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<title>Life</title><image>
<title>People's Daily Online</title><link>http://english.people.com.cn/</link>
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<description>People's Daily Online</description>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/index.html</link>
<item>
<title>Study: high-salt diets may not increase death risk</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412636</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90880/6412636.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:58:11 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Contrary to long-held medical beliefs, high-salt diets may not increase the risk of death, according to investigators at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New York City.

    They reached their conclusion afte ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Contrary to long-held medical beliefs, high-salt diets may not increase the risk of death, according to investigators at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New York City.

    They reached their conclusion after examining dietary intake among a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States. The Einstein researchers actually observed a significantly increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated with lower sodium diets. 

    "Our findings suggest that for the general adult population, higher sodium is very unlikely to be independently associated with higher risk of death from CVD or all other causes of death," says Dr. Hillel W. Cohen, associate professor of epidemiology and population health at Einstein. 

    The researchers analyzed data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), which was conducted by the federal government among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. These data were then compared against death records that had been collected by the government through the year 2000. The sample of approximately 8,700 represented American adults who were over 30 years of age at the time of the baseline survey (1988-1994) and were not on a special low-salt diet. 

    After adjusting for known CVD risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes and blood pressure, the one-fourth of the sample who reported consuming the lowest amount of sodium were found to be 80 percent more likely to die from CVD compared to the one-fourth of the sample consuming the highest level of sodium. The risk for death from any cause appeared 24 percent greater for those consuming lower salt, but this latter difference was not quite large enough to dismiss the role of chance. 

    Since the first NHANES survey in the early 1970s, data from NHANES have been used extensively to describe patterns of nutrition and health in the United States. The results from this current study are consistent with findings reported previously from two earlier NHANES surveys. While the federal government currently repeats NHANES surveys every two years, NHANES III is the latest available survey that can be compared with later death records. 

    Since NHANES III was an observational study and not a clinical trial, no definite conclusions about cause and effect were possible, says Dr. Cohen. 

    "However, our findings do again raise questions about the usefulness or even safety of universal recommendations for lower salt diets for all individuals, regardless of their blood pressure status or other health characteristics," he cautions. 

    Source: Xinhua/Agencies]]></full-text>
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<item>
<title>Study: U.S. teens who feel popular, probably are</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412635</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90880/6412635.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:57:22 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Be popular, feel popular. For American teenagers, either works, a new study suggests.

    "Teens' perceptions of their own social success may be a crucial predictor of long-term social functioning," said lead researcher Kathleen Boykin M ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Be popular, feel popular. For American teenagers, either works, a new study suggests.

    "Teens' perceptions of their own social success may be a crucial predictor of long-term social functioning," said lead researcher Kathleen Boykin McElhaney, a psychologist at the University of Virginia, "such that even teens who are not broadly popular may demonstrate positive adjustment over time if they maintain a positive internal sense of their social acceptance." 

    To arrive at this conclusion, McElhaney and her colleagues had more than 160 teenagers report on measures of their perceived popularity, including social acceptance and ability to make friends. Each teen's popularity and other social factors were gleaned from interviews with friends (hand-picked by the participants). All teens completed the surveys at age 13 and again at 14. 

    Teens who reported fitting in, regardless of peer-rated popularity, were less hostile over time and more frequently sought out by their peers than other teens. The same was true for teens considered popular by peers, regardless of their own perceptions of popularity. 

    "When teens feel like they fit in, their closer friends are rating them increasingly as more fun to hang out with," McElhaney said. "They do well over time with their close friends." 

    The social misfits were the ones who ranked low on both scales — perceived popularity and peer-rated popularity. 

    "Kids who are not on the radar screen at all in terms of popularity at school, and who did not see themselves as fitting in, showed increases in how hostile and aggressive they were rated," McElhaney said. "They were rated less desirably as companions over time." 

    Popularity contests are generally external battles, as one doesn't get to select him or herself as the cool kid. Research has reflected this idea, particularly in studies of young kids, relying on peer ratings of popularity as the gold standard. 

