Batter Health

Brazilian boy's custody granted to U.S. father

2009-06-30T14:48:00.000-07:00

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 1 (Xinhua) -- A Brazilian court ruled Monday evening that the boy Sean Goldman, whose custody is being disputed by his American father and Brazilian stepfather, is to return to the United States.

The court ruling said the child's stepfather Joao Paulo Lins e Silva with whom Sean has been living so far, must return the boy in 48 hours. The Federal Police will monitor the family to avoid an escape attempt.

Nine-year-old Sean have lived in the U.S. with his parents, David Goldman and Bruna Bianchi, until he was four. After the parents divorced in 2004, the mother was granted full custody and moved back to Brazil.

Since then, a fierce court battle has been occurring with the father alleging that Bianchi kidnapped his son. Last year, the case took a new direction when Bianchi died of complications from the birth of her daughter.

The Goldman case became famous over the years after David Goldman appeared in several U.S. talk shows. In March, when Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited Washington D.C., he discussed the case with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama, saying Sean's case was to be decided by the courts only.

Sean's stepfather Lins e Silva said he will appeal against the judge's decision. According to his lawyer Sergio Tostes, the judge did not take into consideration Sean's repeated statements that he wished to stay in Brazil with his sister and stepfather.

"It is a violence never seen before in the Brazilian courts," Tostes said.

Man stands trial for murdering wife in New Zealand

2009-06-30T14:47:00.001-07:00

WELLINGTON, June 2 (Xinhua) -- A man stood trial on Tuesday in Auckland on charges of murdering his wife and abandoning his young daughter at a railway station in Melbourne.

Nai Yin Xue, 55, of Chinese origin, was charged with murdering his wife An An Liu, 28, in September 2007.

When asked to enter a plea in the High Court in Auckland on Tuesday, Xue denied that he was guilty, saying that he was innocent, Radio New Zealand reported.

The jury has been selected and is made up of 12 women.

Qian Xun Xue, 3, was found alone in Melbourne a few days before her mother's body was discovered in the boot of a car in Auckland, according to the report, which did not tell when the body was found.

Xue was arrested months later in the United States.

No further reports about the case are available.

Priest dismissed for beating drug patients

2009-06-30T14:47:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 29 (Xinhuanet) -- A Serbian Orthodox priest -- who headed a drug addiction treatment centre -- was fired by the Serbian Orthodox Church after a video showed him beating and punching patients with a shovel.

Bishop Artemije announced Wednesday dismissal of priest Branislav Peranovic at the Crna Reka center, about 300km southwest of Belgrade,Wednesday.

Artemije saidan investigation has been ordered into Peranovic's activities and the centermay be shut down if investigators determine violence occurs there.

It is open for the time being, after numerous pleadings by the patients -- there are around 200 people currently receiving treatment at the centre -- and their parents, the Bishop said.

"We are also asking state authorities to investigate the matter and punish those responsible," hesaid.

(Agencies)

Panda Lin Hui in Thailand delivers first baby

2009-06-30T14:46:00.001-07:00

BANGKOK, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Lin Hui, the female panda in a zoo of Thailand's northern province of Chiang Mai delivered her first baby on Wednesday morning, Thailand's Zoological Park Organization Director Sophon Damnui said.

Earlier, local media reported that Lin Hui delivered twin babies, but later the zoo officially announced that it was not the twin pandas, but it was only a baby panda.

Shortly after shaking and pushing, Lin Hui delivered her baby at 10:39 a.m., local time, Prasertsak Boontrakulpoonthawee, head of the zoo's panda section, said.

The newly-born panda is estimated to weight 200 grams, according to Sophon.

However, the zoo could not identify the gender of the newly-born panda since Lin Hui does not let zoo officials to get close to it, Sophon said.

In February 2009, Lin Hui was impregnated with artificial insemination.

Lin Hui's delivery was already reported to China's government and has asked China to send baby panda experts to Chiang Mai, said Prasertsak.

On Thursday at 2.0 p.m. Thailand's time, two experts of baby pandas from China will arrive at Thailand to take care of the newly-born pandas in Chiang Mai, said Sophon.

Female panda Lin Hui and male panda Xuang Xuang have been on loan from China to Chiang Mai zoo since 2003, as part of a panda research program.

The loan agreement will see the two pandas and their offspring returned to China after 10 years.

Hero horse recommended for bravery medal in Australia

2009-06-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

SYDNEY May 27 (Xinhua) -- A retired police horse which saved four sheep and two goats from being burned to death during a fierce bushfire in Australia in February has been recommended for a bravery medal on Wednesday.

The big Clydesdale horse named Paddy rounded up the smaller animals and had them stand under his massive frame as the bushfire raged through their paddock on February 7 in Victoria.

The terrible bushfires killed 173 people and countless livestock, making it the deadliest bushfire in Australian history, but the heartwarming story of Paddy the hero horse is one bit of good news.

Paddy served in police parades as a drum horse and was retired to the farm of former police officer Mike Salmon at Happy Valley north of Melbourne.

Salmon said he released the sheep and goats from their pens into Paddy's paddock, hoping they would evade the fire.

He watched in amazement as the big horse rounded up the animals and sheltered them under his great frame.

Salmon hosed the horse down every half hour or so but Paddy never moved as embers fell from the sky.

"If the sheep moved Paddy rounded them up and brought them back to the corner where they waited under him," Salmon told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio network.

The horse has been recommended for a bravery award with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Canadian governor eats seal heart raw to support hunters

2009-06-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Canada's Governor General Michalle Jeancut out the heart of a seal and ate it rawto show her support for the country's seal hunters.

Jean, the representative of Queen Elizabeth II as Canada's head of state, gutted the seal and swallowed a slice of the mammal's heart lateMonday during an official Arctic trip.AEU vote earlier this month banned seal products on grounds that the seal hunt is cruel.

Sheknelt over the carcass of a freshly slaughtered seal and used a traditional ulu blade to cut through the flesh and slice off some meat. She then asked one of her hosts: "Could I try the heart?"

Jean said it was "absolutely delicious" and tasted "like sushi," according to images broadcast by a television channel.

"And it's very rich in protein," she added.

As she wiped the blood off her fingers with a tissue, Jean explained her support for Canada's traditional Inuit seal hunt and trade, which some fear will be devastated by a European ban on seal products.

Jean expressed dismay that people would call the traditional hunting practices inhumane.

(Agencies)

Zookeeper killed in tiger attack in New Zealand

2009-06-30T14:44:00.001-07:00

WELLINGTON, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A zookeeper died on Wednesday after being attacked by a white tiger at a wildlife park near New Zealand's North Island city of Whangarei, Radio New Zealand reported on Wednesday.

Police said Dalu Mncube was killed by a white tiger while cleaning an enclosure with another keeper at the Zion Wildlife Gardens.

Despite the best efforts of the other staff members who rushed to his aid, the male tiger would not let Mncube go and he died at the scene from "tearing" injuries to his head, torso and lower leg, the radio reported.

The white tiger, one of only 120 in the world, has been put down and the park has been closed, while police and Department of Labor staff investigate further.

Eight foreign tourists on a tour of the park have witnessed the attack. The park is home to 42 rare lions and tigers.

Ugandan police investigates man forcing wife breast-feed dogs

2009-06-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

KAMPALA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- The police in eastern Uganda is investigating a case in Pallisa district where a woman was forced by her husband to breast-feed his dogs, a police spokesperson said here on Tuesday.

Judith Nabakooba, Uganda Police Force spokesperson told Xinhua by telephone that Nathan Amoloi forced his wife Jennifer Alupot to breast-feed his five puppies since his cows were taken by her family as bride price.

"Investigations are still going on, the man was arrested but later released on police bond," Nabakooba said.

Police arrested Amoloi on May 4 but released him the following day and label his wife an insane woman.

Matia Kasaija, minister of state for internal affairs said that a team of investigators from the Criminal Investigation Department headquartered in Kampala will be sent to Pallisa to bring the case to a logical conclusion.

"This is a serious matter. I will ensure that this woman gets justice," Kasaija was quoted as saying by the state-owned New Vision daily on Tuesday.

"How can a man force his wife to breast-feed dogs? How can such a thing happen in this modern world where we have Police?" he wondered, promising to hold accountable the police officers in the district if investigations show they mishandled the case.

The couple, now 11 years in marriage, lost its third-born-child, who was sharing his mother's breasts with the puppies, to suspected rabies early last year. Rabies is a fatal viral disease that causes acute inflammation of the brain in humans and other mammals.

"I produced four children but one of them died last year. I now have a three-month-old baby but my husband has been forcing me to share the breast milk with his five puppies," Alupot was quoted assaying by the New Vision.

Alupot's case has caused angry reactions especially from women activists calling for the hanging of Amoloi.

The Association of Female Lawyers in Uganda has offered free legal services to Alupot to ensure she gets justice.

Man sucks snake venom to save his dog

2009-06-30T14:43:00.001-07:00

BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhuanet)-- A farmer saved his
dog's life without caring for his ownafter sucking rattlesnake venom out
of his canine'snose.

Bobby Jenkins began feeling ill after he sucked the venom. Hedidn't bother to go to a hospital until he took
his dog, Tank,to the vet.

Jenkinsreceived four vials of antivenin.
Hehasrecovered now and sohis dog.

Tank had been bitten after running under some
equipment on the family ranch.

(Agencies)

Migrant worker gets jail term for setting time bomb on city bus

2009-06-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

GUANGZHOU, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A local court in south China's Guangdong Province Tuesday convicted a migrant worker who set a time bomb on a city bus last August of jeopardizing public security and sentenced him to six years in prison.

When contacted by Xinhua Wednesday, Haizhu District Court in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, confirmed that after the verdict was read out, Huang Xin, the convict, told them he believed the penalty was too heavy and would appeal his case.

The court was told that Huang Xin, 25 and a native of Binyang County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, worked as a transient worker with a factory in Huadu District of Guangzhou. He had also developed a hobby playing a lottery game called "mark six".

Around 3 p.m. Aug.21, Huang got onto a city bus No.125 with a homemade time bomb which was attached to a letter for Guangzhou City Mayor Zhang Guangning demanding Zhang and Guangzhou Nanfang Metropolis Daily, a local newspaper, to text message the winning lottery numbers to his cell phone. He placed the bomb beneath a seat close to the rear tires on the left before he got off, said the prosecutors.

The bomb went off around 4 p.m. on the same day when the bus was passing through Haizhu District, a downtown area in Guangzhou, blowing a hole in the bus deck.

The accident didn't cause any death or injuries as there was only one passenger and the bus driver onboard when the explosion occurred.

Huang was detained from his factory dorm the next day. He was formally arrested in September.

The Haizhu District Court opened its first hearing on Huang's case in January, but didn't produce a ruling because Huang's lawyer insisted his client's behavior was weird -- asking for the lottery's winning numbers by issuing a threat to the mayor and even the newspaper -- and demanded an assessment of Huang's mental fitness.

Tuesday's hearing was focused on Huang's mental health.

The prosecutors Tuesday presented a certificate produced by Guangzhou Mental Illness Hospital claiming Huang had not suffered a history of mental illness and was fully capable of controlling his actions when he was committing the crime. The certificate was signed and sealed by three medical doctors.

The prosecutors theorized that Huang planted the time bomb on the city bus in order to get the lottery's winning numbers. "Though he alerted the police about the bomb, Huang asked the police for the winning numbers with a new threat saying there would be an explosion on the bus," said one prosecutor, who blamed poor education for Huang's strange behavior.

The court ruled that Huang had committed a crime that endangered the safety of lives and the health of the public, and of corporate property.

On hearing the penalty, Huang expressed remorse and demanded lenient treatment by the court.

According to Chinese laws, Huang should submit a written document within ten working days from Tuesday if he intends to appeal his case to a higher court.

Girl: not all roads lead to romance

2009-06-30T14:42:00.001-07:00

BEIJING, May 25 -- A young man tried to impress his
girlfriend by swimming to the middle of a river using one hand while holding a
bunch of red roses with the other.

Yang, 27, of Zhejiang province, was hoping to keep
the girl after they've been together for four months.

On Tuesday morning, he swam 40 m and then climbed up
a contrete island in the middle of the river posing as The Thinker, a famous
work by French sculptor Auguste Rodin, for at least 30 minutes. He asked police
to bring his girlfriend to see him otherwise he wouldn't leave.

The girl, Wang, 23, of Jilin province, showed up but
wasn't flattered with Yang's scheme.

(Source: China Daily/Modern Jinbao)

Village told to change name or it won't exist

2009-06-30T14:42:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 25 -- A village had to change its name, or character, because
the name includes two rarely used Chinese characters that can't be found in a
new police computer system.

The characters for "Tang" and "Lu" have been used for decades but Tanglu
residents who tried to get a marriage certificate had trouble since the
computers didn't recognize their hometown marked on their ID cards.

The system also became a problem for those seeking employment, travelers
and those doing real estate transactions.

Some villagers and experts said changing the village's name is damaging to
their culture and customs but police said it would be too expensive to change
the computer programs.

(Source: China Daily/Yangcheng Evening News)

Grateful dog helps master collect and guard bottles

2009-06-30T14:41:00.001-07:00

A dog is showing his appreciation to his new master by collecting empty bottles for him in Dalian city, Liaoning province.(Xinhua Photo)
Photo Gallery

BEIJING, May 24 -- A dog is showing his appreciation to his new master by collecting empty bottles for him in Dalian city, Liaoning province.

Wang, who makes a living by collecting and selling empty bottles, saw the small dog sobbing outside his house one morning in April.

After Wang gave the dog some food and water, it refused to leave and struck with him.

