LONDON - British opposition leader David Cameron has been reunited with his stolen bicycle thanks to a tabloid newspaper and a supporter of the rival Labour Party, the paper reported Sunday.
The Conservative party leader, often photographed riding his bike to work at the House of Commons, realized that it was stolen after he left it outside a supermarket near his west London home Wednesday evening.
The Sunday Mirror said it located the bicycle - dumped in a nearby street - with the help of 60-year-old resident Ernest Theophile, who enlisted neighborhood youths to trace it.
Theophile was identified by the paper as a staunch supporter of Britain's left-leaning Labour Party.
"You never want to see anyone have their bike nicked (stolen) - not even a Tory," he was quoted as saying.
The Conservative Party confirmed that the newspaper had returned the bike to Cameron.
Cameron, 41, is riding high in opinion polls, including one published Saturday giving his party a 22-percentage point lead over the Labour Party, which is led by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Cameron uses the 4-mile bicycle commute from his home in trendy Notting Hill to Parliament to highlight his party's commitment to green issues. But political opponents scoffed when it emerged Cameron had an official car ferry his paperwork to his office.
Cameron steered himself into more embarrassment earlier this year when The Daily Mirror published a video showing him running a red light and cycling the wrong way down a one-way street. Cameron apologized for the traffic violations.
(Agencies)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Survey: Chinese want a tough upbringing for their children
BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese children need a tough upbringing parents believe, according to an online survey released here Monday.
About 56.1 percent of the survey's 5,546 respondents believed children should not be spoilt with money, and 52.9 percent believed children should learn how to cope with setbacks, said the Beijing-based China Youth Daily.
The survey, carried out in July, also revealed that about 73.5 percent of the surveyed did not believe that they should leave all their wealth to children, while 66 percent thought parents should train their children to earn their own living and work for their future, according to the paper.
There was nothing wrong with parents who had made a fortune, but they should set a good example in managing money, the paper quoted Xi zhonghua, an expert at China Family Education Trainer's Center as saying.
Parents should help their children realize that not a single penny was easily got, so the children should learn not to spend money like water and learn how to shape a future for themselves, added Xi.
It is becoming a consensus among Chinese parents that children should taste some pains in the process of growth, as they enjoy a better life than their parents.
Recently, cities like Zhengzhou in Central China's Henan Province have held toughening camps for students on summer holidays. The programs of these camps range from outdoor work like pulling up weeds in the fields and watering vegetable plots, to indoor labor such as washing clothes and making dumplings, the paper reported.
About 56.1 percent of the survey's 5,546 respondents believed children should not be spoilt with money, and 52.9 percent believed children should learn how to cope with setbacks, said the Beijing-based China Youth Daily.
The survey, carried out in July, also revealed that about 73.5 percent of the surveyed did not believe that they should leave all their wealth to children, while 66 percent thought parents should train their children to earn their own living and work for their future, according to the paper.
There was nothing wrong with parents who had made a fortune, but they should set a good example in managing money, the paper quoted Xi zhonghua, an expert at China Family Education Trainer's Center as saying.
Parents should help their children realize that not a single penny was easily got, so the children should learn not to spend money like water and learn how to shape a future for themselves, added Xi.
It is becoming a consensus among Chinese parents that children should taste some pains in the process of growth, as they enjoy a better life than their parents.
Recently, cities like Zhengzhou in Central China's Henan Province have held toughening camps for students on summer holidays. The programs of these camps range from outdoor work like pulling up weeds in the fields and watering vegetable plots, to indoor labor such as washing clothes and making dumplings, the paper reported.
Suicide hot line got calls from 22,000 veterans
WASHINGTON - More than 22,000 veterans have sought help from a special suicide hot line in its first year, and 1,221 suicides have been averted, the government says.
According to a recent RAND Corp. study, roughly one in five soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan displays symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, putting them at a higher risk for suicide. Researchers at Portland State University found that male veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide than men who are not veterans.
This month, a former Army medic, Joseph Dwyer, who was shown in a Military Times photograph running through a battle zone carrying an Iraqi boy, died of an accidental overdose after struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder for almost five years.
Janet Kemp, national suicide prevention coordinator for the Veterans Affairs Department, said the hot line is in place to help prevent deaths such as Dwyer's. "We just want them to know there's other options and people do care about them, and we can help them make a difference in their lives," she said in an interview.
The VA teamed up with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to launch the hot line last July after years of criticism that the VA wasn't doing enough to help wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. In April, two veterans groups sued the VA, citing long delays for processing applications and other problems in treatment for veterans at risk for suicide. The department has spent US$2.9 million on the hot line thus far.
The hot line receives up to 250 calls per day - double the average number calling when it began. Kemp said callers are divided evenly between veterans from the Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam wars. Richard McKeon, public health adviser for SAMHSA, said 10 to 20 of the 1,575 calls received each week have to be rerouted to high-volume backup call centers throughout the country.
The VA estimates that every year 6,500 veterans take their own lives. The mental health director for the VA, Ira Katz, said in an e-mail last December that of the 18 veterans who commit suicide each day, four to five of them are under VA care, and 12,000 veterans under VA care are attempting suicide each year.
This month, the hot line began an advertising campaign in Washington area subway stations and buses featuring the slogan, "It takes the courage and strength of a warrior to ask for help."
The veterans hot line, which is linked to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, received 55,000 callers in its first year, including both veterans and people who are concerned about them, according to figures being released Monday. One-third of the 40 specially trained counselors are veterans themselves.
"We try to get them (callers) to talk about their situation and what they remember and see if they can identify exactly what their issues are. I think there's a comfort in knowing that they can get some help from people who do understand what combat stress is like," Kemp said.
From the call center, counselors instantly can check a veteran's medical records and then connect the caller to local VA suicide prevention coordinators for follow-up, monitoring and care at local VA medical centers. Kemp said that since the hot line started, 106 veterans have been steered to free medical care from the VA.
Kemp said the hot line was put in place specifically for those veterans who don't get enough help until it's too late. "They have indicated to us that they are in extreme danger, either they have guns in their hand or they're standing on a bridge, or they've already swallowed pills," she said. Kemp said 1,221 veterans who were in such situations were rescued during the hot line's first year.
The VA is preparing for the eventual return of a large number of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. This could put added stress on the mental health screening program for returning veterans, which could lead to a rise in undiagnosed mental health issues. The VA recently got enough money to double its suicide prevention staff and is planning to hire 212 more people soon.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day by calling 800-273-TALK (8255); veterans should press "1" after being connected.
(Agencies)
According to a recent RAND Corp. study, roughly one in five soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan displays symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, putting them at a higher risk for suicide. Researchers at Portland State University found that male veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide than men who are not veterans.
This month, a former Army medic, Joseph Dwyer, who was shown in a Military Times photograph running through a battle zone carrying an Iraqi boy, died of an accidental overdose after struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder for almost five years.
Janet Kemp, national suicide prevention coordinator for the Veterans Affairs Department, said the hot line is in place to help prevent deaths such as Dwyer's. "We just want them to know there's other options and people do care about them, and we can help them make a difference in their lives," she said in an interview.
The VA teamed up with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to launch the hot line last July after years of criticism that the VA wasn't doing enough to help wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. In April, two veterans groups sued the VA, citing long delays for processing applications and other problems in treatment for veterans at risk for suicide. The department has spent US$2.9 million on the hot line thus far.
The hot line receives up to 250 calls per day - double the average number calling when it began. Kemp said callers are divided evenly between veterans from the Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam wars. Richard McKeon, public health adviser for SAMHSA, said 10 to 20 of the 1,575 calls received each week have to be rerouted to high-volume backup call centers throughout the country.
The VA estimates that every year 6,500 veterans take their own lives. The mental health director for the VA, Ira Katz, said in an e-mail last December that of the 18 veterans who commit suicide each day, four to five of them are under VA care, and 12,000 veterans under VA care are attempting suicide each year.
This month, the hot line began an advertising campaign in Washington area subway stations and buses featuring the slogan, "It takes the courage and strength of a warrior to ask for help."
The veterans hot line, which is linked to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, received 55,000 callers in its first year, including both veterans and people who are concerned about them, according to figures being released Monday. One-third of the 40 specially trained counselors are veterans themselves.
"We try to get them (callers) to talk about their situation and what they remember and see if they can identify exactly what their issues are. I think there's a comfort in knowing that they can get some help from people who do understand what combat stress is like," Kemp said.
From the call center, counselors instantly can check a veteran's medical records and then connect the caller to local VA suicide prevention coordinators for follow-up, monitoring and care at local VA medical centers. Kemp said that since the hot line started, 106 veterans have been steered to free medical care from the VA.
Kemp said the hot line was put in place specifically for those veterans who don't get enough help until it's too late. "They have indicated to us that they are in extreme danger, either they have guns in their hand or they're standing on a bridge, or they've already swallowed pills," she said. Kemp said 1,221 veterans who were in such situations were rescued during the hot line's first year.
The VA is preparing for the eventual return of a large number of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. This could put added stress on the mental health screening program for returning veterans, which could lead to a rise in undiagnosed mental health issues. The VA recently got enough money to double its suicide prevention staff and is planning to hire 212 more people soon.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day by calling 800-273-TALK (8255); veterans should press "1" after being connected.
(Agencies)
China to increase quotas for gov't sponsored overseas students
GUIYANG, July 28 (Xinhua) -- China plans to offer 20,000 overseas students scholarship in 2010, doubling that of 2007, said an official with the China Scholarship Council (CSC) on Monday.
The CSC Secretary-General Liu Jinghui made the above remarks here at an on-going China-ASEAN education exchange week activity, adding that overseas students who won the China government scholarships will find contributions toward both their living and tuition expenses.
Liu also predict that China will welcome 500,000 overseas students by 2020, including self-sponsored ones.
"China has paid great attention to education, and overseas students are also very important," said Liu, explaining that these students will help Chinese universities become more international.
He also disclosed that this year China increased the living subsidy for overseas students by almost half, with 1,400 yuan per month for an undergraduate, from last year's 800 yuan.
China offered monthly 1,700 yuan and 2,000 yuan grants for every graduate and Ph.D candidate this year.
China received more than 190,000 overseas students last year, almost five times the 1997 total. They came from 188 countries and regions, and 5.2 percent of them were offered Chinese government scholarships.
The CSC Secretary-General Liu Jinghui made the above remarks here at an on-going China-ASEAN education exchange week activity, adding that overseas students who won the China government scholarships will find contributions toward both their living and tuition expenses.
Liu also predict that China will welcome 500,000 overseas students by 2020, including self-sponsored ones.
"China has paid great attention to education, and overseas students are also very important," said Liu, explaining that these students will help Chinese universities become more international.
He also disclosed that this year China increased the living subsidy for overseas students by almost half, with 1,400 yuan per month for an undergraduate, from last year's 800 yuan.
China offered monthly 1,700 yuan and 2,000 yuan grants for every graduate and Ph.D candidate this year.
China received more than 190,000 overseas students last year, almost five times the 1997 total. They came from 188 countries and regions, and 5.2 percent of them were offered Chinese government scholarships.
China allocates 2.32 bln yuan for school reconstruction in quake zone
BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- China's government is to allocate 2.32 billion yuan (332 million U.S. dollars) from the central budget to primary and middle schools in quake-hit Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi Provinces.
The fund will be used to maintain and reconstruct school buildings, and buy teaching equipment and facilities, the Ministry of Finance announced on Monday.
A ministry statement said 1.34 billion yuan would be channeled to building reconstruction, and the remainder would fund the purchase of teaching equipment and facilities.
Government departments were asked to closely monitor the fund usage, and to ensure construction quality.
The May 12 earthquake in Sichuan Province had claimed 69,197 lives as of July 24, leaving 374,176 injured and 18,209 missing.
The government disaster relief fund had topped 61.6 billion yuan (8.93 billion U.S. dollars).
The fund will be used to maintain and reconstruct school buildings, and buy teaching equipment and facilities, the Ministry of Finance announced on Monday.
A ministry statement said 1.34 billion yuan would be channeled to building reconstruction, and the remainder would fund the purchase of teaching equipment and facilities.
Government departments were asked to closely monitor the fund usage, and to ensure construction quality.
The May 12 earthquake in Sichuan Province had claimed 69,197 lives as of July 24, leaving 374,176 injured and 18,209 missing.
The government disaster relief fund had topped 61.6 billion yuan (8.93 billion U.S. dollars).
Kung Fu tour of Beijing
BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- If you're a fan of Kung Fu or the martial arts films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, you'll find plenty of action during your stay in Beijing.
Kung Fu, the Chinese martial art that blended the skills of self-defense, hunting and military training in ancient times, has been developed into a popular international sport also called wushu.
Modern Chinese martial arts usually concentrate on forms (or taolu in Chinese), which comprise basic movements, including stances, kicks, punches, jumps, sweeps and throws, which are mainly aimed at exhibitions and competitions, and often include more acrobatic jumps and movements.
Chinese martial arts heroes and heroines have been fascinating thousands of people all over the world with their performances on stage and screen.
Beijing offers many opportunities to enjoy wushu and even to learn some tai chi.
More than 400 skilled students from Beijing Shaolin Martial Arts School are to perform Kung Fu at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games, but don't worry if you have no tickets.
Students in the school perform wushu at any time, allowing close views of forms and qigong (chi kung, practices that involve methods of accumulating, circulating and working with qi or energy within the body), two essential elements of Chinese martial arts.
You can ask your travel agency to contact the school directly if you are part of an interested group. The school will arrange special performances for a group (more than 10 people) for about 100 to 200 yuan (14 to 28 U.S. dollars) per person.
If you want to see the show alone or with two or three friends, you can also call the school for information on show times, and when you can enjoy it for free.
The school is in Huilongguan, Changping District, and the telephone number is 86-10-62715558.
"The Legend of Kung Fu", an 80-minute show playing every night in Beijing's Red Theater, tells how a small boy became a kung fu master after a series of trials. No speaking, only kung fu, dance and acrobatics. English subtitles explain the story.
The theater gives performances at 5:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The price ranges from 180 yuan (26 USD) to 680 yuan (100 USD) based on the seating. The address is 44 Xingfu Dajie, Chongwen District, and the telephone number 86-10-67142473.
The city also has the perfect places to learn kung fu every morning.
Many Chinese practise tai chi and qigong in the morning in public parks such as the Ritan Park, or the Sun Altar Park, and the Temple of Heaven, especially at weekends, and visitors are welcome to look around or even take a short course.
Fifty-one-year old Wang Xuewu who has learned and practiced taichi for more than 32 years is a regular coach in Ritan. He has hundreds of students, including dozens of foreigners.
In an area of about 100 square meters under the trees, children and adults of all ages practice tai chi together.
"I advise foreign friends to learn some basic forms when they are in China. They can keep practicing their whole lives after they get to know basic forms and movements," says 48-year-old Zhang Hongli.
Zhang started practising tai chi two years ago, and he says it has helped lower his high blood pressure.
Rong Xiaohui, another teacher, says the sport is helpful for people who suffer from heart problems, high blood pressure, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and other ailments.
He also said long-term tai chi practice helps promote physical balance, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness so it's best to start young.
