Seven Russian female athletes including two-time world 1,500 meters champion Tatyana Tomashova received a two-year doping ban on Monday for manipulating drug samples, the Russian athletics federation said.
Along with Tomashova, world indoor 1,500m champion Yelena Soboleva, distance runners Yuliya Fomenko and Svetlana Cherkasova, European discus champion Darya Pishchalnikova, former hammer world record holder Gulfia Khanafeyeva and former world 5,000m champion Olga Yegorova were banned.
"All seven women were found guilty and thus were banned for twoyears," RAF president Valentin Balakhnichyov told reporters.
The International Association of Athletics Federations suspended the seven women in July and banned them from competing at the Beijing Olympics in August after charging them with manipulating their drug samples.
Source:Xinhua
Monday, October 20, 2008
Last-gasp victory for Real in nail-biting derby
Argentine Gonzalo Higuain scored a penalty five minutes into stoppage time as Real Madrid defeated neighbors Atletico 2-1 on Saturday in a stormy derby where both sides finished with 10 men and referee Clos Gomez came in for some stern criticism.
Portuguese winger Simao thought he had salvaged a point after curling in a 90th minute free-kick to cancel out Ruud van Nistelrooy's opener after just 32 seconds but there was a twist to come.
Higuain converted a penalty in the 95th minute at the Vicente Calderon to crush Atletico's spirits ahead of Wednesday's Champions League duel against Liverpool.
Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain from Argentina reacts after scoring a penalty against Atletico during their soccer match at the Calderon stadium in Madrid on Saturday.
Real sit second in the standings with Villarreal a point ahead after a 0-0 draw at Espanyol on Saturday.
Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez brilliantly saved a 70th minute penalty from Raul Tamudo to maintain his team's unbeaten start.
Atletico have lost four times already and their jinx against Real continues and they have not beaten their city rivals since 1999.
"It is devastating to concede a goal in the first minute and another one in the 95th," admitted Atletico coach Javier Aguirre.
"I don't think there is a mental problem but now we have to pick the players up for the Liverpool game on Wednesday. We are doing well in the Champions League and this game deserves our full attention."
Real, in Champions League action against Juventus on Tuesday, took the spoils but Schuster could not resist a swipe at the referee.
"There were some question marks over the referee as he seemed to be with the home side for the second half," said Schuster. "That was a factor why we didn't win 5-1."
"We scored a penalty in the final minute and fully deserved to win. Late goals happen in football and as the saying goes the game is not over until the referee blows his final whistle."
After just 32 seconds, van Nistelrooy caught Atletico napping with a drilled shot to put Real ahead but the Dutchman's day went sour on 38 minutes when he was red-carded for a late tackle on Maniche.
"It was a mistake by the referee and I told him three times that it was just a yellow card," explained van Nistelrooy. "He also ruled out two perfectly good goals for us."
Eight minutes earlier Atletico had also been reduced to ten men when referee Clos Gomez claimed Colombian defender Luis Perea caught Wesley Sneijder with a stray arm.
Simao equalized but Higuain had the final say in a game that had the spectators on the edge of their seats.
Confidence was low following Atletico's 6-1 rout by Barcelona and Aguirre was relieved to welcome back first teamers Maniche and Diego Forlan.
Atletico were desperate not to concede an ealy goal after the Barca debacle - when they conceded three goals in the first eight minutes - but that plan went out the window with van Nistelrooy scoring after just 32 seconds.
The former Manchester United man caught goalkeeper Leo Franco off guard with a fierce snapshot. Then on three minutes Sneijder fizzed in a shot that Franco tipped on to the crossbar.
Source: China Daily
Portuguese winger Simao thought he had salvaged a point after curling in a 90th minute free-kick to cancel out Ruud van Nistelrooy's opener after just 32 seconds but there was a twist to come.
Higuain converted a penalty in the 95th minute at the Vicente Calderon to crush Atletico's spirits ahead of Wednesday's Champions League duel against Liverpool.
Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain from Argentina reacts after scoring a penalty against Atletico during their soccer match at the Calderon stadium in Madrid on Saturday.
Real sit second in the standings with Villarreal a point ahead after a 0-0 draw at Espanyol on Saturday.
Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez brilliantly saved a 70th minute penalty from Raul Tamudo to maintain his team's unbeaten start.
Atletico have lost four times already and their jinx against Real continues and they have not beaten their city rivals since 1999.
"It is devastating to concede a goal in the first minute and another one in the 95th," admitted Atletico coach Javier Aguirre.
"I don't think there is a mental problem but now we have to pick the players up for the Liverpool game on Wednesday. We are doing well in the Champions League and this game deserves our full attention."
Real, in Champions League action against Juventus on Tuesday, took the spoils but Schuster could not resist a swipe at the referee.
"There were some question marks over the referee as he seemed to be with the home side for the second half," said Schuster. "That was a factor why we didn't win 5-1."
"We scored a penalty in the final minute and fully deserved to win. Late goals happen in football and as the saying goes the game is not over until the referee blows his final whistle."
After just 32 seconds, van Nistelrooy caught Atletico napping with a drilled shot to put Real ahead but the Dutchman's day went sour on 38 minutes when he was red-carded for a late tackle on Maniche.
"It was a mistake by the referee and I told him three times that it was just a yellow card," explained van Nistelrooy. "He also ruled out two perfectly good goals for us."
Eight minutes earlier Atletico had also been reduced to ten men when referee Clos Gomez claimed Colombian defender Luis Perea caught Wesley Sneijder with a stray arm.
Simao equalized but Higuain had the final say in a game that had the spectators on the edge of their seats.
Confidence was low following Atletico's 6-1 rout by Barcelona and Aguirre was relieved to welcome back first teamers Maniche and Diego Forlan.
Atletico were desperate not to concede an ealy goal after the Barca debacle - when they conceded three goals in the first eight minutes - but that plan went out the window with van Nistelrooy scoring after just 32 seconds.
