading competition

The NBA and Tsingdao Beer jointly launched a cheerleading competition show on CCTV sports channel on Sunday. Winners will travel to the US to train with top cheerleaders.

TheNBAandTsingdaoBeerjointlylaunchedacheerleading
competitionshowonCCTVsportschannelonSunday.

The competition will be held in Jinan, Shanghai, Shenyang, Xiamen, Wuhan and Chengdu. Following a competition that will last more than six months, 12 finalists will go to the US to train with NBA dancers. CCTV sports channel will broadcast the whole show.

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Designs to improve baby development

A new product to increase the intelligence of your baby is catching the attention of celebrities in Hollywood. It's claimed the *** pictures with bold and contrasting, light and dark outlines help babies concentrate and improve their cognitive abilities at their most important developmental stage.

Anewproducttoincreasetheintelligenceofyourbabyiscatching
theattentionofcelebritiesinHollywood.

Placed on the wall or in a crib, this artwork transforms a child's room into a so-called“wee gallery", creating something to interest them on every possible su***ce.

The American company, Wee Gallery, says these animal themed wall graphics, picture cards and mobiles for hanging above the baby's cot can actually improve a baby's development.

Child psychologist, Doctor Vanessa Isetta, says a baby's first formative weeks are very important.

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David Merlini breaks worlds submerging record

DavidMerlinikeepssubmerginginacrystalwatertankinManama,capital
ofBahrain,April26,2009.MerlinisubmergedSundayinthatcrystal
watertankforatotaltimeof21minutesand29seconds,which
transcendedtheoriginalworldrecordof18minutesand3.69seconds.
(Xinhua/ZhangNing)

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National book trading expo opens

In Jinan city, in East China's Shandong province, the 19th National Book Trading Expo is underway. Braving the stress from the global financial crisis, domestic publishers are seeking new ways to sustain growth.

InJinancity,inEastChina'sShandongprovince,the19thNational
BookTradingExpoisunderway.

Oldtimers are proving to be a formidable presence at the expo. Big names like Commercial Press, People's Literature Publishing House, and Sanlian Publishing House are displaying more than two thousand titles. Among those are heavyweight projects like "The Complete Canon of Chinese Literature," and the latest edition of the "Encyclopedia of China," as well as the two-hundred-volume series of "Commentaries on Chinese Thinkers."

Nie Zhenning, the president of China Publishing Corporation said, "Without the current structural reform and operational innovation, these publishers would not be able to release so many high-quality titles in such a short period. Those titles represent the highest levels of China's publishing industry."

Ondisplayattheexpoaremorethanthree-hundred-thousandtitles.

On display at the expo are more than three-hundred-thousand titles. A great number of them fall into the categories of social sciences, literature and arts, and the 60-year history of the People's Republic of China.

Most evident at this year's expo is the increasing integration of traditional publishing operation with the new media. The newly established Zhongnan Publishing Media Corporation is showcasing its first group of publications, ranging from traditional print books to online audio and video.

According to the State Press and Publication Administration, China's publishing sector has seen an impressive growth rate of more than 20-percent over last year. Current efforts are underway to build a number of multimedia publishing conglomerates by 2015.

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Student Film Festival gives out awards

The sixth annual Beijing Student Film Festival has awarded its trophies after an online poll of college students from around the country,and with the assistance of expert judges.Filmmakers are paying increasing attention to the tastes of students who make up the largest part of China's audience for films.

ThesixthannualBeijingStudentFilmFestivalhasawardeditstrophies
afteranonlinepollofcollegestudentsfromaroundthecountry.

Fan Wei and Zhang Jingchu were chosen as the Most Popular Actor and Actress.

"Ip Man"'s director Wilson Yip won the award for Most Popular Director.

A biopic of late Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang, "Forever Enthralled", was named Best Film. And Yu Shaoqun, who plays the younger Mei Lanfang, was named Best Newcomer.

Zhang Jiarui won the Best Director Award for "Red River". And the box office hit "You Are the One" won the Critics Award.

Thefestivalalsolaunchedaprojectaimedatencouragingcollegestudents
towritescreenplays.

Donnie Yan was the "Best Actor" winner for his role in "Ip Man". And Zhou Xun was "Best Actress" for her part in "The Equation of Love and Death".

"Painted Skin" won the Best Visual Effects Award.

The festival also launched a project aimed at encouraging college students to write screenplays.

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Chinese version of Hamlet

Every year in April, people in Britain stage a grand celebration to mark the birth of William Shakespeare. This year marks the 445th birthday of the great playwright. And a group of young artists in ancient Chinese costumes have joined in to pay tribute to 'the Bard of Avon.'