Rong is planning special short-term training programs for foreign visitors in August and September, and he will hold lectures on Chinese culture and Taoist philosophy.
Enthusiastic and fast learners can finish the simplified 24 forms of tai chi within 10 days, and continue with DVD teaching programs.
The course costs 20 yuan (3 U.S. dollars) per hour, and lasts from 7:30 a.m to 10:30 a.m, Monday to Sunday. You may contact the coach in advance by e-mail (rongxhcn@yahoo.com.cn) or go direct to the site on a fine day.
"I hope I can practice tai chi with kids from other countries," says 7-year-old Yin Chang, who started six months ago. "It's full of fun."
Kung Fu, the Chinese martial art that blended the skills of self-defense, hunting and military training in ancient times, has been developed into a popular international sport also called wushu.
Modern Chinese martial arts usually concentrate on forms (or taolu in Chinese), which comprise basic movements, including stances, kicks, punches, jumps, sweeps and throws, which are mainly aimed at exhibitions and competitions, and often include more acrobatic jumps and movements.
Chinese martial arts heroes and heroines have been fascinating thousands of people all over the world with their performances on stage and screen.
Beijing offers many opportunities to enjoy wushu and even to learn some tai chi.
More than 400 skilled students from Beijing Shaolin Martial Arts School are to perform Kung Fu at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games, but don't worry if you have no tickets.
Students in the school perform wushu at any time, allowing close views of forms and qigong (chi kung, practices that involve methods of accumulating, circulating and working with qi or energy within the body), two essential elements of Chinese martial arts.
You can ask your travel agency to contact the school directly if you are part of an interested group. The school will arrange special performances for a group (more than 10 people) for about 100 to 200 yuan (14 to 28 U.S. dollars) per person.
If you want to see the show alone or with two or three friends, you can also call the school for information on show times, and when you can enjoy it for free.
The school is in Huilongguan, Changping District, and the telephone number is 86-10-62715558.
"The Legend of Kung Fu", an 80-minute show playing every night in Beijing's Red Theater, tells how a small boy became a kung fu master after a series of trials. No speaking, only kung fu, dance and acrobatics. English subtitles explain the story.
The theater gives performances at 5:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The price ranges from 180 yuan (26 USD) to 680 yuan (100 USD) based on the seating. The address is 44 Xingfu Dajie, Chongwen District, and the telephone number 86-10-67142473.
The city also has the perfect places to learn kung fu every morning.
Many Chinese practise tai chi and qigong in the morning in public parks such as the Ritan Park, or the Sun Altar Park, and the Temple of Heaven, especially at weekends, and visitors are welcome to look around or even take a short course.
Fifty-one-year old Wang Xuewu who has learned and practiced taichi for more than 32 years is a regular coach in Ritan. He has hundreds of students, including dozens of foreigners.
In an area of about 100 square meters under the trees, children and adults of all ages practice tai chi together.
"I advise foreign friends to learn some basic forms when they are in China. They can keep practicing their whole lives after they get to know basic forms and movements," says 48-year-old Zhang Hongli.
Zhang started practising tai chi two years ago, and he says it has helped lower his high blood pressure.
Rong Xiaohui, another teacher, says the sport is helpful for people who suffer from heart problems, high blood pressure, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and other ailments.
He also said long-term tai chi practice helps promote physical balance, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness so it's best to start young.
Rong is planning special short-term training programs for foreign visitors in August and September, and he will hold lectures on Chinese culture and Taoist philosophy.
Enthusiastic and fast learners can finish the simplified 24 forms of tai chi within 10 days, and continue with DVD teaching programs.
The course costs 20 yuan (3 U.S. dollars) per hour, and lasts from 7:30 a.m to 10:30 a.m, Monday to Sunday. You may contact the coach in advance by e-mail (rongxhcn@yahoo.com.cn) or go direct to the site on a fine day.
"I hope I can practice tai chi with kids from other countries," says 7-year-old Yin Chang, who started six months ago. "It's full of fun."
African singing and dancing show staged in Beijing
BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- A singing and dancing show featuring African culture was put on stage here Monday, part of the on-going Olympic cultural activities in the city.
Nearly 100 artists from South Africa, Tanzania, Mauritius, Rwanda, Senegal, Cameroun and Kenya performed the African Night show at the Great Hall of the People in the Tian'anmen Square, central Beijing.
The 90-minute performance featured the four themes of air, earth, love and friendship.
Dressed in traditional red costumes, Kenyan band "Kayamba Africa" sang an old Chinese folk song "My Chinese Heart" for quake survivors in southwest Sichuan Province.
The six-member band won thunderous applause from the audience when they finished their performance.
Juma Odemba, the band's music director, said they sympathized people in the quake-stricken region after reading media reports. They chose the song because they wanted to tell quake survivors that no matter what happened they should be strong and never give up hope.
He said Chinese are strong and they can always conquer difficulties to gain victories.
"We spent much time doing the rehearsal because we don't know a word of Chinese," he said. The band began the rehearsal as early as in January.
He said he was touched when Olympics volunteers helped him doing entry procedures at the airport.
"The strict security check at the airport and colorful banners carrying Olympic logos were very impressive. I believe Beijing is ready for the Games," he said.
Ten African kids who were studying in China performed acrobatics after being trained in Wuqiao County, Hebei Province, known as China's home of acrobatics.
The show will have one more performance Tuesday and the ticket prices range between 120 yuan (17.6 U.S. dollars) to 880 yuan.
Nearly 100 artists from South Africa, Tanzania, Mauritius, Rwanda, Senegal, Cameroun and Kenya performed the African Night show at the Great Hall of the People in the Tian'anmen Square, central Beijing.
The 90-minute performance featured the four themes of air, earth, love and friendship.
Dressed in traditional red costumes, Kenyan band "Kayamba Africa" sang an old Chinese folk song "My Chinese Heart" for quake survivors in southwest Sichuan Province.
The six-member band won thunderous applause from the audience when they finished their performance.
Juma Odemba, the band's music director, said they sympathized people in the quake-stricken region after reading media reports. They chose the song because they wanted to tell quake survivors that no matter what happened they should be strong and never give up hope.
He said Chinese are strong and they can always conquer difficulties to gain victories.
"We spent much time doing the rehearsal because we don't know a word of Chinese," he said. The band began the rehearsal as early as in January.
He said he was touched when Olympics volunteers helped him doing entry procedures at the airport.
"The strict security check at the airport and colorful banners carrying Olympic logos were very impressive. I believe Beijing is ready for the Games," he said.
Ten African kids who were studying in China performed acrobatics after being trained in Wuqiao County, Hebei Province, known as China's home of acrobatics.
The show will have one more performance Tuesday and the ticket prices range between 120 yuan (17.6 U.S. dollars) to 880 yuan.
Interview: Ancient Greek tragedy "Medea 2" to be shown in Beijing
ATHENS, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Dirmitris Papaioannou, director of the 2004 Athens Olympics opening ceremony, is to bring his adapted version of ancient Greek tragedy Medea to Beijing early August.
Papaioannou told Xinhua in an exclusive interview in Athens that most of the techniques adopted by the Athens Olympics opening ceremony were first tried out in the performance of Medea in 1993.
Papaioannou directed Medea 2 based on the 1993 version specially for the "Cultural Year of Greece in China." The play will be performed in the newly-built Grand National Theatre in Beijing on Aug. 1 and 2.
Medea 2 had a trial showing at the Athens Festival early this July. The audience reacted favorably, proving that it has stood the test of time.
"Medea tells a story of a special witch and her love affairs with an arrogant Greek hero. She is adorable, dangerous, passionate as well as revengeful," said Papaioannou.
The stage, where the play was performed, was filled with water to symbolize ocean and Aegean civilization. Its visual impact, creative mix of movements and stillness have fascinated audiences in Athens. Chinese people will be able to experience the same.
Papaioannou said compared with the previous version, Medea 2 adopts more bright colors and leaves more space on the stage. It will have fewer and more simplified plots. The Chinese audience can sympathize with the lovers even if they have not read Greek mythology and do not know the language.
In one part of the play, actors and actress were required to be naked when performing in Athens. Papaioannou said he would make some minor modification in accordance with Chinese customs.
"Water and eroticism are very important elements in Greece. Greek people would never be afraid to look at it," said Papaioannou.
"I hope in the future something like Medea will be performed in China completely as it is performed all over the world. China could invite more and more artists to the country so that Chinese people, especially young artists, are able to appreciate more modern arts. Art is necessary for the people," he added
"I like Chinese culture and I have watched some Chinese operas acrobatics. It was part of my job to see performances when I was in China. Although it is difficult for me to follow, I like the style of Chinese opera," said the Greek choreographer and director.
Papaioannou told Xinhua in an exclusive interview in Athens that most of the techniques adopted by the Athens Olympics opening ceremony were first tried out in the performance of Medea in 1993.
Papaioannou directed Medea 2 based on the 1993 version specially for the "Cultural Year of Greece in China." The play will be performed in the newly-built Grand National Theatre in Beijing on Aug. 1 and 2.
Medea 2 had a trial showing at the Athens Festival early this July. The audience reacted favorably, proving that it has stood the test of time.
"Medea tells a story of a special witch and her love affairs with an arrogant Greek hero. She is adorable, dangerous, passionate as well as revengeful," said Papaioannou.
The stage, where the play was performed, was filled with water to symbolize ocean and Aegean civilization. Its visual impact, creative mix of movements and stillness have fascinated audiences in Athens. Chinese people will be able to experience the same.
Papaioannou said compared with the previous version, Medea 2 adopts more bright colors and leaves more space on the stage. It will have fewer and more simplified plots. The Chinese audience can sympathize with the lovers even if they have not read Greek mythology and do not know the language.
In one part of the play, actors and actress were required to be naked when performing in Athens. Papaioannou said he would make some minor modification in accordance with Chinese customs.
"Water and eroticism are very important elements in Greece. Greek people would never be afraid to look at it," said Papaioannou.
"I hope in the future something like Medea will be performed in China completely as it is performed all over the world. China could invite more and more artists to the country so that Chinese people, especially young artists, are able to appreciate more modern arts. Art is necessary for the people," he added
"I like Chinese culture and I have watched some Chinese operas acrobatics. It was part of my job to see performances when I was in China. Although it is difficult for me to follow, I like the style of Chinese opera," said the Greek choreographer and director.
2500-year-old Greek ship salvaged off Sicily
ROME, July 28 (Xinhua) -- An ancient Greek trading ship that has lain on the seabed off the coast of Gela in southern Sicily for 2,500 years was brought to the surface for the first time on Monday.
The 21-meter-long vessel is the best-preserved example in the world of a Greek ship constructed from pine planks "sewn" together with plant fiber, a technique described in Homer's Iliad, Italian News Agency ANSA said on Monday.
Experts believe the ship sank in a storm some 800 meters off the coast while transporting goods from the Greek colony in Gela back to Greece.
Two local divers first discovered the wreck five meters under water in 1988, and the bow of the ship, along with amphorae, drinking cups, oil lamps and woven baskets, were brought to the surface in 2003.
On Monday coastguards and experts from the Caltanissetta culture department salvaged the rest of the ship using a boat equipped with a crane able to lift loads of up to 200 tons.
The pieces of the ship will be kept immersed in tanks full of the protective chemical polyethylene glycol before being transported to Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, where experts at the Mary Rose Archaeological Services will conserve and reconstruct the vessel.
The culture department says it eventually plans to build a sea museum in Gela with the ship as the key exhibit.
The 21-meter-long vessel is the best-preserved example in the world of a Greek ship constructed from pine planks "sewn" together with plant fiber, a technique described in Homer's Iliad, Italian News Agency ANSA said on Monday.
Experts believe the ship sank in a storm some 800 meters off the coast while transporting goods from the Greek colony in Gela back to Greece.
Two local divers first discovered the wreck five meters under water in 1988, and the bow of the ship, along with amphorae, drinking cups, oil lamps and woven baskets, were brought to the surface in 2003.
On Monday coastguards and experts from the Caltanissetta culture department salvaged the rest of the ship using a boat equipped with a crane able to lift loads of up to 200 tons.
The pieces of the ship will be kept immersed in tanks full of the protective chemical polyethylene glycol before being transported to Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, where experts at the Mary Rose Archaeological Services will conserve and reconstruct the vessel.
The culture department says it eventually plans to build a sea museum in Gela with the ship as the key exhibit.
Qiang culture fights for world heritage status
Girls of the Qiang ethnic group display clothes of Qiang embroidery at the Jinsha Relics Museum in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 24, 2008. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing)
BEIJING, July 29 -- Photographer Cheng Weidong felt a sense of great relief when he managed to reach Taoping village in Sichuan province a week after the deadly May 12 earthquake.
He thought it was a miracle that much of the 2,000-year-old Qiang minority group village, renowned for its ancient stone towers and blockhouses, was in good shape. After all, Taoping is just 17 km away from the epicenter of the quake in Wenchuan.
Moreover, not a single villager from the 98 households was hurt, and dozens of the stone towers, built more than 1,000 years ago, stood defiantly under the blue sky.
"What I saw was a world architectural miracle," said the 57-year-old photographer with Nationality Pictorial.
It is this miraculous feature that could fetch the structures international recognition because the central government has been trying to get them a UNESCO world cultural heritage site status.
Zhang Bai, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, said yesterday: "Their unique structure and outstanding quake-resistant feature make them a very eligible candidate."
During a group interview, organized by the 2008 Beijing International Media Center, Zhang said Taoping's application would be submitted in the next few years along with those of the Songshan Mountain, the Wutai Mountain and the Silk Road.
Though Taoping did not suffer much damage, some other places where the Qiang people live, such as Beichuan county, were devastated by the quake.
"We're going to set up a cultural protection zone for Qiang culture in Sichuan (this year) because it needs urgent protection," said Zhang Xu, director of the intangible cultural heritage department of the Ministry of Culture.
The Qiang cultural protection zone covers Beichuan, Wenchuan, Lixian and Maoxian counties.
Some anthropologists say the Qiang minority group descended from a legendary 21st-century BC Chinese emperor. Others say it is a lost Israelite tribe. Still others have traced its origin to other sources.
The Qiangs numbered only about 300,000, and as their misfortune would have it, almost all of them lived within 100 km of the epicenter, and lost about 10 percent of its population to the quake.
The quake damaged or destroyed 23 national-level intangible cultural heritage relics.
Zhang Xu said the central and local governments will share the cost of setting up the zone and will try to rebuild Qiang villages, preserve the relics, give "Qiang cultural masters" more opportunities to practice their traditions and resume their festivals, and make video-clips in the Qiang language.