The dog is also a good guard. If anyone takes a bottle from his truck, the dog chases after them and barks until the bottle is retrieved.

(Source: China Daily)

Bad environment makes birds good singers

2009-06-30T14:41:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 24 -- A hostile environment and inconsistent weather may explain why some birds become better singers than others, and also likely have superior learning and mating skills, a study said Thursday.

The research is based on a large-scale study of mockingbirds in different habitats carried out by researchers at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) in Durham, North Carolina, the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology and McGill University.

"As environments become more variable or unpredictable, song displays become more elaborate," said Carlos Botero, a post-doctoral researcher at NESCent.

"Survival and reproduction become more complicated when weather patterns are unpredictable because you don't know when food will be available or how long it will be around."

And for female birds, "the consequences of picking a mediocre mate are magnified in harsher climes," he said.

Male mockingbirds sing mainly to impress mates, so superior singing skills suggest that a male is a good catch, according to Botero. But males that sing more complex songs also "tend to carry fewer parasites, and have offspring that are more likely to survive," Botero said.

Songbirds are not born knowing how to sing, and have to learn their songs over time. Botero and colleagues believe that this song-learning ability is a sign of broader learning ability.

"Birds that sing better are telling others, at least indirectly: Hey, I'm a good learner," said Botero.

Botero searched sound archives around the world and traveled the southern hemisphere to tape bird songs in the wild, recording nearly 100 tracks from 29 mockingbird species.

He later used computer programs to convert each sound recording into a sound graph, then compared the patterns to a database of temperature and precipitation records.

The study appeared in the US journal Current Biology.

(Source: China Daily)

Angry passerby pushes a "suicide jumper" off a bridge in S China

2009-06-30T14:40:00.001-07:00

GUANGZHOU, May 23 (Xinhua) -- A passerby pushed off a
would-be "suicide jumper" off a bridge in Guangzhou city, southern China's
Guangdong province, for he was "too angry about the jumper's selfish activity,"
Saturday's China Daily reported.

Passerby Lai Jiansheng (L) pushes off a
would-be "suicide jumper", Chen Fuchao,off Haizhu bridge in
Guangzhou city, southern China's Guangdong province, May 21, 2009. (Photo:
Guangzhou Daily)
Photo
Gallery

The jumper, Chen Fuchao, attempted to become the
twelfth "suicide jumper" of the Haizhu bridge which has gained a reputation as a
macabre tourist destination after attracting 11 would-be suicide jumpers since
the start of April.

Chen Fuchao falls off a
bridgeafter being pushed by Lai Jiansheng in Guangzhou city,
southern China's Guangdong province, May 21, 2009.(Photo: Guangzhou
Daily)
Photo
Gallery

Lai Jiansheng, the 66-year-old man happened to pass
by the Haizhu bridge on Thursday morning when he found Chen sit at the bridge
threatening to jump off and had held up traffic around the bridge for almost
five hours.

Chen wanted to kill himself because he was in 2
million yuan of debt following a failed construction project.

After knowing the situation, Lai volunteered to talk
with the Chen to persuade him. After denied by the police, he broken through a
police cordon and climbed up to where Chen sat.

Lai first greeted Chen with a handshake, and then he
pushed him off the bridge. Chen fell 8 meters onto a partially-inflated
emergency air cushion, damaging his spine and elbow in the fall.

"I pushed him off because jumpers like Chen are very
selfish. Their action violates a lot of public interest," Lai said.

Lai Jiansheng greets the crowd after he
pushed off would-be "suicide jumper" Chen Fuchaoon Haizhu bridge in
Guangzhou city, southern China's Guangdong province, May 21,
2009.(Photo: Guangzhou Daily)
Photo
Gallery

"They do not really dare to kill themselves. Instead,
they just want to raise the relevant government authorities' attention to their
appeals," he added.

Lai was taken away by police after the incident. Chen
is now recovering in hospital.

Police sources said many suicidal people had
financial troubles, such as unpaid wages and some suffered from medical
conditions and injuries from workplace accidents.

"Traffic across the Haizhu Bridge, which is widely
regarded as an important scenic attraction, become worse," said a spokesman with
the Guangzhou public security bureau.

He said the situation caused chaos to residents,
adding that the city had to send a rescue vessel, an ambulance, several police
cars and fire engines each time when there was a "jumper."

Nepali Sherpa scales Qomolangma for historic 19th time

2009-06-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

BEIJING,May 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Nepalese Apa
Sherpa climbed Mount Qomolangma for a record 19th time, breaking his own record
set last year.

The 49-year-oldSherpa reached to the top
ofthe world's highest peakThursday morning, officials said.

ASalt Lake City resident since 2006, Sherpa has
made it to the summit of Everest 19 of the past 20 years and completed the
amazing task for eight straight years. The next closest total was 16 going into
this spring's climbing season.

The 5-foot-4, 120-pound Sherpa from the village of
Thame said: "Up to the 17th time in 2007 I climbed as a professional, as part of
my occupation," according to the Web site tracking the progress of his most
recent expedition.

"But last year I climbed to raise funds for a school
in Thame. In addition to raising money for Nepali school kids." Apa also plans
to remove more than two tons of garbage from Mount
Qomolangma.

The summit season on Everest begins in late April and
May when a small window between the spring and summer monsoon offers the best
conditions for making the ascent.

More than 100 climbers have already made it to the
top this spring season, in which 29 expedition teams are in action.

(Agencies)

Wow! a giant shoe

2009-06-30T14:39:00.001-07:00

A girl looks at a giant shoe, which is 140cm long, 66cm wide, 50cm tall and weighs 60kg, at a shoe shop in Lianyungang, a coastal city in east China's Jiangsu province, May 21, 2009. This shoe was made of high-quality pure leather and is displayed for promotional purpose. (Xinhua/Wang Chun)
Photo Gallery

A kid views a giant shoe, which is 140cm long, 66cm wide, 50cm tall and weighs 60kg, at a shoe shop in Lianyungang, a coastal city in east China's Jiangsu province, May 21, 2009. This shoe was made of high-quality pure leather and is displayed for promotional purpose. (Xinhua/Wang Chun)
Photo Gallery

Russian woman to challenge ban on female train drivers

2009-06-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Her appeal to drive metro trains was turned down by the Supreme Court, but 22-year-old Anna Klevets will challengeRussian lawthat prohibits womenfrom driving.

The Supreme Court Thursday rejected a St. Petersburg woman's appeal on the grounds that women cannot work with dangerous heavy equipment, Itar-Tass news agency reported.

Klevets will now appeal to a St Petersburg court to challenge the working conditions on the city's metro and make it acceptable for women, newspaper Izvestia said, quoting lawyer Galina Yenyutina at the Centre for Social and Labour Rights.

"We need to create equal, safe working conditions, so that men as well as women can work in safety," she said.

Klevets applied to work as an assistant driver on the chandeliered underground system in Russia's second city, St Petersburg, last November. But she was turned down following the ban on women driving trains.

(Agencies)

Pet tortoise grows up to 40kg in S China

2009-06-30T14:38:00.001-07:00

Two kids frolick with a giant
tortoise weighing over 20 kg, at Jiaji Township, Qionghai City, south
China's Hainan Province, May 21, 2009. A local citizen surnamed Huang
purchased then a quarter-kg-weight African spurred tortoise, or the Geochelone
sulcata in Latin, and brought it back to breed as a pet some 4 years ago.
Now it has grown up to over 40 kg. (Xinhua/Meng Zhongde)
Photo Gallery

A giant tortoise weighing over 20 kg
grazes on the grass, at Jiaji Township, Qionghai City, south China's
Hainan Province, May 21, 2009.(Xinhua/Meng Zhongde)
Photo Gallery

Utah boy beats record for most snails on face

2009-06-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhuanet) -- An 11-year-old Utah boy covered his face with 43 live snails to break a world record of putting the most snails onface.

Fin Keheler from Sandy allowed 43 of the slimy mollusks to be put on his face Saturday. He wants the Guinness World Records to verify his effort.

Keleher had to keep 37 snails on his face for ten seconds. It took him two tries before he was successful and when he counted them, 43 of the slimy creatures had stayed on his face.

The snails were gathered from neighbors' gardens and Keleher'sfamily helped put them onhis face.

(Agencies)

Woman abandons high heels to chase thieves

2009-06-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

(Photo:China Daily)
Photo Gallery

 BEIJING, May 21 -- A young woman rescued her notebook computer from
two thieves after she jumped out of her high-heels and chased the suspects in
Wuchang, Hubei province, on Sunday.

Feng, 27, sprinted into action after her bag was grabbed. It contained her
computer, bankcards and cash.

Feng chased the men and shouted for help at the same time. After they ran
for 400 meters, they dropped the bag and fled.

(Source: China Daily)

NZ police hunt couple after 10 mln NZ dollar banking error

2009-06-30T14:36:00.002-07:00

WELLINGTON, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand police were hunting a couple who were thought to have fled with millions of dollars after a banking error, New Zealand media reported on Thursday.

The couple, who ran a service station in the North Island city of Rotorua, are understood to have applied to Westpac Bank for a 10,000 NZ dollar (6,000 U.S. dollars) overdraft and mistakenly had10 million NZ dollars paid into their account.

Police said that some of the money had been withdrawn.

The bank account owners had since disappeared and the Interpol had been called in to help find them.

Police were currently conducting an investigation into the individuals that may have been involved in the withdrawal of that sum of money.

The service station has since closed its doors after going intoreceivership.

The Westpac said court action had begun to recover the money but refused to comment further.

Tiger and lion get up close and personal

2009-06-30T14:36:00.001-07:00

BEIJING, May 20 -- A 4-year-old tiger and a lion
were doing well after workers at the Badaling Wildlife Park encouraged them to
live together on Monday.

Over the years, they took walks
and often kissed, Zookeepers said, and they moved to the zoo last week.

Zookeepers hope they would mate sometime this year
and produce the first hybrid.

(Source: China Daily/Beijing Evening
News)

Forbidden to see girl, boy locks parents in room

2009-06-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

(Photo:China Daily)
Photo Gallery

BEIJING, May 20 -- A teenager in Changle, Fujian province, locked his
parents in their bedroom after they ordered him to stay away from a girl he
liked.

Lin and his wife felt the boy, 19, was too young to be in love and locked
him in his room. They released him after he vowed not to meet the girl.

However, after his parents went to bed one night last week, the boy locked
them inside their room and went to see the girl.

They had to call police to open the door. They told police that their son
fell in love with the girl and purchased a gift for the girl's birthday.

((Source: China Daily/ Strait News)

Chinese "Forrest Gump" to run marathon from Hohhot to Lhasa

2009-06-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

HOHHOT, North China, May 20 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese
marathon lover decided to run from north China's Hohhot, capital of Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region, all the way to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region this
summer.

Ren Weidong, nicknamed Chinese Forrest Gump, who
participated in all the 12 international marathons held in China last year, said
he will spend two months to run from his hometown Hohhot to Lhasa, where he will
cap his bold plan with a following plateau marathon.

The 50-year-old has made his name early this year by
running from Hohhot to Chinese capital Beijing within six days.

Ren said he is about to leave Hohhot on June 6 and
finish the run on August 15 before taking part in the Lhasa international
marathon on August 22.

The awe-inspiring run, covering 3,974 km, starts from
Inner Mongolia and go through northwest China's Shannxi, Ningxia Hui Autonomous
Region, Gansu and Qinghai, and ends in Tibet.

The marathon will definitely become a hard test while
Ren is entering Qinghai and Tibet, which form the main body of the lofty
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Ren said he has to make much prep work for this stage
where the oxygen level is only half of that on plain and the altitude is at
least 4,000 meters above sea level, some part even above 6,000 meters.

Tibet to hold 4th Int'l Halfway Marathon Tournament

BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Tibet's capital of Lhasa will hold the fourth International Halfway Marathon Challenge Tournament on Aug. 22, which is during the Shoton Festival (yogurt banquet in the Tibetan language).

Participants in the first International Halfway Marathon Challenge Tournament start to race on the square of the Potala Palace on Sep. 12, 2004. (Source: People's Daily)
Photo Gallery

Launched in 2004, the competition will be held in Lhasa, which is known to be at the highest altitude of over 3,000 m above sea level in the world. Full story

Indian man finishes 90th marathon in U.S.

NEW DELHI, May 18 (Xinhua) -- India's grand old marathon man Ashis Roy has completed his 90th marathon, finishing the Delaware Marathon in Wilmington, the United States, in a time of six hours and 32 minutes, reported the Indo-Asian News Service Monday.

The 76-year-old Roy was the oldest of 600 participants in the match. It took him nine minutes more to finish the 26-mile run Sunday than he did in the Potomac River Run Marathon in Alexandria two weeks ago, said the report. Full story

Woman charged with beating husband

2009-06-30T14:34:00.001-07:00

BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhuanet) -- A 78-year-old woman
has been charged with beating her 84-year-old husband because she believed he
wasunfaithful several times during the marriage.

Prosecutors said the Lynnwood womanhit her
husbandwith a bowl, pipe and carpet sweeper. He suffered broken ribs,
pelvis and a wrist.

The womanwas chargedThursday with
second-degree assault after her arrest late last month. She willremain in
jail on $70,000 bail.

"I beat him again," the woman
wrote in the diary, which was recovered by police. "I told him it would be worth
going to jail just to watch him bleed to death," she wrote.

A witness told police the woman believed her husband
had an affair 35 years ago, according to court documents.

(Agencies)

£¨ÐÂ»ªÍøËØ²Ä£©German woman attacked for "overpriced asparagus"

2009-06-30T14:34:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhuanet) -- A German man beat up a 24-year-old
womanbecause he felther pricingofasparagus sounded like
an overpriced,according to police Monday.