EveryyearinApril,peopleinBritainstageagrandcelebrationto
markthebirthofWilliamShakespeare.

The Mandarin version of Hamlet premiered last Thursday in Stratford-upon-Avon hometown of Shakespeare. Set in the late Tang Dynasty, some eleven-hundred years ago, the story tells of the journey toward revenge of prince Liu Huan, resembling the story of Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Despite the language barrier, local audiences did not find it difficult to appreciate.

Despitethelanguagebarrier,localaudiencesdidnotfinditdifficult
toappreciate.

Led by director Mai Qiu and actor Tian Zheng, the performers from Beijing and Hong Kong find it a privilege to share people's admiration and respect for the great playwright and poet.

Actor Tian Zheng said, "When I was a student, I saw many dramas based on Shakespeare's originals. I am happy today I could be lead actor in this Chinese version of Hamlet. This drama provides another interpretation to Shakespeare's masterpiece. "

Director Mai Qiu said, "We want to combine the spirit of Hamlet with Chinese history and culture. I found a thread to link them together. That is the contradiction of love. "

The Chinese version of Hamlet was staged three nights in a row at the Civic Hall of Stratford-upon-Avon.

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Conficker worm begins attacking PCs

Special Report:Tech Max

BEIJING, April 27 (Xin***) -- The Conficker virus, a malicious software program that first appeared last November, has finally become active.

TheConfickervirus,amalicioussoftwareprogramthatfirst
appearedlastNovember,hasfinallybecomeactive.

The computer worm was expected to carry on disruptive activities on April 1. However, the threat was dismissed as a "false alarm" later, security experts was quoted as saying by Reuters.

The Conficker worm, also known as Downadup or Kido, which started spreading to millions of computers last year, appears to be turning its infected hosts into servers for e-mail spam.

By exploiting a vulnerability in Microsoft's Windows operating system, the worm can infect users' computers and spread to other computers across a network automatically, without human interaction.

Vincent Weafer, vice president with Symantec Security Response, said Conficker is now installing a second virus named Waledac that sends out e-mail spam without the computer owner's knowledge.

It also carries a third virus that warns users that their PCs are infected, only to offer a fake anti-virus program called Spyware Protect 2009 for $49.95, according to Russian-based security researcher Kaspersky Lab. If someone buys it, their credit card information is stolen and the virus wreaks more havoc on the computer.

"Expect this to be long-term, slowly changing," he said of the worm. "It's not going to be fast, aggressive," Weafer said.

The worm is said to have infected millions of computers worldwide.

-- Click for more news in Tech Max

Facebook to adopt new terms of service

Special Report:Tech Max

BEIJING, April 27 (Xin***) -- Facebook, one of the world's most popular social-networking sites, is all set to go ahead with new terms of service after the company's week-long vote following a row with users earlier this year.

MarkZuckerberg,founderofFacebook,suedtogetamagazine
toremoveunflatteringdocumentsabouthimfromitsWebsite.
(File photo)

The new documents "Facebook Principles and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities" specify that users own their information, not Facebook.

Earlier this year, Facebook was marred in controversy after The Consumerist , a consumer advocacy site, noticed that a change in its terms of use gave the company control over data that users had deleted.

Shortly after people vociferously complained, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reverted to the old terms of use while the company initiated a campaign to let users contribute and review changes.

Facebook had set a minimum threshold of a 30 percent voter turnout for the vote to be binding. That would have been about 60 million people, or about 100 times the actual turnout.

"However, the turnout was "a small number" compared with the site's user base," Ted Ullyot, Facebook's general counsel, wrote on the site's blog.

"We'd hoped to have a bigger turnout for this inaugural vote, but it is important to keep in mind that this vote was a first for users just like it was a first for Facebook. We are hoping there will be greater participation in future votes," Ullyot said.

-- Click for more news in Tech Max >>

World govts race to contain swine flu outbreak

Special Report:Tech Max

WASHINGTON – The world's governments raced to avoid both a pandemic and global hysteria Sunday as more possible swine flu cases su***ced from Canada to New Zealand and the United States declared a public health emergency. "It's not a time to panic," the White House said.

FactfileontheswinefluoutbreakthatstartedinMexico.
[Agencies]

Mexico, the outbreak's epicenter with up to 86 suspected deaths, canceled some church services and closed markets and restaurants. Few people ventured onto the streets, and some wore face masks. Canada became the third country to confirm cases, in six people, including some students who — like some New York City spring-breakers — got mildly ill in Mexico. Countries across Asia promised to quarantine feverish travelers returning from flu-affected areas.