The former Manchester United man caught goalkeeper Leo Franco off guard with a fierce snapshot. Then on three minutes Sneijder fizzed in a shot that Franco tipped on to the crossbar.
Source: China Daily
Red Sox beat Rays to force decider
The Boston Red Sox beat Tampa Bay 4-2 on Saturday to force a deciding seventh game for the American League championship and a spot in the World Series.
The Rays led the series 3-1 and were 7-0 ahead in the seventh inning of Game Five before the Red Sox rallied to win 8-7.
Boston catcher Jason Varitek homered in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie and the Red Sox added another run in the inning on a single by David Ortiz after a Tampa Bay error.
"The important thing is that we found a way to win this game," Varitek told reporters.
Kevin Youkilis also homered for the Red Sox and drove in another run with a ground ball. "It's an incredible feeling right now," he said.
Tampa Bay's only runs came on solo homers by B.J. Upton in the first inning and Jason Bartlett in the fifth.
The Rays, who scored 37 runs in the previous four games against Boston, were held to four hits by Boston starter Josh Bartlett and three relief pitchers.
Bartlett had given up eight runs to the Rays in Game Two last Saturday.
"We just didn't hit tonight," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.
Matt Garza was scheduled to start for the Rays on Sunday against Jon Lester of Boston. Garza and the Rays beat Lester 9-1 last Monday.
This is the second year in a row Boston has come back from a three-one deficit to tie the American League championship series. Boston beat Cleveland 4-3 last year and then won the World Series against Colorado.
In 2004, the Red Sox trailed the New York Yankees 3-0, then won the next four games and swept St. Louis in the World Series.
Source: China Daily/Agencies
The Rays led the series 3-1 and were 7-0 ahead in the seventh inning of Game Five before the Red Sox rallied to win 8-7.
Boston catcher Jason Varitek homered in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie and the Red Sox added another run in the inning on a single by David Ortiz after a Tampa Bay error.
"The important thing is that we found a way to win this game," Varitek told reporters.
Kevin Youkilis also homered for the Red Sox and drove in another run with a ground ball. "It's an incredible feeling right now," he said.
Tampa Bay's only runs came on solo homers by B.J. Upton in the first inning and Jason Bartlett in the fifth.
The Rays, who scored 37 runs in the previous four games against Boston, were held to four hits by Boston starter Josh Bartlett and three relief pitchers.
Bartlett had given up eight runs to the Rays in Game Two last Saturday.
"We just didn't hit tonight," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.
Matt Garza was scheduled to start for the Rays on Sunday against Jon Lester of Boston. Garza and the Rays beat Lester 9-1 last Monday.
This is the second year in a row Boston has come back from a three-one deficit to tie the American League championship series. Boston beat Cleveland 4-3 last year and then won the World Series against Colorado.
In 2004, the Red Sox trailed the New York Yankees 3-0, then won the next four games and swept St. Louis in the World Series.
Source: China Daily/Agencies
Chelsea on fire as 'Big Four' all win
Chelsea romped to a 5-0 win at Middlesbrough, Manchester United thumped West Bromwich Albion 4-0 and Liverpool and Arsenal produced stirring fightbacks to claim home wins over Wigan Athletic and Everton on Saturday.
The results mean the Premier League now looks more familiar with the "Big Four" filling the top four slots.
Chelsea's lunchtime demolition job gave the leaders 20 points from eight games but Liverpool joined them on the same total after scoring twice in the last 10 minutes against 10-man Wigan to snatch a 3-2 victory.
Arsenal moved up to third on 16 points after netting three second-half goals to record a 3-1 victory against Everton.
United are up to fourth on 14, along with Aston Villa, held goalless at home by Portsmouth, and Hull City, who hosted West Ham United on Sunday.
Chelsea traveled to Middlesbrough shorn of several injured regulars but went ahead through Salomon Kalou after 14 minutes.
They then cut loose with four goals in 16 minutes early in the second half, starting with another stunning 30-meter shot by Brazilian long-range specialist Juliano Belletti.
A second for Kalou and goals by Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda secured their best away league win for five years.
"From the first moment our football, our movement and passing ... that was the best we've played for a long time," Lampard told Sky Sports.
Egyptian striker Amr Zaki scored twice, including a superb scissor kick, as Wigan outplayed Liverpool to lead 2-1 at halftime after Dirk Kuyt had replied for the hosts.
However, Antonio Valencia was sent off 15 minutes from time and Liverpool cashed in with Albert Riera's equaliser and Kuyt's miss-hit winner with five minutes left.
Source: China Daily
The results mean the Premier League now looks more familiar with the "Big Four" filling the top four slots.
Chelsea's lunchtime demolition job gave the leaders 20 points from eight games but Liverpool joined them on the same total after scoring twice in the last 10 minutes against 10-man Wigan to snatch a 3-2 victory.
Arsenal moved up to third on 16 points after netting three second-half goals to record a 3-1 victory against Everton.
United are up to fourth on 14, along with Aston Villa, held goalless at home by Portsmouth, and Hull City, who hosted West Ham United on Sunday.
Chelsea traveled to Middlesbrough shorn of several injured regulars but went ahead through Salomon Kalou after 14 minutes.
They then cut loose with four goals in 16 minutes early in the second half, starting with another stunning 30-meter shot by Brazilian long-range specialist Juliano Belletti.
A second for Kalou and goals by Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda secured their best away league win for five years.
"From the first moment our football, our movement and passing ... that was the best we've played for a long time," Lampard told Sky Sports.
Egyptian striker Amr Zaki scored twice, including a superb scissor kick, as Wigan outplayed Liverpool to lead 2-1 at halftime after Dirk Kuyt had replied for the hosts.
However, Antonio Valencia was sent off 15 minutes from time and Liverpool cashed in with Albert Riera's equaliser and Kuyt's miss-hit winner with five minutes left.
Source: China Daily
England still need Becks, says Capello
England manager Fabio Capello believes David Beckham still has an international future with the World Cup finals just two years away.