They said the vegetable vendor was beaten by the motorist because he was
angry at her asking price for asparaguswhich fluctuates wildly during the
short springtime season.

The springtime vegetable is sold for 10 euros per kilo--the highest in the
spring--early in the season.

According to the woman, the man screamed at the woman that her asparagus
was overpriced. He then punched her in the face and threatened to unleash his
attack dog at her. She fled and called police.

(Agencies)

Nepali 80-year-old former minister to scale Mt. Qomolangma

2009-06-30T14:33:00.001-07:00

KATHMANDU, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Nepal's former foreign minister Shailendra Kumar Upadhyaya, aged 80, is set to embark on an adventurous expedition of scaling Mt. Qomolangma, the world's highest mountain.

A golfer hits a shot against the background of Mount Qomolangma, the world's highest peak at 8,848 metres (29,029 ft), near Namche Bazar, Nepal,March 5, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Photo Gallery

Upadhyaya announced his ambitious plan at a press
conference held in Kathmandu Sunday.

Speaking at the press conference, Tourism Minister
Hisila Yami said Upadhyay's bid should bean encouragement to
youths.

3 Nepali celebrities to ride to north Mt. Qomolangma base camp

KATHMANDU, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Three Nepali celebrities are riding motorcycles to Mt. Qomolangma base camp.

Olympian Deepak Bista, pop singer Nima Rumba and TV presenter and model Suraj Singh Thakuri are going to climb the north Mt. Qomolangma Base Camp in China by riding motorcycle from Kathmandu, from July 18.

Morang Auto Works, the sole authorized dealer of YAMAHA motorcycles for Nepal, is providing the opportunity for the riding enthusiasts of FZ 16 to be a part of "Road Trip to Mt. Qomolangma". Full story

Bicycle burglar leaves ID outside victim's house

2009-06-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

An electric bicycle burglar was nabbed after he left his identification
card outside the home of one of his victims in Shandong province.

Lao Sun, a villager in Linqu county, returned home one morning last month
and realized his new electric bicycle, which he parked in the courtyard, had
vanished.

Police found an ID card outside Sun's home and traced it back to the thief
who apparently stole 20 bicycles.

The suspect surnamed Wang said he became addicted to the Internet and
needed money to support his addiction. He targeted farmers because they seldom
locked up their bicycles.

((Source: China Daily/Qilu Evening News)

New bird found in eastern Nepal

2009-06-30T14:32:00.001-07:00

KATHMANDU, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Ornithologists have
found yet another species of bird in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve area in
Sunsari district in eastern Nepal, local media reported on Friday.

According to myrepublica.com, the new bird has been
identified as Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus).

According to a press statement issued by Bird
Conservation Nepal, two ornithologists found the bird for the first time in the
country in one of the islands of Koshi River on Dec. 25, 2008.

Since then the ornithologists have seen this bird at
least three times again. They have recorded around 750 bird species in the
country -- more than any other ornithologists' total for this country -- so far.

The bird forms part of a large bird family known as
Muscicapidae. This species is known to be found in India, China, Myanmar,
Russia, Japan and few South East Asian countries during winter.

Experts believe that this species may be a migratory
species to Nepal. The habitat of the bird may not have been surveyed properly in
the past. Further surveys are recommended in the area. With this find, Nepal now
has 864 species of birds.

The bird is believed to be a regular winter visitor
to eastern Nepal, said the report.

Over 500 twins in one Indian village: report

2009-06-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Doctors are studying a unique village in the southern Indian state of Kerela that has over 500 twins in just 2,000 households, the local Hindi daily Danik Bhaskar said Thursday.

While twin births in the village has been observed for at least three generations, the number of twins born in village Kodinhi is increasing every year, said the report.

Dr. Krishan Sribhuj, who has been studying the village for the last two years, said while number of registered twins stood at 500,the actual number of twins exceeded 600.

The doctor has ruled out environmental causes or pollution as a factor, saying all twins are healthy and without any disorders.

He suspected that the phenomenon is related with the feeding habits of the villagers, who have 45 twins for every 1,000 people, six times higher than average.

In 2008 alone, 30 twins were born in the village.

Report: over 500 twins in one Indian village

2009-06-30T14:31:00.001-07:00

NEW DELHI, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Doctors are studying a unique village in the
southern Indian state of Kerela that has over 500 twins in just 2,000
households, the local Hindi daily Danik Bhaskar said Thursday.

While twin births in the village has been observed for at least three
generations, the number of twins born in village Kodinhi is increasing every
year, said the report.

Dr. Krishan Sribhuj, who has been studying the village for the last two
years, said while number of registered twins stood at 500,the actual number of
twins exceeded 600.

The doctor has ruled out environmental causes or pollution as a factor,
saying all twins are healthy and without any disorders.

He suspected that the phenomenon is related with the feeding habits of the
villagers, who have 45 twins for every 1,000 people, six times higher than
average.

In 2008 alone, 30 twins were born in the village.

Flu delayed Spanish woman from learning of record lottery prize

2009-06-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhuanet) --The Spanish winner of the world¡¯s biggest ever-single lottery prize worth 126 million eurosawarded Friday, turned out to be awoman whodiscovered about the jackpotMonday becauseshe wasbed-ridden with flu, officials said.

A 25-year-old Spanish woman from the island of
Majorca was tracked downby officials Monday, online lottery seller
Serviapuestas said in a statement Tuesday.

"I was still sick on Monday so I decided to go to
work out of fear of losing my job given the economic crisis we are going
through," she was quoted as saying in the statement.

The woman was the only one to tick the five correct
numbers (4, 23, 24, 29, 31) and two stars (8, 9) and win the huge jackpot drawn
in Paris in a ticket which she bought through Serviapuestas.

"When she learned the news she was frightened and at
the same time very, very moved. Logically she asked us many questions," the
company said in the statement.

She also told Serviapuestas that when they first
contacted her "I thought they were pulling my leg.... I thought it was some
publicity."

The woman said she now plans to buy a country house
in Majorca and raise horses.

(Agencies)

Cute long-eared Jerboa on edge of extinction in desert

2009-06-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

Photo taken on May 13, 2009 shows a
Long-eared Jerboa at the scenic spot of the Mountain of Flames
(Huoyanshan) in Turpan City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous
Region. The Long-eared Jerboa, a species on the edge of extinction living
in desert habitat, is a mouse-like rodent with a long tail, long hind
legs, and exceptionally large ears. (Xinhua/Liu Jian)
Photo Gallery

A tourist takes photo of a Long-eared
Jerboa at the scenic spot of the Mountain of Flames (Huoyanshan) in Turpan
City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 13, 2009.
The Long-eared Jerboa, a species on the edge of extinction living in
desert habitat, is a mouse-like rodent with a long tail, long hind legs,
and exceptionally large ears. (Xinhua/Liu Jian)
Photo
Gallery

Diamond sells for record 6.2 million pounds

2009-06-30T14:29:00.002-07:00

BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhuanet) -- A rare blue diamond weighing 7.03 carats sold for a record 10.5 million Swiss francs (6.2 million pounds) at auction in Geneva Tuesday.

The rectangular-shaped blue stone, the rarest to enter the international market this year, was the centerpiece of its semi-annual sale in Geneva, conducted by David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby's jewellery department in Europe and the Middle East, who said the results showed the market's resilience despite the economic downturn.

The internally flawless gemstone went to an anonymous telephone buyer after a 15-minute bidding battle between two callers.

"It is fantastic in this market and shows that these rare things are very much in demand," he said.

The new owner will have the right to name the stone, which is mounted in a platinum ring.

(Agencies)

127-year-old man casts vote in India

2009-06-30T14:29:00.001-07:00

NEW DELHI, May 13 (Xinhua) -- A 127-year-old man, who voted in the
country's first general election in 1952, Wednesday became the oldest person in
the country to vote, said an Election Commission official.

"Bhadaru voted in a polling booth in Kasumpti under hill station Shimla's
parliamentary constituency, the capital of the northern Indian state of Himachal
Pradesh. He came on a horse to exercise his francaise. This is history in our
democracy," the official told the media.

Responding to media questions after voting, Bhadaru, who voted for India's
first modern time Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1952, expressed
dissatisfaction over the repeated inquires about his age.

"Why are you asking me again and again about my age? I am not getting
pension," he said.

Some 107 million voters in India were eligible to vote in the fifth and
last phase of the marathon month-long general elections.

18-yr-old kills brother in Guatemala shootout

2009-06-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhuanet) -- A teenage boy killed his 13-year-old brother
in Guatemala because he belonged to a rival group, according to police.

Eighteen-year-old Hector Mazariegos of the Mara 18 gang, shot dead his
brother Cesar, a member of the rival Mara Salvatrucha, outside their house.

"The brothers had been arguing for a few days when it built up to a
fire-fight in the street," police spokesman Marco Trejo told Reuters Friday.

Hector Mazariegos, who was also wounded in the shooting incident, was
captured a few blocks from the scene. He was treated for bullet wounds in
hospital.

The Mara Salvatrucha and the Mara 18 are the two largest gangs, with
members often tattooing their faces with gang signs and killing rivals with
gruesome beheadings or execution-style shootings.

(Agencies)

Kangaroo survives arrow through head

2009-06-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhuanet)-- The Eastern Grey
kangaroo survived for nearly a week after being shot in the head with an arrow
in parkland near Melbourne's outer suburbs last Thursday. He is now recovering
after the surgery.

Melbourne Zoo vet Dr Michael Lynch, who performed the
surgery to remove the arrow, said he will monitor the kangaroo for the next
three weeks but is cautiously optimistic.

"This was a big injury, but because the arrow didn't
seem to have been in there for a long time, and the injury was fresh, hopefully
he'll be okay," Dr Lynch said.

"I'm cautiously optimistic about the kangaroo's
prospects for a full recovery."

Wildlife Australia has posted a 10,000- Australian
dollar (7,600 U.S. dollars) reward to find the people responsible for shooting
the kangaroo.

(Agencies)

Woman kept her mother's body to collect benefits

2009-06-30T14:27:00.001-07:00

BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhuanet) -- A Florida woman kept
her dead mother's body in a bedroom for six years in order to receive more than
200,000 U.S. dollars in pension benefits, according to U.S. prosecutors.

Penelope Jordan, 61, was indicted by a grand jury
last week and formally charged in a federal court Thursday with Social Security
fraud and theft of U.S. funds, officials with the Department of Justice said.

Police found the decaying body of her mother, Timmie
Jordan, on a bed in a spare bedroom at the mother's home in late March, when
they were called to investigate a report of nuisance cats.

Penelope Jordan told police her mother had died in
2003.

Jordan collected 61,415 dollars from Social Security
and 176,461 dollars from the military pension during the six years, prosecutors
said.

She could face up to 15 years in prison.

(Agencies)

Spaniard wins 126 million-euro in lottery

2009-06-30T14:27:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhuanet) -- A Spaniard has become
one of the richest people in Europe after winning the world¡¯s biggest
ever-single lottery prize worth 126 million euros (171.5 million U.S. dollars),
lottery organizer EuroMillions said Saturday.

The winner has not yet come forward, said the
organizer.

Paloma Cateleiro, owner of the Madrid lottery shop
that sold the ticket, said she had no idea who had bought the ticket but
suspected the chit might be lying at the bottom of a tourist¡¯s suitcase in some
part of Europe.

"A lot of people come through here," she said. "We
might never find out who has won it."

EuroMillions is a pan-European lottery, launched in
2004. Initially only the United Kingdom, France and Spain were involved, but
lotteries from Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland
joined the draw in October 2007.

Draws are held every Friday night, and take place in
Paris. A standard EuroMillions ticket costs 2 euros per line played. All prizes,
including the jackpot, are tax exempt, except in Switzerland, and are paid in a
lump sum.

(Agencies)

German slapped with 900 euros fine for beheading Hitler's wax figure

2009-06-30T14:26:00.001-07:00

BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhuanet) -- A German court Tuesday fined a former cop 900 euros ($1,600) for knocking off the head of a wax figure of Adolf Hitler in a Berlin museum last year.

The 42-year-old Frank Lachner decapitated the likeness of the Nazi dictator on the opening day of the Madame Tussauds museum last July.

The man said the move followed a bet he took with friends a day before the museum's opening and was carried out "to save face." He said he and his friends had all thought the exhibition with the controversial Hitler waxwork was "completely inappropriate."

The man said he strongly objected to the Nazi leader being on display just 500 metres away from the German capital's Holocaust memorial.

Madame Tussauds said the museum avoided politics, arguing Hitler stood for a significant part of German history and his waxwork therefore had a legitimate part in the exhibition.

The court said the man had to pay 15 euros every day for the next 60 days and that the fine had been halved because of his financial circumstances.

(Agencies)

India breaks Guinness Record in choir singing

2009-06-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Over 160,000 people in twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad in West India gathered to sing in one voice and made it to the Guinness Book of World Records, local tabloid Mail Today said Tuesday.

The mammoth gathering paid a tribute to the 15th century South Indian Telugu composer Tallapaka Annamayya by singing seven classical songs composed by him at the Secunderabad Parade Grounds in the twin cities Sunday evening, according to the report.

The previous record was set more than seven decades ago by a German choir on Aug. 2, 1937, when 60,000 people sang the German national anthem in chorus under Nazi orchestration.

In the twin cities, the sprawling ground was packed with people of all age groups and from all walks of life. They joined a team of classical singers led by Carnatic -- a south Indian form of music -- vocalist Garimella Balakrishna Prasad. The event marked the Telugu composer's 601st birth anniversary, said the report.