The U.S. declared the health emergency so it could ship roughly 12 million doses of flu-fighting medications from a federal stockpile to states in case they eventually need them — although, with 20 confirmed cases of people recovering easily, they don't appear to for now.

Make no mistake: There is not a global pandemic — at least not yet. It's not clear how many people truly have this particular strain, or why all countries but Mexico are seeing mild disease. Nor is it clear if the new virus spreads easily, one milestone that distinguishes a bad flu from a global crisis. But waiting to take protective steps until after a pandemic is declared would be too late.

"We do think this will continue to spread but we are taking aggressive actions to minimize the impact on people's health," said Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

-- Click for more news in Tech Max >>

Three women have IVF embryos destroyed after doctors fertilise them with wrong mens sperm

Special Report:Tech Max

Three women had their IVF treatments abandoned after a mix-up at a leading hospital led to their eggs being fertilised with the wrong sperm.

Shambolicmix-up:Asinglespermisinjecteddirectlyintoan
eggusingtheassistedreproductiontechniqueintracytoplasmic
sperminjection.Inthiscase,thewomen'sembryoswere
terminatedafteritwasdiscoveredthattheireggswere
fertilisedwiththewrongmen'ssperm.[Agencies]

The embryos, which had not been implanted in the womb, were destroyed after an embryologist discovered the mistake. It is thought to be the result of an administrative error.

During the IVF process, eggs and the sperm are normally left in a Petri dish for around 18 hours so that fertilisation can take place.

In this case, the mistake was spotted within a few hours of the wrong sperm being put into each dish at Guy's Hospital in South-East London. The couples were told immediately.

Two years ago a watchdog concluded that the Assisted Conception Unit at Guy's was carrying out procedures it described as 'risky'. A report from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority warned that embryologists at the hospital were running the risk of confusing sperm samples from different men by preparing them in the same container.

Yesterday Sue Avery, a former chairman of the Association of Clinical Embryologists, described the latest revelation as 'very serious'.

She added: 'We would expect in the case of repetition that the HFEA might want to investigate unless they can be thoroughly satisfied that the centre has taken sufficient action.'

Some 37,000 women receive fertility treatment in Britain each year.

But problems with the labelling of sperm and eggs at a number of clinics have raised fears that dozens of babies may have been born to the wrong parents.

Although mistakes may often go unnoticed, mixed-race twins were born to white parents in Leeds in 2002 after the mother's eggs were fertilised with the wrong sperm.

-- Click for more news in Tech Max >>

U.S. study: male infertility associated with testicular cancer

Special Report:Tech Max

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Men who are infertile appear to have an increased risk of developing testicular cancer, according to a report published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Menwhoareinfertileappeartohaveanincreasedriskof
developingtesticularcancer.(FIle photo)

Testicular germ cell cancer, the most common cancer among youngmen in industrialized countries, has become even more prevalent during the last 30 to 50 years, according to background information in the article. There is evidence that semen quality and male fertility have also declined during this time in industrialized nations; however, it is unclear whether these two trends are related.

Thomas Walsh, of the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, and colleagues analyzed data from 22,562 male partners of couples seeking fertility treatment between 1967 and 1998 (4,549 of whom had male factor infertility, based on a clinical presentation with abnormal semen analysis criteria). Their records were linked to the state cancer registry, which includes information about cancer cases confirmed between 1988 and2004.

A total of 34 of the 22,562 men were diagnosed with testicular cancer at least one year after seeking treatment for infertility. Compared with men of the same age in the general population -- whose records were identified using the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results program -- men in couples seeking treatment for infertility were 1.3 times more likely to develop testicular cancer. Men with male factor infertility were 2.8 more likely to develop testicular cancer than those without this condition.

"In interpreting these data, we considered the postulate that male factor infertility or its treatment could cause testicular cancer," the authors write. "However, this theory is highly improbable given that in many cases infertility treatment involves the use of assisted reproductive technologies rather than specific medical or surgical treatment of the male partner." It is also unlikely that the results representing a screening phenomenon, in which men who seek treatment for infertility are diagnosed with a previously unrecognized cancer because of diagnostic testing. Most cases of testicular cancer in adults are diagnosed rapidly when a physical exam reveals a nodule or swelling in the scrotum.

"A more plausible explanation is that a common exposure underlies infertility and testicular cancer," the authors conclude. Faulty DNA repair, or errors in the way the body responds to small areas of damage in its genetic material, may contribute to both conditions, as may environmental factors.