    Source: Xinhua/Agencies]]></full-text>
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<title>U.S. supermodel Marisa Miller Maxim's "hottest"</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412615</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90875/6412615.html</link>
<image>
<url>http://english.people.com.cn/mediafile/200805/16/F200805161646151275327093.jpg</url>
<title>U.S. supermodel Marisa Miller Maxim's "hottest"</title>
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<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:46:41 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Move over Lindsay, make room for Marisa.

    American supermodel Marisa Miller has knocked actress Lindsay Lohan from the top of Maxim's list of the 100 hottest women in the world, the magazine for men said on Wednesday.

    It was th ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Move over Lindsay, make room for Marisa.

    American supermodel Marisa Miller has knocked actress Lindsay Lohan from the top of Maxim's list of the 100 hottest women in the world, the magazine for men said on Wednesday.

    It was the first time Miller, 29, a Victoria's Secret model, appeared on the annual list and comes after she also graced the cover of the 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. 

    "(Miller) embodies the official return of the all-American supermodel. Not since Cindy Crawford ruled the catwalk has a pinup born and bred on U.S. soil so thoroughly captured the imagination of the American male," noted Maxim editorial director James Kaminsky. 

Victoria's Secret model Marisa Miller poses at a Victoria's Secret store in New York, April 2, 2008. Miller has knocked actress Lindsay Lohan from the top of men magazine Maxim's list of the 100 hottest women in the world, the magazine said on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
    Lohan, who topped last year's list of the Hot 100 "Ultimate List of the World's Most Beautiful Women," fell to a somewhat lukewarm No. 9. 

    Miller was followed by actress Scarlett Johansson, a "dangerously curvy bombshell" who, according to Maxim, also possesses "the acting chops to back up her mind-melting hotness." 

    And while Jessica Biel may have starred on the U.S. family-friendly television drama "7th Heaven" as a preacher's daughter, the actress is starring at No. 3 on the Hot 100. Britney Spears just cracked the Top 20 in the ninth annual list, squeaking in at No.19 after a year that included stints in rehab and a notorious head-shaving incident. 

    The rest of the list includes the usual suspects - Beyonce, Charlize Theron, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Heidi Klum, and some new faces, including 22-year-old Ashley Tisdale from the hit tween movie series "High School Musical." 

    Source: Xinhua/Agencies]]></full-text>
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<item>
<title>China's HFMD toll rises to 43 as girl in Jiangxi succumbs</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412520</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90880/6412520.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 15:31:14 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[A 22-month-old girl from Ganzhou, a city in east China's Jiangxi Province, died of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) in a hospital on Thursday, health officials said. 

    Her death took the national toll from HFMD, an epidemic disease that ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[A 22-month-old girl from Ganzhou, a city in east China's Jiangxi Province, died of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) in a hospital on Thursday, health officials said. 

    Her death took the national toll from HFMD, an epidemic disease that mainly affects children, to 43. 

    The Jiangxi Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday confirmed that lab work showed the girl had been infected with enterovirus 71 (EV71). 

    The child was from a village in Wudang Township, Longnan County. It was not immediately known when she fell ill. 

    There have been 1,424 HFMD cases in Jiangxi this year, of which 90 were determined to be caused by EV71. Three other HFMD patients in the province were said to be in critical condition. 

    According to the Ministry of Health, HFMD can be caused by a host of intestinal viruses, but EV71 and the Coxsackievirus (Cox A16) were the most common. 

    HFMD usually starts with a slight fever followed by blisters and ulcers in the mouth and rashes on the hands and feet. Those with EV71 often show serious symptoms. It can also lead to meningitis, encephalitis, pulmonary edema and paralysis in some children. There is no vaccine.
 
Source: Xinhua]]></full-text>
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<title>Jealous British husband puts wife on eBay</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412497</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/6412497.html</link>
<image>
<url>http://english.people.com.cn/mediafile/200805/16/F200805161535324287256842.jpg</url>
<title>Jealous British husband puts wife on eBay</title>
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<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 15:35:57 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[A jealous British husband who accused his wife of having an affair with a workmate took the ultimate online revenge -- by placing her for sale on eBay.