Former skipper Beckham, 33, is just one cap away from matching the 108-cap tally achieved by 1966 World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore after making late substitute appearances against Kazakhstan and Belarus in the last two World Cup qualifiers.
But despite being restricted to cameo roles, and with Theo Walcott having supplanted him in the starting line-up, Capello is adamant that the LA Galaxy midfielder has a role to play both on and off the field.
The Italian even hinted Beckham could start the friendly international against Germany in Berlin next month.
"For the next game, it is possible, Beckham will play," said Capello.
"When I decide the squad, it is not for the few minutes that David Beckham plays. He is good for the group. This is important. In fact, this is very important - his influence.
"He knows everything. He transmits confidence in the other players. This is very important for the group.
"I have to choose the first XI and at the moment I choose Theo Walcott and Shaun Wright-Phillips who are playing well.
"Beckham might have played five minutes against Belarus but, for the next game, it is possible he might play all the game. I have to decide the best 11."
Source: China Daily
Former skipper Beckham, 33, is just one cap away from matching the 108-cap tally achieved by 1966 World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore after making late substitute appearances against Kazakhstan and Belarus in the last two World Cup qualifiers.
But despite being restricted to cameo roles, and with Theo Walcott having supplanted him in the starting line-up, Capello is adamant that the LA Galaxy midfielder has a role to play both on and off the field.
The Italian even hinted Beckham could start the friendly international against Germany in Berlin next month.
"For the next game, it is possible, Beckham will play," said Capello.
"When I decide the squad, it is not for the few minutes that David Beckham plays. He is good for the group. This is important. In fact, this is very important - his influence.
"He knows everything. He transmits confidence in the other players. This is very important for the group.
"I have to choose the first XI and at the moment I choose Theo Walcott and Shaun Wright-Phillips who are playing well.
"Beckham might have played five minutes against Belarus but, for the next game, it is possible he might play all the game. I have to decide the best 11."
Source: China Daily
China and Kenya streets ahead at Beijing marathon
China's women swept the medals at the 2008 Beijing International Marathon yesterday while Kenya's men also pulled out all the stops for a 1-2-3 finish.
Leading the way from the get-go, Hubei province's Bai Xue won the women's event in 2 hours, 26 minutes and 47 seconds. Chen Rong followed in 2:28:25 and Zhang Yingying fought to the final yard but had to settle for bronze with a time of 2:28:52.
Bai said she was dissatisfied with her performance despite claiming the crown.
"I felt very tired in the second half of the race so I didn't manage to get a good result," she said.
Meanwhile, four-time winner Sun Yingjie added to her woes by finishing outside the top 10 as memories of her drug ban and the loss of a parent continue to haunt the veteran runner.
"My feelings are very complicated right now," she said after the race. "I only resumed training one month ago due to the passing away of my father in August, but this result is even worse than how I've been doing in training."
Sun, a bronze medalist in the 10,000m at the 2003 World Championships, resumed training last year following the completion of a two-year ban after she tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
She did not qualify for this summer's Beijing Olympics and she has publicly stated her intention to retire next year.
"The National Games will be my last race and I will train harder this winter to make sure I medal there," she said.
Benjamin Kiptoo, winner of this year's Brescia Marathon, clocked 2:10:14 to seize gold on the men's side, while compatriots Luka Chelimo and Simon Wangai took silver and bronze.
"The whole race was excellent. We only know we've done our best," said Kiptoo.
The evergreen Kenyans showed their strength in the final 7km by creating an unassailable lead over the rest of the pack with their pace and stamina.
"The winners always come from my country because we just trained very hard. There's no tips for our success hard training," said Chelimo.
The men set off from Beijing's Tian'anmen Square some 15 minutes before the women at 8am and wove their way north through the city before ending at the Olympic Sports Center. About 30,000 runners took part in the race including the full marathon , half marathon , 10 km and mini marathon .
Kiptoo and Bai each collected a winner's purse of $20,000 but missed out on the $42,915 bonus on offer for smashing the course records of 2:07:35 and 2:19:38 .
Source: China Daily
Leading the way from the get-go, Hubei province's Bai Xue won the women's event in 2 hours, 26 minutes and 47 seconds. Chen Rong followed in 2:28:25 and Zhang Yingying fought to the final yard but had to settle for bronze with a time of 2:28:52.
Bai said she was dissatisfied with her performance despite claiming the crown.
"I felt very tired in the second half of the race so I didn't manage to get a good result," she said.
Meanwhile, four-time winner Sun Yingjie added to her woes by finishing outside the top 10 as memories of her drug ban and the loss of a parent continue to haunt the veteran runner.
"My feelings are very complicated right now," she said after the race. "I only resumed training one month ago due to the passing away of my father in August, but this result is even worse than how I've been doing in training."
Sun, a bronze medalist in the 10,000m at the 2003 World Championships, resumed training last year following the completion of a two-year ban after she tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
She did not qualify for this summer's Beijing Olympics and she has publicly stated her intention to retire next year.
"The National Games will be my last race and I will train harder this winter to make sure I medal there," she said.
Benjamin Kiptoo, winner of this year's Brescia Marathon, clocked 2:10:14 to seize gold on the men's side, while compatriots Luka Chelimo and Simon Wangai took silver and bronze.
"The whole race was excellent. We only know we've done our best," said Kiptoo.
The evergreen Kenyans showed their strength in the final 7km by creating an unassailable lead over the rest of the pack with their pace and stamina.
"The winners always come from my country because we just trained very hard. There's no tips for our success hard training," said Chelimo.
The men set off from Beijing's Tian'anmen Square some 15 minutes before the women at 8am and wove their way north through the city before ending at the Olympic Sports Center. About 30,000 runners took part in the race including the full marathon , half marathon , 10 km and mini marathon .
Kiptoo and Bai each collected a winner's purse of $20,000 but missed out on the $42,915 bonus on offer for smashing the course records of 2:07:35 and 2:19:38 .