(Source: China Daily)
Chinese national treasures on display
Visitors look at a square bronze vessel with four goats, a national treasure from the Shang Dynasty (about 1600 BC - 1046 BC), at the new venue of the China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing on July 28, 2008. More than 200 pieces of cultural relics, showing the wisdom and innovative spirit of the Chinese nation, are on display at the show which will end on September 20.(Xinhua Photo)
A blue and white porcelain vase, with paintings depicting an ancient Chinese story, considered a national treasure, is on display at a show at the new venue of the China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing on July 28, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)
A visitor looks at a Buddhism porcelain figure, regarded as a national treasure, at the new venue of the China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing on July 28, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)
More than 200 pieces of cultural relics, showing the wisdom and innovative spirit of the Chinese nation, are on display at the show which will end on September 20
Replica of Mexico's Angel of Independence to fly to Beijing
Workers stand near the replica of the Angel of Independence during a send-off ceremony for the "Angel" in Zocalo Square in Mexico City, Mexico, July 28, 2008. The replica of the Angel of Independence, one of the symbols of Mexico City, will take off for Beijing on Tuesday, carrying the best wishes of the Mexican government and people for the 2008 Olympic Games. (Xinhua Photo)
MEXICO CITY, July 28 (Xinhua) -- A replica of the Angel of Independence, one of the symbols of Mexico City, will take off for Beijing on Thursday, carrying the best wishes of the Mexican government and people for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Mexico City tourism authorities held a send-off ceremony for the "Angel" in the capital's Zocalo Square on Monday.
The city's tourism secretary Alejandro Rojas Diaz said the gilded replica, which is one-third the size of the original monument signifying independence, peace, friendship and justice, would serve as an ambassador of Mexico City and Mexico to enhance the country's friendship with China.
The upcoming Olympics offers Mexico a good opportunity to showcase its charms to China and the world, and to boost the country's tourism cooperation with China, Diaz told Xinhua.
He also expressed full confidence in Beijing's ability to host a successful and impressive Olympic Games.
After Beijing, the special 'envoy' will visit the Hong Kong SAR.
Angel of Independence, located on Mexico City's main Reforma Street, was built in 1910 to commemorate the 1810 Mexican Revolution.
Brazil to provide vocational education to poor families
RIO DE JANEIRO, July 28 (Xinhua) -- About 185,000 Brazilians will receive vocational education in September under a social program launched by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvas in 2003, the Brazilian government announced Monday.
In his weekly radio program Breakfast with the President, Lula said that the program is aimed at giving people a chance to learn skills so that they will no longer depend on government's monthly aid.
The Bolsa Familia is a welfare program, which provides financial aid to 11 million families with their per capita monthly income less then 120 reais (75 U.S. dollars).
Each family receives a monthly allowance of up to 182 reais (115 U.S. dollars), as long as their children attend school and take vaccines.
The program benefits a total of 45 million people in the country, making it the largest conditional cash transfer program in the world.
Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Fortaleza will be the first batch of cities to carry out the program.
President Lula added that the Ministry of Education has signed an agreement with some largest vocational schools to help poor workers receive education.
In his weekly radio program Breakfast with the President, Lula said that the program is aimed at giving people a chance to learn skills so that they will no longer depend on government's monthly aid.
The Bolsa Familia is a welfare program, which provides financial aid to 11 million families with their per capita monthly income less then 120 reais (75 U.S. dollars).
Each family receives a monthly allowance of up to 182 reais (115 U.S. dollars), as long as their children attend school and take vaccines.
The program benefits a total of 45 million people in the country, making it the largest conditional cash transfer program in the world.
Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Fortaleza will be the first batch of cities to carry out the program.
President Lula added that the Ministry of Education has signed an agreement with some largest vocational schools to help poor workers receive education.
Surgical perfection frightens off boyfriends
Xuan Xuan, a 22-year-old female college student from Tianjin municipality, has undergone cosmetic surgery to suit the preferences of three boyfriends over the past three years.
She had her first procedures, comprising "double" eyelids and nose enhancement last summer. She then had her chin defined for the second boyfriend and, shortly before this summer vacation, had her face remodeled into an oval shape to please her third and latest beau.
But he separated from her earlier last week, to Xuan Xuan's dismay, saying that a woman with such a perfect face was bound to go off with somebody else someday.
She had her first procedures, comprising "double" eyelids and nose enhancement last summer. She then had her chin defined for the second boyfriend and, shortly before this summer vacation, had her face remodeled into an oval shape to please her third and latest beau.
But he separated from her earlier last week, to Xuan Xuan's dismay, saying that a woman with such a perfect face was bound to go off with somebody else someday.
Photo exhibition on China's anti-quake efforts launched in Portugal
LISBON, July 28 (Xinhua) -- A photo exhibition on China's relief efforts after the May 12 devastating earthquake was launched in this Portuguese capital Monday.
The month-long exhibition, hosted by the Chinese Embassy, displayed nearly 100 photos taken by Xinhua journalists in Sichuan after the earthquake hit the southwestern province.
The exhibition shows the destruction wrought by the quake, China's relief in the disaster-hit regions and the international aid efforts, Ana Rodriguez, a visitor, told Xinhua.
Opening the exhibition, Jin Hongjun, charge-de-affairs of the Chinese embassy, voiced his appreciation of the aid and moral support offered by the Portuguese government and people to China in its relief efforts.
A devastating earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale hit China's southeastern region on May 12, leaving about 70,000 people dead, 374,000 injured and 18,000 missing.
The month-long exhibition, hosted by the Chinese Embassy, displayed nearly 100 photos taken by Xinhua journalists in Sichuan after the earthquake hit the southwestern province.
The exhibition shows the destruction wrought by the quake, China's relief in the disaster-hit regions and the international aid efforts, Ana Rodriguez, a visitor, told Xinhua.
Opening the exhibition, Jin Hongjun, charge-de-affairs of the Chinese embassy, voiced his appreciation of the aid and moral support offered by the Portuguese government and people to China in its relief efforts.
A devastating earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale hit China's southeastern region on May 12, leaving about 70,000 people dead, 374,000 injured and 18,000 missing.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Week in London
Visitors walk past a poster during the Traditional Chinese Medicine Week at the Royal Society of Medicine in London, Britain, July 28, 2008. The one-week event, starting from July 27, is aimed at promoting greater understanding and cooperation in medicine between China and the UK. (Xinhua Photo)
The one-week event, starting from July 27, is aimed at promoting greater understanding and cooperation in medicine between China and the UK.
Trophies of ancient Athens Games displayed
BEIJING, July 29 -- Three sports trophies that were awarded to a sports champion in Athens 2,480 years ago were on display in an exhibition called The Great Civilizations in Beijing World Art Museum.
The trophies were unearthed in Italy in the champion's tomb. The sportsman won four titles including broad jump, discus, boxing and chariot racing in an ancient Games.
The Beijing Times reported the exhibition was supplemented with history files and visual materials to help visitors understand sports in old times.
The Great Civilization exhibition put 328 items from 14 acclaimed world-class museums on show. The exhibits outline human being's civilization course from the 3000 BC to the eighteenth Century.
The exhibition opened on July 28 and will run until January 2009.
(Source: CRIENGLISH. com)
The trophies were unearthed in Italy in the champion's tomb. The sportsman won four titles including broad jump, discus, boxing and chariot racing in an ancient Games.
The Beijing Times reported the exhibition was supplemented with history files and visual materials to help visitors understand sports in old times.
The Great Civilization exhibition put 328 items from 14 acclaimed world-class museums on show. The exhibits outline human being's civilization course from the 3000 BC to the eighteenth Century.
The exhibition opened on July 28 and will run until January 2009.
(Source: CRIENGLISH. com)
Olympic-themed summer camp to launch for HIV/AIDS-affected kids
BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- About 100 Chinese children, most of whom lost parents to AIDS, will participate in a special summer camp here next month aiming to strengthen the understanding between society and the kids.
The children, most of whom lost one or both parents to the fatal disease, will spend a weeklong holiday in the capital with 200 volunteer kids as partners and 20 entertainment and sports stars as goodwill caretakers, according to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), an initiator of the camp.
"Some children face larger barriers to success than others because of stigmas and discrimination due to disability, AIDS or social circumstances," said Ken Legins, chief of the UNICEF HIV/AIDS section. "We must all work to provide an even playing field for all children and ensure their rights to participation."
During the camp, set for Aug. 8 to 14, the children will visit the National Center for the Performing Arts, China Science and Technology Museum, the Beijing Zoo and the Great Wall, among other local interests.
In addition, they will have a chance to watch Olympic events such as baseball, beach volleyball and track and field thanks to tickets sponsored by the Beijing Olympic Committee.
All the children, most of them middle school students, come from 10 provinces such as Yunnan, Guizhou and Jiangsu. They will stay at the Beijing 21st Century Experimental School during their stay.
Camp ambassador Lou Yun, a two-time Olympic gold medal winner on the long horse vault at the 1984 and 1988 Games, said, "humanism is an important part of the Games. I hope more children will participate in and enjoy the Olympics, and that those out-of-town AIDS orphans and city children will understand each other better."
Jointly launched by UNICEF and the China National Committee for the Care of Children (CNCCC), it is the fifth annual summer camp for children affected by AIDS since its 2004 debut.
Li Guoqiang, a four time camp leader, said, compared with the activity in 2004, they had witnessed the obvious social effects of the camps. "Most of the children have become more lively and generous during the past summer camps. This time, all the entertainment venues on the schedule have promised free admission for our kids."
Li noted that during the first camp, no hotels would accept the children.
While no official figure was available, UNICEF estimated that by the end of 2005 China had about 140,000 children who had lost one or both parents due to the disease. In addition, about 500,000lived with HIV-infected parents.
The Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), of which UNICEF is a member, signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Olympic Committee in June 2004 on joining hands to lessen the impact of AIDS.
UNICEF official Ken Legins revealed this summer camp would be a foundation for their future work as the body was also planning similar activities in Britain during the 2012 London Olympics.
"I think it is important for us to remember that not all children's dreams are fulfilled. Today, we hope to make a few dreams come true," he said.
The children, most of whom lost one or both parents to the fatal disease, will spend a weeklong holiday in the capital with 200 volunteer kids as partners and 20 entertainment and sports stars as goodwill caretakers, according to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), an initiator of the camp.
"Some children face larger barriers to success than others because of stigmas and discrimination due to disability, AIDS or social circumstances," said Ken Legins, chief of the UNICEF HIV/AIDS section. "We must all work to provide an even playing field for all children and ensure their rights to participation."
During the camp, set for Aug. 8 to 14, the children will visit the National Center for the Performing Arts, China Science and Technology Museum, the Beijing Zoo and the Great Wall, among other local interests.
In addition, they will have a chance to watch Olympic events such as baseball, beach volleyball and track and field thanks to tickets sponsored by the Beijing Olympic Committee.
All the children, most of them middle school students, come from 10 provinces such as Yunnan, Guizhou and Jiangsu. They will stay at the Beijing 21st Century Experimental School during their stay.
Camp ambassador Lou Yun, a two-time Olympic gold medal winner on the long horse vault at the 1984 and 1988 Games, said, "humanism is an important part of the Games. I hope more children will participate in and enjoy the Olympics, and that those out-of-town AIDS orphans and city children will understand each other better."
Jointly launched by UNICEF and the China National Committee for the Care of Children (CNCCC), it is the fifth annual summer camp for children affected by AIDS since its 2004 debut.
Li Guoqiang, a four time camp leader, said, compared with the activity in 2004, they had witnessed the obvious social effects of the camps. "Most of the children have become more lively and generous during the past summer camps. This time, all the entertainment venues on the schedule have promised free admission for our kids."
Li noted that during the first camp, no hotels would accept the children.
While no official figure was available, UNICEF estimated that by the end of 2005 China had about 140,000 children who had lost one or both parents due to the disease. In addition, about 500,000lived with HIV-infected parents.
The Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), of which UNICEF is a member, signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Olympic Committee in June 2004 on joining hands to lessen the impact of AIDS.
UNICEF official Ken Legins revealed this summer camp would be a foundation for their future work as the body was also planning similar activities in Britain during the 2012 London Olympics.
"I think it is important for us to remember that not all children's dreams are fulfilled. Today, we hope to make a few dreams come true," he said.
Feel Olympics in the haircut!
A cameraman take footage as a boy with Beijing Olympic logo haircut poses in Beijing, China, July 28, 2008. Wu Dasheng, a local Beijing barber, offers the boys in his neighborhood a free Olympic-themed haircut as part of his effort to cheer for the upcoming Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. (Xinhua Photo)
Wu Dasheng (1st R), a local Beijing barber, creats a Beijing Olympic logo on the top of a boy's head in Beijing, China, July 28, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)
Wu Dasheng, a local Beijing barber, offers the boys in his neighborhood a free Olympic-themed haircut as part of his effort to cheer for the upcoming Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Pittsburgh cancer center warns of cell phone risks
PITTSBURGH - The head of a prominent cancer research institute issued an unprecedented warning to his faculty and staff Wednesday: Limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer.
The warning from Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, is contrary to numerous studies that don't find a link between cancer and cell phone use, and a public lack of worry by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Herberman is basing his alarm on early unpublished data. He says it takes too long to get answers from science and he believes people should take action now -- especially when it comes to children.
"Really at the heart of my concern is that we shouldn't wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later," Herberman said.
No other major academic cancer research institutions have sounded such an alarm about cell phone use. But Herberman's advice is sure to raise concern among many cell phone users and especially parents.
In the memo he sent to about 3,000 faculty and staff Wednesday, he says children should use cell phones only for emergencies because their brains are still developing.
Adults should keep the phone away from the head and use the speakerphone or a wireless headset, he says. He even warns against using cell phones in public places like a bus because it exposes others to the phone's electromagnetic fields.
The issue that concerns some scientists -- though nowhere near a consensus -- is electromagnetic radiation, especially its possible effects on children. It is not a major topic in conferences of brain specialists.
A 2008 University of Utah analysis looked at nine studies -- including some Herberman cites -- with thousands of brain tumor patients and concludes "we found no overall increased risk of brain tumors among cellular phone users. The potential elevated risk of brain tumors after long-term cellular phone use awaits confirmation by future studies."
Studies last year in France and Norway concluded the same thing.
"If there is a risk from these products -- and at this point we do not know that there is -- it is probably very small," the Food and Drug Administration says on an agency Web site.
Still, Herberman cites a "growing body of literature linking long-term cell phone use to possible adverse health effects including cancer."
"Although the evidence is still controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use," he wrote in his memo.
A driving force behind the memo was Devra Lee Davis, the director of the university's center for environmental oncology.
"The question is do you want to play Russian roulette with your brain," she said in an interview from her cell phone while using the hands-free speaker phone as recommended. "I don't know that cell phones are dangerous. But I don't know that they are safe."
Of concern are the still unknown effects of more than a decade of cell phone use, with some studies raising alarms, said Davis, a former health adviser in the Clinton Administration.
She said 20 different groups have endorsed the advice the Pittsburgh cancer institute gave, and authorities in England, France and India have cautioned children's use of cell phones.
Herberman and Davis point to a massive ongoing research project known as Interphone, involving scientists in 13 nations, mostly in Europe. Results already published in peer-reviewed journals from this project aren't so alarming, but Herberman is citing work not yet published.
The published research focuses on more than 5,000 cases of brain tumors. The National Research Council in the U.S., which isn't participating in the Interphone project, reported in January that the brain tumor research had "selection bias." That means it relied on people with cancer to remember how often they used cell phones. It is not considered the most accurate research approach.
The largest published study, which appeared in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2006, tracked 420,000 Danish cell phone users, including thousands that had used the phones for more than 10 years. It found no increased risk of cancer among those using cell phones.