  A jea ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[A jealous British husband who accused his wife of having an affair with a workmate took the ultimate online revenge -- by placing her for sale on eBay.

  A jealous British husband who accused his wife of having an affair with a workmate took the ultimate online revenge -- by placing her for sale on eBay.  

    Paul Osborn, 44, evicted his wife of 24 years, Sharon, from their marital home, then advertised her on the internet site for sale, The Sun reported Thursday.

    "I started checking her emails and I realized the rumors were true," he said. "They had been discussing their sex life together and making plans for the future. I was absolutely destroyed. I gathered all her stuff in bags and dumped it in the drive."

    Osborn told The Sun he initially agreed to take his wife back but decided more drastic measures were needed after he again became suspicious. He created an eBay auction offering his "cheating, lying, adulterous slag of a wife" to the highest bidder. Bids reached more than 1 million U.S. dollars. 

    Sharon Osborn denies cheating on her husband and has filed a police complaint against him for harassment, the newspaper report said.

    Three weeks ago, Sharon pleaded for Paul to take her back. She moved back in, but two weeks later, Paul was again convinced she was cheating. 

    Paul said: "In a fit of rage I put the advert on eBay. I later took it off because I realised it wasn't the right thing to do. I was just so angry." 

    But Sharon had already made a complaint to police who today confirmed they were investigating, saying: "Statements have been taken from two people."     

Source: Xinhua\agencies]]></full-text>
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<item>
<title>Mystery: optimists live longer, enjoy better health</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412234</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90880/6412234.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 10:56:33 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Among the findings of various studies: Highly optimistic people have significantly lower death rates. Optimistic coronary bypass patients are half as likely as pessimists to require re-hospitalization. 

    People with positive emotions  ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Among the findings of various studies: Highly optimistic people have significantly lower death rates. Optimistic coronary bypass patients are half as likely as pessimists to require re-hospitalization. 

    People with positive emotions have lower blood pressure. The most pessimistic men are more than twice as likely to develop heart disease compared with the most optimistic. 

Perhaps optimists enjoy better health and longer lives because they lead healthier lifestyles, build stronger social support networks, and get better medical care, the Health Watch article suggested. (File Photo)
    But is it optimism that makes people healthy, or do healthy people understandably have a brighter outlook? 

    To get a better handle on things, scientists have adjusted their analyses in recent years to account for pre-existing medical conditions. Studies that made these adjustments found that existing illnesses don't negate the benefits of optimism, according to the May 2008 issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch. 

    In one example of how humans keep their spirits up no matter what, researchers found older people suffering various illnesses still said they thought they were aging well. Another study found that the sick and disabled don't wallow in misery as is commonly believed. 

    Optimism, another study found, triggers activity in the same brain area that is known to malfunction among the depressed. 

    But why is optimism so beneficial? 

    Perhaps optimists enjoy better health and longer lives because they lead healthier lifestyles, build stronger social support networks, and get better medical care, the Health Watch article suggested. 

    Also, stress is known to kill, releasing hormones that cause deterioration of everything from your gums to your heart. Optimists might have lower levels of stress hormones. 

    Heredity could play a role, too. It is possible that genes predispose some people to optimism, and that the same genes affect health and longevity. 

    More study is needed, the Health Watch article contends, because it’s likely that multiple mechanisms are involved. 

    Source: Xinhua/Agencies]]></full-text>
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<title>Studies: insecticides in pet shampoo may trigger autism</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412231</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90880/6412231.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 10:53:15 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Insecticides in pet shampoos trigger autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to survey results presented Thursday at the International Meeting for Autism Research in London. 

    According to one of the first large-scale population-bas ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Insecticides in pet shampoos trigger autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to survey results presented Thursday at the International Meeting for Autism Research in London. 

    According to one of the first large-scale population-based studies to look how environmental factors and their interactions with genes contribute to the condition, mothers of children with an ASD were twice as likely to have reported using pet shampoos containing a class of insecticide called pyrethrins as those of healthy children. 