-- Click for more news in Tech Max >>

Chinese scientists say new discovery may yield clue to cure human infertility

Special Report:Tech Max

SHANGHAI, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists said Wednesday that further research is needed in a bid to find a cure for human infertility, despite their claims on Sunday of successfully *** infertile female mice pregnant.

Chinesescientistssaynewdiscoverymay
yieldcluetocurehumaninfertility(File
photo)

"We need to confirm whether the same stem-cell transplant technology can be applied on other mammals, including humans," said Professor Wu Ji with the College of Life Science and Biotechnology of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Her article on the discovery of germline stem cells found in mice ovaries was published in the latest issue of "Nature Cell Biology" on Sunday. The article explained her theory of using the cells to make infertile mice produce healthy offspring.

The discovery, however, refuted current scientific theories, saying that there is no germline stem cell in ovaries.

"The research on using the cells to produce eggs to cure mice infertility opened new ground in biotechnology. We need more scientific evidence to support my theory," Professor Wu told Xinhua on Wednesday.

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Merkel warns against hostility to GMOs crops, seeks political debate

BEIJING, April 27 (Xin***)-- German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned against too much hostility toward crops containing genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) and called for an open political discussion about the risks and concerns over biotechnology.

MerkelwarnsagainsthostilitytoGMOscrops,seekspolitical
debate(File photo)

"There must be an open political discussion about the risks and concerns over biotechnology," the Chancellor said Friday at an event in Berlin, adding the political level, however, should not immediately give way to objections, Reuters reported.

Merkel said many millions of euros had been invested in developing such crops as the Amflora potato in the hope that field trials could be made.

"This fact cannot simply be ignored because currently sentiment is hostile," Merkel said.

Merkel stressed the ban on the MON 810 GMO maize was an individual decision.

She said her own conservative CDU party should remain open to biotechnology which in future could become a key feature of agriculture.

Some fear that Germany's ruling government coalition ban of GMO maize could damage the country’s reputation as a location for scientific development.

Earlier this month, German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner banned cultivation and sale of GMO maize of type MON 810 produced by U.S. seed giant Monanto.

Aigner stated she would make a new review of an application for open-air trial cultivation of the GMO potato Amflora developed by German group BASF—which is not yet involved in commercial plantings.

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Hot celeb Mom and daughter

Renowned photographer Zhou Tao recently posted on his
blog a glamorous photo spread featuring Hong Kong actress
Christy Chung and her adorable baby daughter. Christy
Chung has already shed off some weight and showed off
her new trim figure in the photos.
[Photo: blog.sina.com.cn/photozhoutao]

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Dong ethnic dance attracts visitors from home and abroad

AmateurperformersofChina'sDongethnicgroupdancefortouristsin
Enshi,centralChina'sHubeiProvince,April26,2009.Aperforminggroup
foundedby53localvillagersin2006hasbecomepopulartotouristsfrom
athomeandabroad.(Xinhua/HaoTongqian)

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Cartoon and animation festival opens in E Chinas city

CartoonpandastarsareseeninascenicspotofNantongHorticulture
ExpoParkinNantong,acityofeastChina'sJiangsuProvince,April27,
2009.BringingmanyprevailingcartoonstarslikepandaPaul,GrayWolf
andHappySheeptomeetvisitors,2009NantongCartoonandAnimation
FestivalwasopenedinNantongHorticultureExpoParkonMonday.Activities
focusingoneightthemeswouldbeheldindifferentscenicspotsofthe
park.[Photo:Xinhua/DingXiaochun]

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Expert on significance of turning SH into global financial center

For more on the significance of this decision to turn Shanghai into a global financial center, we're now joined on the line by Doctor Xiao Geng from Tsinghua University.

DoctorXiaoGengfromTsinghuaUniversity

1. Doctor Xiao, let's get your very first reaction to what many think is an unexpected announcement.

2. The plan to develop Shanghai into a global financial center has been repeated for years. But this time, the central government has made it an official national strategy. What's the difference here?

3. With the economy as it is, why would China choose this moment to build a global financial center?

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Madrid striker Higuain believes Barcelona can win treble

MADRID, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain said on Thursday that he believed bitter rivals FC Barcelona were capable of winning a Primera Liga, Champions League and King's Cup treble.

Barcelona qualified for the semifinals of the Champions League with a 1-1 draw away to Bayern Munich on Tuesday night.

May 13 sees Barcelona face Athletic Club Bilbao in the final of the King's Cup, while Real Madrid trails Barcelona by six points in the race for the Primera Liga.

For that reason, Higuain admitted their rivals winning the treble was a possibility.