A French study based on Interphone research and published in 2007 concluded that regular cell phone users had "no significant increased risk" for three major types of nervous system tumors. It did note, however, that there was "the possibility of an increased risk among the heaviest users" for one type of brain tumor, but that needs to be verified in future research.
Earlier research also has found no connection.
Joshua E. Muscat of Penn State University, who has studied cancer and cell phones in other research projects partly funded by the cell phone industry, said there are at least a dozen studies that have found no cancer-cell phone link. He said a Swedish study cited by Herberman as support for his warning was biased and flawed.
"We certainly don't know of any mechanism by which radiofrequency exposure would cause a cancerous effect in cells. We just don't know this might possibly occur," Muscat said.
Cell phones emit radiofrequency energy, a type of radiation that is a form of electromagnetic radiation, according to the National Cancer Institute. Though studies are being done to see if there is a link between it and tumors of the brain and central nervous system, there is no definitive link between the two, the institute says on its Web site.
"By all means, if a person feels compelled that they should take precautions in reducing the amount of electromagnetic radio waves through their bodies, by all means they should do so," said Dan Catena, a spokesman for the American Cancer Society. "But at the same time, we have to remember there's no conclusive evidence that links cell phones to cancer, whether it's brain tumors or other forms of cancer."
Joe Farren, a spokesman for the CTIA-The Wireless Association, a trade group for the wireless industry, said the group believes there is a risk of misinforming the public if science isn't used as the ultimate guide on the issue.
"When you look at the overwhelming majority of studies that have been peer reviewed and published in scientific journals around the world, you'll find no relationship between wireless usage and adverse health affects," Farren said.
Frank Barnes, who chaired the January report from the National Research Council, said Wednesday that "the jury is out" on how hazardous long-term cell phone use might be.
Speaking from his cell phone, the professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder said he takes no special precautions in his own phone use. And he offered no specific advice to people worried about the matter.
It's up to each individual to decide what if anything to do. If people use a cell phone instead of having a land line, "that may very well be reasonable for them," he said.
Susan Juffe, a 58-year-old Pittsburgh special education teacher, heard about Herberman's cell phone advice on the radio earlier in the day.
"Now, I'm worried. It's scary," she said.
She says she'll think twice about allowing her 10-year-old daughter Jayne to use the cell phone.
"I don't want to get it (brain cancer) and I certainly don't want you to get it," she explained to her daughter.
Sara Loughran, a 24-year-old doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh, sat in a bus stop Wednesday chatting on her cell phone with her mother. She also had heard the news earlier in the day, but was not as concerned.
"I think if they gave me specific numbers and specific information and it was scary enough, I would be concerned," Loughran said, planning to call her mother again in a matter of minutes. "Without specific numbers, it's too vague to get me worked up."
(Agencies)
The warning from Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, is contrary to numerous studies that don't find a link between cancer and cell phone use, and a public lack of worry by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Herberman is basing his alarm on early unpublished data. He says it takes too long to get answers from science and he believes people should take action now -- especially when it comes to children.
"Really at the heart of my concern is that we shouldn't wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later," Herberman said.
No other major academic cancer research institutions have sounded such an alarm about cell phone use. But Herberman's advice is sure to raise concern among many cell phone users and especially parents.
In the memo he sent to about 3,000 faculty and staff Wednesday, he says children should use cell phones only for emergencies because their brains are still developing.
Adults should keep the phone away from the head and use the speakerphone or a wireless headset, he says. He even warns against using cell phones in public places like a bus because it exposes others to the phone's electromagnetic fields.
The issue that concerns some scientists -- though nowhere near a consensus -- is electromagnetic radiation, especially its possible effects on children. It is not a major topic in conferences of brain specialists.
A 2008 University of Utah analysis looked at nine studies -- including some Herberman cites -- with thousands of brain tumor patients and concludes "we found no overall increased risk of brain tumors among cellular phone users. The potential elevated risk of brain tumors after long-term cellular phone use awaits confirmation by future studies."
Studies last year in France and Norway concluded the same thing.
"If there is a risk from these products -- and at this point we do not know that there is -- it is probably very small," the Food and Drug Administration says on an agency Web site.
Still, Herberman cites a "growing body of literature linking long-term cell phone use to possible adverse health effects including cancer."
"Although the evidence is still controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use," he wrote in his memo.
A driving force behind the memo was Devra Lee Davis, the director of the university's center for environmental oncology.
"The question is do you want to play Russian roulette with your brain," she said in an interview from her cell phone while using the hands-free speaker phone as recommended. "I don't know that cell phones are dangerous. But I don't know that they are safe."
Of concern are the still unknown effects of more than a decade of cell phone use, with some studies raising alarms, said Davis, a former health adviser in the Clinton Administration.
She said 20 different groups have endorsed the advice the Pittsburgh cancer institute gave, and authorities in England, France and India have cautioned children's use of cell phones.
Herberman and Davis point to a massive ongoing research project known as Interphone, involving scientists in 13 nations, mostly in Europe. Results already published in peer-reviewed journals from this project aren't so alarming, but Herberman is citing work not yet published.
The published research focuses on more than 5,000 cases of brain tumors. The National Research Council in the U.S., which isn't participating in the Interphone project, reported in January that the brain tumor research had "selection bias." That means it relied on people with cancer to remember how often they used cell phones. It is not considered the most accurate research approach.
The largest published study, which appeared in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2006, tracked 420,000 Danish cell phone users, including thousands that had used the phones for more than 10 years. It found no increased risk of cancer among those using cell phones.
A French study based on Interphone research and published in 2007 concluded that regular cell phone users had "no significant increased risk" for three major types of nervous system tumors. It did note, however, that there was "the possibility of an increased risk among the heaviest users" for one type of brain tumor, but that needs to be verified in future research.
Earlier research also has found no connection.
Joshua E. Muscat of Penn State University, who has studied cancer and cell phones in other research projects partly funded by the cell phone industry, said there are at least a dozen studies that have found no cancer-cell phone link. He said a Swedish study cited by Herberman as support for his warning was biased and flawed.
"We certainly don't know of any mechanism by which radiofrequency exposure would cause a cancerous effect in cells. We just don't know this might possibly occur," Muscat said.
Cell phones emit radiofrequency energy, a type of radiation that is a form of electromagnetic radiation, according to the National Cancer Institute. Though studies are being done to see if there is a link between it and tumors of the brain and central nervous system, there is no definitive link between the two, the institute says on its Web site.
"By all means, if a person feels compelled that they should take precautions in reducing the amount of electromagnetic radio waves through their bodies, by all means they should do so," said Dan Catena, a spokesman for the American Cancer Society. "But at the same time, we have to remember there's no conclusive evidence that links cell phones to cancer, whether it's brain tumors or other forms of cancer."
Joe Farren, a spokesman for the CTIA-The Wireless Association, a trade group for the wireless industry, said the group believes there is a risk of misinforming the public if science isn't used as the ultimate guide on the issue.
"When you look at the overwhelming majority of studies that have been peer reviewed and published in scientific journals around the world, you'll find no relationship between wireless usage and adverse health affects," Farren said.
Frank Barnes, who chaired the January report from the National Research Council, said Wednesday that "the jury is out" on how hazardous long-term cell phone use might be.
Speaking from his cell phone, the professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder said he takes no special precautions in his own phone use. And he offered no specific advice to people worried about the matter.
It's up to each individual to decide what if anything to do. If people use a cell phone instead of having a land line, "that may very well be reasonable for them," he said.
Susan Juffe, a 58-year-old Pittsburgh special education teacher, heard about Herberman's cell phone advice on the radio earlier in the day.
"Now, I'm worried. It's scary," she said.
She says she'll think twice about allowing her 10-year-old daughter Jayne to use the cell phone.
"I don't want to get it (brain cancer) and I certainly don't want you to get it," she explained to her daughter.
Sara Loughran, a 24-year-old doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh, sat in a bus stop Wednesday chatting on her cell phone with her mother. She also had heard the news earlier in the day, but was not as concerned.
"I think if they gave me specific numbers and specific information and it was scary enough, I would be concerned," Loughran said, planning to call her mother again in a matter of minutes. "Without specific numbers, it's too vague to get me worked up."
(Agencies)
Bride wears dart launchers at Comic-Con wedding
Tenille Kuhlman, 30, and Thomas Kuhlman, 39, are wed by Tom Hutchens (30) , a 30-year-old IT professional and erstwhile Mandalorian preacher during a "Mandalorian" ceremony outside of Comic Con in San Diego July 25, 2008. Fifty armor-clad guests stood reverently at attention as the two took their vows among friends. [Agencies]
SAN DIEGO - The bride and groom grasped one another's dart launcher-clad wrists and stared into each other's starry eyes.
Fifty armour-clad guests, including several "Jedis" and a white caped "Elvis" in a rhinestone-studded ammo belt, stood reverently at attention. A couple of superheroes showed up late.
What better place to hold a "Star Wars" themed wedding than a green patch of grass just outside the famed Comic-Con convention where thousands of fans have congregated this week to revel in all manner of superhero and sci-fi lore?
Friday's wedding ceremony, based on the language, costume and lore of a fictional Mandalorian race in the "Star Wars" movies, was the brain child of Tenille Kuhlman, 30, and Thomas Kuhlman, 39, avid fans who decided that the convention was a perfect place to gather far-flung members of their close-knit "Star Wars" fan club to celebrate their special day.
The couple met online two years ago, said Tenille Kuhlman, who said she was at first was hesitant to embrace the Mandalorian lifestyle. "When I met him I knew what every Joe Blow knows about 'Star Wars.' It just sort of turned into life for us."
Last winter they married in a civil ceremony and settled in Yuma, Arizona, yet Thomas Kuhlman longed to receive a Mandalorian blessing of their union. "I said, 'Hey, that's never going to happen,'" Tenille Kuhlman said.
But according to clan creed, Mandalorians don't make threats, they make promises. The wedding quickly began to take shape. Yet 10 minutes before the ceremony was to begin, despite her careful planning, Tenille found herself still wearing her "I Love Nerds" T-shirt, nervous and without makeup.
Friends stepped in to help. "Hey, come on guys I've got jobs for you to do!" one Mandalorian shouted. "Bounty hunters are all about jobs!" an eager warrior replied.
With that friends quickly set up a makeshift arch and helped the bride, blushing from the heat of the hot summer sun, into her homemade armour, which included metal thigh plates, metal collar, cape, belt, and plastic cuffs known as gauntlets which in movie lore, are capable of shooting darts.
The guests -- in full regalia including helmets, boots and jet packs -- formed two lines and created a light sabre arch leading toward the altar.
"I don't have my fake gun!" somebody shouted. "That's OK," said another guest. "This is a wedding ceremony. I left mine in the car."
The crowd fell silent as Tenille, escorted by armour-clad P.J. Reindel, a police officer from California who she met online, walked her down the aisle toward Thomas, who stood under an archway decorated with white faux roses.
The bride and groom held their helmets in their hands, a solemn sign of Mandalorian respect. As they grasped wrists, Tom Hutchens, a 30-year-old IT professional and erstwhile Mandalorian preacher, began the ceremony.
"Vodas," he said, using the Mandalorian word for "friends," "Outsiders, Jedis, everybody, welcome. This is a contract between two Mandalorians who made a journey and future together and bled together and will continue to bleed together until their last day," he said.
After reciting their vows in both Mandalorian and English translation, the jubilant crowd shouted: "Oya!" which in Mandalorian language means "celebration."
"I now pronounce you Mandalorian husband and wife," Hutchens said.
(Agencis)
Olympics Special: Beijing's Best Chinese Eats
Don't leave Beijing without trying these amazing restaurants
Hot Pot
Do It Yourself
"What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food?" Bill Murray asked in Lost in Translation. Only the kind that always has a waiting list of devotees. At Haidilao, customers dip raw vegetables, meats and seafood in boiling broth and add sesame and spice sauce before chowing down. We love the hand-pulled noodles and other goodies like enoki and shitake mushrooms. Expect a wait, but it’s hard to complain when plied with tea, snacks and free manicures (no kidding!).
Haidilao, A2 Naijiazhuang Lu, Sanlitun, West of Beijing No. 80 Middle School 6595-0079
Sichuan
Some Like It Hot
Sichuan cuisine is known for its copious use of chili peppers, and for spicy food lovers it’s definitely a must-try. Chuan Ban, nearly universally acknowledged by locals and food experts alike, whips up the city’s tastiest examples of the fiery hot dishes. Small wonder, as it’s located in the same building as Sichuan province’s Beijing representative office. You’ll be pleased to find Kungpao Chicken, on the menu, as well as the popular Mapo Tofu.
Chuan Ban, 5 Gongyuan Toutiao, Jianguomennei Dajie 6512-2277 ext. 6101
Yunnan
Dining in the Clouds
Drawing upon the culinary traditions of various ethnic minorities in southwestern China, Yunnan (literally: land south of the clouds) food is difficult to pin down, although mushrooms, flowers, and vegetables all make frequent appearances. At contemporary Yunnan restaurant Middle 8th, try the Bass with Lemon Chicken Soup or Fried Morels with Wild Herbs, although more daring diners can sample the Bamboo Worm and Yunnan Pea Shoots. Elegance and style define the place, but Middle 8th certainly won’t break the bank.
Middle 8th, Sanlitun Zhong Jie 6402-7087
Vegetarian
Boost your Karma
Vegetarian Chinese cuisine doesn’t just mean salad and fruit. Instead, be prepared to be served fish, braised ribs and racks of lamb—all made of tofu and veggies. No one does vegetarian like Bodhi Sake, where the combination of eating in the courtyard of a Buddhist temple and being served delicious and healthy food makes for enlightened customers indeed. Try any of the mock fish dishes, and don’t miss the Tibetan yogurt. After your meal, visit the temple, where you can pray for your nation’s Olympic glory.
Bodhi Sake, 10-16 Heiyaochang Jie, Xuanwu District 6355-7348
Cantonese
Southern Hospitality
Located on China’s southern coast, Guangzhou (Canton) highlights seafood and fresh flavors in its cuisine, as well as dim sum, a variety of small dishes eaten for lunch or tea. Try pot stickers, sweet barbecue pork dumplings or rice porridge, among many other choices. The Farm House in the Wanda Sofitel Hotel delivers delicious lunchtime dim sum every day of the week. Cantonese delicacies also include shark’s fin soup and abalone, but we’d avoid these dishes for their environmental unfriendliness.
The Farm House, Tower C Wanda Plaza, 93 Jianguo Lu 8599-6666
Zhejiang
Water World
The warm, humid area of Zhejiang, near the Yangtze River’s mouth, is known as the “land of fish and rice.” Delicate and tender flavors are typical as Zhejiang dishes are light on oil but involve elaborate preparation. At Kong Yi Ji, a classy Houhai hideaway with excellent décor and service, enjoy famous fare such as West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce and Beggar’s Chicken. Don’t overlook the yellow wine, made from fermented rice or wheat, but remember, this strong stuff isn’t for chugging.
Kong Yi Ji, Jia 2 Dongming Hutong Xichengmen Nei Da Jie 6618-4915
Guizhou
Sour and Spice, and Everything Nice
Drawing upon neighboring Sichuan and Chongqing provinces, Guizhou has a fair bit of spice but tempers it with other flavors. At Three Guizhou Men, sip Maotai, a potent rice wine brewed in Guizhou, and enjoy the Sour and Spicy Fish, exemplary of a typical Guizhou flavor pairing. Customers recommend Rice Tofu, a house special, and make sure to slurp some Ants Climbing a Tree, vermicelli with minced pork.