Source: China Daily
Rejuvenating China through science and education makes much headway
Eugenio L.G., an expert in atomic physics, and also a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico , has just wrapped up his fifth visit to china at the invitation of the related Chinese authorities. When asked about the differences he felt this time compared with his previous visits, he grinned, 'China has seen a radical change in the past decades.'
'I can say that I have witnessed what has taken place in China since its reform and opening up to the outside world, and especially what has happened since China endeavored to achieve its goal of revitalizing the country through science and education,' Eugenio L.G. was cited as saying when he reminisced the days he and his wife spent in China in 1970s and 1980s, when the country initially ushered in the reform and opening up policies.
The couple came to China in 1973, when China and Mexico has just established the diplomatic relationship. Eugenio took considerable interest in his debut visit to the ancient country he had long been attached toward, as he made a hurried journey to lecture at almost every privileged university across China and shared with his Chinese counterparts the latest development in physics of the time. 'Even if it was my first visit to China, I wished I had stayed any longer,' he smiled.
In 1981, he paid a second visit to China, and this time worked as a visiting professor at University of Science and Technology of China teaching modern physics. He said his second visit to China coincided with a time when China began to open its door to the outside world, and more and more Chinese youths were dreaming of going abroad for further study. Therefore, he found his English- speaking wife was even more popular then, as the entire campus of the USTC was bathed in a frenzy of preparing for assorted tests of English levels, and both professors and students there were bent on English study in order to win scholarships and fulfill their dream to go abroad.
Eugenio could not help but express his worries about China's 'brain drain', which he thought could result in the shortage of talents, and affect China's ongoing progress in science and technology. But his worries were finally settled in 1986 when he came to the university again, as he found most of the Chinese scholars who had gone with the rush of 'going abroad' returned, and some of them even became lecturers and professors at the USTC. Much to his pleasure, many returning Chinese scholars have grown more mature in their research work and some have established notable academic positions. He quoted the returning Chinese scholars as saying, 'by going abroad and absorbing others' advantages, we have greatly sharpened the competitive edge in the academic studies and research,' which Eugenio thought would also greatly contribute to China's scientific development and speed up China's link with the most advanced international science and technology.
In 1995, before his departure for China as a fourth visit, Eugenio learnt from some authoritative international journals that China has made much headway in particle physics, and this later proved to be a much broader platform for his exchanges of scientific ideas with the Chinese academia. Through the effective exchanges of academic ideas and closer contact with the Chinese scientific staff, he was convinced that China's science and technology are thriving with each passing day, and China's younger generation of scientists is exhibiting a much broader horizon in thoughts as well as in the actual research work.
In Eugenio's eyes, the year of 2008 acts as the milestone to China. He felt quite proud that he made the fifth visit to China in such a colorful year. He especially felt delighted to find that both work conditions and living conditions for the Chinese scientists and technological staff have greatly improved. Most of them now boast spacious and computerized offices and labs, which Eugenio thought not only indicates a significant change to facilitate the scientific research work but also embodies the governmental determination to revitalize the country through science and technology.
He also noticed that China's government has attached great importance to the transfer of the fruits from scientific research into productivity. 'The Chinese people have fully realized the significance of converting the wells of knowledge into the resources of wealth,' said Prof. Eugenio L.G.
The senior scholar also touched on the recent success China has made in space exploration, saying, 'the space walk is a splendor, and I believe China will fulfill its dream to land on the moon in the foreseeable future.'
By People's Daily Online
'I can say that I have witnessed what has taken place in China since its reform and opening up to the outside world, and especially what has happened since China endeavored to achieve its goal of revitalizing the country through science and education,' Eugenio L.G. was cited as saying when he reminisced the days he and his wife spent in China in 1970s and 1980s, when the country initially ushered in the reform and opening up policies.
The couple came to China in 1973, when China and Mexico has just established the diplomatic relationship. Eugenio took considerable interest in his debut visit to the ancient country he had long been attached toward, as he made a hurried journey to lecture at almost every privileged university across China and shared with his Chinese counterparts the latest development in physics of the time. 'Even if it was my first visit to China, I wished I had stayed any longer,' he smiled.
In 1981, he paid a second visit to China, and this time worked as a visiting professor at University of Science and Technology of China teaching modern physics. He said his second visit to China coincided with a time when China began to open its door to the outside world, and more and more Chinese youths were dreaming of going abroad for further study. Therefore, he found his English- speaking wife was even more popular then, as the entire campus of the USTC was bathed in a frenzy of preparing for assorted tests of English levels, and both professors and students there were bent on English study in order to win scholarships and fulfill their dream to go abroad.
Eugenio could not help but express his worries about China's 'brain drain', which he thought could result in the shortage of talents, and affect China's ongoing progress in science and technology. But his worries were finally settled in 1986 when he came to the university again, as he found most of the Chinese scholars who had gone with the rush of 'going abroad' returned, and some of them even became lecturers and professors at the USTC. Much to his pleasure, many returning Chinese scholars have grown more mature in their research work and some have established notable academic positions. He quoted the returning Chinese scholars as saying, 'by going abroad and absorbing others' advantages, we have greatly sharpened the competitive edge in the academic studies and research,' which Eugenio thought would also greatly contribute to China's scientific development and speed up China's link with the most advanced international science and technology.
In 1995, before his departure for China as a fourth visit, Eugenio learnt from some authoritative international journals that China has made much headway in particle physics, and this later proved to be a much broader platform for his exchanges of scientific ideas with the Chinese academia. Through the effective exchanges of academic ideas and closer contact with the Chinese scientific staff, he was convinced that China's science and technology are thriving with each passing day, and China's younger generation of scientists is exhibiting a much broader horizon in thoughts as well as in the actual research work.
In Eugenio's eyes, the year of 2008 acts as the milestone to China. He felt quite proud that he made the fifth visit to China in such a colorful year. He especially felt delighted to find that both work conditions and living conditions for the Chinese scientists and technological staff have greatly improved. Most of them now boast spacious and computerized offices and labs, which Eugenio thought not only indicates a significant change to facilitate the scientific research work but also embodies the governmental determination to revitalize the country through science and technology.