I do not think it is an exaggeration. They are very much alive in all three competitions and are playing very well, but this is football and anything can happen, he said on the official Real Madrid website.

However, that does not mean that that Higuain is giving up the race for the title.

We will be right on their heels in case they do slip up, he added.

The forward also discussed recent declarations from goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who said Real Madrid lacks the players to be competitive in Europe.

The current Spanish Champion has crashed out of the Champions League in the last 16 for the last five years -- something he hopes will change next season.

Iker is the best goalkeeper in the world and I do not want to create any controversy with him. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. We are not in it because we were not able to make it to the next round, he said, confident of a change of fortune.

Madrid will recover its European prestige, and I hope it happens next season, he said.

Higuain was also asked about his own future at the club, given rumors of new arrivals at the Santiago Bernabeu thanks to the presidential elections that will be held on June 14.

He has also been linked to several clubs in the Premier League, but the Argentinean expects to stay where he is.

I see myself here. I have a contract until 2013. There is always talk about players coming and going, but you have to stay calm and collected in such situations, he said.

Independiente beat Sao Paulo 2-1 in Copa Libertadores clash

Independiente Medellin of Colombia defeated Brazilian Sao Paulo in their Copa Libertadores clash on Wednesday.

Colombia'sIndependienteMedellin'sJuanCuadrado,
left,fightsfortheballwithBrazil'sSaoPaulo's
DagobertoduringaCopaLibertadoressoccermatchin
Medellin,Wednesday,April15,2009.
(APPhoto/LuisBenavides)

It took the Colombian hosts just fifteen minutes before they took the lead. A superb lofted pass allowed Diego Cabrera to get behind the Sao Paulo defense and cut an angled shot across Joao Bosco.

On the half hour mark, Independiente found themselves two up, luck playing a bigger part in the goal this time round. Juan Cuadrado crossed from the right wing, Cabrera layed the ball back first time and Rafael Castillo converted.

The visitors grabbed a goal back six minutes before the interval. Andre Lima played a one-two with Dagoberto before firing a shot into the corner. Despite the defeat, Sao Paulo remain top of the group while Independiente move to second place.

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Palmeiras tie Sport in Libertadores Cup

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Palmeiras tied Sport 1-1 in a Group One match in the Libertadores Cup on Wednesday.

Palmeiras opened scoring in the 14th minute as the team's leading goal scorer Keirrison thumped the ball into the right side of the net from a free kick.

Sport responded just before half-time when the team was awarded a free kick just outside of the penalty box. Paulo Baier sent the ball towards the front of the net. Durval attempted to control the ball, but in a dual with the Palmeiras fullback, the ball popped out and landed at the feet of Wilson who took full advantage of the opportunity to fire the ball into the goal.

Sport and Colo-Colo are tied on seven points to lead the group standings, followed by Palmeiras and LDU de Quito, both on four points.

Palmeiras will need to win their next two games to keep their hopes alive.

Palmeiras will host reigning champions LDU on April 21 and Sport will host Colo-Colo the following day.

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Spurs clinch SW division with overtime win

In basketball, the San Antonio Spurs have clinched the Southwest Division in the last round of the NBA regular season, with an overtime win against the New Orleans Hornets.

It was a seesaw battle at half time, this ally-oop dunk giving the Spurs a narrow lead.

Michael Finley forced overtime with a go-ahead 3-pointer as time expired.

Then Tim Duncan dominated to lead the Spurs to a division-clinching 105-98 win over the Hornets. With Houston losing to Dallas, the Spurs clinched the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.

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CBA: Xinjiang overthrow old enemy Jiangsu 100-80

In the second round of the CBA semis, Xinjiang smashed Jiangsu at home with a 20-point win; while hosts Guangdong crushed neighbors Dongguan with the biggest point-advantage by far in the CBA off-season matches.

InthesecondroundoftheCBAsemis,
XinjiangsmashedJiangsuathomewitha
20-pointwin

Of the two sides' 21 previous matches, Xinjiang are with 12 losses and only 9 wins, 2 of which were off season competitions.

Starting this year however, things seemed to have changed in favor of Xinjiang, as they went into the off season series winning the opener. Going into the teams' second encounter on Wednesday night, Xinjiang were clear about their desire to win against a weakened Jiangsu squad. Their quick offensives and fine team work brought them to a 60-43 lead at the break. Xu Guochong contributed 19 points, with 5-for-5 three point shooting.

With Xinjiang's main players off the court in the latter half, Jiangsu launched waves of offensives of their own. But even though Hu Xuefeng was effective in his fast attacks and three-point shooting, his team only managed to cut the gap to 10 points at the end of the 3rd quarter.