The composer wrote over 35,000 songs in praise of Hindu Lord Venkateswara.

A Guinness representative, Raymond Marshal, announced after the choir finished its performance that a new record had been set. 

Indian man detained for allegedly threatening to kill Obama

2009-06-30T14:25:00.001-07:00

NEW DELHI, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Indian police have detained a man in the northern state of Bihar for allegedly calling up the U.S. embassy in New Delhi and threatening to kill U.S. President Barack Obama, reported the Indo-Asian News Service on Sunday.

Ranjan Kumar, in his 30's is now being quizzed and his mental state checked, said the report quoting police sources.

Kumar, a resident of Darbhanga village in Aurangabad district, about 150 km from the Bihar state capital Patna, made a phone call to the U.S. embassy in New Delhi, spoke to an official and said he wanted to kill Obama, said police.

He was taken away by police on Saturday on information provided by the state intelligence, after the U.S. embassy passed the threat message to the Indian government, according to the report.

A team of U.S. embassy "is reaching to quiz him," said the report quoting police sources.

Kumar, the son of a retired railway official, graduated from Gaya College under Magadh University in Bihar. Till a few months ago, he was staying in New Delhi to prepare for various competitive examinations, said the report.

Australian zoo evacuated after notorious Orangutan's escape

2009-06-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhuanet) -- An Australian zoo was evacuated Sunday when a notorious Orangutan escaped her enclosure by short-circuiting an electric fence.

Adelaide zoo officials said patrons were evacuated as a precaution hours after the 26-year-old Karta escaped.

Karta gained access to a side garden-bed, where she caught hold of a stick and used it to short-circuit the electric wires around her enclosure before piling up some more sticks to climb out.

The incident comes three weeks after the death of her former mate Pusung, but keepers do not believe that sparked this escape attempt.

Staff will now carry out an extensive review of the enclosure's security to ensure Karta, or her current mate Kluet, do not outsmart the system again.

(Agencies)

Man drives Chery into BMW for saving little girl

2009-06-30T14:24:00.001-07:00

BEIJING, May 10 -- A young man drove his Chery car into a BMW that was
sliding down a slope towards a six-year-old girl. The Youth Times reports.

On Friday, a businesswoman surnamed Huang was in a rush when she drove her
brown BMW to a business talk in Wenzhou, in Eastern China's Zhejiang Province.
Huang's BMW scraped a motorcycle on a sloped road, and she left her car to ask
the motorcyclist about the injury, forgetting to put her car into parking gear.
As bystanders paid attention to the injured motorcyclist, her car began to slide
down the slope.

While this was happening, a young man surnamed Chen,driving his friend's
Chery car, saw the BMW sliding down the road towards a little girl who was
unaware of the looming danger.

After honking many times in vain, Chen made his decision and drove his car
to block the BMW's way.

The traffic police said after the incident that Chen's car was not badly
damaged. The severity of the situation was highlighted by the fact that the
height of the BMW's front is the same as the girl's height. Without Chen's help,
the girl's head could have been hit by the BMW.

(Source: CRIENGLISH. com)

Rare bird flies back from the dead

2009-06-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

BEIJING,May 9-- The future of a rare species of bird that was once thought to be extinct got a huge lift this month when a chick was born at a zoo in south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Without feathers and barely able to walk, the 30-gram pink bird, a white-eared night-heron, is eating four small fish every one and a half hours and making great progress since it broke out of its shell on May 3 at Nanning Zoo, Nanning Evening News reported on Friday.

The bird was hatched in an incubator and is being fed artificially but is 100 per cent real - one of only a handful of the species on the planet.

The bird should be strong enough to walk in 20 days and ready to meet the public three months later.

It is the offspring of two herons that were found in 2003, along with a third that subsequently died, by local people, who sent them to the zoo. The parents laid two eggs last April, which they broke accidentally, and two more on April 4, that they abandoned in the nest. Those eggs were put in an incubator and one hatched.

White-eared night herons, or Gorsachius magnificus, are one of the most endangered species of birds in the world.

They were thought to be extinct until some were found in mountainous areas of Zhejiang, Fujian and Hainan provinces in the 1920s.

(Source: China Daily)

Man pays 36 euro cents bill to debt-collector

2009-06-30T14:23:00.001-07:00

BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhuanet) -- An Austrian manpaidhis 36 euro
cents bill as part of his underpaid trash collection amount after adebt
collector was sent to his home by authorities.

According to a local newspaperThursday, the man, from a village in
Lower Austria province, saidhe had accidentally overlooked the 36 cents
after the decimal place on his bill for 236.36 euros ($315).

The slip-up set the bureaucratic ball rolling, said a spokeswoman from the
court which chased the debt.

"We also don't completely understand why the court reacted this way to such
a trifling invoice," she said.

(Agencies)

"Fat" wax shocks London mayor

2009-06-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 8 -- London mayor Boris Johnson vowed to exercise more to make
him look slimmer after expressing shock at the girth of the new waxwork
sculpture made in his likeness on May 5.

"It's only when you see yourself in 3Ds (three dimensions) you realize just
how fat you are. I have got to get out and start jogging more," he said,
standing next to his wax sculpture at Madame Tussauds in London.

"I have to lose some weight. But it is a brilliant job they have done. It
is amazing," he added.

Johnson, a colorful former journalist who ousted "Red Ken" Livingstone from
London's City Hall a year ago, also got in a dig at the plight of Prime Minister
Gordon Brown's Labor administration.

Brown is struggling as polls suggest the opposition Conservative party will
win in the general elections next June.

He said he hopes the museum will redo the waxwork after he sheds some
pounds.

"I look forward to the figure being remodeled in a few months in keeping
with the more lean and lithe physique I hope will soon emerge," he said.

(Source: CRIENGLISH.com/Agencies)

Tears flow freely at Beijing's Cry Bar

2009-06-30T14:22:00.001-07:00

BEIJING,May 8-- Is crying good therapy? Experts say yes. Having
a good weep at the weekend is becoming more and more popular among office
workers in China.

Guo Meng's story

"I need to cry to let my feelings out", said 23-year-old Guo Meng, a
smart-looking young woman who works in marketing for a department store at
Beijing's Zhongguancun.

"I negotiate advertising deals and am constantly on the phone to clients,"
said Guo Meng. "We make regular visits to customers to build up good relations,
and the department store checks the results to evaluate my performance." But
getting customers' trust is not always easy. "I get depressed if I put in a lot
of effort and get no results."

"I remember one day when I got home I felt so down but had no-one to talk
to about it so I just curled up with my teddy bear and cried myself to sleep,"
Guo said. The next day, she said, she felt much better and life seemed not so
bad after all.

Because crying is taken as a sign of weakness, people make a great show of
being strong and not displaying emotion. But Guo Meng advises people not to hold
back their tears. "Crying really relieves the pressure. You feel relaxed after a
good cry."

Wang Sha's story

Wang Sha works for an online games company, but the work isn't as much fun
as playing the games.

"What gets to me most is when I think I¡¯ve created a perfect game, but then
my boss tests it and finds a stupid mistake," said Wang Sha.

He feels under pressure every time he is given a new project. He listens to
mellow music on his earphones to prevent the tension building up but he also
admits to liking a good cry.

"I often cry when I watch a film. If it has a simple, moving story I just
burst into tears," said Wang Sha. "I find crying is a good way to relax, even if
it¡¯s not very manly."

Law of conservation of emotion

Guo Meng says the law of conservation of energy applies to emotions as
well. "Repression leads to emotional imbalance, and that makes you cranky.
Crying restores your emotional equilibrium," she said.

Office workers like Guo Meng and Wang Sha have formed a special therapy
group that encourages its members to express their emotions. They call it the
"cry group".

Psychologist Milulu says urban professionals who keep up a show of
toughness are hiding their softer, sentimental sides and this applies especially
to men, and women in senior positions.

People restrain their emotions for fear that crying in public may damage
their careers. But the same people may tearfully cuddle their dolls at midnight
or sneak off to a quiet place for a weep. Psychologists and medical
practitioners agree that crying is beneficial for mental health but people still
regard it as a sign of failure and bottle up their feelings.

Let the sadness go after the tears
dry

A famous Chinese author once said to cry is normal, and even brave. Those
who display their emotions can deal with their troubles bravely after the tears
dry while those who "soldier on" let problems fester.

The "Cry Bar" in the Chaoyang district of Beijing is a kind of Karaoke bar
for people who want to release their emotions. On the doors of each of its "cry
rooms" is a saying encouraging people let the tears flow freely.

The Cry Bar encourages its customers to look for happiness despite their
loneliness, to mix laughter with tears, and let singing bring a smile to their
faces. The "Cry group" say they feel better after a session here.

"Crying is a kind of therapy, but it needs some direction," said Milulu.
"People should realize the point of crying is to release pressure, but some of
the young people who come here simply sit and weep. The purpose of crying is to
make it easier to improve your life after the tears dry, not to wallow in bad
memories."

Crying is only one way of relieving pressure, and we need to face problems
squarely and solve them once the tears have dried, said Milulu.

(Source: china.org.cn)

Texas dog reunites with family after 8 years

2009-06-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhuanet) -- A Texas puppy, who went missing eight years ago, has surprised her owner with unexpected arrival.

Dancer is all grown up now and she no longer recognizes her name and instead responds to the name "Fern".

Owner Alison Murphy of Austin isn't sure where Dancer has been but says obedience school is the next stop for her newly recovered pet.

According to reports the dog was left last week at the Humane Society in New Braunfels, about 45 miles away Humane Society in New Braunfels. A musician in New Braunfels found the dog running around his neighborhood and took her home. He kept her a few days, and then went to the Humane Society to see if the dog had a microchip, and perhaps, an owner.

She had both, though she hadn't seen her owners in eight years.

"She looks the same," Murphy said. "She's just a little more gray."

(Agencies)
.

Four new A/H1N1 flu cases confirmed in Britain

2009-05-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

LONDON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Four new cases of the A/H1N1 flu cases were confirmed on Wednesday in Britain, bringing the total number to 32 in the country.

The Department of Health announced on Wednesday that the four new cases are all adults associated with travel to Mexico. The infected adults are all from different parts of England.

To date, 28 of the 32 confirmed cases in Britain are from England while Scotland has four.

"It is right that we are preparing for the possibility of a global pandemic. The UK's arrangements are continuing to ensure that we are well-placed to deal with this new infection," said a statement from the Department of Health.

Five schools in the country have been closed after some students attending the schools have been tested positive. Three of the schools are in London, and two are in southwest of the country.

Students from those schools might be exempted from sitting exams under emergency plans being considered.

A/H1N1 flu confirmed cases down to 8 in Asia-Pacific region

2009-05-06T16:14:00.001-07:00

HONG KONG, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 in the Asia-Pacific region drops to eight as New Zealand ruled out one case on Wednesday.

More tests were carried out on a sixth person who had been identified earlier as having the influenza A/H1N1 virus but the tests ruled out the virus.

There are two confirmed cases of the influenza A/H1N1 in South Korea while one in China's Hong Kong.

The Ministry of Health in New Zealand said there are 14 probable cases - one down from the number of Tuesday. There are 84suspected cases and another 358 people are in isolation and treated with Tamiflu.

Meanwhile, six students and two teachers from Avondale College in Auckland are in self-imposed isolation after traveling on a plane from America with a person suspected of having the virus.

Numbers of suspected cases, and those receiving treatment and in isolation, will fluctuate when more suspected cases are found, or suspected cases are ruled out, a spokesman with the country's health authority said.

There is no evidence of community transmission in New Zealand which is in the containment phase.

Despite there being no confirmed cases of the new flu in Australia, the country's Health Minister Nicola Roxon said on Wednesday that the threat level was not downgraded.

"We do have medical experts saying to us we still don't know how this global virus will develop over future weeks," Roxon told reporters in Melbourne.

The latest suspected cases in Japan are a woman, in her 20s, who recently returned home from the United States, and a man, in his 40s, who tested positive in flu A examination and is yet to be confirmed, according to Japan's health ministry.

Japan has yet to confirm any cases of the A/H1N1 strain so far, although some people have tested positive for the influenza A virus.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura on Wednesday ordered the health ministry to make preparations for a possible upgrade of the World Health Organization's pandemic alert for the A/H1N1 flu to the highest level of 6.

In contrast, the authorities in Singapore said it will lower the alert level for influenza A/H1N1 from "orange" to "yellow."

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan told a news conference that the downgrading will be done progressively over the next five days, but adding that Singapore will remain vigilant and act nimbly.

In Hong Kong, where the first infection case in Asia was confirmed on May 1, 12 Mexican travelers left the city for Mexico on a Mexican charter plane on Wednesday morning. But the Mexican index patient, in stable condition, remained in hospital.

Four Mexican travelers, including two who have been quarantined in Metropark Hotel in Wanchai and another two in Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), were among the 12 Mexicans.

Quarantine orders imposed on other people in connection with the case would be withdrawn when the orders expire later this week, provided that they show no symptoms of influenza A/ H1N1 infection, a spokesman for the region's health authority said.

The charter plane was sent by the Mexican government to pick up Mexicans "who wanted to leave China." It had flown to Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou to pick up passengers.

The Bruneian government also lifted quarantine on about 200 passengers, who had arrived on a flight from Britain on Monday evening.

A passenger on the flight had higher-than-normal body temperature, Health Minister Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman said, adding that two other passengers on the same flight had traveled to flu-affected countries.

The minister said these three cases made it necessary for the authorities to take precautionary measures and quarantine all passengers on the flight.

To prevent against influenza A/H1N1, the government of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Wednesday announced that it will initiate a series of anti-flu activities which mainly involve a campaign to clean the entire city.