He also noticed that China's government has attached great importance to the transfer of the fruits from scientific research into productivity. 'The Chinese people have fully realized the significance of converting the wells of knowledge into the resources of wealth,' said Prof. Eugenio L.G.
The senior scholar also touched on the recent success China has made in space exploration, saying, 'the space walk is a splendor, and I believe China will fulfill its dream to land on the moon in the foreseeable future.'
By People's Daily Online
Chinese-made regional jet launched for domestic commercial flight
The Chinese-made regional jet, Modem Ark 60 was launched for the maiden domestic commercial flight in the northern port city of Tianjin on Sunday.
Carried by Okair Airlines, the flight marked the start of the domestic commercial operation of MA 60, said Xu Chaoquan, senior official with the General Administration of Aviation. It also marks the breaking of the foreign-made airplane's monopoly in China.
Produced by the Xi'an Aircraft Industry Company , a major Chinese aircraft producer, MA 60 is designed for short and medium-range commuter services. China owns the independent Intellectual Property Rights.
Due to its low operational and maintenance costs, MA 60 has been sold quite well in Africa and south east Asia since 2005.
To meet the rising domestic demand for regional jets, the Beijing-based Okair Airlines and the Kunming-based Ying An Airlines gave XAC orders for 10 and 60 MA 60 planes respectively last year.
So far XAC has received orders and intention contracts for 136 MA 60 planes from the clients at home and abroad.
China is expected to need 800 regional jets in the following 20years. XAC said it would enhance the MA 60 output while promoting MA 600 in the market and accelerating the development of MA 700 so as to foster the regional jet brand of MA series.
Source: Xinhua
Carried by Okair Airlines, the flight marked the start of the domestic commercial operation of MA 60, said Xu Chaoquan, senior official with the General Administration of Aviation. It also marks the breaking of the foreign-made airplane's monopoly in China.
Produced by the Xi'an Aircraft Industry Company , a major Chinese aircraft producer, MA 60 is designed for short and medium-range commuter services. China owns the independent Intellectual Property Rights.
Due to its low operational and maintenance costs, MA 60 has been sold quite well in Africa and south east Asia since 2005.
To meet the rising domestic demand for regional jets, the Beijing-based Okair Airlines and the Kunming-based Ying An Airlines gave XAC orders for 10 and 60 MA 60 planes respectively last year.
So far XAC has received orders and intention contracts for 136 MA 60 planes from the clients at home and abroad.
China is expected to need 800 regional jets in the following 20years. XAC said it would enhance the MA 60 output while promoting MA 600 in the market and accelerating the development of MA 700 so as to foster the regional jet brand of MA series.
Source: Xinhua
African student to help homeland with technology learned in China
"I love you, loving you, as the mouse loves the rice," sings Montcho Monthero. The 25-year-old Peking University student likes to sing the popular Chinese song, "Mouse Loves Rice" between homework assignments.
"I love the lyrics," said Monthero. "They are simple yet melodious."
Monthero came from the Republic of Benin in West Africa to study Chinese at Beijing Language and Culture University last year.
"I owe Chinese students a lot since they would help me practice Chinese whenever I asked them," Monthero said. He added that his Chinese teachers were also very kind.
Monthero was among 20 students from his country who were sent to China for an education in 2007. They were a small group compared to the number of other foreign students in the country. As of August this year, there are about 200,000 students from 188 countries and regions studying at Chinese universities.
"Language does pose a barrier, but fortunately most textbooks have English versions and professors are patient," he said.
Monthero wanted to learn more than just the language so he stayed on in China to pursue a master's degree in environmental engineering at Peking University. He wanted to study Chinese technology so that he could help solve water problems back home in Cotonou.
"To learn how to deal with water pollution is my goal," he said, adding that China was developing quickly in technology and science. According to Monthero, water in Cotonou and many other African cities is contaminated with chemicals.
"After I get my master's degree, I want to return home to make water clean again."
Monthero discovered Chinese universities through the Internet and then won a government scholarship to study in the country.
"I admire Chinese universities, like Peking University and Tsinghua University. Here I am and I find the campus to be splendid and the academic environment is just great."
Like most Chinese students, Monthero shuttles between his dorm and classrooms every day. In his leisure time he enjoys dancing and playing football. As a Christian, he goes to a nearby church every Sunday. He also likes to watch Chinese plays on China Central Television .
"Mostly, they are love stories," he said with a grin.
Monthero's affection for China grew after the Beijing Paralympic Games this summer. He received a ticket from a friend and on Sept. 9 got to see the wheel chair basketball game between Japan and Iran.
"It was my first time to watch Paralympic Games, " he said. "I felt so good."
So good that he can sing the entire Olympic song, "Welcome to Beijing."
"It is a great song that shows the hospitality of the Chinese people. Before the Olympics, many people who did not visit China had a wrong picture of the country. But during the Games, so many athletes and spectators came and saw China and got the right picture."
A picture he will remember forever, even after he finishes his studies in 2011 and returns back to Africa.
Source:Xinhua
"I love the lyrics," said Monthero. "They are simple yet melodious."
Monthero came from the Republic of Benin in West Africa to study Chinese at Beijing Language and Culture University last year.
"I owe Chinese students a lot since they would help me practice Chinese whenever I asked them," Monthero said. He added that his Chinese teachers were also very kind.
Monthero was among 20 students from his country who were sent to China for an education in 2007. They were a small group compared to the number of other foreign students in the country. As of August this year, there are about 200,000 students from 188 countries and regions studying at Chinese universities.
"Language does pose a barrier, but fortunately most textbooks have English versions and professors are patient," he said.
Monthero wanted to learn more than just the language so he stayed on in China to pursue a master's degree in environmental engineering at Peking University. He wanted to study Chinese technology so that he could help solve water problems back home in Cotonou.
"To learn how to deal with water pollution is my goal," he said, adding that China was developing quickly in technology and science. According to Monthero, water in Cotonou and many other African cities is contaminated with chemicals.