In the final quarter, Xinjiang were back in offensive mode again. They eventually took the match 100-80, and an overall scoreline of 2-0.

Auriemma appointed U.S. womens basketball team coach

WASHINGTON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Geno Auriemma has been named the U.S. women's national basketball team coach for the next three years, USA Basketball announced on Wednesday.

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said Auriemma was the best choice.

"There is no better coach in America than Geno Auriemma and we are delighted to be able to have a coach of his calibre lead our women's national team program through the 2012 Olympic Games," he said.

Auriemma won six NCAA championships with the University of Connecticut.

The Italy-born Auriemma was assistant coach of the U.S. women's team which claimed the gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

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Chinese basketball 7-footer Zhang Dayu likely to be an NBA hopeful

Chinese basketball 7-footer Zhang Dayu is likely to become an NBA hopeful after his solid performance at the Nike Hoop Summit.

Chinesebasketball7-footerZhangDayuislikelyto
becomean NBAhopefulafterhissolidperformanceat
theNikeHoopSummit.

The 18-year-old Zhang Dayu was the only player from China invited to the Nike Hoop Summit at Portland, Oregon. Zhang was a member of the World Team which played against the USA Team.

Rob Beveridge, World Team Head Coach, said, "He played well..."

Zhang put on a steady performance. His speed and agility were excellent for a player his size. The promising center scored 6 points in the game as the World team defeated the USA.

Zhang Dayu , 18-year old center, said, "I'm aggressive on the court but my body is not strong enough. Right now,I need to train my body and learn English. I'm also working on defense and rotation with teammates."

Rob also said, "Big players need time to develop..."

At his young age, Zhang already ranks the 12th on the international ballplayer list. He's showing the promise to become the next "Yao Ming".

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NBA: Lakers beat Jazz 125-112

The Los Angeles Lakers earned their 65th victory, beating the Utah Jazz 125-112. The Lakers will open the playoffs this weekend against the Jazz.

TheLosAngelesLakersearnedtheir65thvictory,beating
theUtahJazz125-112.

The Lakers' Andrew Bynum scored 22 points in his best effort since returning from injury. Pau Gasol added 20 points and nine rebounds. Lamar Odom had 16 points. Deron Williams collected 25 points and 13 assists for the Jazz, and reserve Andrei Kirilenko added 20 points.

The Lakers closed their regular season with their 6th straight home court win. They've already clinched the top seed in the West to secure home-court advantage throughout the conference finals.

NBA suspends Celtics Allen for elbowing Varejao

WASHINGTON, April 14 (Xinhua) -- NBA has banned Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen for one game after he elbowed Cleveland Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao in the groin.

The players became tangled under the basket after a free throw with 5:05 remaining in the Cavaliers' 107-76 victory on Sunday. Varejao flung Boston's guard to the floor, and Allen responded with his elbow. Allen will be docked more than 167,000 U.S. dollars in salary.

Allen will sit out the Celtics' game in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

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Federer stunned in Monte Carlo

LONDON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Roger Federer has to cut short his Monte Carlo Masters journey Thursday when the world number two went down 6-4 7-5 to fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round.

World number three Novak Djokovic managed to seal a 6-1, 6-7, 6-0 win over Spain's Albert Montanes before thunderstorms wiped out most of the day's play including top seed Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray's matches in the Monaco city.

Wawrinka, who teamed up with Federer to take Beijing Olympics doubles title, next faces Andreas Beck for a place in the last four after the German qualifier beat Argentine Juan Monaco 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Spain's Fernando Verdasco, seeded seventh, eased past compatriot and 10th seed David Ferrer with a 6-2, 6-1 victory to set up a meeting with Djokovic.

World number four Murray was leading 7-6, 1-0 against Italian qualifier Fabio Fognini while Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti just had time to win the opening game of his match against Nadal when downpour stopped the action.

Argentine David Nalbandian's encounter with Nikolay Davydenko of Russia and Italian Simone Bolelli's match against Croatian Ivan Ljubicic were also called off.

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Delegates attend BFA New Fortune Cup Golf Invitational 2009

DelegatesattendtheBoaoForumforAsia"NewFortuneCup"Golf
Invitational2009inBoao,ascenictowninsouthChina'sHainan
Province,April17,2009.TheBFA"NewFortuneCup"Golf
Invitational2009washeldhereduringthe3-dayBFAAnuual
Conference2009duetobeheldfromApril17to19.
(Xinhua/ZhaoYingquan)

Venus upset, Peng out of Family Circle

WASHINGTON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Second seed Venus Williams was upset by big-serving German Sabine Lisicki, losing 6-4, 7-6 in the third round of the Family Circle Cup in California on Thursday.