The region's health authority will launch a city-wide anti-flu activities, including the cleaning of public facilities, relevant exhibition and seminars of A/H1N1 flu prevention so as to raise the resident's awareness of personal and public hygiene.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), together with China, Japan and South Korea, will hold a "Health Ministers' Special Meeting" for combating influenza A/H1N1 on May 7-8 in Thailand.

The urgently-arranged meeting is aimed to slow down the propagation of the new Influenza A/H1N1 epidemic in the region, Dr. Suphan Srithamma, spokesman of Thailand's Ministry of Public Health said on Wednesday.

The main objective is to assess the latest development of the new strain of influenza in ASEAN countries and improve control and preventive measures while working on new effective control innovation, he said.

The control measures are expected to include surveillance system, laboratory examination, stockpiles on anti-viral drugs, research and development on vaccine development and epidemiological information exchange.

SADC on high alert following outbreak of influenza A/H1N1

2009-05-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

HARARE, May 6 (Xinhua) -- SADC health ministers are advising travelers in the region to postpone journeys to areas affected by influenza A/H1N1 as a precautionary measure, New Ziana reported on Wednesday.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, the SADC ministers said the flu, which had affected more than 1,000 people in 20 countries across the world and claimed over 27 lives, was a real threat to the region.

"Unless necessary, all travelers are advised to avoid or postpone travel to affected areas," the ministers said. "In the event of traveling to the affected areas travelers should visit their nearest health facility for more advice on precautionary measures to be taken."

The ministers expressed concern over the increase in the number of cases, deaths and the unusual age group most hit by the pandemic.

The advisory come at a time when South Africa has reported two cases of the virus, which started in Mexico more than a week ago. There are no other serious cases that have been reported in the region including Zimbabwe but fears were that the disease would spread.

Travelers to the affected countries are advised to be on the alert for Flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, nausea, coughing, fatigue and general feeling of un-wellness, warned the regional ministers.

SADC was working with the World Health Organization (WHO) and surveillance systems had been put on high alert, they added.

Regional members are signatory to the SADC Highly Pathogenic Avian and Pandemic Human Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan that ensures effective prevention and control of any outbreak. Member countries have epidemic preparedness and response plans and teams in place in case of any outbreak.

SADC has put in place a technical team to facilitate the availability of treatment in all SADC countries. "We remain vigilant and committed to prevent and address any potential outbreak in the region," the ministers said.

Zambia reports first suspected A/H1N1 flu case

2009-05-06T16:13:00.001-07:00

LUSAKA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Health authorities in Zambia are still awaiting for results of a man developing symptoms of A/H1N1 flu, which is the first suspected case of the infectious disease ever reported in the southern African country.

A man, suffering from suspected A/H1N1 flu, was quarantined soon after he arrived at Ndola International Airport from South Africa on Tuesday.

Ministry of Health spokesperson Reuben Mbewe told Xinhua in an interview on Wednesday that the specimens have been taken to the country's best hospital -- the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) -- and results are still being awaited.

"The patient is so far responding well and the specimens have since been brought to the UTH," Mbewe said.

Meanwhile. Mbewe advised the public not to panic because there were also initial indications that the man could be suffering from a common flu.

He expressed confidence in the surveillance system put in place, which he said proved helpful in finding the suspected A/H1N1 flu case.

The government does not want to take chances and is doing everything possible to contain possible incidence in Zambia, the official said..

Last week, South Africa reported two suspected cases of A/H1N1flu which were later tested negative.

Confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases in U.S. rise to 642

2009-05-06T16:13:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed human A/H1N1 cases has risen to 642 in 41 U.S. states, with two deaths, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.

Vietnam reports one A/H1N1 flu suspected case

2009-05-06T16:12:00.001-07:00

HANOI, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese health officials said on Wednesday that a traveler from Czech Republic who arrived in Hanoion Wednesday morning was suspected of being infected with the A/H1N1 flu virus.

The patient has been taken to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology for treatment and isolated from other persons, said Nguyen Van Kinh, director of the institute.

The patient came to Vietnam by way of Germany and arrived at Hanoi airport on Wednesday morning. The patient showed symptoms of fever and was taken to hospital immediately. His test result has not come out yet, said Kinh.

Vietnamese Health Ministry said on Wednesday that no confirmed A/H1N1 case has been reported in Vietnam so far.

Factbox: H1N1 flu cases in Asia-Pacific region

2009-05-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

HONG KONG. May 6 (Xinhua) -- Following is the latest figure of the
Influenza A/H1N1 cases in the Asia-Pacific region on Wednesday:

-- CONFIRMED INFECTIONS CASES RELEASED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
(WHO):

South Korea: 2; China's Hong Kong: 1; New Zealand: 6

-- COUNTRIES OR REGIONS WITH SUSPECTED INFECTIONS CASES:

South Korea: 30; New Zealand: 107; Australia: 128

20 cases of suspected H1N1 flu tested negative in India

2009-05-06T16:11:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI, May 6 (Xinhua) -- India has tested negative 20 samples of suspected A/ H1N1 flu cases so far and remained free of the flu, while three samples are still being tested, said the Indian Health Ministry Wednesday.

Among the three remaining cases, two of these are from Hyderabad, central India, and one person who reported himself for test from Jalandhar, Punjab in northern India, said the ministry.

A total of 39,315 passengers have been screened at all major Indian airports, among them 5,987 passengers being from affected countries and regions, said the ministry.

The ministry has also issued an advisory informing Indian people that retail sale of Tamiflu, the tablet for curing A/H1N1 flu, is not permitted in India over the counter.

"Indiscriminate use of this drug by the public could result in the virus developing resistance to this only known treatment of the H1N1 influenza," the advisory said.

The Indian government has adequate stockpiles of the drug that will be distributed free through the public health network in case of need to the confirmed cases of the disease, said the advisory.

Canadian scientists complete genetic sequencing of A/H1N1 virus

2009-05-06T16:10:00.002-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu

OTTAWA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Canadian scientists have
completed a genetic sequencing of the A/H1N1 flu viruses that have appeared in
Mexico and Canada and confirmed that they are of the same strain, public health
officials said Wednesday.

The sequencing, which took place at the National
Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg and was completed in less than a week, has
eliminated a genetic mutation to explain why Mexican cases of the virus have
been more severe than in other countries.

"We are continuing our analysis, but essentially what
it appears to suggest is that there is nothing at the genetic level that
differentiates this virus that we've got from Mexico and those from Nova Scotia
and Ontario that explains the apparent differences in disease severity between
Mexico and Canada and the United States," Frank Plummer of the National
Microbiology Laboratory told a news conference on Wednesday.

Scientists cannot yet say why the cases in Mexico
have been much more severe than elsewhere, but one theory is that the patients
had underlying medical conditions that increased their susceptibility to the
virus.

This is the world's first sequencing of the new
virus, marking a "significant milestone" in studying the virus, the scientists
said.

The findings will help scientists eventually
understand how the virus originated, how it spreads and how it may change over
time, laying foundation for the development of a vaccine, scientists said.

The lab has submitted the sequencing to GenBank, a
public database where genetic sequencing information can be studied and compared
by scientists around the world, Plummer said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on
Tuesday a total of 1,490 laboratory tested H1N1 flu cases from 21 countries,
including 30 deaths.

In Canada, the number of confirmed cases rose to 165 on Tuesday. All cases appear to be mild, with the exception of a girl who was hospitalized in Edmonton, Alberta, due to severe symptoms. 

Sweden confirms its first A/H1N1 flu case

2009-05-06T16:10:00.001-07:00

STOCKHOLM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Swedish health officials on Wednesday confirmed the country's first case of A/H1N1 influenza in a woman who recently returned from the United States.

A woman in her 50s in the Stockholm area fell ill for three days with mild flu symptoms after returning from the United States. She quickly recovered without needing medical treatment, the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (SMI) said in a statement.

The SMI said tests conducted by its virological laboratory confirmed she was infected with the A/H1N1 virus.

Stockholm's health authority said Sunday people who had been in close contact with her had been receiving antiviral treatment.

Israeli researchers discover method to neutralize tumor growth in embryonic stem cell therapy

2009-05-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

JERUSALEM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Researchers at the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem discovered a method to potentially eliminate the tumor-risk factor in
utilizing human embryonic stem cells, said the university on Wednesday.

The researchers' work paves the way for further progress in the promising
field of stem cell therapy, said the press release of the university sent to
Xinhua.

According to the release, human embryonic stem cells are theoretically
capable of differentiation to all cells of the mature human body (and are hence
defined as "pluripotent").

This ability, along with the ability to remain undifferentiated
indefinitely in culture, make regenerative medicine using human embryonic stem
cells a potentially unprecedented tool for the treatment of various diseases,
including diabetes, Parkinson's disease and heart failure.

However, a major drawback to the use of stem cells remains the demonstrated
tendency of such cells to grow into a specific kind of tumor, called teratoma,
when they are implanted in laboratory experiments into mice.

It is assumed that this tumorigenic feature will be manifested upon
transplantation to human patients as well. The development of tumors from
embryonic stem cells is especially puzzling given that these cells start out as
completely normal cells.

A team of researchers at the Stem Cell Unit in the Department of Genetics
at the Silberman Institute of Life Sciences at the Hebrew University has been
working on various approaches to deal with this problem.

In their latest project, the researchers analyzed the genetic basis of
tumor formation from human embryonic stem cells and identified a key gene that
is involved in this unique tumorigenicity.

This gene, called survivin, is expressed in most cancers and in early stage
embryos, but it is almost completely absent from mature normal tissues.

The survivin gene is especially highly expressed in undifferentiated human
embryonic stem cells and in their derived tumors. By neutralizing the activity
of survivin in the undifferentiated cells as well as in the tumors, the
researchers were able to initiate programmed cell death (apoptosis) in those
cells.

This inhibition of this gene just before or after transplantation of the
cells could minimize the chances of tumor formation, but the researchers caution
that a combination of strategies may be needed to address the major safety
concerns regarding tumor formation by human embryonic stem
cells.

Singapore to lower H1N1 flu alert level

2009-05-06T16:09:00.001-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

SINGAPORE, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Singapore will lower its alert level for
Influenza A/H1N1 from "orange" to "yellow," the country's Health Minister said
on Wednesday.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan told a news conference that the downgrading
will be done progressively over the next five days, but adding that Singapore
will remain vigilant and act nimbly, according to TV broadcaster Channel
NewsAsia.

The Health Minister said that precautionary measures such as temperature
screening at border checkpoints and hospitals will continue, but the one visitor
per patient rule at hospitals will be lifted.

No A/H1N1 flu case reported in DPRK

2009-05-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

PYONGYANG, May 6 (Xinhua) -- No case of the A/H1N1 flu virus has been reported in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the country's epidemic prevention department said on Wednesday.

"We have not discovered any A/H1N1 flu case so far, but we are strictly examining people back from visits to A/H1N1 flu-infected countries," Pak Myung Su, the vice-chairman of the State Emergency Anti-epidemic Commission told the official news agency KCNA.

"We will segregate patients if suspected cases are reported and carry out medical tests," Pak said.

He said the DPRK had already strengthened the quarantine of wild boar, and the inspection of pork and pork-related products, and increased the storage of anti-virus drugs. Researchers were also working on vaccine research.

Pak said the government is reporting about the A/H1N1 flu outbreak in other countries, and is sending medical workers to provide the public with physical check-ups and knowledge about flu prevention.

National medical diagnosis and reporting systems have also been set up to distinguish A/H1N1 flu from the common cold.

Indonesia reports first Influenza A/H1N1 suspect

2009-05-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

Special Report:
World Tackles A/H1N1
Flu


JAKARTA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- An Indonesian doctor
disclosed Wednesday that an A/H1N1 flu suspect is currently treated in a
hospital in Surabaya, the capital of Indonesia's East Java province.

This is the first suspected case of A/H1N1 flu in
Indonesia and in Southeast Asia, a report the Elshinta radio said on Wednesday.

The Dr. Soetomo hospital in Surabaya is treating a
A/H1N1 flu suspect, the radio quoted Harko Hari Santosa, a doctor working in the
hospital, as saying.

At the present, Harko said, the suspect patient is
isolated in a particular isolation room in the hospital.

Without disclosing the patient's arrival date, Harko
said the patient had just arrived in Surabaya from Hong Kong. When the patient
arrived at the airport in Surabaya the thermal scanner spotted his high
temperature.

However, the hospital has yet to confirm whether it
was a A/H1N1 flu case, he added.

Swine flu scare: Spanish man locked in prisoners' ward

2009-05-06T16:07:00.001-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhuanet) -- A Spaniard suspected of having swine flu was quarantined in a prisoners ward after the doctor learned he was on a holiday in Mexico.

The man had gone to the hospital to complain of a
rash. He was confined for three days and warned that if he tried to leave he
could face legal action under rules to control epidemics, Spanish newspaper El
Pais said, quoting the man.

The rules came into effect in Spain in response to a
flu virus that has killed 26 people in Mexico.

The man was referred to Madrid's Carlos III hospital
immediately after the doctor learned the man had been to Mexico. The staff in
Carlos III hospital were so afraid of the virus that they instructed the patient
on how to take his own temperature from behind a window.

"It took me two days to learn how to read the mercury
thermometer. They'd tell me over the telephone 'Turn it that way and you'll be
able to see it,'" the man said.

The man said he suffered because of the heating in
his room, which had the windows permanently locked.

"I thought it was because of infection, because they
were afraid the virus might get out through the window, but it turned out that I
was in a ward reserved for prisoners and mental patients," he told El Pais.