"After I get my master's degree, I want to return home to make water clean again."
Monthero discovered Chinese universities through the Internet and then won a government scholarship to study in the country.
"I admire Chinese universities, like Peking University and Tsinghua University. Here I am and I find the campus to be splendid and the academic environment is just great."
Like most Chinese students, Monthero shuttles between his dorm and classrooms every day. In his leisure time he enjoys dancing and playing football. As a Christian, he goes to a nearby church every Sunday. He also likes to watch Chinese plays on China Central Television .
"Mostly, they are love stories," he said with a grin.
Monthero's affection for China grew after the Beijing Paralympic Games this summer. He received a ticket from a friend and on Sept. 9 got to see the wheel chair basketball game between Japan and Iran.
"It was my first time to watch Paralympic Games, " he said. "I felt so good."
So good that he can sing the entire Olympic song, "Welcome to Beijing."
"It is a great song that shows the hospitality of the Chinese people. Before the Olympics, many people who did not visit China had a wrong picture of the country. But during the Games, so many athletes and spectators came and saw China and got the right picture."
A picture he will remember forever, even after he finishes his studies in 2011 and returns back to Africa.
Source:Xinhua
Famous Chinese film director Xie Jin's funeral to be held in Shanghai
The funeral of the famous Chinese film director Xie Jin is to be held in Shanghai on Oct. 26, according to the Shanghai Film Group Corporation .
It will be held at the Longhua Funeral Home at 3 p.m..
Xie's wife, Xu Dawen, wants the ceremony to be simple but solemn, said Ren Zhonglun, SFC president.
File photo taken on April 3, 1987 shows Chinese film director Xie Jin working at the locale of his feature "Hibiscus Town" in central-south China's Hunan Province on Dec. 22, 1984.
The 84-year-old filmmaker was found dead Saturday morning in his hotel room in Shangyu, eastern Zhejiang Province. He was there attending the 100th anniversary of his middle school.
The family has not confirmed the cause of death but some media are reporting that Xie died of a heart attack.
"Madam Xu is in great pain as she has lost two of her beloved in less than two months. Her eldest son, Xie Yan, died in August and now her husband. We are very worried for her as she just had heart surgery," said Ren.
The couple had three sons and a daughter. Xie Yan, also a film director, died of liver cancer at the age of 59 on August 23.
Memorials for Xie, including a candlelight vigil, have been held across the country.
The Shanghai Film Group Corporation is preparing a retrospective exhibition of Xie's films.
China's Central Television is rebroadcasting eight of his works on its film channel starting Monday.
Xie was born to a wealthy Shanghai banker in 1923 in Zhejiang. He made his film directing debut in 1957 with "Woman Basketball Player No. 5".
He went on to create other popular movies such as "The Red Detachment of Women", "The Herdsman", "Legend of Tianyun Mountain," "The Opium War" and "Hibiscus Town." He was active in directing until 2001 with his last film "Woman Soccer Player No. 9".
The Herdsman, shown in 1982, registered a record of 150 million viewers. Three times his films won the Golden Rooster, a top award in the Chinese film industry.
Known as a bold director, Xie won respect by telling stories on taboo topics with his cameras. The classics, "Legend of Tianyun Mountain" and "Hibiscus Town" were regarded as a reflection of the Cultural Revolution.
Almost every film directed by Xie was iconic during different periods since the 1950s, remarked writer Zhang Xianliang
"Xie devoted himself to the movies. The most valuable thing to me is that he insisted on focusing on human nature and relationships, no matter what changed over time," Zhang said.
Xie once said in an interview in 2002, "I care not about the awards, but what my films left for the world, because history, time and people are the last film censors."
Source:Xinhua
It will be held at the Longhua Funeral Home at 3 p.m..
Xie's wife, Xu Dawen, wants the ceremony to be simple but solemn, said Ren Zhonglun, SFC president.
File photo taken on April 3, 1987 shows Chinese film director Xie Jin working at the locale of his feature "Hibiscus Town" in central-south China's Hunan Province on Dec. 22, 1984.
The 84-year-old filmmaker was found dead Saturday morning in his hotel room in Shangyu, eastern Zhejiang Province. He was there attending the 100th anniversary of his middle school.
The family has not confirmed the cause of death but some media are reporting that Xie died of a heart attack.
"Madam Xu is in great pain as she has lost two of her beloved in less than two months. Her eldest son, Xie Yan, died in August and now her husband. We are very worried for her as she just had heart surgery," said Ren.
The couple had three sons and a daughter. Xie Yan, also a film director, died of liver cancer at the age of 59 on August 23.
Memorials for Xie, including a candlelight vigil, have been held across the country.
The Shanghai Film Group Corporation is preparing a retrospective exhibition of Xie's films.
China's Central Television is rebroadcasting eight of his works on its film channel starting Monday.
Xie was born to a wealthy Shanghai banker in 1923 in Zhejiang. He made his film directing debut in 1957 with "Woman Basketball Player No. 5".
He went on to create other popular movies such as "The Red Detachment of Women", "The Herdsman", "Legend of Tianyun Mountain," "The Opium War" and "Hibiscus Town." He was active in directing until 2001 with his last film "Woman Soccer Player No. 9".
The Herdsman, shown in 1982, registered a record of 150 million viewers. Three times his films won the Golden Rooster, a top award in the Chinese film industry.
Known as a bold director, Xie won respect by telling stories on taboo topics with his cameras. The classics, "Legend of Tianyun Mountain" and "Hibiscus Town" were regarded as a reflection of the Cultural Revolution.
Almost every film directed by Xie was iconic during different periods since the 1950s, remarked writer Zhang Xianliang
"Xie devoted himself to the movies. The most valuable thing to me is that he insisted on focusing on human nature and relationships, no matter what changed over time," Zhang said.
Xie once said in an interview in 2002, "I care not about the awards, but what my films left for the world, because history, time and people are the last film censors."