    The risk was greatest if the shampoo was used during the second trimester of pregnancy, the study showed. 

    Previous studies in insects and rodents have suggested that pyrethrins could damage the blood-brain barrier during early life, and cause neuronal damage. They may also interfere with the transmission of signals along nerve fibres. 

    Autism is associated with an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters within the brain. 

    While many chemicals have previously been blamed for triggering autism, there have been very few rigorous studies designed to investigate the link. 

    To remedy this, researchers led by Irva Hertz-Picciotto at the University of California in Davis, United States, studied 333 children with ASD and 198 healthy children, and their families. 

    The researchers made the findings after collecting blood and urine samples, conducting in-depth questionnaires on medical history and any possible exposure to medications, household products or metals that could have occurred around the time of conception, during pregnancy, or after birth, as well as collecting information on lifestyle. 

    However, lead researcher Irva Hertz-Picciotto and other experts caution that pyrethrins were unlikely to be the only cause of autism, which is increasingly recognized as being caused by a complex interplay of both genetic and environmental factors. 

    Another study suggested that exposure to organophosphate insecticides double the risk of developmental disorders, including autism. 
 
Source: Xinhua]]></full-text>
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<title>Jake Gyllenhaal to propose to Reese Witherspoon</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412226</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90875/6412226.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 10:49:37 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Jake Gyllenhaal is planning to propose to Reese Witherspoon. The couple -- who met on the set of "Rendition" last year -- have discussed marriage and are ready to cement their relationship.

    A source said: "They've been talking marria ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Jake Gyllenhaal is planning to propose to Reese Witherspoon. The couple -- who met on the set of "Rendition" last year -- have discussed marriage and are ready to cement their relationship.

    A source said: "They've been talking marriage for a while. They'll be formally engaged any day now. They want to spend the rest of their lives together." Reese, who has two children with her ex-husband Ryan Phillippe, wants to tie the knot before she moves in with Jake. 

U.S. actors Jake Gyllenhaal (R) and Reese Witherspoon attend a photo call to present their latest movie 'Rendition' at the Rome International Film Festival October 21, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo) 
    A friend of Reese revealed to America's OK! magazine: "This is a very serious relationship. But Reese is very conservative and traditional. I'm sure she doesn't want her kids to see her 'living in sin'."


The couple -- who reportedly plan to set up home in a $6 million California ranch -- looked smitten with each other as they dined at the Hominy Grill in South Carolina recently. 

    Restaurant manager Brandy Mangum said: "They couldn't keep their eyes off each other. The entire time, he was so attentive. 

    It was really sweet. They really do make the perfect couple." Jake's spokesperson has denied the actor is planning to wed the Oscar-winning star. 

    Source: China Daily/ Agencies]]></full-text>
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<title>Report: Halle Berry engaged</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412224</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90875/6412224.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 10:47:47 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Canadian model Gabriel -- who has a one-month-old daughter Nahla Ariela with Halle -- is said to have proposed to the X-Men actress, and given her a ring which first belonged to his grandmother.

    A source close the couple revealed: "G ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Canadian model Gabriel -- who has a one-month-old daughter Nahla Ariela with Halle -- is said to have proposed to the X-Men actress, and given her a ring which first belonged to his grandmother.

    A source close the couple revealed: "Gabriel felt the time was right to propose. He gave her the family heirloom because he wanted to show her how much she means to him, and how she will be accepted into the Aubry family. 

Halle Berry (File Photo)
 "The ring belonged to Gabriel's grandmother -- it was her engagement ring." 

    Halle was first seen wearing a diamond ring on her engagement finger at the Revlon Walk/Run for Women in Los Angeles at the weekend. 

    The 41-year-old actress has also been wearing a necklace bearing the letter "N" for Nahla. 

    Halle -- who was last seen in movie Things We Lost in the Fire -- will next appear in and produce psychological drama Frankie and Alice. 