(Agencies)

Lessons from SARS have to be applied

2009-05-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

BEIJING, May 6 -- I was living in Hong Kong during SARS - and read enough reports from the mainland - to know that the scars of that epidemic haven't yet healed.

Six years on, images of a besieged city are still vivid:

Masks, all shapes and colors to the point of becoming fashion accessories.

Swipes, wherever tap water wasn't available to wash hands so often to have the skin peeling off.

Elevators, where floor buttons were pushed with pens and keychains.

Escalators, where people did balancing acts to avoid touching the handrails.

And, in the China Daily Hong Kong Edition office, the main door left open so that the fingerprint entry system could be suspended.

As the alarm was sounded on the H1N1 flu, it was, as they say, dj vu all over again - except for those who didn't live through the SARS crisis.

Which is why I can understand why the Mexican government reacted with distress to the quarantine of the country's citizens which the president, Felipe Calderon, described, without referring to any country, as "repressive, discriminatory measures".

The country's foreign minister went a step further, accusing China of isolating its citizens in what she characterized as "unacceptable conditions".

The Chinese foreign ministry tried to set the record right, saying the country was not discriminating against anyone, and that the quarantine measures were essentially a matter of health checks to ensure the virus did not spread.

Aggressive action by the Chinese government, against the backdrop of the World Health Organisation one step away from declaring the flu as a global pandemic doesn't sound "repressive" to me.

And, "discriminatory" may be misplaced when the same treatment would have been applied to citizens of Marshall Islands or Madagascar should the flu have originated in those countries; and, I dare say that Beijing would not have objected as strenuously if Chinese citizens were subjected to similar treatment abroad if the flu had originated in the country.

Mexico has been lauded for being upfront about the epidemic and taking decisive steps such as closing down schools, restaurants and bars - as well as playing soccer matches in empty stadiums.

Should the country not be a little sympathetic to a country - criticized for not doing enough in the initial stages of the SARS outbreak - trying to do the same?

Granted, it is not a pleasant experience to be subjected to quarantine. What other options did Beijing have at the time when the spread of the flu seemed inexorable?

Perhaps some "soft power", like making sure the quarantined guests had "acceptable" accommodation and access to home comforts.

Conflicting signals about the virulence of the flu haven't helped either.

The WHO warns that should the current crisis pass, the virus could mutate and become more deadly come autumn, raising visions of a similar trend of the Spanish flu in 1918, which killed millions.

But governments in the worst-hit countries - Mexico and the United States - seem content to declare that the epidemic is on the wane.

At the same time, experts point out that the H1N1 is an unknown quantity: Scientists are trying to determine its path, its progression, its pathology and the prognosis for us.

When China became the first country to send aid, including medical supplies, to Mexico, Calderon said his country had a lot to learn from how China handled SARS.

The lesson could be a bit of tough love.

And, not SARS all over again.

(Source: China Daily)

Australia remains on influenza A/H1N1 alert

2009-05-06T16:06:00.001-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

CANBERRA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Australian Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon said on Wednesday that the threat level to Australia from influenza A/H1N1 was not downgraded despite there being no confirmed cases of the disease in the country.

"We do have medical experts saying to us we still don't know how this global virus will develop over future weeks," Roxon told reporters in Melbourne.

According to Australian Associated Press, Roxon said she had been advised the appropriate status should remain at a delay phase, which means the government was trying to delay entry of the disease into Australia.

There has no confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 in Australia at this stage.

The government was hopeful the present status could be maintained, Roxon said.

Indonesia declares malaria elimination

2009-05-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

JAKARTA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari declared malaria elimination in the country at the commemoration of the 2nd World Malaria Day in Jakarta on Wednesday.

In a statement, Fadilah said that malaria elimination was a policy to combat the disease gradually at various regions in Indonesia from 2010 to 2030.

According to Siti Fadilah, Indonesia as a tropical country and malaria endemic since November 12th, 1959 had stated 'the Malaria Combat Commando', marked by houses fogging to eliminate malaria mosquito by the Indonesian first President Soekarno in Yogyakarta province. The action managed to decrease malaria case significantly.

Last year, Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stressed the importance to increase awareness and alert against malaria via education, socialization and advocating to the public.

NZ's confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 down to five

2009-05-06T16:05:00.001-07:00

Special Report:
World Tackles A/H1N1
Flu


WELLINGTON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed
cases of influenza A/H1N1 in New Zealand dropped one to five on Wednesday, the
Health Ministry said.

More tests were carried out on a sixth person who was
identified on Tuesday as having the influenza A/H1N1 virus but the tests ruled
out the virus.

The Ministry of Health said that there are 14
probable cases - down one from earlier on Wednesday.

The number of suspected cases is 84. Furthermore,
there are 358people in isolation and being treated with Tamiflu.

Meanwhile, six students and two teachers from
Avondale College in Auckland are in self-imposed isolation after traveling on a
plane from America with a person suspected of having the virus.

"Public health staff are working to make sure people
are well informed and as comfortable as possible while in isolation," said
Health Ministry Deputy Director of Public Health Fran McGrath on Wednesday.

McGrath said this was necessary to limit any spread
of the influenza A/H1N1 virus.

"So far we've been successful in stopping the virus
spreading in the community and this is largely due to people being understanding
and cooperating," McGrath said.

Numbers of suspected cases, and those receiving
treatment and in isolation, will fluctuate when more suspected cases are found,
or suspected cases are ruled out.

There is no evidence of community transmission in New
Zealand which is in the containment phase.

"We are continuing to maintain our emphasis on
limiting the spread," McGrath said.

U.S. confirms 4 A/H1N1 cases in Alabama

2009-05-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

HOUSTON, May 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. health officials on Tuesday confirmed four A/H1N1 infections and identified four as probable cases in the Alabama state.

The total number of probable and confirmed cases rose to 18 in the state, officials said.

New federal guidelines, however, do not call for closing schools for a probable or confirmed case of A/H1N1 flu.

"I am grateful that the A /H1N1 illness is mild enough that school dismissal up to 14 days is no longer thought to be necessary," Dr. Don Williamson, State Health Officer said on Tuesday.

"It is important that ill persons not go to school or day care facilities for at least seven days after the onset of illness, including one full day of being well before returning to class." he said in a written statement.

"If the disease becomes more severe, school dismissal might be recommended again in the future. Furthermore, school authorities might close schools if absenteeism is so high that it interferes with education." he added.

The 18 confirmed or probable cases of A/H1N1 flu have been detected in Madison, Jefferson, Shelby, Montgomery and Pike counties.

During a lunchtime press conference at the CDC on Tuesday, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius also denied the closure of schools as a way of avoiding A/H1N1 flu.

Federal health officials are reversing themselves on the issue because they have learned that the A/H1N1 flu virus is not nearly as lethal as first feared.

In addition, Sebelius said local public health agencies have been reporting an outcry from parents and teachers about the burden of school closures. "We hope this will alleviate some of the burden," she said.

Dr. Richard Besser, acting CDC director, said there have been reports about parents losing jobs because they have to stay home and take care of their children.

Children have also been reportedly dropped off at malls and libraries because parents didn't know what else to do with them, he said.

Thai Health Minister: 2 Thais, German free of influenza A/H1N1

2009-05-06T16:04:00.001-07:00

Special Report:
World Tackles A/H1N1
Flu


BANGKOK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Two Thais and a German
tourist are free of the influenza A/H1N1 according to laboratory tests, Witthaya
Kaewparadai, Thai Minister of Public Health said Wednesday.

The three were earlier quarantined at hospitals
shortly after arriving at Thailand's Suvarnabhumi International Airport in
Bangkok since they developed flu-like symptoms.

All of them were allowed to return home, said
Witthaya, Thai language-news agency INN reported.

In a related development, Witthaya disclosed health
ministers of the ASEAN member countries and China, Japan and South Korea have
already confirmed participation in the health ministers' meeting on Thursday and
Friday in capital Bangkok.

The meeting plans to brainstorm in finding
precautionary measures to prevent the influenza A/H1N1 outbreak in the region.

Africa struggles to fend off A/H1N1 flu

2009-05-06T16:04:00.000-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Africans are struggling to prevent A/H1N1 influenza from arriving in the continent which has already been plagued by vital diseases such as AIDS.

According to the latest tally, the A/H1N1 flu has killed 31 worldwide, 29 in Mexico and two in the United States, with confirmed and suspected cases totalling 3,271.

Although there have been no confirmed cases of the killer virusin Africa so far, experts say that the disease could weaken health system and take a huge human toll in the continent once there would be a outbreak.

"People living with HIV/AIDS would be much affected because their immune system is already weak," said Sam Zaramba, director of health service in Uganda.

While the world is focusing its attentions on the A/H1N1 flu, thousands of Africans die without notice every day due to treatable diseases.

Statistics showed that nearly 3,000 children died each day of malaria, many simply for lack of a bed net. And a meningitis epidemic that has swept countries like Nigeria has killed more than 1,900 people and have sickened 56,000 more since January.

Concerns have been raised about whether the African authorities would be able to trace the A/H1N1 influenza.

Zimbabwe, where Cholera has killed 4,000 and sickened more than 80,000, has tightened surveillance at all ports of entry by intensifying the screening of flu-like syptoms of people coming into the country.

As a preventative measure, Kenya has established 26 surveillance centers nationwide to stop a possible spread of the killer virus.

The continent's richest country, South Africa, with an estimated 1,000 people die every day due to HIV/AIDS, admits its slow response to A/H1N1 influenza.

The country is also rushing to buy thermal imaging scanners at a cost of 120,000 U.S. dollars each for installation at major entry ports. However, medical professionals condemn that it is not reliable means of determining whether or not a person is infected.

Duncan Mitchell, professor of the school of Physiology at Wits University, said it was "impossible" for scanners to detect a virus in passengers entering an airport.

The Health Ministry of South Africa now has sufficient stock of tamiflu to treat 100,000 people.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday it was sending a total of 2.4 million treatment courses of antiviral drugs to 72 "most in need" countries including Mexico, yet did not disclose the full list of countries receiving the drugs.

A total of 1,883 people from 21 countries have now been confirmed to have been infected with the A/H1N1 flu.

Confirmed, probable cases rise respectively to 6 in Missouri

2009-05-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

HOUSTON, May 5 (Xinhua) -- State health officials announced on Tuesday that the federal Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed four new cases of A/H1N1 flu in three counties in Missouri, bring the number of confirmed cases to six in the state.

The four new cases were found during testing at the state's Public Health Laboratory of specimens sent to the lab by doctors whose patients showed symptoms of the illness, the Department of Health and Senior Services said late in the evening.

The newly-confirmed cases involve three children in Platte County, a child in eastern Jackson County and a father and son in Howard County, the department added.

The two previously confirmed cases are a 19-year-old Kansas City man who received medical care in Nebraska and a 30-year-old Platte County woman.

The officials said the state also has six probable cases of A/H1N1 flu, specimens of which have been sent to CDC for confirmation.

The six probable cases involve three children in Platte County, a child in eastern Jackson County and a father and son in Howard County, local officials said.

The State Health Department is awaiting final test results from the CDC on the six probable cases, they added.

UN chief urges joint global response as flu cases continue to rise

2009-05-06T16:02:00.002-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General BanKi-moon has called for "a collective global response" as the number of the A/H1N1 infections continues to rise mildly across the world.

"So far we have been fortunate that its (H1N1 flu) consequence has been relatively mild -- we have learnt valuable lessons," Ban told his monthly press conference in New York Tuesday.

"This outbreak is yet another reminder that we live in an inter-connected world. A threat to one country is a threat to all, requiring a collective global response," he said.

According to the latest official figures, 1,883 infections have been confirmed worldwide.

World Health Organization (WHO) Assistant Director-General Keiji Fukuda said Tuesday that the disease was still spreading, but there was still no evidence showing the new flu virus causing community-level transmission in regions outside North America.

"We do not feel we are seeing that right now," Fukuda told a news briefing, adding that most cases in Spain and other European countries were related to travel.

However, England's chief medical officer Liam Donaldson said it is "too early" to assume the A/H1N1 flu outbreak is "a mild infection." England reported later Tuesday a new case of A/H1N1 flu, bringing the confirmed total infections in Britain to 28,

Donaldson was quoted by the BBC as warning against complacency because flu viruses could change character "very rapidly," even though no one in Britain has died so far from the new flu.

On Tuesday, the U.S. state of Texas reported the second human A/H1N1 flu death in the state, which is also the second death in the United States which now has 651 confirmed infections.

Few details have been released but the state's health department said in a brief statement that a woman, who died from the disease earlier this week, was a Texas resident living in Cameron County, along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The woman had chronic underlying health conditions, the statement said.

A Mexican toddler who was visiting relatives died from the disease last week in Houston.

Meanwhile, at least 16 patients have been discharged from hospital in Mexico after they recovered from the A/H1N1 epidemic, Mexican officials said Tuesday

"What we have achieved in a week of unprecedented action is to reduce the speed at which virus can spread and avoid deaths," said Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon.

Twenty-nine people have been killed by the A/H1N1 flu virus in Mexico. The epicenter of the outbreak has now 942 confirmed infections.

Mexico closed educational institutions last week, effectively sending home 33 million people. These institutions will reopen in stages, starting with higher education institutions on Wednesday. Nurseries and primary schools will be the last to reopen on Monday.

Canada on Tuesday added 25 mild cases of the A/H1N1 flu virus infections, bringing the total to 165, according to figures revealed by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Health officials said the country's only serious case, a young girl in Alberta province is "recovering well" and is now breathing on her own. All other cases in Canada have been mild, with most patients having recovered.

The Spanish Health Ministry on Tuesday confirmed 16 new cases of influenza A/H1N1, lifting the total to 73.