VenusWilliamsoftheU.S.reactsaftermissingavolley
duringherwomen'stennismatchagainstSabineLisickiof
GermanyattheFamilyCupCircleTennisTournamentin
Charleston,SouthCarolina,April16,2009.
(Xinhua/ReutersPhoto)

Chinese 10th seed Peng Shuai was stopped by fifth seed Caroline Wozniacki, losing 6-3, 6-4. But Peng still equaled her best result in this clay-court event.

Peng produced poor first serves in the first set. She was down at 2-5 in the second set before rallying to close the gap at 4-5 but Wozniacki proved her the more experienced one as the Danish world number 12 served for the match.

2004 Champion Venus, who had to battle the previous day before beating Indian Sania Mirza in three sets, lost the match in 87 minutes after the 16th-seeded German took the tiebreak 7-5.

In another upset on the stadium court, Hungarian left-hander Melinda Czink eliminated fourth-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 in more than two hours.

Top-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva swept aside American Varvara Lepchenko 6-1, 6-1.

Sixth-seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli booked her place in the last eight with a 6-4, 6-1 demolition of American Melanie Oudin while seventh-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia recovered to beat Russian Anastasia Rodionova 6-7, 6-2, 6-3.

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Golf: Brier leads 1st round of China Open

2007 China Open winner Marcus Brier of Austria is the early leader in Beijing after carding a 5 under par 67 in the opening round on Thursday.

China's top golfer Liang Wenchong was grouped with former world No.1 and 2010 European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie of Scotland. Liang got a birdie on the second hole and finished the round on par.

Montgomerie bogeyed three holes in the front nine and returned a one-over par 73, six shots off the pace.

Another Chinese golfer Zhang Lianwei started from the 10th hole. He birdied the 11th but couldn't follow up in the later stage of his game due to failing strength. He also finished 1 over and was jointly 36th in a 156-player field.

Brier was aiming for a second China Open title in three years. He fired a 5-under 67, including this chip-in birdie at the 3rd.

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Nadal, Federer ease into third round of Monte Carlo Masters

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal reached the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters, although his easy-looking 6-2, 6-3 win masked a rusty performance against Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela yesterday.

The Spaniard, who is gunning for a fifth successive title, a record in the professional era, looked sloppy at times but regained composure when it mattered to wrap up the win after 86 minutes.

Newly-wed Roger Federer, who could face Nadal for a fourth consecutive final at the Monte Carlo Country Club, eased past Italian Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-4.

The second-seeded Swiss appeared very relaxed on a sunbathed center court, clinching victory on his fourth match point after a final burst from Seppi.

He will next face compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka for a quarterfinal spot after the 13th seed beat Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello 2-6, 7-5, 6-2.

"I thought I played okay. I had a good stretch at the end of the first set, beginning of the second," Federer told reporters.

"Maybe I could have made it easier for myself in the second. I had some opportunities. He hung in there and I didn't play my best. But still happy I came through so good."

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National volleyball squad gets first black player

A rookie ball player caught the media's attention yesterday when the China Volleyball Association released the new training roster for the men's national team. Ding Hui, who turns 20 this June, is the first black player in Chinese history to be chosen for the national squad.

DingHuiinactionduringaleaguegameforZhejiangteam.

Ding's father is from South Africa, but he was brought up by his mother in Hangzhou, the capital of east China's Zhejiang Province. He showed early promise as an athlete and was accepted into a special sports school. In 2003, he was became a member of the provincial volleyball team and later progressed to the national junior squad. His selection for the senior squad is the logical progression for the talented youngster who plays in the libero position.

Starring at the Youth World Championships

Ding first grabbed public attention at the World Youth Championships in Mexico in 2007 when the Chinese team took a surprising second place. The 1.85-meter player deeply impressed Zhou Jian'an, head coach of the national team. "I've been watching him play for some time. He is in good physical condition and has great potential, but he is a little young to play at the Beijing Olympics," Zhou said in 2007.

A year later, Zhou recruited Ding for the new national squad that will train for the London Olympics. The coach acknowledged that Ding had brought media attention but denied this was the reason for his selection. "We pick players for their ability and to meet the needs of the team as a whole," said Zhou. "He's no different from the other players. They are all Chinese."