    Source: China Daily/ Agencies]]></full-text>
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<title>Jodie Foster splits with partner?</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412194</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90875/6412194.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 10:46:39 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Jodie Foster has reportedly split from her girlfriend. The "Silence of the Lambs" actress -- who only publicly confirmed she is a lesbian at an awards ceremony last December -- is said to have ended her 14-year relationship with film produc ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Jodie Foster has reportedly split from her girlfriend. The "Silence of the Lambs" actress -- who only publicly confirmed she is a lesbian at an awards ceremony last December -- is said to have ended her 14-year relationship with film producer Cydney Bernard.

    A source close to Jodie -- who has two sons, Charles and Kit, but has always refused to name their father -- told the National Enquirer magazine: "Jodie's break up with Cydney is shocking. "She and Cydney have been together for so many years and have two children together - the potential fallout and legal wrangling from this could be monumental." Jodie met Cydney on the set of movie 'Sommersby' in 1993. 

Jodie Foster (File Photo)
The couple have worn matching Tiffany eternity rings on their wedding fingers for several years and Cydney was Jodie's birthing partner both times she was in labour. Although Jodie's relationship with Cydney was well-known in Hollywood, she never admitted they were a couple until last year. 

    The 45-year-old actress paid tribute to "my beautiful Cydney" as she accepted an award from entertainment magazine the Hollywood Reporter at Los Angeles' Beverly Hills Hotel. Picking up the prize as the guest of honour at the magazine's Women in Entertainment Power 100 breakfast, Jodie said: "I would like to thank my beautiful Cydney who sticks with me through all the rotten and the bliss." 

    Source: China Daily/ Agencies]]></full-text>
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<title>Geri Halliwell's September wedding</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412192</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90875/6412192.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 10:45:33 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Geri Halliwell is getting married. The former Spice Girls star -- who has a two-year-old daughter Bluebell -- is planning a September wedding with her backing dancer partner Ivan "Flipz" Velez.

    A source told Britain's Daily Star news ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Geri Halliwell is getting married. The former Spice Girls star -- who has a two-year-old daughter Bluebell -- is planning a September wedding with her backing dancer partner Ivan "Flipz" Velez.

    A source told Britain's Daily Star newspaper: "Geri has a huge diamond and an even bigger grin on her face now that she and Ivan are marrying. "It's been a whirlwind affair but when you know, you know and she doesn't care if she's criticised for being hasty. "Her daughter loves Ivan and that's the only opinion she cares about." 

Geri Halliwell (File Photo)
 The ceremony will reportedly take place at London's St. Bride's church, often dubbed the "writer's church" because it is located on Fleet Street the former home of many newspapers, after Geri recently launched a new career as a children's novelist. The source added: "She's always wanted to be a September bride." Geri, who met 'Flipz' during the Spice Girls reunion tour, recently revealed she is considering adopting. 

    She said: "I have a sister and would love to be able to give Bluebell that gift. I feel I have the capacity to love a child that's not mine in blood. Before I had Bluebell, even a long time ago, I thought about adoption. I'm open to what life brings." 

    Source: China Daily/ Agencies]]></full-text>
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<title>Sony Pictures gets "Goosebumps"</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412190</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90875/6412190.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 10:43:49 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Columbia Pictures has acquired the rights from Scholastic Media to adapt R.L. Stine's best-selling "Goosebumps" book series for the big screen, the studio said on Thursday.

    The hugely popular series for children, which has sold 300  ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[ Columbia Pictures has acquired the rights from Scholastic Media to adapt R.L. Stine's best-selling "Goosebumps" book series for the big screen, the studio said on Thursday.

    The hugely popular series for children, which has sold 300 million books worldwide, is second only to Scholastic's "Harry Potter" series in sales, and the Sony Corp.-owned studio is hoping for similarly magical results. 

    The film version of "Goosebumps" will be produced by Neil Moritz, best-known for such action hits as "The Fast and the Furious" franchise, and Scholastic's Deborah Forte. 

    Columbia says that it will begin working on the first "Goosebumps" film immediately. 

    Source: China Daily/ Agencies]]></full-text>
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<title>1st Chinese tour group to leave for U. S. in June</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412187</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/92900/6412187.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 10:42:44 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[The first United States-bound Chinese leisure tour group is set to depart on June 17, signaling a new era in Sino-U. S. relations, a senior official said. 