The number of probable cases has lowered to 56 from 63, the ministry said, adding that all the confirmed cases except five had traveled to Mexico.

Other confirmed A/H1N1 infections include nine in Germany; six in New Zealand; five in Italy; four in Israel and France; two each in El Salvador and South Korea; one each in Austria, Costa Rica, Colombia, Denmark, Hong Kong (China), Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland.

WHO praises Mexico's response to H1N1 flu

2009-05-06T16:02:00.001-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

MEXICO CITY, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The World Health
Organization (WHO) Tuesday praised Mexico's professionalism, responsibility and
transparency in handling the A/H1N1 flu outbreak.

People wear surgical masks in Mexico
city, May 3, 2009. Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos
late Sunday raised the death toll of the A/H1N1 flu to 22 and the number
of infected cases to 568 in the country. (Xinhua/AFP
Photo)
Photo
Gallery

The experience of Mexico would be essential for the
international community, said Philippe Lamy, WHO representative in Mexico, when
meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

Calderon expressed gratitude for the "exceptional
work" of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Canadian
government in their coordination with Mexico in curbing the epidemic.

Lamy and Calderon stressed the importance of
information exchanges in further understanding of the A/H1N1 flu strain's
features and its evolution.

They also discussed measures to further cooperation
with other countries in the region to curb the spread of the virus.

Mexico said on Monday that the impact of the epidemic
appears to be waning and the Latin American country can gradually get back to
normal.

The virus has killed 29 people and confirmed cases
have risen to 913, according to Mexico's latest official figures.

Myanmar introduces project on HIV prevention for migrant workers

2009-05-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

YANGON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has introduced a project on HIV prevention for migrant workers moving into the country's two border areas of Tachilek and Muse for livelihood, the local Biweekly Eleven reported in this week's issue.

The project, to be implemented by Myanmar's Anti-Narcotics Association (MANA) with the cooperation of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), directs at young migrant workers including women coming to work at the border areas or crossing border.

Prevention against the spreading of HIV among them and reproductive health education will be covered by the project as an initial phase, the report said.

HIV prevention work through education is urgently needed to be carried out on such migrant groups whose undertakings are posing a high level of danger to the society, the health ministry said, warning that HIV prevalence rate has attained the most critical point especially in the border areas where socio-economic status is complicated.

The authorities has launched education campaign in eastern Shanstate in 2008, the report said, pointing out that the border town of Tachilek stands a main channel for trafficking women and children to Thailand and its nearby areas during the year.

The education campaign on HIV prevention is being extended to Muse in northern Shan state, project official of the MANA was quoted as saying.

With the assistance of UNFPA, measures are being taken to educate those moving across border for their living especially in their entertainment sector, it said.

Moreover, two Myanmar cities in the northern part -- Lashio and Mandalay were found with most HIV-carrying sex workers, according to the health ministry.

Of the 945 sex workers examined during a census conducted for six areas in the country in 2007, 147 were found infected with HIV with those from Lashio accounting for 22.7 percent, Mandalay 22.6 percent, Myitgyina 17.9 percent, Taunggyi 14.4 percent, Yangon 9.6percent and Kengtung 1.2 percent.

The HIV victims, aged from 30 to 34, took 22.8 percent, while those from 25 to 29 represented 18 percent, 20 to 24 17.3 percent, the figures showed.

More figures revealed that a total of 2,190 people, engaged in the sector, were exposed as carrying HIV in 2008.

However, according to a latest report of the UNAIDS, the number of people infected with HIV in Myanmar dropped to 240,000 in 2007 from 300,000 in 2001, thanks to the government's anti-HIV efforts for years.

HIV/AIDS is among the three major communicable diseases of national concern designated by Myanmar. The other two diseases are tuberculosis and malaria.

Myanmar treats the three diseases as priority with the main objectives of reducing the morbidity and mortality in a bid to become no longer a public problem and meet the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations.

Peru checks 25,000 int'l flight passengers for A/H1N1

2009-05-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

LIMA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Peruvian authorities have checked about 25,000 passengers and crew members who arrived in the country by international flights due to the spread of A/H1N1 flu.

Health Minister Oscar Ugarte told the Health Commission of the Congress on Tuesday that the Ministry has checked 24,579 flight passengers and crew members, adding that all the health sectors in the country are on alert to avoid a possible access of the disease in Peruvian territory.

Ugarte said Peru has reported 21 possible cases, but all of them have been cleared.

"However, the possibilities is growing," He added.

Ugarte said his ministry has requested 250,000 antiviral tablets and currently the country has 5,300 treatments, with 4,300from the Health Ministry and 1,000 from the Social Security.

Emergency flight ferries 17 more Peruvians back home from flu-hit Mexico

2009-05-06T16:00:00.001-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

LIMA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- A second emergency flight from Mexico arrived here on Tuesday, with 17 Peruvian citizens aboard who were fleeing the deadly new A/H1N1 flu strain.

After getting off the plane, the passengers were immediately taken to a room to be checked for H1N1 flu-like symptoms, including breathing difficulties, headaches, muscular pain and sharply higher temperature.

On April 28, Peru suspended flights to and from Mexico in an effort to prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu virus, which has caused 29 confirmed deaths in Mexico.

Peru's Transport and Communications Ministry only allows a limited number of Mexico-Peru flights aiming to protect the health of Peruvians in Mexico who wish to return home.

First case of A/H1N1 flu confirmed in Oklahoma

2009-05-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

Special Report:
World Tackles A/H1N1
Flu


HOUSTON, May 5 (Xinhua) -- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday confirmed the first case of A/H1N1 flu in the state of Oklahoma, local officials said, adding four other suspected cases are still being tested in CDC in Atlanta.

"We expected that eventually there would be a confirmed case of H1N1 flu in Oklahoma, so this is no surprise," Governor Brad Henry said in a news release. "The confirmation of a case in the state means citizens should be cautious, but not fearful."

The Governor called on Oklahomans to take commonsense measures to avoid getting the virus, and to see a doctor if they experience flu-like symptoms. "Oklahoma's healthcare and public safety communities have the resources and personnel in place to handle any challenges posed by H1N1 flu." he declared.

The confirmed case involved a Pontotoc County woman who recently returned from Mexico. The state health officials disclosed the woman is married and her spouse has not shown any symptoms of swine flu.

The patient did not require hospitalization and is expected to make a full recovery, they said.

The CDC has reported 403 cases of the swine flu in 38 U.S. states as of early Tuesday. Oklahoma's case had not yet been included in that count.

A number of Pontotoc County schools reported they are preparing for A/H1N1 flu just as they prepare for a typical flu season.

"Right now, we're sending out a letter that lists the symptoms. We're cleaning desks and doorknobs, just as we do during the seasonal flu," said Pat Harrison, superintendent of Ada Public Schools.

In an afternoon press conference, CDC Acting Director Richard Besser said the agency has changed its previous advice to schools to consider closure in the event of a confirmed A/H1N1 flu case. Since most U.S. cases are not severe, school closure is not necessary and can be very disruptive, he said.

"The points about personal preparedness and personal responsibility are critical," he claimed, including keeping sick students home from school for at least seven days.

Latest developments on A/H1N1 flu worldwide

2009-05-06T15:59:00.002-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of A/H1N1 flu outbreaks worldwide on Wednesday, according to the World Health Organization and government data.

Confirmed deaths worldwide: 31. Twenty nine in Mexico and two in the United States.

Confirmed sickened worldwide: 1,883. Some 942 in Mexico; 651 in U.S.; 165 in Canada; 57 in Spain; 27 in Britain; nine in Germany; six in New Zealand; five in Italy; four in Israel and France; two each in El Salvador and South Korea; one each in Austria, Costa Rica, Colombia, Denmark, China's Hong Kong, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland.

Guatemala reports first confirmed A/H1N1 flu case

2009-05-06T15:59:00.001-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

MEXICO CITY, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Guatemala's Health Ministry on Tuesday reported the nation's first confirmed case of A/H1N1 flu, according to news reaching here from Guatemala City.

"The first case of A/H1N1 flu virus has been confirmed, according to the report sent to us by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), which is located in the U.S. city of Atlanta," the Ministry said on its web site.

The patient is an 11-year-old girl, who has been in treatment for four days and has not been sick enough to be hospitalized, the nation's health minister Celso Cerezo told media there.

The girl's two sisters have tested negative for the virus, which causes breathing difficulties, headaches, muscular pains and sharp increases in temperature.

Cerezo said that the girls' family had recently visited Mexico and said that samples from her parents were currently being studied in the CDC.

Cerezo placed Guatemala on orange alert, which means hospital staffs will have to use facemasks and gloves when they deal with the public and stricter border controls will be applied at international ports and airports.

However, the Guatemala government has not yet ordered the closure of schools, restaurants and places where people gather in large numbers.

The new strain of flu has killed 29 and infected 913 people in Mexico. Over 1,700 people were sickened all over the world. Only two deaths have been registered outside Mexico, both in the United States.

Recovered A/H1N1 flu patients discharged from hospital in Mexico

2009-05-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

MEXICO CITY, May 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 16 A/H1N1 flu patients have been discharged from hospital in Mexico after they recovered from the epidemic, Mexican officials said on Tuesday.

"What we have achieves in a week of unprecedented action is to reduce the speed at which virus can spread and avoid deaths," Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon told media.

Twenty nine people have died with symptoms consistent with the flu including breathing difficulties, but only five have been confirmed killed by A/H1N1 flu virus.

Some 913 people are infected with the flu as 68 of them are currently being treated in health centers in Mexico.

The nation closed educational institutions last week, effectively sending home 33 million people. These institutions will reopen in stages, starting with higher education institutions on Wednesday. Nurseries and primary schools will be the last to reopen on Monday.

Spanish Health Ministry confirms 16 new cases of A/H1N1 flu

2009-05-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

MADRID, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Health Ministry on Tuesday confirmed 16 new cases of influenza A/H1N1, bringing the total to 73.

The number of probable cases has lowered to 56 from 63, the Ministry said, adding that all the confirmed cases except five had traveled to Mexico.

Currently, the regions of Catalonia has 21 confirmed cases, Andalucia and Valencia 19 each, Castilla-La Mancha five, Madrid four, while Aragon, Extremadura, Galicia, Murica and Basque each has one.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the confirmed cases have risen to 1,490 in 21 countries and the number of the deaths to 30, with 29 in Mexico with one in the United States.

S Korea sends $500,000 in aid to flu-hit Mexico

2009-05-06T15:57:00.001-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

MEXICO CITY, May 5 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Tuesday formally presented the Mexican government with 500,000 U.S. dollars worth of aid to help the country fight A/H1N1 flu, Mexican media reported.

The shipments includes facemasks, thermometers, latex gloves and refrigerators for blood samples that will be delivered to Mexico on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, South Korea's ambassador to Mexico, Whan-Bok Cho said.

Also on the list are liquid soaps, disposable diapers, sponges impregnated with alcohol, disposable medical smokes and other sterile disposable clothing.

Cho said that the international community should show recognition, appreciation and support for the great efforts made by Mexico to fight the flu crisis.

Latest official figures show that the A/H1N1 flu has infected 913 people and killed 29 in Mexico.

The ambassador said that Mexico has taken the right decisions and its people have confidence in the government's ability to control and overcome the health emergency.

"We are sure the Mexican government has taken the correct and effective decisions, which have already given rise to positive results," Cho said, adding that his country is ready to continue helping Mexico.

He also reiterated the solidarity of the South Korean government and people.

Lourdes Aranda, Mexico's deputy Foreign Minister, responded that the donation sends a valued message showing South Korea's friendship with Mexico, which is appreciated more than ever during tough times.

WHO rejects raising alert level in Colombia

2009-05-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

BOGOTA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) in Colombia on Tuesday rejected a warning from the Pan American Health Organization (PHO) that the alert in the country should be raised to phase 6 as more suspected cases of A/H1N1 flu were found.

"The alerts are launched from the WHO central and for the moment we are on phase five. The level 6 has to do with the expansion of the virus. It will be announced if there is a change or not in the alert," WHO director of Public Health, Maria Neira told local radio Caracol Radio.

PHO representative Pierre Paolo Balladelli said on Monday that as suspected cases of H1N1 flu rose to 136 in Colombia, the alert level in the country would be risen to level 6 in a matter of days.

"I would dare to say that we are very near because the number of cases has grown and it is very probable that in hours or days we could reach to a sustained infection in its transmission," Balladelli said.

Neira said the H1N1 virus is very sensitive to weather conditions, noting that the low temperature could make transmission of the virus much easier.

"The message is to be careful and be ready, and things must be taken calmly and not with panic. The transmission is through people, and now we continue investigating the origin of the one confirmed case and later we will know which was the origin and the measure to be taken in the future," Neira said.

Colombian prosecutor's office has issued a communique, urging enterprises, public and private entities to take preventive measure.

Colombian government reported on Monday 136 possible cases of H1N1 flu, while only one man of 42 years old has so far been confirmed of being infected. The man is on good health conditions and under medical supervision.

A/H1N1 flu death toll rises to 29 in Mexico

2009-05-06T15:56:00.001-07:00

Special Report:
World Tackles A/H1N1
Flu

MEXICO CITY, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Mexican health ministry announced three more confirmed deaths from A/H1N1 flu late Tuesday, bringing the national death toll to 29.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, the tally of confirmed infected patients is 942. It noted that the epidemic was waning in Mexico as it had peaked last week.

Health authorities were still carrying out tests on another 39 people who were suspected to die from the disease in the past weeks, the statement added.

Restaurants and shops in Mexico will reopen on Wednesday while universities and high schools will resume classes on Thursday.