Three Guizhou Men, 1) 6 Guanghua Xilu, Jianguomen, next to Guiyou Store 6502-1733 2) 1-2/F Bldg 7, Jianwai SOHO 5869-0598 3) 8 Gongti Xilu, behind Bellagio 6551-8517/9
Hutong Haven
Wind your way into the delightfully peaceful Private Kitchen No. 44 and reward yourself with their alluringly thick Rice Wine with Osmanthus Flower. If your stomach isn’t already grumbling, a spoonful of the Sour and Spicy Fish Soup will certainly pique your appetite, and the Whirlwind Prawns deliver a punch of flavor.
Private Kitchen No. 44, 44 Xiguan Huton, Gulou 6400-1280
Taiwanese
Sweet Treats
The Taiwanese are masters of desserts, introducing the world to bubble tea and shaved ice drenched in condensed milk and red bean. Seafood and pork play prominent roles in savory dishes, as do unique combinations of spices. Experience the best of Taiwanese cuisine at Shinyeh. We recommend the Three Cup Chicken, flavored with rice wine, soy sauce and sesame oil. Poached liver may not sound appetizing, but if your motto is “When in Rome,” then this is the place to try organ meat. Don’t forget to save room for dessert.
Shih Yeh, 6 Gongti Xilu, Gongti 6552-5066
Tibetan
Himalayan Feast
Tibet may be off-limits for now, but you can enjoy yak meat and momos right in the Jing. Ganglamedo doles out authentic Tibetan eats with flair and cheer. A gorgeous dining environment, paired with hospitable service, makes Dinner in a Felt Tent, a two-person serving of roasted yak meat, that much more delicious. Wash it down with butter tea, a unique Tibetan beverage, or the pear-infused red liquor.
Ganglamedo, Rm.103, Bldg 38, Zaoying Beili, Chaoyang Park 6592-3159
Hakka
Hidden Gem
Not well known even among the Chinese, this cuisine comes from the Hakka people in southwestern China, near Hong Kong. Famous dishes include salt-baked chicken and sliced pork with preserved mustard greens. At Lao Hanzi, avoid the bland stuff and try Rice Baked in Lily Pad. Paper wrapped sea bass never disappoints, and the flavors of He Tang Yue Se, a dish of lotus root, beans, and other vegetables, form a mouth-pleasing combo.
Lao Hanzi, 1) 1/F, Jiezuo Building, 57 Xingfucun Zhonglu 6417-7720 2) Qianhai Nanyan 6404-2259
Xinjiang
Kebab Country
Beijing’s snack du jour is yangrou chuan’r, or mutton kebabs. For the weak-stomached, be wary of the street corner chuan’r vendor. Instead, get your lamb fix at Afunti, where the meter-long chuan’r and fried rice are sure to please. Sample other fare from Xinjiang (Uyghur Autonomous Region), including hand-pulled noodles, naan, and yogurt. The boisterous floorshow, beginning daily at 7:45 pm, is a must see.
Afunti, Jia 2, Houguaibang Hutong, 188 Chaonei Dajie, Donsishitiao 6527-2288
Contemporary Chinese
All Dressed Up
Craving a fancy dining experience after too many meals of noodles and chuan’r? Get dressed up and head to Ken de Rouge, where you can watch the sun setting over Houhai Lake and savor modern high-end Chinese dining in a romantic setting. Try the red perch, an updated favorite of Ming Dynasty emperors, as well as the restaurant’s other specialties, Yunwu Tea Shrimp and Sticky Rice and Duck Steamed and Served in Bamboo.
Ken de Rouge, 22 Houhai West Bank 6402-6665
Beijing Duck
Classic Feast
A meal of Beijing (or Peking) Duck is an obligatory rite of passage for all visitors to China’s capital, and thankfully it’s a very pleasurable one. You’ll be given thin pancakes, which you should hold in your palm. Add cucumber, spring onions and a few slices of roast duck dipped in sauce, roll up the pancake and enjoy. While Beijing’s got plenty of duck restaurants, Da Dong, winner of our 2008 Readers’ Choice Awards, offers a special low-fat duck for a healthier version of the classic dish.
Da Dong, 1) 1-2/F Nanxincang International Building, A22, Donsishitiao 5169-0328, 2) Bldg 3, Tuanjiehu Beikou, Chaoyang park 6582-2892
China's Best
Reservations are a necessity at the Grand Hyatt’s Made in China, where diners get two hour time slots to enjoy Beijing’s best dish. You’ll also get to watch the expert chefs work their culinary magic at live cooking stations. The restaurant serves excellent imperial cuisine as well, including a sumptuous Beggar’s Chicken. We recommend dipping pieces of roasted duck skin in sugar for a truly delicious Chinese treat.
Made in China, 1/F, Grand Hyatt Beijing, 1 Dongchang’anjie 8518-1234 ext. 3608
Beijing
Fast Food, Chinese-style
You haven’t experienced a Chinese city until you’ve tried its local xiaochi (little edibles bought on-the-go). Jiumen Xiaochi houses more than ten of Beijing’s traditional xiaochi vendors, tucked away in a hutong. Try agar jelly in sesame sauce and hawthorne berries on a stick, as well as sweet snacks like rolling donkey, sugar ear and ai wo wo. Vendors often have photos and pre-made examples. Most dishes range between ¥4-¥15.
Jiumen Xiaochi, 1 Xiaoyou Hutong, Houhai 6402-5858
Imperial
Eat Like an Emperor
Imperial cuisine centers around dishes once prepared for China’s emperors and royal court during the Qing Dynasty, combining flavors from Sichuan, Shandong, Canton and Jiangsu. For the true imperial experience, dine at Shi restaurant at The Emperor hotel, where each dish has a story connecting it to a specific emperor. After a lavish meal of Concubine Fragrance’s Grilled Lamb Chops and “Poison” Soup, head to Yin, the hotel’s rooftop bar, for cocktails overlooking the former residence of China’s emperors, the Forbidden City.
Shi, 33 Qihelou St., Tian’anmen 6526-5566
THE DISH: Eats with a History
Get a taste of Old Beijing at these classic restaurants
At the Qianmen location of Quan Ju De Roast Duck Restaurant, owner Jiang Junxian claims the furnace fire has burned continuously since 1864. At 144 years, that outshines the flame of the modern Olympics, first held in Athens in 1896. Not all of Beijing's restaurants can claim such longevity, but don't let the Games leave dining in the dust. The dining industry has long been a tough business, but the following food providers have won the hardest competition: the test of time.
Since the Qing Dynasty, it has been said that one of the best views in the capital is of the West Mountains from the Yinding Bridge. It was here, in 1848, that Ji Decai set up a mutton grilling stall, today’s Kao Rou Ji, to capitalize upon the Manchus' carnivorous flair. Today, the real value among Ji's offerings is the option to hire a boat (for an additional ¥180) and float along Qian Hai while eating. If meat-grilling skills don't pique your interest, Gong De Lin, Beijing's first vegetarian restaurant, has decades' of experience manipulating sucai. Founded in 1922, they're so good that the Buddhist "imitation meats" hardly resemble the original ingredients, mostly tofu, mushrooms and root varieties.
Built in 1925, Fangshan, set atop Beihai Park's Jade Island, recreates Qing Emperor favorites and the sweet snacks Dowager Empress Cixi favored. Most of the Forbidden City's meals were prepared to please the eye, not the palate, since the Emperor was only permitted a diet limited to baked and boiled goods. However, Fangshan's current guests are free to indulge to their fill.
Laurence Brahm explained the Qing Emperor's dietary habits over dinner at his Red Capital Club, where a ten-year anniversary makes it the youngest restaurant among this list, but the style of food and design is a blast from the past. The specialty—"1950s fusion"—harkens back to the food eaten at Zhongnanhai, Party headquarters, during China's early years. When it came time for government-level banquets, since officials "didn't have their own [custom], it meant reaching back to ancient traditions." Most of the dishes served are re-creations of those preferred by leaders (Deng and Mao among them), and often inspired by imperial traditions.
At the Qianmen location of Quan Ju De Roast Duck Restaurant, owner Jiang Junxian claims the furnace fire has burned continuously since 1864. At 144 years, that outshines the flame of the modern Olympics, first held in Athens in 1896. Not all of Beijing's restaurants can claim such longevity, but don't let the Games leave dining in the dust. The dining industry has long been a tough business, but the following food providers have won the hardest competition: the test of time.
Since the Qing Dynasty, it has been said that one of the best views in the capital is of the West Mountains from the Yinding Bridge. It was here, in 1848, that Ji Decai set up a mutton grilling stall, today’s Kao Rou Ji, to capitalize upon the Manchus' carnivorous flair. Today, the real value among Ji's offerings is the option to hire a boat (for an additional ¥180) and float along Qian Hai while eating. If meat-grilling skills don't pique your interest, Gong De Lin, Beijing's first vegetarian restaurant, has decades' of experience manipulating sucai. Founded in 1922, they're so good that the Buddhist "imitation meats" hardly resemble the original ingredients, mostly tofu, mushrooms and root varieties.
Built in 1925, Fangshan, set atop Beihai Park's Jade Island, recreates Qing Emperor favorites and the sweet snacks Dowager Empress Cixi favored. Most of the Forbidden City's meals were prepared to please the eye, not the palate, since the Emperor was only permitted a diet limited to baked and boiled goods. However, Fangshan's current guests are free to indulge to their fill.
Laurence Brahm explained the Qing Emperor's dietary habits over dinner at his Red Capital Club, where a ten-year anniversary makes it the youngest restaurant among this list, but the style of food and design is a blast from the past. The specialty—"1950s fusion"—harkens back to the food eaten at Zhongnanhai, Party headquarters, during China's early years. When it came time for government-level banquets, since officials "didn't have their own [custom], it meant reaching back to ancient traditions." Most of the dishes served are re-creations of those preferred by leaders (Deng and Mao among them), and often inspired by imperial traditions.
Indulge yourself with these relaxing spas
A trip to the spa is a luxury our paychecks only rarely allow us to indulge in back home. Fortunately, that's far from the case in Beijing. The capital's blissful and surprisingly inexpensive spa options allow expats and tourists to spoil themselves rotten the entire time they're here.
While the tropics may be miles away, Long Island Massage & Spa delivers a quick and affordable exotic getaway right here in Beijing. A branch of its parent spa in Samui, Thailand, the Gongti location boasts a serene, Thai-inspired décor, flush with scented candles, pebbled walkways and canopied beds. The 90-minute Aromatic Herbal Heat Massage (¥388), performed according to Ayurvedic principles from Bangkok's Wat Pho Temple (the birthplace of traditional Thai massage), is an expat favorite and includes a hot-oil body massage, herbal body scrub and plai moisturizing treatment. For those who can't spare the time, the hour-long Professional Foot Massage (¥238) will also do the trick.
For the spa-goer in search of some of the best trained local masseuses, Aibosen Blindman Massage is the place to go. A hit with all of its guests, this spa lives up to its nine years of experience, specializing in potent, deep tissue massages for a mere ¥88 per hour. We suggest investing in a ten-massage card (¥700) since one visit might not be enough. After all, what could be better treating yourself to a well-deserved pampering after a long day of sightseeing?
For the truly luxurious retreat within the city, make a trip to Zenspa, located right off East Fourth Ring South Road. Featuring decadent surroundings inspired by Beijing's traditional courtyard houses and interior design by the award-winning David Ng, the spa has been featured in Elle Decoration, as well as in advertisements for the Beijing Olympics. Fortunately, the spa's divine treatments and packages are a worthy match, such as its two-hour Summer Detox Package (¥980) featuring a cane sugar aromatherapy scrub, Thai herbal bath and aromatherapy massage with detox formula. Next, don't miss the four-hour-long Royal Jasmine Indulgence package which uses jasmine flowers and imported Thai products in each of its four treatments. Originally designed for Indonesian royalty, the ¥1,680 price tag is a real steal.
China to provide cultural feast during Olympic Games
BEIJING July 28 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) will provide a variety of unique cultural activities during the Beijing Olympics in August, said a senior BOCOG official here on Monday.
This year, the Ministry of Culture, Beijing municipal government and the BOCOG have jointly developed the cultural program for 2008,and scheduled the Olympic Cultural Festival from June 23 to Sept. 17, said Zhao Dongming, director of BOCOG Culture and Ceremonies Department.
"This cultural festival will last nearly three months throughout the Olympics and Paralympics of 2008. It will be a marvelous Olympic cultural event with the longest time, the most abundant contents, the largest number of performance participating teams and the most complete artistic variety," Zhao said at a press conference held at the Main Press Center.
During the cultural festival, there will be a host of significant cultural activities with "Meet in Beijing 2008" acting as the theme. The "Asia Night, Africa Night, Latin America Night, Arab Night, SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) Night" and other song and dance shows will be arranged.
Nearly 20,000 Chinese and foreign artists from more than 80 countries will participate in the performances with nearly 200 performances. In addition, there will be 600-plus performances given by performers from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
A variety of activities in the Olympic Center area and Olympic Village will include "Lucky Clouds Theatre" performance, "China Story" culture exhibition activities, "Fuwa Mobile Show", "Flag-raising Square" performance, fold custom shows, Chinese learning areas and club performances and other activities.
On Aug. 8, the Olympic Expo will be launched in a grand way at the Beijing Exhibition Center.
"During the Olympic Games, we will strive to create opportunities for common citizens to share the joyful atmosphere of the Olympics. Therefore, all the Olympic cultural squares will be open for the masses for free and most exhibitions will be open for the public free of charge," Zhao promised.
According to the transcript released at the press conference, more than 20 Olympic cultural squares will be set up in Beijing and other co-hosting cities will also hold square cultural activities.
There will be nearly 40 international exhibitions and more than 150 domestic exhibitions for various arts, artifacts, painting, photography, sculpture, murals and non-material heritage.
Zhao also claimed that most state-level stadiums will be open for free during the Olympic, some historical heritage sites, such as the Forbidden City and the Gongwang Mansion, will continue to require admission fee from visitors to better protect the heritages.
Zhao said theatre performances will be aimed for public welfare during the Olympic Games. In this way, the government has started to provide some subsidies for domestic art troupes. However, public welfare doesn't mean tickets are totally free, and reasonably low-price tickets will be provided, as art troupes cannot support themselves by solely depending on government subsidy.
He said, "As Olympic cultural activities are aimed at the goal of wide public participation, we definitely put maintaining social security as our work priority. We will ensure a worry-free Olympic Games."
Cultural activities are meant to bring happiness to the public, but security check is equally important, which could help rule out some hidden dangers. "We will intensify our efforts to help the public understand the importance of security check and receive it," Zhao said.
This year, the Ministry of Culture, Beijing municipal government and the BOCOG have jointly developed the cultural program for 2008,and scheduled the Olympic Cultural Festival from June 23 to Sept. 17, said Zhao Dongming, director of BOCOG Culture and Ceremonies Department.