Source:Xinhua
Chinese herbal injection recalled in infant death probe
Chinese health authorities are recalling a herbal injection that was suspected to have led to the death of a newborn baby and some adverse effects in another three.
A 9-day-old baby in northwest China's Shaanxi Province died on Oct. 11, after being injected with "Yinzhihuang", an injectable remedy containing extracts of herbs, including gardenia and honeysuckle. The drug is widely used, orally and intravenously, in Chinese hospitals to treat liver diseases and infantile jaundice.
The baby was hospitalized at Zhidan County Hospital in the city of Yan'an before he died.
The Ministry of Health confirmed in a teleconference on Sunday that three other newborn babies in the hospital had "adverse effects" after receiving the injection, and told hospitals across the country to stop using the drug.
The ministry didn't specify the symptoms of the affected infants.
Taihang Pharmaceutical, the Shanxi-based producer of the drug, put an emergency notice on its website on Monday, saying it had launched a recall of a batch of products on Oct. 16, the day it was informed of the death.
The company said it had submitted a report on Oct. 17 to all hospitals and drug stores that sold the drug and to the Shanxi provincial drug safety watchdog.
It said the suspect batch of drug was produced in October 2007 and 260,000 bottles had been sold in eight provinces: Hebei and Shanxi in the north, Jilin and Heilongjiang in the northeast, Shandong in the east and Shaanxi, Yunnan and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in the west.
No adverse effects had yet been reported in the other seven provinces.
Samples of the drug are being tested at an institute of the Shanxi provincial drug safety watchdog, and the results would be not known for at least 10 days.
Bacteria contamination in another injectable herbal product was blamed for three deaths in the southwestern Yunnan Province on Oct. 6.
The problematic product, known as Ciwujia, is processed from a type of Siberian ginseng produced by Wandashan Pharmaceutical Co. based in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang. The State Food and Drug Administration has ordered recalls or confiscations of the drug.
Source:Xinhua
A 9-day-old baby in northwest China's Shaanxi Province died on Oct. 11, after being injected with "Yinzhihuang", an injectable remedy containing extracts of herbs, including gardenia and honeysuckle. The drug is widely used, orally and intravenously, in Chinese hospitals to treat liver diseases and infantile jaundice.
The baby was hospitalized at Zhidan County Hospital in the city of Yan'an before he died.
The Ministry of Health confirmed in a teleconference on Sunday that three other newborn babies in the hospital had "adverse effects" after receiving the injection, and told hospitals across the country to stop using the drug.
The ministry didn't specify the symptoms of the affected infants.
Taihang Pharmaceutical, the Shanxi-based producer of the drug, put an emergency notice on its website on Monday, saying it had launched a recall of a batch of products on Oct. 16, the day it was informed of the death.
The company said it had submitted a report on Oct. 17 to all hospitals and drug stores that sold the drug and to the Shanxi provincial drug safety watchdog.
It said the suspect batch of drug was produced in October 2007 and 260,000 bottles had been sold in eight provinces: Hebei and Shanxi in the north, Jilin and Heilongjiang in the northeast, Shandong in the east and Shaanxi, Yunnan and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in the west.
No adverse effects had yet been reported in the other seven provinces.
Samples of the drug are being tested at an institute of the Shanxi provincial drug safety watchdog, and the results would be not known for at least 10 days.
Bacteria contamination in another injectable herbal product was blamed for three deaths in the southwestern Yunnan Province on Oct. 6.
The problematic product, known as Ciwujia, is processed from a type of Siberian ginseng produced by Wandashan Pharmaceutical Co. based in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang. The State Food and Drug Administration has ordered recalls or confiscations of the drug.
Source:Xinhua
House crow tested H5N1 positive in Hong Kong
A dead house crow found at local community in Hong Kong was confirmed to be H5N1 positive after a series of laboratory tests, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said here Monday.
The carcass was found and collected on Oct. 15 at the refuse collection chamber in Sham Shui Po Park.
It was Hong Kong's first case of the deadly strain of H5N1 virus this autumn.
A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department reminded people to observe good personal hygiene.
"They should avoid personal contact with wild birds or live poultry and clean their hands thoroughly after coming into contact with them," he said.
Source: Xinhua
The carcass was found and collected on Oct. 15 at the refuse collection chamber in Sham Shui Po Park.
It was Hong Kong's first case of the deadly strain of H5N1 virus this autumn.
A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department reminded people to observe good personal hygiene.
"They should avoid personal contact with wild birds or live poultry and clean their hands thoroughly after coming into contact with them," he said.
Source: Xinhua
Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer reunited?
John Mayer celebrated his birthday with ex-girlfriend Jennifer Aniston, fuelling rumours they have reconciled.
The pair - who looked intimate and affectionate - were seen together on Wednesday night at the Grand Havana Room members club in Los Angeles enjoying dinner on a private terrace.
Actress Jennifer Aniston arrives at the screening of "Management" at the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival, September 7, 2008.
A source said: "They seemed to be having a great time. They were sitting next to each other. They're a very good-looking couple and seemed happy together."
Jennifer and John, who split in August after a three-month romance, sparked speculation they had reunited late last week after they were seen passionately kissing at a Ray LaMontagne concert together before sharing a private plane to Los Angeles.
They were then seen enjoying drinks with friends earlier this week, where a fellow reveller said: "They were holding hands at one point and seemed very much back on."
Singer John Mayer attends the 10th anniversary gala of the VH1 "Save the Music Foundation" in New York锛�September 20, 2007.
Early on Wednesday, John, 31, was seen "sneaking out" of the 39-year-old former 'Friends' star's home.
A source claims the two reconciled because Jennifer "can't deny their major chemistry, similarities and ability to laugh at things".
Source: China Daily/Agencies
The pair - who looked intimate and affectionate - were seen together on Wednesday night at the Grand Havana Room members club in Los Angeles enjoying dinner on a private terrace.
Actress Jennifer Aniston arrives at the screening of "Management" at the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival, September 7, 2008.
A source said: "They seemed to be having a great time. They were sitting next to each other. They're a very good-looking couple and seemed happy together."