    Shao Qiwei, head of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), will escort ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[The first United States-bound Chinese leisure tour group is set to depart on June 17, signaling a new era in Sino-U. S. relations, a senior official said. 

    Shao Qiwei, head of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), will escort the inaugural tour group to Washington DC. Their arrival will coincide with the fourth China-U. S. Strategic Economic Dialogue, which would be hosted by the city. 

    Shao told a press conference yesterday CNTA is pleased the bilateral tourism relationship is moving in a new, positive direction. 

    The nations signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last December to open outbound tour-group travel from China to the U. S. 

    After five months of talks, CNTA and the U. S. Department of Commerce agreed on the details, saying they would move forward in steps. The first phase will last six months, during which time only nine provinces and municipalities can organize U. S. -bound tour groups, Shao said. Group members must be residents with hukou (permanent residence registrations) in Beijing, Tianjin or Shanghai municipalities, or Hebei, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces, he said. 

    Domestic tour operators with licenses in the nine municipalities and provinces to run outbound tourism operations can organize U. S. -bound tour groups, he said. There are no restrictions on tourists' U. S. destinations. 

    Launching the first phase should bring any problems to the surface, CNTA marketing and communications department director Zhu Shanzhong said. "At the end of the six-month period, we will sit down and talk about what to do in the next phase." 

    U. S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said the increased visitation from China would help reduce the US trade deficit with China. 

    Partly because the U. S. now issues tourist visas only to individuals in China, and few Chinese are aware of such visas, the country's trade deficit with China in the sector stands at 685 million U. S. dollars, he said. 

    The MOU would open China's market to the U. S., and businesses, including tour operators, airlines, hotels and banks, are expected to benefit. 

    Noel Irwin Hentschel, chairman and CEO of Americantours International LLC, told China Daily she expects dramatic increases in visitations from China, which could start from 2009. 

    Dennis C.M. Wong, general sales manager of the Northern China region of United Airlines, said the airline would also benefit in the long term, with profits likely to rise by at least 10 percent.

    Source: China Daily]]></full-text>
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<title>Age-old heritage site victim of quake in SW China</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412184</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90874/6412184.html</link>
<image>
<url>http://english.people.com.cn/mediafile/200805/16/F200805161040048723117572.jpg</url>
<title>Sanxingdui Ruins Museum, the age-old heritage site, became one of the victims of the Monday earthquake in western China. (File Photo)</title>
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<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 10:41:27 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Guanghan county, located some 40 km northeast of Sichuan capital Chengdu, is known as the very place where the puzzling prehistoric Sanxingdui ruins were excavated in the 1980s. 

    The age-old heritage site became one of the victims of ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Guanghan county, located some 40 km northeast of Sichuan capital Chengdu, is known as the very place where the puzzling prehistoric Sanxingdui ruins were excavated in the 1980s. 

    The age-old heritage site became one of the victims of the Monday earthquake in western China. 

    The walls of the world-renowned Sanxingdui Ruins Museum were damaged in the disaster that has claimed the lives of thousands and counting. 

    On the second and third floors of the museum, some 20 sets of 3,000- to 4,000-year-old ceramic utensils that were featured on display - fell to the ground, shattering to pieces. 

Two local women in Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture. Qi Enzhi
    Immediate reports after the quake, however, indicated the museum's bronzeware remained intact. 

    Found by local farmers in 1929, the prehistoric Sanxingdui remnants first stunned the world in the 1980s. Since then, further excavations have led to other considerable archaeological findings. 

    Since 1929, more than 10,000 relics from 3,000- to 5,000-year-ago have been discovered from the site. 

    Archaeologists around the world were excited by the unearthing of large palatial remains in 1980, the remnants of eastern, western and southern walls in 1984, and the findings of two large sacrificial pits in 1986. 

    These discoveries prove that Sanxingdui contains the ruins of an ancient city, previously the political, economic and cultural center of the ancient Shu Kingdom. 