Ding echoed the coach, saying that he didn't want to be treated differently from the other players. But he has suddenly found himself thrust into the spotlight and has to field constant phone calls from the press. "They all want to interview me, maybe just because I have overseas origins," said Ding. "But I want to build my reputation through my performances on the court."

"I am not expecting Ding to become a celebrity. I just want him to be healthy and happy," said Yu Jianxiu, Ding's mother.

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Fans give Star hurdler Liu spirited welcome

BEIJING, April 13 -- The enthusiasm surrounding injured hurdler Liu Xiang at Tian'anmen Square yesterday morning proved he is still one of the most popular sports stars in China.

Invited to attend the starting ceremony of 2009 Beijing International Long-distance Running Festival on Sunday morning, the reigning world champion and former Olympic men's 110m hurdlers champion, appeared in front of tens of thousands of running fans, causing a crescendo of flashing cameras from the media and inspiring shouts from fans.

I love you, Liu Xiang!, Liu, you're the best! and Come on, Liu. You will recover! people shouted as they ran past.

Excited fans also forced organizers to cancel Liu's 10-minute interview with the media and cut short his appearance in the stands to only six minutes.

Liu arrived quietly on Saturday night and his schedule was kept secret by organizers, but hundreds of members of the media rushed for him on Sunday morning.

Since media could only shoot photos from outside a group of volunteer guards surrounding Liu, they had to learn about the young hurdler through his coach, Sun Haiping.

Attending the World Championships in August is too rushed for him, so attending the competition in September or October is a better choice, Sun said outside the VIP room.

Coming back from surgery and undergoing rehabilitation in the U.S., Liu is now in training in his hometown of Shanghai preparing to return to competition as soon as possible.

He trains every day at present, but still cannot take on special training for striding hurdlers. We don't want to put him at risk again.

Casey Stoner wins rain-delayed MotoGP in Qatar

Australian Casey Stoner won the rain-delayed MotoGP in Qatar on Monday. It's the third year in a row that Stoner has won the first grand prix of the new season.

DucatiMotoGPriderCaseyStonerofAustralia
celebratesafterwinningtheQatarMotoGPrace,
attheLosailinternationalcircuitinDohaApril
13,2009.TheMotoGPracewascancelledonSunday
duetoheavyrainandpostponedtoMonday.
(Xinhua/ReutersPhoto)

Casey Stoner took the lead from pole and built up a two-second gap by the end of the first lap. The 2007 world champion was never threatened as he controlled the race from the front. He was the fastest rider in every session over the weekend.

Ronaldo tops worst haircut voting in soccer history

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 13 (Xinhua) -- With his invention of his 2002 World Cup winning haircut, Ronaldo topped the worst-ever haircut voting in the world of soccer.

Withhisinventionofhis2002WorldCupwinninghaircut,Ronaldo
toppedtheworst-everhaircutvotingintheworldofsoccer.

Beating out some of the outrageous styles of David Beckham and the fern-like afro of Carlos Valderrama, Ronaldo took first place on the list of bad haircuts, English news*** the Sun reported.

The haircut, which featured a completely shaved head, except for a thin patch over his forehead, was apparently used in homage of the Brazilian equivalent of Charley Brown.

Ronaldo is undoubtedly considered to be one of the best forwards and is currently the leading scorer in the history of the World Cup.

But in 2002, it was not his goals that caught the attention of the world but his exuberant hair style that had the whole world buzzing.

Even before walking away from the game, with this latest honor Ronaldo is guaranteed his spot in the history books of soccer.

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Federer marries long-time girlfriend

BASEL -- World No 2 tennis player Roger Federer married longtime girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec on Saturday in a small ceremony in his hometown.

InthisMondayMay22,2006filephotoSwisstennisplayerRoger
FedererandhisgirlfriendMirkaVavrinecposeforphotographers
astheyarrivefortheLaureusWorldSportsAwardsinBarcelona,
Spain.FederermarriedhisfianceeMirkaVavrinecinhishome
townofBasel,SwitzerlandonSaturdayApril11,2009,he
announcedonhiswebsite.[Agencies]

The 27-year-old Swiss announced the wedding on his website, saying the couple got married "surrounded by a small group of close friends and family".

"It was a beautiful spring day and an incredibly joyous occasion," he said.

The couple announced last month they are expecting their first child.

Federer is set to play in next week's Monte Carlo Masters, after accepting a last-minute wild card invitation on Thursday. Federer is a three-time finalist at the clay-court tournament but has never won.

After struggling with his form last year and losing his No 1 ranking to Rafael Nadal, Federer is aiming for his sixth Wimbledon title this summer. He lost to Nadal in the Australian Open final, the year's first major.