"This cultural festival will last nearly three months throughout the Olympics and Paralympics of 2008. It will be a marvelous Olympic cultural event with the longest time, the most abundant contents, the largest number of performance participating teams and the most complete artistic variety," Zhao said at a press conference held at the Main Press Center.
During the cultural festival, there will be a host of significant cultural activities with "Meet in Beijing 2008" acting as the theme. The "Asia Night, Africa Night, Latin America Night, Arab Night, SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) Night" and other song and dance shows will be arranged.
Nearly 20,000 Chinese and foreign artists from more than 80 countries will participate in the performances with nearly 200 performances. In addition, there will be 600-plus performances given by performers from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
A variety of activities in the Olympic Center area and Olympic Village will include "Lucky Clouds Theatre" performance, "China Story" culture exhibition activities, "Fuwa Mobile Show", "Flag-raising Square" performance, fold custom shows, Chinese learning areas and club performances and other activities.
On Aug. 8, the Olympic Expo will be launched in a grand way at the Beijing Exhibition Center.
"During the Olympic Games, we will strive to create opportunities for common citizens to share the joyful atmosphere of the Olympics. Therefore, all the Olympic cultural squares will be open for the masses for free and most exhibitions will be open for the public free of charge," Zhao promised.
According to the transcript released at the press conference, more than 20 Olympic cultural squares will be set up in Beijing and other co-hosting cities will also hold square cultural activities.
There will be nearly 40 international exhibitions and more than 150 domestic exhibitions for various arts, artifacts, painting, photography, sculpture, murals and non-material heritage.
Zhao also claimed that most state-level stadiums will be open for free during the Olympic, some historical heritage sites, such as the Forbidden City and the Gongwang Mansion, will continue to require admission fee from visitors to better protect the heritages.
Zhao said theatre performances will be aimed for public welfare during the Olympic Games. In this way, the government has started to provide some subsidies for domestic art troupes. However, public welfare doesn't mean tickets are totally free, and reasonably low-price tickets will be provided, as art troupes cannot support themselves by solely depending on government subsidy.
He said, "As Olympic cultural activities are aimed at the goal of wide public participation, we definitely put maintaining social security as our work priority. We will ensure a worry-free Olympic Games."
Cultural activities are meant to bring happiness to the public, but security check is equally important, which could help rule out some hidden dangers. "We will intensify our efforts to help the public understand the importance of security check and receive it," Zhao said.
Beijing Olympic Park to showcase China's intangible heritage
BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Thirty special exhibits that showcase China's intangible cultural heritage will be open to many visitors free from Aug.9-Sept.17, during the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, local media reported on Monday.
The "Xiangyun Huts" will be located within the huge Olympic Park, which houses key venues such as the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium and the "Water Cube" National Aquatics Center, said the Beijing Times.
These exhibits, built by 30 provinces and regions, display aspects of the Chinese intangible cultural heritage and traditional ethnic and folk customs and culture.
Kan Ke, Deputy Director of the Games' Cultural Activities Department, said the exhibits would be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day for the athletes and Games officials, as well as journalists, spectators and Beijing residents.
"Spectators who have tickets for Olympic events will be welcome to visit for free on the same day of the event. In addition, we will distribute about 10,000 free tickets every day to Beijing residents," Kan said.
Many exhibits are small, with an area ranging from 70 to 100 square meters, and can only hold up to 20 visitors at a time.
According to Kan, the construction cost 200,000 yuan (about 29,300 U.S. dollars), most of which was contributed by the provinces and regions.
Kan said some exhibits are worth more than 10 million yuan.
"We are hoping that visitors, particularly foreign visitors, will learn more about China through these exhibits," Kan said.
On July 25, Hong Kong star Jackie Chan visited some of the exhibits, becoming the first to see many of them.
The exhibits' themes vary widely. For instance, Beijing's display focuses on Rongbaozhai woodblock printing, handicrafts of Beijing's arts and crafts, Beijing silk figures, hollow bamboo and kites.
The Tibet exhibit features Tibetan medicines, Tangka drawing shows and Tibetan songs and dances. The Guangxi Hut deals with ethnic customs and costumes, songs and dances, and the Taiwan Hut is about art glass. More information is at the official Olympics website (http://en.beijing2008.com/news/official/bulletin/media/n214479275.shtml).
The "Xiangyun Huts" will be located within the huge Olympic Park, which houses key venues such as the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium and the "Water Cube" National Aquatics Center, said the Beijing Times.
These exhibits, built by 30 provinces and regions, display aspects of the Chinese intangible cultural heritage and traditional ethnic and folk customs and culture.
Kan Ke, Deputy Director of the Games' Cultural Activities Department, said the exhibits would be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day for the athletes and Games officials, as well as journalists, spectators and Beijing residents.
"Spectators who have tickets for Olympic events will be welcome to visit for free on the same day of the event. In addition, we will distribute about 10,000 free tickets every day to Beijing residents," Kan said.
Many exhibits are small, with an area ranging from 70 to 100 square meters, and can only hold up to 20 visitors at a time.
According to Kan, the construction cost 200,000 yuan (about 29,300 U.S. dollars), most of which was contributed by the provinces and regions.
Kan said some exhibits are worth more than 10 million yuan.
"We are hoping that visitors, particularly foreign visitors, will learn more about China through these exhibits," Kan said.
On July 25, Hong Kong star Jackie Chan visited some of the exhibits, becoming the first to see many of them.
The exhibits' themes vary widely. For instance, Beijing's display focuses on Rongbaozhai woodblock printing, handicrafts of Beijing's arts and crafts, Beijing silk figures, hollow bamboo and kites.
The Tibet exhibit features Tibetan medicines, Tangka drawing shows and Tibetan songs and dances. The Guangxi Hut deals with ethnic customs and costumes, songs and dances, and the Taiwan Hut is about art glass. More information is at the official Olympics website (http://en.beijing2008.com/news/official/bulletin/media/n214479275.shtml).
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Poor Chinese college students given helping hand
BEIJING, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Poverty will no longer force students to drop out of colleges or universities, China's Education Ministry has pledged.
Every public college and university has opened a "green passage" to let poverty-stricken freshmen enroll and begin their studies before paying tuition fees, ministry spokeswoman Xu Mei has told a press conference.
This year's college and university enrollment is currently taking place.
Previously, all students had been required to pay tuition fees before commencing their studies.
More funds will be earmarked to assist students, especially those from areas hit by the May 12 earthquake, the spokeswoman was quoted Saturday by China Daily newspaper as saying.
By July 18, the China Education Development Foundation had received donations totaling 150 million yuan (22 million U.S. dollars) to assist education in quake-hit areas.
"So far, more than 55 million yuan has been spent on the living and education allowances of students in quake-hit areas in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces," Zhang Zhongyuan, secretary-general of the foundation, told the press conference.
"Plans to rebuild schools in the affected areas have been drawn up and reconstruction work will begin soon," Zhang said.
The donations will also cover the traveling expenses of students who have to study in other places due to the quake, he said.
The ministry printed 6 million booklets last month featuring its financial aid policy for students and has urged every college to attach it to each admission notice sent to would-be students.
The government has widened its financial aid system for students since May last year to provide more scholarships, stipends, student loans and emergency financial allowances for poverty-stricken students.
Students have also been offered campus work opportunities and free education in teachers' colleges, and tuition fees have been cut for students from special groups, such as the disabled or ethnic minorities.
The government spent 27.3 billion yuan last year to aid collegestudents, up 49 percent from the previous year, statistics showed.
Around one-fifth of the 20 million students studying at China'spublic and private universities last year were from poverty-stricken backgrounds, official figures showed.
Every public college and university has opened a "green passage" to let poverty-stricken freshmen enroll and begin their studies before paying tuition fees, ministry spokeswoman Xu Mei has told a press conference.
This year's college and university enrollment is currently taking place.
Previously, all students had been required to pay tuition fees before commencing their studies.
More funds will be earmarked to assist students, especially those from areas hit by the May 12 earthquake, the spokeswoman was quoted Saturday by China Daily newspaper as saying.
By July 18, the China Education Development Foundation had received donations totaling 150 million yuan (22 million U.S. dollars) to assist education in quake-hit areas.
"So far, more than 55 million yuan has been spent on the living and education allowances of students in quake-hit areas in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces," Zhang Zhongyuan, secretary-general of the foundation, told the press conference.
"Plans to rebuild schools in the affected areas have been drawn up and reconstruction work will begin soon," Zhang said.
The donations will also cover the traveling expenses of students who have to study in other places due to the quake, he said.
The ministry printed 6 million booklets last month featuring its financial aid policy for students and has urged every college to attach it to each admission notice sent to would-be students.
The government has widened its financial aid system for students since May last year to provide more scholarships, stipends, student loans and emergency financial allowances for poverty-stricken students.
Students have also been offered campus work opportunities and free education in teachers' colleges, and tuition fees have been cut for students from special groups, such as the disabled or ethnic minorities.
The government spent 27.3 billion yuan last year to aid collegestudents, up 49 percent from the previous year, statistics showed.
Around one-fifth of the 20 million students studying at China'spublic and private universities last year were from poverty-stricken backgrounds, official figures showed.
28th world music education conference wraps up in Italy
ROME, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The 28th International Society for Music Education World Conference wrapped up Friday in the central Italian city of Bologua.
More than 3,000 teachers and musicians from over 80 countries attended the conference, which started Sunday. They exchanged views on community music activities, teaching staff training and early childhood music education and others.
Musicians from the United States, China, Italy, South Africa, Canada and many other countries presented a dozen of performances featuring their unique musical traditions during the five-day gathering.
International Society for Music Education (ISME), established in 1953 and a group under the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) hosts a world conference every two years.
The next ISME conference will be in Beijing on Aug. 2-6, 2010.
More than 3,000 teachers and musicians from over 80 countries attended the conference, which started Sunday. They exchanged views on community music activities, teaching staff training and early childhood music education and others.
Musicians from the United States, China, Italy, South Africa, Canada and many other countries presented a dozen of performances featuring their unique musical traditions during the five-day gathering.
International Society for Music Education (ISME), established in 1953 and a group under the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) hosts a world conference every two years.
The next ISME conference will be in Beijing on Aug. 2-6, 2010.
Computers spark an education revolution
BEIJING, July 27 -- From online courses to child-friendly laptops and virtual teachers, technology is spreading in America's classrooms, reducing the need for textbooks, note pads, paper and in some cases even the schools themselves.
Just ask 11-year-old Jemella Chambers. She is one of 650 students who receive an Apple Inc laptop each day at a state-funded school in Boston. From the second row of her classroom, she taps out math assignments on animated education software that she likens to a video game.
"It's comfortable," she said of Scholastic Corp's FASTT Math software in which she and other students compete for high scores by completing mathematical equations. "This makes me learn better. It's like playing a game," she said.
Education experts say her school, the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School in Boston, Massachusetts, offers a glimpse into the future.
It has no textbooks. Students receive laptops at the start of each day, returning them at the end. Teachers and students maintain blogs. Staff and parents chat on instant messaging software. Assignments are submitted through electronic "drop boxes" on the school's Website.
The experiment at Frederick began two years ago at a cost of about US$2 million. Class work is done in Google Inc's free applications like Google Docs, or Apple's iMovie and educational software like FASTT Math.
"Why would we ever buy a book when we can buy a computer? Textbooks are often obsolete before they are even printed," said Debra Socia, principal of the school in Dorchester, a tough district prone to crime.
There is one concession to the past: a library stocked with novels.
"It's a powerful, powerful experience," added Socia. Average attendance climbed to 94 percent from 92 percent; discipline referrals fell 30 percent. And parents are more engaged, she said. "Any family can chat online with teacher and say, 'Hey, we're having this problem.'"
Unlike traditional schools, Frederick's students work at vastly different levels in the same classroom.
The Internet is also a catalyst for change. US enrolment in online classes reached 1 million last year, 22 times the level seen in 2000, according to the North American Council for Online Learning.
That's only the beginning, said Michael Horn, executive director of education at Innosight Institute, a nonprofit think tank in Massachusetts.
"Our projections show that 50 percent of high school courses will be taught online by 2013. It's about one percent right now."
K12 Inc, which provides online educational services in 17 US states, has seen enrolment rise 57 percent from last year to 41,000 full-time students, said its chief executive Ron Packard.
"We're getting the kids who the local school is not working for. And the spectrum goes from extreme special education to extremely gifted kids."
Virginia-based K12 recently opened an office in Dubai. Packard says he expects strong demand for American education from foreigners who want to enter US universities.
Horn expects demand for teachers to fall and virtual schools to boost achievement in a US education system where only two-thirds of teenagers graduate from high school.
"You deliver education at lower cost, but you will actually improve the amount of time that a teacher can spend with each student because they are no longer delivering one-size-fits-all lesson plans," he said.
(Source: Shanghai Daily)
Just ask 11-year-old Jemella Chambers. She is one of 650 students who receive an Apple Inc laptop each day at a state-funded school in Boston. From the second row of her classroom, she taps out math assignments on animated education software that she likens to a video game.
"It's comfortable," she said of Scholastic Corp's FASTT Math software in which she and other students compete for high scores by completing mathematical equations. "This makes me learn better. It's like playing a game," she said.
Education experts say her school, the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School in Boston, Massachusetts, offers a glimpse into the future.
It has no textbooks. Students receive laptops at the start of each day, returning them at the end. Teachers and students maintain blogs. Staff and parents chat on instant messaging software. Assignments are submitted through electronic "drop boxes" on the school's Website.
The experiment at Frederick began two years ago at a cost of about US$2 million. Class work is done in Google Inc's free applications like Google Docs, or Apple's iMovie and educational software like FASTT Math.
"Why would we ever buy a book when we can buy a computer? Textbooks are often obsolete before they are even printed," said Debra Socia, principal of the school in Dorchester, a tough district prone to crime.
There is one concession to the past: a library stocked with novels.
"It's a powerful, powerful experience," added Socia. Average attendance climbed to 94 percent from 92 percent; discipline referrals fell 30 percent. And parents are more engaged, she said. "Any family can chat online with teacher and say, 'Hey, we're having this problem.'"
Unlike traditional schools, Frederick's students work at vastly different levels in the same classroom.
The Internet is also a catalyst for change. US enrolment in online classes reached 1 million last year, 22 times the level seen in 2000, according to the North American Council for Online Learning.
That's only the beginning, said Michael Horn, executive director of education at Innosight Institute, a nonprofit think tank in Massachusetts.
"Our projections show that 50 percent of high school courses will be taught online by 2013. It's about one percent right now."
K12 Inc, which provides online educational services in 17 US states, has seen enrolment rise 57 percent from last year to 41,000 full-time students, said its chief executive Ron Packard.
"We're getting the kids who the local school is not working for. And the spectrum goes from extreme special education to extremely gifted kids."
Virginia-based K12 recently opened an office in Dubai. Packard says he expects strong demand for American education from foreigners who want to enter US universities.
Horn expects demand for teachers to fall and virtual schools to boost achievement in a US education system where only two-thirds of teenagers graduate from high school.
"You deliver education at lower cost, but you will actually improve the amount of time that a teacher can spend with each student because they are no longer delivering one-size-fits-all lesson plans," he said.