     A metropolis of its time, Sanxingdui boasted highly developed mining and agricultural systems, and produced ceramics and sacrificial tools. 

    Before the excavation of Sanxingdui, it was believed that Sichuan had a history dating back only 3,000 years. Now, it is believed that civilized culture first appeared in the province 5,000 years ago. 

    Archaeologists further believe the Sanxingdui ruins dispel theories insisting the Yellow River was the sole starting point of Chinese civilization. 

    The prehistorical Sanxingdui civilization has puzzled historians. There are several theories surrounding the fall of the ancient civilization because it disappeared with little trace - except for trinkets left behind that are unlike those found in other periods of Chinese history. 

    As news about China's massive earthquake continues to travel across the globe, a Canadian teacher recalls fond memories of his time spent schooling students in the affected Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture area in Sichuan province. 

    Martin Padgett became the first foreign teacher at Aba Teachers College in 2003. 

    His heart skipped a beat when he first learned about the earthquake. 

    In Sichuan's Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture, near the epicenter Wenchuan county, at least 160 are reported dead, 725 injured and 11 missing. 

    Aba's neighboring Ganzi Tibetan autonomous prefecture, also suffered a comparatively low number of casualties. 

    "Fortunately, I have received word that the students and teachers at the college are safe," Padgett wrote China Daily from Toronto. "Photos taken by air after the earthquake show the students and teachers camped in the sports field. The buildings are all standing." 

    Aba today is perhaps best known as a popular tourist destination. 

    Its name can be traced back to more than 1,200 years, when Songtsen Gampo, the Great King of Tubo (now Tibet), expanded his reign to the area. He moved people from western Tibet's Nagri to settle in Sichuan. The people called themselves "Aliwa" (children of Nagri), which gradually became Aba. 

    Aba county, for which the prefecture is named, is located 509 km away from the provincial capital Chengdu and 246 km away from the prefecture's capital Maerkang. 

    Some 60,000 residents in the county have 48 monasteries that include all sects of Tibetan Buddhism. The Nangshig Monastery is the biggest site of the primitive Bon Religionhe upco	]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>First tour group to leave for US</title>
<NEWS_ID>6411884</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90884/6411884.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 08:35:43 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[The first United States-bound Chinese leisure tour group is set to depart on June 17, signaling a new era in Sino-US relations, a senior official said.

Shao Qiwei, head of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), will escort the ina ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[The first United States-bound Chinese leisure tour group is set to depart on June 17, signaling a new era in Sino-US relations, a senior official said.

Shao Qiwei, head of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), will escort the inaugural tour group to Washington DC. Their arrival will coincide with the fourth China-US Strategic Economic Dialogue, which would be hosted by the city.

Shao told a press conference yesterday CNTA is pleased the bilateral tourism relationship is moving in a new, positive direction.

The nations signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last December to open outbound tour-group travel from China to the US.

After five months of talks, CNTA and the US Department of Commerce agreed on the details, saying they would move forward in steps. The first phase will last six months, during which time only nine provinces and municipalities can organize US-bound tour groups, Shao said. Group members must be residents with hukou (permanent residence registrations) in Beijing, Tianjin or Shanghai municipalities, or Hebei, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces, he said.

Domestic tour operators with licenses in the nine municipalities and provinces to run outbound tourism operations can organize US-bound tour groups, he said. There are no restrictions on tourists' US destinations.

Launching the first phase should bring any problems to the surface, CNTA marketing and communications department director Zhu Shanzhong said. "At the end of the six-month period, we will sit down and talk about what to do in the next phase."

US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said the increased visitation from China would help reduce the US trade deficit with China.

Partly because the US now issues tourist visas only to individuals in China, and few Chinese are aware of such visas, the country's trade deficit with China in the sector stands at $685 million, he said.

The MOU would open China's market to the US, and businesses, including tour operators, airlines, hotels and banks, are expected to benefit.

Noel Irwin Hentschel, chairman and CEO of Americantours International LLC, told China Daily she expects dramatic increases in visitations from China, which could start from 2009.