Jennifer and John, who split in August after a three-month romance, sparked speculation they had reunited late last week after they were seen passionately kissing at a Ray LaMontagne concert together before sharing a private plane to Los Angeles.
They were then seen enjoying drinks with friends earlier this week, where a fellow reveller said: "They were holding hands at one point and seemed very much back on."
Singer John Mayer attends the 10th anniversary gala of the VH1 "Save the Music Foundation" in New York锛�September 20, 2007.
Early on Wednesday, John, 31, was seen "sneaking out" of the 39-year-old former 'Friends' star's home.
A source claims the two reconciled because Jennifer "can't deny their major chemistry, similarities and ability to laugh at things".
Source: China Daily/Agencies
Thriller "Max Payne" opens atop at N. American box office
Video game-adapted shooting thriller "Max Payne" opened at the top of box office in North America in this busy weekend, with the special effects-filled movie taking in about 18 million dollars over the three-day period.
Cast members Chris ＂Ludacris＂ Bridges, Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis pose with director John Moore at the premiere of the movie ＂Max Payne＂ at Grauman＇s Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California October 13, 2008.
Starring action star Mark Wahlberg, "Max Payne" easily outdistanced competitions in theaters from a popular dog, bees and the current U.S. president, according to Los Angeles-based box office tracking firm Media By Numbers Sunday.
The 20th Century Fox release, based on a popular video game with the same name, chronicles a NYPD detective's revenge against a pharmaceutical company involved in a secret military project after his wife is murdered.
Cast member Mark Wahlberg and his long-time partner model Rhea Durham arrive at the premiere of the movie ＂Max Payne＂ at the Grauman＇s Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California October 13, 2008.
Disney's animal comedy "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" slipped to No.2 after two weeks at the box office top. The movie is on track to 11.2 million dollars in ticket sales this weekend, and 69 million dollars over three weeks in release.
Two movies aimed at adult audience opened in No. 3 and No. 4, as "The Secret Life of Bees" based on the bestselling book by Sue Monk took in 11.1 million dollars, and Olive Stone's portrait of President George Bush's White House life, "W," debuted with 10.6 million dollars.
Cast member Mila Kunis poses at the premiere of the movie ＂Max Payne＂ at the Grauman＇s Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California October 13, 2008.
Dreamworks' thriller "Eagle Eye" was in No. 5 with a take of 7.3 million dollars this weekend. The film starring Shia LaBeouf has grossed 81.3 million dollars since it was released four weeks ago.
The top-selling 12 movies took in 86.4 million dollars collectively this weekend, a 10-percent increase from the same weekend last year, as Hollywood's overall revenues were up for the fourth consecutive weekend.
Source: Xinhua
Cast members Chris ＂Ludacris＂ Bridges, Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis pose with director John Moore at the premiere of the movie ＂Max Payne＂ at Grauman＇s Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California October 13, 2008.
Starring action star Mark Wahlberg, "Max Payne" easily outdistanced competitions in theaters from a popular dog, bees and the current U.S. president, according to Los Angeles-based box office tracking firm Media By Numbers Sunday.
The 20th Century Fox release, based on a popular video game with the same name, chronicles a NYPD detective's revenge against a pharmaceutical company involved in a secret military project after his wife is murdered.
Cast member Mark Wahlberg and his long-time partner model Rhea Durham arrive at the premiere of the movie ＂Max Payne＂ at the Grauman＇s Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California October 13, 2008.
Disney's animal comedy "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" slipped to No.2 after two weeks at the box office top. The movie is on track to 11.2 million dollars in ticket sales this weekend, and 69 million dollars over three weeks in release.
Two movies aimed at adult audience opened in No. 3 and No. 4, as "The Secret Life of Bees" based on the bestselling book by Sue Monk took in 11.1 million dollars, and Olive Stone's portrait of President George Bush's White House life, "W," debuted with 10.6 million dollars.
Cast member Mila Kunis poses at the premiere of the movie ＂Max Payne＂ at the Grauman＇s Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California October 13, 2008.
Dreamworks' thriller "Eagle Eye" was in No. 5 with a take of 7.3 million dollars this weekend. The film starring Shia LaBeouf has grossed 81.3 million dollars since it was released four weeks ago.
The top-selling 12 movies took in 86.4 million dollars collectively this weekend, a 10-percent increase from the same weekend last year, as Hollywood's overall revenues were up for the fourth consecutive weekend.
Source: Xinhua
Chinese quality watchdog says latest-tested milk safe
China's quality watchdog said on Sunday no trace of melamine was found in the latest nationwide tests on liquid milk.
It was the 13th round of tests for the industrial chemical since the report of the tainted baby formula scandal that left at least three infants dead and sickened more than 50,000 others, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine .
The tests covered 477 batches of baby formula from 66 brands in22 cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin.
The government set temporary melamine content limits in dairy products of a maximum of 1 mg per kg of infant formula and a maximum 2.5 mg per kg for liquid milk, milk powder and food products that contained at least 15 percent milk.
So far, the quality watchdog had conducted sample tests on 6,274 batches of liquid dairy products manufactured after Sept. 14from 138 brands and found all safely under the limits.
Melamine, often used in the manufacturing of plastics, was added to sub-standard or diluted milk to make the protein levels appear higher.
Source: Xinhua
It was the 13th round of tests for the industrial chemical since the report of the tainted baby formula scandal that left at least three infants dead and sickened more than 50,000 others, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine .
The tests covered 477 batches of baby formula from 66 brands in22 cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin.
The government set temporary melamine content limits in dairy products of a maximum of 1 mg per kg of infant formula and a maximum 2.5 mg per kg for liquid milk, milk powder and food products that contained at least 15 percent milk.
So far, the quality watchdog had conducted sample tests on 6,274 batches of liquid dairy products manufactured after Sept. 14from 138 brands and found all safely under the limits.
Melamine, often used in the manufacturing of plastics, was added to sub-standard or diluted milk to make the protein levels appear higher.
Source: Xinhua
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