(Source: Shanghai Daily)
NY subway romance hits end of the line
Web designer Patrick Moberg set up a website to find his dream girl. (Photo: nygirlofmydreams.com)
BEIJING, July 28 -- A modern-day love story of a man spotting the girl of his dreams across a New York subway train and tracking her down over the Internet has failed to see a fairytale ending.
For Web designer Patrick Moberg, then 21, from Brooklyn, it was love at first sight when he spotted a woman on a Manhattan train last November. But he lost her in the crowd so he set up a website with a sketch to find her.
Unbelieveably, in a city of 8 million people, it only took Moberg 48 hours to track down the woman, with his phone ringing non-stop and e-mail box overflowing as usually cynical New Yorkers took sympathy on the subway Romeo and joined his hunt.
The mysterious brunette was named as Camille Hayton, from Melbourne, Australia, who was working as an intern at the magazine BlackBook and also lived in Brooklyn. One of her friends spotted the sketched picture on the website and recognized her.
But after finding each other, appearing on TV and getting international press, the couple took their romance out of the public eye, with Moberg closing down the website and with both refusing to making any more comments - until now.
Hayton told Australian newspaper The Sunday Telegraph that she dated Moberg for about two months but it just did not work out.
Hayton said she is still recognized about three times a week on the streets of Manhattan as "that girl"' and the question is always the same: "So what happened?"
Hayton said that she is enjoying single life in New York, keeping busy with acting classes, working in two vintage clothing stores and as a waitress.
Moberg, however, was still refusing to comment on the relationship.
Terra cotta warriors lanterns on display
BEIJING, July 25 -- Lots of things are happening in Beijing these days, as you probably can imagine. And lots of people are arriving from afar, keen to get right in and immerse themselves in Chinese culture. Many of the first overseas arrivals are journalists.
And they were among the first to view a battalion of terra cotta warriors, in the shapes of lanterns. The lanterns are on display in the Chaoyang district.
The onlookers may have not seen the real terra cotta soldiers. But this phalanx provided a good alternative.
Reporters and correspondents carefully examined the stately warriors, which have become a Chinese cultural icon. Lanterns of course are another easily recognizable image of China, and are indispensable at any Chinese festival.
The lantern warriors in multiple colors, lend delightful variety to the cultural icons of China. There are 102 lanterns. Most capture the images of common soldiers and generals. The women and children round out the collection and add a note of festivity.
This colorful set was created by Wang Yafei, one of the heirs to the intangible heritage art, of the Beijing lantern. Twenty nine other craftsmen share that special distinction.
The exotic lantern warriors will be at the Chaoyang Outdoor Cultural Plaza beginning, August 1st. They are certain to add magic to the evenings, in the final countdown to the Olympics.
(Source: CCTV.com)
MRI captures images of brain lesions of Alzheimer's
BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Scientists reported Sunday that they have captured images of brain lesions in rabbits similar to those found in people with Alzheimer's disease using conventional MRIs.
Amyloid plaques, which accumulate in the brain and are a hallmark of Alzheimer's, have been captured before through extra-high-power magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners meant for use in animals and with PET scans.
But in this case, lead author John Ronald and his colleagues used regular-strength MRI scans. "We souped up a clinical-grade MRI for the ability to really detect very small ... structures," said Ronald, a doctoral candidate in the medical biophysics department at the University of Western Ontario Imaging Labs and Robarts Research Institute in London, Ontario, Canada.
The scans revealed "little signal voids within the MR image" caused by iron accumulation apparently resulting from the animals' high-cholesterol diet, Ronald explained. Subsequent autopsies showed that the voids corresponded with areas with amyloid plaque clusters.
The research was expected to be presented Sunday at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Chicago.
Although the scanners employed in the study are routinely used for humans, it's unclear what the results might actually mean for humans. But some hope is pinned on magnetic resonance imaging technology, which tends to be more available and less expensive than many other imaging systems.
Researchers have long been looking for ways to identify and diagnose the disease earlier in its progression.
"There is no way to diagnose a patient until after they die, so patients and families are left with the uncertainty of whether they have Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia," Ronald explained.
(Agencies)
Amyloid plaques, which accumulate in the brain and are a hallmark of Alzheimer's, have been captured before through extra-high-power magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners meant for use in animals and with PET scans.
But in this case, lead author John Ronald and his colleagues used regular-strength MRI scans. "We souped up a clinical-grade MRI for the ability to really detect very small ... structures," said Ronald, a doctoral candidate in the medical biophysics department at the University of Western Ontario Imaging Labs and Robarts Research Institute in London, Ontario, Canada.
The scans revealed "little signal voids within the MR image" caused by iron accumulation apparently resulting from the animals' high-cholesterol diet, Ronald explained. Subsequent autopsies showed that the voids corresponded with areas with amyloid plaque clusters.
The research was expected to be presented Sunday at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Chicago.
Although the scanners employed in the study are routinely used for humans, it's unclear what the results might actually mean for humans. But some hope is pinned on magnetic resonance imaging technology, which tends to be more available and less expensive than many other imaging systems.
Researchers have long been looking for ways to identify and diagnose the disease earlier in its progression.
"There is no way to diagnose a patient until after they die, so patients and families are left with the uncertainty of whether they have Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia," Ronald explained.
(Agencies)
Blood pressure drugs may protect against Alzheimer's
BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhuanet) -- The use of blood pressure drugs called angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) is associated with lower incidence and slower progression of Alzheimer's disease, U.S. researchers reported Sunday.
Their analysis of U.S. government data revealed that patients taking ARBs were 35 percent to 40 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia than people who didn't take the drugs.
The study, carried out at the Boston University School of Medicine, also found that people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia who took ARBs were up to 45 percent less likely to develop delirium, to be admitted to nursing homes, or to die.
Patients who suffered strokes before or during being diagnosed with Alzheimer's or dementia seemed to especially benefit from taking ARBs.
The findings were expected to be presented Sunday at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Chicago.
The results indicate that ARBs might protect people against Alzheimer's disease and dementia, the researchers said.
"For those who already have dementia, use of ARBs might delay deterioration of brain function and help keep patients out of nursing homes," Dr. Benjamin Wolozin, a professor of pharmacology, said in a university news release.
"The study is particularly interesting, because we compared the effects of ARBs to other medications used for treating blood pressure or cardiovascular disease. This suggests that ARBs are more effective than other blood pressure and cardiovascular medications for preventing Alzheimer's disease or dementia," Wolozin said.
It's not clear why ARBs may be beneficial, but it may be because they help prevent nerve cell injury from blood vessel damage or help promote nerve recovery after blood vessel damage, the researchers said.
It's believed that damage to blood vessels reduces brain capacity and promotes dementia. Reducing this kind of damage may prevent or slow the progression of dementia.
(Agencies)
Their analysis of U.S. government data revealed that patients taking ARBs were 35 percent to 40 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia than people who didn't take the drugs.
The study, carried out at the Boston University School of Medicine, also found that people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia who took ARBs were up to 45 percent less likely to develop delirium, to be admitted to nursing homes, or to die.
Patients who suffered strokes before or during being diagnosed with Alzheimer's or dementia seemed to especially benefit from taking ARBs.
The findings were expected to be presented Sunday at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Chicago.
The results indicate that ARBs might protect people against Alzheimer's disease and dementia, the researchers said.
"For those who already have dementia, use of ARBs might delay deterioration of brain function and help keep patients out of nursing homes," Dr. Benjamin Wolozin, a professor of pharmacology, said in a university news release.
"The study is particularly interesting, because we compared the effects of ARBs to other medications used for treating blood pressure or cardiovascular disease. This suggests that ARBs are more effective than other blood pressure and cardiovascular medications for preventing Alzheimer's disease or dementia," Wolozin said.
It's not clear why ARBs may be beneficial, but it may be because they help prevent nerve cell injury from blood vessel damage or help promote nerve recovery after blood vessel damage, the researchers said.
It's believed that damage to blood vessels reduces brain capacity and promotes dementia. Reducing this kind of damage may prevent or slow the progression of dementia.
(Agencies)
Friday, July 25, 2008
Age takes glow off women's happiness: study
Young women are happier than their male peers, but as the years roll by and they become less able to achieve lasting love and financial goals, women often end up the sadder sex, according to an international study.
The research, by Anke Plagnol of the University of Cambridge in England and University of Southern California economist Richard Easterlin, used data spanning several decades about U.S. men and women to examine the role of unfulfilled desires.
The study found that when it comes to family and finances, women are, on average, happier than men in early adulthood, but after the age of 48, men's overall happiness exceeds women's happiness.
"In later life it is men who come closer to fulfilling their aspirations, are more satisfied with their family lives and financial situations, and are the happier of the two," said Plagnol.
Women and men have similar life goals when it comes to love, with nine out of 10 people of both genders wanting a happy marriage, revealed the study that is to be published in the Journal of Happiness Studies.
"Differences between men and women in aspirations for marriage and children are fairly small," said Plagnol. "Gender differences in satisfaction depend largely on attainment."
The saddest period of the average man's life -- his 20s -- is also the period when he is most likely to be single.
Young men are also more dissatisfied than young women with their financial situations, not because they are worse off, but because they want more, the researchers explained.
But, after the age of 34, men are more likely to be married than women, and the gap only widens with age. Men also become more satisfied with their financial situations over time, as they are able to buy luxury items such as cars and vacation homes due to increased spending power.
"Of course, one doesn't have to be married to be happy, but if that's something you really want - and it is for most people - then the failure to attain it can have an impact on your overall happiness," Plagnol said, adding that those in a relationship also tend to be in a stronger financial position.
(Agencies)
The research, by Anke Plagnol of the University of Cambridge in England and University of Southern California economist Richard Easterlin, used data spanning several decades about U.S. men and women to examine the role of unfulfilled desires.
The study found that when it comes to family and finances, women are, on average, happier than men in early adulthood, but after the age of 48, men's overall happiness exceeds women's happiness.
"In later life it is men who come closer to fulfilling their aspirations, are more satisfied with their family lives and financial situations, and are the happier of the two," said Plagnol.
Women and men have similar life goals when it comes to love, with nine out of 10 people of both genders wanting a happy marriage, revealed the study that is to be published in the Journal of Happiness Studies.
"Differences between men and women in aspirations for marriage and children are fairly small," said Plagnol. "Gender differences in satisfaction depend largely on attainment."
The saddest period of the average man's life -- his 20s -- is also the period when he is most likely to be single.
Young men are also more dissatisfied than young women with their financial situations, not because they are worse off, but because they want more, the researchers explained.
But, after the age of 34, men are more likely to be married than women, and the gap only widens with age. Men also become more satisfied with their financial situations over time, as they are able to buy luxury items such as cars and vacation homes due to increased spending power.
"Of course, one doesn't have to be married to be happy, but if that's something you really want - and it is for most people - then the failure to attain it can have an impact on your overall happiness," Plagnol said, adding that those in a relationship also tend to be in a stronger financial position.
(Agencies)
Moscow is world's costliest city for expats - report
LONDON: Moscow is the world's costliest city for expatriate workers and is almost one-and-half times as expensive as New York, Shanghai, Amsterdam and Madrid, a report on relative living costs showed Thursday.
Tokyo rose above London to second place in the world rankings, while Oslo, boosted by Norway's petrol dollars, climbed six places to fourth.
Asuncion, capital of Paraguay, was ranked the world's least expensive major city for the sixth consecutive year, according to the annual survey conducted by human resources consultants Mercer. The study measured the cost of more than 200 items in 143 cities.
Moscow has a cost of living index of 142.4 points compared with highest-ranking US city, New York, which fell seven places to 22nd with a score of 100.
Although consumers across the globe are feeling the pinch of rising prices, large currency shifts and economic differences mean people in some countries feel it more than others.
"Our research confirms the global trend in price increases for certain foodstuffs and petrol, though the rise is not consistent in all locations," said Yvonne Traber, a principal and research manager at Mercer.
Mercer said currency trends accounted for many of this year's shifts in city rankings, with the ruble, euro, and several other currencies all gaining against the US dollar and making US cities in general seem comparatively cheaper.
"On the bright side, the US dollar's loss of value may serve to attract globally mobile executives to business centers such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles," said Mitch Barnes, another principal at Mercer.
"The difference in cost of living can be significant, particularly for executives with families," he said.
Mercer said its survey, which tracked housing rents, cost of clothing, transport and entertainment, was used to help multinational companies and governments determine compensation allowances for their expatriate employees.
(Agencies)
Tokyo rose above London to second place in the world rankings, while Oslo, boosted by Norway's petrol dollars, climbed six places to fourth.
Asuncion, capital of Paraguay, was ranked the world's least expensive major city for the sixth consecutive year, according to the annual survey conducted by human resources consultants Mercer. The study measured the cost of more than 200 items in 143 cities.
Moscow has a cost of living index of 142.4 points compared with highest-ranking US city, New York, which fell seven places to 22nd with a score of 100.
Although consumers across the globe are feeling the pinch of rising prices, large currency shifts and economic differences mean people in some countries feel it more than others.
"Our research confirms the global trend in price increases for certain foodstuffs and petrol, though the rise is not consistent in all locations," said Yvonne Traber, a principal and research manager at Mercer.
Mercer said currency trends accounted for many of this year's shifts in city rankings, with the ruble, euro, and several other currencies all gaining against the US dollar and making US cities in general seem comparatively cheaper.
"On the bright side, the US dollar's loss of value may serve to attract globally mobile executives to business centers such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles," said Mitch Barnes, another principal at Mercer.
"The difference in cost of living can be significant, particularly for executives with families," he said.
Mercer said its survey, which tracked housing rents, cost of clothing, transport and entertainment, was used to help multinational companies and governments determine compensation allowances for their expatriate employees.
(Agencies)
A cure for depression?
When Sean Miller was 14, a virus left him paralyzed for about a year. Depression, he says, was much worse.
“I would have taken paralysis any day over depression," Miller said of his last of several depressive episodes, which left him fearful, anxious and suicidal for most of his late 30s and unable to find relief through medication, psychiatry, electro-shock treatment or meditative therapy.
"Nothing worked,” he said. “Nothing worked for four and a half years."
Today, Miller describes himself as happy. He credits deep brain stimulation (DBS).
Miller participated in a Toronto-based clinical trial, published online this week in Biological Psychiatry, which showed that electrical currents sent by electrodes implanted in the brain and controlled by a pacemaker in the chest resulted in a significant reduction in depression in 60 percent of patients who had not responded to more conventional treatments.
"These patients are really the most severe cases that have really been resistant to other forms of therapy," said Dr. Andres Lozano, a Toronto neurosurgeon and lead author of the study. Qualifying participants had failed at least four previous treatments for clinical depression and tested in the severe range on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. DBS was considered a success if a patient reduced their Hamilton score by half, as 60 percent did; all but two of the remaining patients in the trial showed some response and reduced their score by less than 50 percent, while two showed no response.
"This represents quite a striking improvement in this patient population that has really failed everything else," Lozano said.
The device sends continuous pulses of electrical stimulation, 24 hours a day, to an area in the brain's frontal cortex called the subgenual cingulate region. The region is associated with feelings of sadness, Lozano said, and brain imaging has shown that it is overactive in clinically depressed patients, which then affects other areas of the brain that control things like sleep, appetite, mood and motivation. "Dysfunction in this area, we think, causes widespread dysfunction in the brain," he said.