Dennis C.M. Wong, general sales manager of the Northern China region of United Airlines, said the airline would also benefit in the long term, with profits likely to rise by at least 10 percent.

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>583 suspected HFMD cases recorded in Mongolia</title>
<NEWS_ID>6411822</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90880/6411822.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 08:23:43 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[A total of 583 suspected hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) cases have been recorded in Mongolia, the country's General Authority for Emergency Management(GAEM) said Thursday. 

    The cases were reported in the Mongolian capital and 10 prov ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[A total of 583 suspected hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) cases have been recorded in Mongolia, the country's General Authority for Emergency Management(GAEM) said Thursday. 

    The cases were reported in the Mongolian capital and 10 provinces, the GAEM said, adding that there have been no deaths yet. 

    Mongolia has set up an emergency committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Miegombyn Enkhbold to take measures to prevent the spread of the epidemic. 

    The first suspected HFMD case in Mongolia was reported on May 8in the Mongolian capital. 

    HFMD is a common illness among infants and children and characterized by fever, sores in the mouth and a rash with blisters. 

    Individual cases and outbreaks of HFMD occur regularly worldwide, more frequently in the summer and early autumn. In the past decade, major outbreaks of HFMD attributable to EV71 have been reported in southeast Asia including Malaysia in 1997 and China in 1998.
 
Source: Xinhua]]></full-text>
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<item>
<title>178 enterovirus cases reported in Macao</title>
<NEWS_ID>6411814</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90880/6411814.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 08:21:28 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[A total of 178 enterovirus cases, including 17 EV 71 infections, were confirmed in Macao to date, the Department of Heath (SSM) of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) announced on Thursday. 

    The SSM said in a press statemen ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[A total of 178 enterovirus cases, including 17 EV 71 infections, were confirmed in Macao to date, the Department of Heath (SSM) of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) announced on Thursday. 

    The SSM said in a press statement that 12 new enterovirus cases, comprising hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) and herpangina (mouth blisters), were reported on Thursday. 

    By far, collective enterovirus infections were found in four local crche and two primary schools, while only the Tung Sin Tong II crche, where the first local HFMD case was recorded, is closed, according to the SSM. 

    EV71 is one of the most common types of enterovirus that can cause HFMD, which usually starts with a slight fever followed by blisters and ulcers in the mouth and rashes on the hands and feet, according to information posted on the website of China's Health Ministry. If the disease develops, it can lead to death. 

    Meanwhile, three cases of enterovirus cases previously confirmed as EV71 infections were excluded from the list after further diagnoses, and none of the local enterovirus cases were serious so far, according to the statement.  

Source: Xinhua]]></full-text>
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<item>
<title>Beijing reports second fatal case of rabies this year</title>
<NEWS_ID>6411791</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90880/6411791.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 08:20:31 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Beijing health authorities on Thursday reported the second human death from rabies this year. 

    The victim, a 40-year-old man, was a resident in Beijing's Fangshan District, a spokesman of Beijing Municipal Health Bureau said. 

    ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Beijing health authorities on Thursday reported the second human death from rabies this year. 

    The victim, a 40-year-old man, was a resident in Beijing's Fangshan District, a spokesman of Beijing Municipal Health Bureau said. 

    Two months ago, a stray dog bit his thumb of the right hand, but he was not vaccinated against the rabies virus, nor did he go to a clinic for treatment. He just sterilized the wound with ethyl alcohol himself. 

    Symptoms of the disease appeared on May 7 and he died three days later in hospital. 

    Beijing had reported a death from rabies in March. The victim, a 48-year-old man, was born in northern Hebei Province and worked as a stoker at a company in the southern Daxing District. 

    The spokesman said Beijing reported few incidents of rabies. From 1994 to 2004, no cases of rabies had occurred in the municipality. Since August 2005, there have been seven deaths from the disease. 

    Beijing is vaccinating about 700,000 dogs registered in the city in a bid to prevent rabies. 

    The annual anti-rabies inoculation, which started on May 1 and will last till June 30, is free of charge.
 
Source: Xinhua]]></full-text>
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