The electrodes stimulate the subgenual cingulate region in order to reduce its hyperactivity, thereby reducing sadness and depression. It can take some time to find the correct current for each patient and if changes to the current's settings are required, the pacemaker can be controlled through the skin like changing channels on a television.
The treatment has been used in about 40,000 people worldwide on a different area of the brain to reduce tremors associated with Parkinson's, Lozano said. "For us, it has been a relatively straightforward transition from one disorder to the other."
Worldwide, 120 million people are depressed, Lozano said. In North America, about 5 percent of men and 9 percent of women suffer from clinical depression at any one time, and the lifetime incidence is 17 percent. Lozano said there are effective treatments for 80 percent of those patients but 10 to 20 percent need something else. The incidence of suicide for the latter group is high at about 15 percent.
Miller first became depressed in his early 20s, and then again at 27; the second bout of the disease, he says, occurred after he smoked a single marijuana joint while vacationing in Thailand, and was marked by anxiety and fear and brought about his first thoughts of suicide. In both cases, he was helped by antidepressants, though he experienced sexual side effects that led him to explore alternative therapies like meditation.
The depression resurfaced again at 36 after he smoked marijuana with some friends. "It was the dumbest thing I ever did," he now says. “I couldn't function.” This time, he was unable to find relief. He tried a dozen different psychotropic medications and underwent electro-shock therapy. He was hospitalized three times for three-week periods. None of it made his feelings of terror or thoughts of suicide go away.
He eventually wrote a suicide note, in case he worked up the courage to make an attempt. "Every day, I was scared out of my mind to die, but I couldn't take the pain."
Then he saw a 60 Minutes television program about Lozano's DBS trial, and learned that four of the six patients who had been operated on at that point had improved. After several phone calls and letters, including contact from his psychiatrist, and an intensive interview and screening process, he was approved to join the trial.
He was awake and under local anesthesia when electrodes were implanted in his brain in February 2007 through two holes drilled in his skull near either side of his forehead; a pacemaker was also inserted in his chest. But his recovery was far from immediate. He went through months of weekly adjustments to the device; he would feel small improvements from time to time, but nothing stuck. Finally, about half a year after the operation, they hit the right setting.
"One day I woke up after about six months, and it was insane,” he said. “I was better." As with the other patients in the trial who were helped by the device, the improvements have continued.
That the response to the device was not only achieved for many of the patients within one month of their operations, but has also been sustained, is what sets this therapy apart from many others available for depression, Lozano said. Another advantage is that the electrical impulses can be controlled and adjusted after the device is implanted, which allows the doctors to mitigate any adverse effects. If a patient doesn't respond at all, the electrodes can be removed, and that has been done for the two patients in the trial who showed no response. "They are no worse off,” he said. “They're back to where they were."
As for why some patients were helped less than others, and a few weren't helped at all, Lozano can't say. Depression is a heterogeneous disorder with multiple causes, he points out – it's possible that some patients who don't respond have a different genetic cause for their illness, or that a different area of their brain is affected. Further study of genetic imaging may help medical professionals distinguish who will and will not respond to DBS, he said.
Lozano and his research team recently began a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of DBS, where 150 to 200 patients in multiple centers in Canada and the United States will receive the implants.
In some patients, the devices will be turned on immediately; in others, they will be activated later. The patients and doctors won't know if the devices are on or off, which allows the researchers to test for a placebo effect. The study itself will continue for about a year, so results are expected in two or three years. If the treatment is found effective at the study's conclusion, he said, it could open the door for wider therapeutic use of DBS.
(Agencies)
“I would have taken paralysis any day over depression," Miller said of his last of several depressive episodes, which left him fearful, anxious and suicidal for most of his late 30s and unable to find relief through medication, psychiatry, electro-shock treatment or meditative therapy.
"Nothing worked,” he said. “Nothing worked for four and a half years."
Today, Miller describes himself as happy. He credits deep brain stimulation (DBS).
Miller participated in a Toronto-based clinical trial, published online this week in Biological Psychiatry, which showed that electrical currents sent by electrodes implanted in the brain and controlled by a pacemaker in the chest resulted in a significant reduction in depression in 60 percent of patients who had not responded to more conventional treatments.
"These patients are really the most severe cases that have really been resistant to other forms of therapy," said Dr. Andres Lozano, a Toronto neurosurgeon and lead author of the study. Qualifying participants had failed at least four previous treatments for clinical depression and tested in the severe range on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. DBS was considered a success if a patient reduced their Hamilton score by half, as 60 percent did; all but two of the remaining patients in the trial showed some response and reduced their score by less than 50 percent, while two showed no response.
"This represents quite a striking improvement in this patient population that has really failed everything else," Lozano said.
The device sends continuous pulses of electrical stimulation, 24 hours a day, to an area in the brain's frontal cortex called the subgenual cingulate region. The region is associated with feelings of sadness, Lozano said, and brain imaging has shown that it is overactive in clinically depressed patients, which then affects other areas of the brain that control things like sleep, appetite, mood and motivation. "Dysfunction in this area, we think, causes widespread dysfunction in the brain," he said.
The electrodes stimulate the subgenual cingulate region in order to reduce its hyperactivity, thereby reducing sadness and depression. It can take some time to find the correct current for each patient and if changes to the current's settings are required, the pacemaker can be controlled through the skin like changing channels on a television.
The treatment has been used in about 40,000 people worldwide on a different area of the brain to reduce tremors associated with Parkinson's, Lozano said. "For us, it has been a relatively straightforward transition from one disorder to the other."
Worldwide, 120 million people are depressed, Lozano said. In North America, about 5 percent of men and 9 percent of women suffer from clinical depression at any one time, and the lifetime incidence is 17 percent. Lozano said there are effective treatments for 80 percent of those patients but 10 to 20 percent need something else. The incidence of suicide for the latter group is high at about 15 percent.
Miller first became depressed in his early 20s, and then again at 27; the second bout of the disease, he says, occurred after he smoked a single marijuana joint while vacationing in Thailand, and was marked by anxiety and fear and brought about his first thoughts of suicide. In both cases, he was helped by antidepressants, though he experienced sexual side effects that led him to explore alternative therapies like meditation.
The depression resurfaced again at 36 after he smoked marijuana with some friends. "It was the dumbest thing I ever did," he now says. “I couldn't function.” This time, he was unable to find relief. He tried a dozen different psychotropic medications and underwent electro-shock therapy. He was hospitalized three times for three-week periods. None of it made his feelings of terror or thoughts of suicide go away.
He eventually wrote a suicide note, in case he worked up the courage to make an attempt. "Every day, I was scared out of my mind to die, but I couldn't take the pain."
Then he saw a 60 Minutes television program about Lozano's DBS trial, and learned that four of the six patients who had been operated on at that point had improved. After several phone calls and letters, including contact from his psychiatrist, and an intensive interview and screening process, he was approved to join the trial.
He was awake and under local anesthesia when electrodes were implanted in his brain in February 2007 through two holes drilled in his skull near either side of his forehead; a pacemaker was also inserted in his chest. But his recovery was far from immediate. He went through months of weekly adjustments to the device; he would feel small improvements from time to time, but nothing stuck. Finally, about half a year after the operation, they hit the right setting.
"One day I woke up after about six months, and it was insane,” he said. “I was better." As with the other patients in the trial who were helped by the device, the improvements have continued.
That the response to the device was not only achieved for many of the patients within one month of their operations, but has also been sustained, is what sets this therapy apart from many others available for depression, Lozano said. Another advantage is that the electrical impulses can be controlled and adjusted after the device is implanted, which allows the doctors to mitigate any adverse effects. If a patient doesn't respond at all, the electrodes can be removed, and that has been done for the two patients in the trial who showed no response. "They are no worse off,” he said. “They're back to where they were."
As for why some patients were helped less than others, and a few weren't helped at all, Lozano can't say. Depression is a heterogeneous disorder with multiple causes, he points out – it's possible that some patients who don't respond have a different genetic cause for their illness, or that a different area of their brain is affected. Further study of genetic imaging may help medical professionals distinguish who will and will not respond to DBS, he said.
Lozano and his research team recently began a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of DBS, where 150 to 200 patients in multiple centers in Canada and the United States will receive the implants.
In some patients, the devices will be turned on immediately; in others, they will be activated later. The patients and doctors won't know if the devices are on or off, which allows the researchers to test for a placebo effect. The study itself will continue for about a year, so results are expected in two or three years. If the treatment is found effective at the study's conclusion, he said, it could open the door for wider therapeutic use of DBS.
(Agencies)
Immature, insensitive, sex-mad? Not us, say men
This undated file photo shows a couple watching the sun set at Kuta beach on Bali. [Agencies]
SYDNEY - Young, single men are fed up with being typecast as immature, insensitive and sex-obsessed, with a survey finding that the majority believe in having a soul mate, aren't scared of commitment, and say real men can cry.
A poll of 70,000 men with an average age of 28 debunked many of the standard stereotypes to show that the modern man is driven by a sense of values, loyalty and family.
The survey, by men's lifestyle website AskMen.com, found that 77 percent of respondents look for girlfriends with "wife potential" while 75 percent believe they have a soul mate and 69 percent would never cheat on their partner.
"These survey results will be surprising to many women, most of whom have a completely different perspective of what the average man thinks and feels," James Bassil, editor-in-chief of AskMen.com, told Reuters.
"The idea that young guys only want to be single and jump from girlfriend to girlfriend is not true at all."
The online survey, conducted over a five-week period, found that six out of 10 men were fed up with inaccurate commercial descriptions of them.
Bassil said the images of men on television and in advertisements had not changed or been challenged for decades whereas the image of women in the media was always changing as their roles in the home and the workplace altered.
"In TV sitcoms and in adverts, young men are portrayed as immature, frat boys who are always trying to get around their wives or girlfriends finding out about their bad behavior. This is just not the case," he said.
The survey by AskMen.com, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, found that 56 percent of men believed that being a good father or husband made them "manly."
It also found that 75 percent admitted to crying over a woman while 57 percent of men cook at home and enjoy doing it.
"There really seems to be a revival of traditional values among men which goes against everything you see in the media," said Bassil.
100 sculptures for Olympics unveiled
BEIJING, July 25 -- The areas close to Beijing's lavish Olympic sites, are being further enhanced by the placement of 100 sculptures surrounding the venues.
Beijing shows to the world that it is not only as a modern, cosmopolitan, sporting city, but also a city of Art. The 100 sculptures also form a part of China's promise that these will be "the People's Olympics".
The one hundred sculptures were selected from over two thousand submissions. The selection process began in 2005.
Artists all over the world were invited to submit their sculptures to be displayed during the Beijing Olympics.
Half of the submission were done by foreign artists. Among those, 19 were created by world-renowned sculptors like Ralfonso of Switzerland and Zadok Ben David of Israel.
(Source: CCTV.com)
1,800 year-old military relics on display
BEIJING, July 25 -- Royal swords from 1800 years ago, along with ancient bamboo shards inscribed with texts from The Art of War,are on show at Beijing's Military Museum.
One of the most arresting exhibits is this sword. It was the personal weapon of the Yue Dynasty Emperor, Goujian, 1,800 years ago.
It remains a mystery how the rhombic patterns, the embedded color-glaze and the concentric circles were inscribed onto the sword. The question remains a subject of debate even today.
Three other royal swords are on display. They represent the acme of ancient Chinese foundry. The swords are on loan from museums in east China's Zhejiang and Anhui provinces.
This unassuming case houses the most prized exhibit. It's a military map from the Western Han Dynasty, dating back to 200 BC. It's the first time the map has been publicly displayed.
The 20 bamboo shards of the Art of War are stored in a protective liquid in glass tubes. The Art of War is a Chinese military treatise written by Sun Zi, during the 6th Century BC. Behind the glass, spectators are able to read the precise words of the Chinese classic. The bamboo shards were unearthed at Yinque Mountain more than 30 years ago.
In all, there are 180 exhibits from 19 museums in the show. Half of those exhibits have never been shown to the public before.
(Source: CCTV.com)
College students more open about sex
GUANGZHOU: For the sake of love no sacrifice is too much, at least for some college students in this city.
Losing one's virginity while dating is now acceptable, a survey found.
Sex before marriage has always been considered taboo in China, but the survey by two Guangzhou universities discovered such an act is no longer frowned upon.
The survey interviewed 300 college students from four local universities including the two that conducted the survey, South China Normal University (SCNU) and South China Agricultural University.
The other two were Sun Yat-sen University and South China University of Technology.
The four are considered to be the top universities in Guangzhou, and the survey aimed to find out their students' openness toward sex, Li Jiangxue, director of SCNU's psychology guidance center, told China Daily Thursday.
"I believe the results reflect the perception toward sex of today's students," Li said.
"We found that 40 percent of those interviewed did not mind losing their virginity before marriage, as long as it was for true love.
"About 50 percent said having sex with boyfriends or girlfriends was conducive to their relationship.
"We found that male students had a more open attitude toward sex and virginity than the female students."
Almost 70 percent of the male students agreed that having sex could accelerate the development of their relationships. However, only 30 percent the female students agreed.
About 40 percent of the female students said having sex with boyfriends would add more psychological pressure to their lives. Only about 17 percent of the male students agreed with this opinion.
"That means the negative effects of premarital sex on females are more significant than males," Li said.
Xiang Siwei, a senior college student, said: "Having sex with my boyfriend is very natural as our relationship has grown deeply,"
"We are planning on getting married after graduation."
Li said it was difficult to define what was right or wrong with college students having sex and other people having sex while dating, "both are after all adults". The most important thing is they must have a correct attitude about sex and be responsible for their behavior.
Losing one's virginity while dating is now acceptable, a survey found.
Sex before marriage has always been considered taboo in China, but the survey by two Guangzhou universities discovered such an act is no longer frowned upon.
The survey interviewed 300 college students from four local universities including the two that conducted the survey, South China Normal University (SCNU) and South China Agricultural University.
The other two were Sun Yat-sen University and South China University of Technology.
The four are considered to be the top universities in Guangzhou, and the survey aimed to find out their students' openness toward sex, Li Jiangxue, director of SCNU's psychology guidance center, told China Daily Thursday.
"I believe the results reflect the perception toward sex of today's students," Li said.
"We found that 40 percent of those interviewed did not mind losing their virginity before marriage, as long as it was for true love.
"About 50 percent said having sex with boyfriends or girlfriends was conducive to their relationship.
"We found that male students had a more open attitude toward sex and virginity than the female students."
Almost 70 percent of the male students agreed that having sex could accelerate the development of their relationships. However, only 30 percent the female students agreed.
About 40 percent of the female students said having sex with boyfriends would add more psychological pressure to their lives. Only about 17 percent of the male students agreed with this opinion.
"That means the negative effects of premarital sex on females are more significant than males," Li said.
Xiang Siwei, a senior college student, said: "Having sex with my boyfriend is very natural as our relationship has grown deeply,"
"We are planning on getting married after graduation."
Li said it was difficult to define what was right or wrong with college students having sex and other people having sex while dating, "both are after all adults". The most important thing is they must have a correct attitude about sex and be responsible for their behavior.
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