Cambodian dengue fever patients rise sharply

2009-05-06T15:56:00.000-07:00

PHNOM PENH, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The number of dengue fever patients of Cambodia rose to 960 until May 4, over 750 until the end of April, or an increase of over 200 in less than a week, national media said on Wednesday.

The 960 victims were mainly spotted in Phnom Penh, Kampong Cham province and Kandal province, Chinese-language daily newspaper the Commercial News quoted officials of the Ministry of Health as saying.

So far this year, only two people died of the disease all over the country, according to ministry.

However, it was still early for the government to issue epidemic warning, as officials remained vigilant to watch the expansion of the illness, as well as guide people to kill mosquitoes and keep their water tanks clean, it added.

In 2008, 65 people died of dengue fever, out of a total of 9,542 infected cases in Cambodia.

Flight passengers in contact with influenza A/H1N1 to be out of quarantine on Thursday

2009-05-06T15:55:00.001-07:00

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Passengers quarantined in
the Chinese mainland who took the same flight with a Mexican national later
diagnosed with influenza A/H1N1 in Hong Kong will be out of quarantine on
Thursday if they display no flu-like symptoms, China's Ministry of Health said
Wednesday.

The passengers, scattered in 18 provinces, autonomous regions
and municipalities on the Chinese mainland, would be free to go by 6 a.m.
Thursday, after local health authorities confirm they show no fever, acute
respiratory symptoms, or other signs of influenza A/H1N1 infection.

Those who show flu-like symptoms will be isolated at
designated health institutions and will receive medical treatment there, the
ministry said. People in close contact with them will also be quarantined.

None of the passengers had yet showed any flu-like
symptoms as of Monday, the health ministry said on Tuesday.

A flight crew of 13 Mexicans and 166 passengers who
remained in the Chinese mainland were put into a seven-day quarantine on May
1after taking Thursday's Mexican flight Aeromexico 098 from Mexico City to
Shanghai.

The quarantine came after a 25-year-old male Mexican
who took the same flight was confirmed on Friday in Hong Kong to be infected
with influenza A/H1N1.

On Tuesday, a Mexican chartered plane arrived at the
Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Tuesday to pick up the quarantined
Mexicans.

Andres Pena, vice consul-general of Mexico in
Shanghai, said those who got on the plane included 43 crew and passengers on
board the AM098 and 34 others, who worked and lived in China but were not under
quarantine. Six Mexican nationals volunteered to stay in the city.

Poll: One-third of Americans losing sleep over economy

2009-05-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

WASHINGTON, March 2 (Xinhua) -- One-third of Americans are losing sleep
over the state of the U.S. economy and other personal financial concerns, a new
poll says.

The poll, released Monday by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), suggests
that inadequate sleep is associated with unhealthy lifestyles and negatively
impacts health and safety.

The number of people reporting sleep problems has increased 13 percent
since 2001. In the past eight years, the number of Americans who sleep less than
six hours a night jumped from 13 percent to 20 percent, and those who reported
sleeping eight hours or more dropped from 38 percent to 28 percent.

"It's easy to understand why so many people are concerned over the economy
and jobs, but sacrificing sleep is the wrong solution," said David Cloud, chief
executive officer of the Washington-based foundation.

"Sleep is essential for productivity and alertness and is a vital sign for
one's overall health," he added.

About 40 percent of Americans agree that sleep is as important as diet and
exercise to overall health and well-being; yet, only 32 percent of Americans who
report sleep problems discuss them with their doctor.

"Getting enough sleep every day is as important to your health as eating
healthy and being physical active," says Woodie Kessel, member of the poll task
force.

A lack of sleep is creating a major public safety problem as well -- drowsy
driving.

The poll found that more than one-half of adults (54 percent) --
potentially 110 million licensed drivers -- have driven when drowsy at least
once in the past year. Nearly one-third of drivers polled (28 percent) say that
they have nodded off or fallen asleep while driving a vehicle.

Two out of every 10 Americans sleep less than six hours a night. People
sleeping too few hours report being too tired to work efficiently, exercise or
eat healthy.

"With the economy worsening, we are seeing patients in our clinic who have
told us that they would not be returning for treatment because they or other
family members have lost their jobs, and they are concerned about costs," said
Meir Kryger, director of research and education at Gaylord Sleep Services in New
Haven.

"These patients may wind up far sicker. Sleep disorders are often
associated with other chronic diseases, like diabetes and hypertension, and they
can add complexity and even accelerate each other if untreated," he said.

U.S. study finds increased prevalence of left-handedness in children with facial development disorder

2009-05-06T15:54:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON, March 2 (Xinhua) -- A new study by physician
researchers from Hasbro Children's Hospital in Rhode Island and Children's
Hospital Boston has identified an increased prevalence in left-handedness
in children with a congenital disorder known as hemifacial
microsomia (HFM).

The study was published in the March 2009 edition of
the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.

Overall, ten percent of the population is
left-handed. A higher frequency has been associated with certain craniofacial
malformations such as cleft lip and other conditions.

Albert Oh, director of pediatric plastic and
craniofacial surgery at Hasbro Children's Hospital, along with researchers from
Children's Hospital Boston, developed this study to determine if the frequency
of left-handedness increased in patients with HFM.

HFM is the second most common birth defect after
clefts, and is a condition that affects the development of the lower half of the
face. It most commonly affects the ears, mouth or jaw, and can occur on either
side of the face or both.

A total of 86 patients who were diagnosed with HFM
were studied and compared to a control group using several factors. The study
group was 48 percent male, with an average age of 13.5 years. Of those patients,
49 percent had predominant right side involvement of HFM, while 38 percent had
left side involvement and 13 percent had almost equal involvement on both sides.
The control group included 96 children, 44 percent male with a mean age of 10
years.

When compared to the control group, the study group
showed 26 percent were left-hand dominant for writing compared with only 11
percent in the control group. Also of note, for the patients who had bilateral
involvement of their HFM, the side most affected was uniformly predictive of
hand preference. The patients with left-predominant involvement of HFM were
left-handed and the patients with right-predominant involvement were
right-handed.

Albert Oh, who is also a professor of surgery at the
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, says: "This study is
significant in that it revealed a significant shift to left-hand preference in
patients with HFM. This finding further emphasizes that the developmental
abnormality that causes HFM is not isolated to the face."

Oh and the authors also note that the study should
promote further discussion of the two major etiological theories of HFM:
vascular disruption and abnormal proliferation or migration of neural crest
cells (cells located in the neural plate in the embryo that migrate to their
final destinations during embryo development).

The study, while limited in size, found no
correlations between the side of facial involvement and hand preference that
would support the theory of vascular disruption.

Scientists modifies smallpox vaccine to fight H5N1 bird flu

2009-05-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

HONG KONG, March 1 (Xinhua) -- A team of scientists
from the University of Hong Kong and the United States on Sunday said they have
developed a new vaccine strategy against the H5N1 bird flu virus by genetically
modifying a smallpox vaccine.

The new vaccine is potentially a sound solution in
case of an H5N1 bird flu pandemic, which many scientists have been worried
about, said Malik Peiris, a microbiologist and bird flu research authority at
the University of Hong Kong.

Peiris said that the new vaccine has proven safer in
experiments on mice and that "a single vaccine dose will provide rapid
protective immune responses."

It is also expected to enable fast mass production
thanks to the possibility of using cell-culture methods, which could help avoid
potential production bottlenecks as eggs will have to be used in the production
of vaccines currently on offer.

And the existing facilities used for the production
of smallpox vaccines can be used to produce the bird flu vaccines without much
trouble, which can help reduce the costs, said another member of the research
team, adding that alternative strategies available involving genetic engineering
methods have been typically expensive.

The highly contagious H5N1 bird flu virus has
infected hundreds of people around the globe over the past decade, with the
death rate standing at round 60 percent.

There had been no confirmed cases of the virus
spreading from human to human but scientists fear that a genetic mutation might
enable it to jump from human to human someday, thereby leading to a global
pandemic that could kill millions.

Many scientists have been working on the development
of effective vaccines to prevent such a bird flu outbreak and the University of
Hong Kong was among the leaders.

There are now vaccines for sale in the United States
and eggs were essential in manufacturing the vaccines, which might lead to
bottlenecks as eggs may not be readily available in large amount in the case of
a bird flu pandemic.

Peiris said his team planned to optimize the efficacy
of the new vaccine.

They will explore the new strategy to create a
"universal influenza vaccine" that can fight a range of subtypes of the H5
strain of bird flu virus.

The study, co-authored by scientists from the U.S.
National Institutes of Health, is published on the March issue of the Journal of
Immunology.

Vegetable-based drug could inhibit melanoma: U.S. researchers

2009-05-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Compounds extracted from green vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage could be a potent drug against melanoma, according to cancer researchers. Tests on mice suggest that these compounds, when combined with selenium, target tumors more safely and effectively than
conventional therapy.

"There are currently no drugs to target the proteins
that trigger melanoma," said Gavin Robertson, associate professor of
pharmacology, pathology and dermatology, Penn State College of Medicine. "We
have developed drugs from naturally occurring compounds that can inhibit the
growth of tumors in mice by 50 to 60 percent with a very low dose."

Robertson and his colleagues previously showed the
therapeutic potential of targeting the Akt3 protein in inhibiting the
development of melanoma. The search for a drug to block the protein led them to
a class of compounds called isothiocyanates.

These naturally occurring chemicals found in
cruciferous vegetables are known to have certain cancer-fighting properties.
However, the potency of these compounds is so low that a successful drug would
require large impractical amounts of these compounds.

Instead, the Penn State researchers rewired the
compounds by replacing their sulfur bonds with selenium. The result, they
believe, is a more potent drug that can be delivered intravenously in low doses.

"Selenium deficiency is common in cancer patients,
including those diagnosed with metastatic melanoma," explained Robertson, whose
findings appear in the March edition of Clinical Cancer Research. "Besides,
selenium is known to destabilize Akt proteins in prostate cancer cells."

To study the effectiveness of the new drug --
isoselenocyanate -- researchers injected mice with 10 million cancer cells. Six
days later, when the animals developed large tumors, they were divided into two
groups and treated separately with either the vegetable compounds or the
compounds supplemented with selenium.

"We found that the selenium-enhanced compounds
significantly reduced the production of Akt3 protein and shut down its signaling
network," explained Robertson, who is also associate director of translational
research and leader of the experimental therapeutics program at Penn State
Hershey Cancer Institute. The modified compounds also reduced the growth of
tumors by 60 percent, compared to the vegetable-based compounds alone.

When the researchers exposed three different human
melanoma cell lines to the two compounds, the selenium-enhanced drug worked
better on some cell lines than others. The efficiency was from 30 to 70 percent
depending on the cell line.

The exact mechanism of how selenium inhibits cancer
remains unclear. However Robertson, who has a filed provisional patent on the
discovery, is convinced that the use of naturally occurring compounds that
target cancer-causing proteins could lead to more effective ways of treating
melanoma.

"We have harnessed something found in nature to
target melanoma," said Robertson. "And since we only need tiny amounts to kill
the cancer cells, it means even less toxic side-effects for the patient."

Human trials of the new drug are still some years
away, but the Penn State researcher envisions a drug that could be delivered
either intravenously to treat melanoma, or added to sunscreen lotion to prevent
the disease.

Half price Tuesday for Shanghai tourists

2009-05-06T15:52:00.002-07:00

Tourists pose for photographson
May 3on the 259-meter-high transparent walkway in the Oriental Pearl
TV Tower, one of the most popular destinations for tourists during the May
Day holiday, when Shanghai attracted more than 2.45 million tourists,
about 20,000 more than last year, according to the Shanghai Tourism
Administration.(Photo Source: Shanghai Daily/ Zhang Ming)
Photo Gallery

BEIJING, May 6 -- Ten more tourist attractions will
offer a 50 percent discount on admission prices on Tuesdays from May 5, 2009,
the Shanghai tourism authority said.

The Shanghai Ocean Aquarium, Zhujiajiao Ancient Town,
Oriental Land in Qingpu District and Fengjing Ancient Town in Jinshan District
are among the "half price Tuesday" scenic spots, Labor Daily reported.

The tourism authority has listed 18 tourist
attractions, including the Oriental Pearl Tower, the World Financial Center and
Jinmao Tower, in the discount scheme.

On February 24, the first day of the scheme, the
Oriental Pearl Tower saw three times the usual number of tourists.

The scheme will be extended until July 28. It was due
to end on April 28 but the discounts have proved extremely popular, the Shanghai
Tourism Authority said.

(Source: Shanghai Daily)

Vice Premier: China, EU "Distant Neighbors"

2009-05-06T15:52:00.001-07:00

BEIJING,May6
(Xinhuanet)--China's Vice Premier Wang Qishanhas said
thatChina and the European Union should take a responsible attitude and
demonstrate their common, clear commitment against trade protectionism at the
second China-E.U. high-level economic dialogue.

He made the remarks in an articlepublished by the
New York Timeson Tuesday, titled "Distant Neighbors."

The following is the full text of the article:

The most pressing task facing all countries in the
world today is to restore global economic growth as soon as possible. Yet it is
worrisome to note that the surge of trade protectionism has made the prospects
of the already fragile world economy even worse.

China and the European Union, two major economies and
stakeholders in the world, should take a responsible attitude and demonstrate
their common, clear commitment against trade protectionism at the second
China-E.U. high-level economic dialogue.

Trade liberalization is the engine of economic
growth. It has served as a strong propeller of economic globalization and
benefited people around the world. On the contrary, trade protectionism ¡ª
featuring the pursuit of benefits for one country at the expense of others ¡ª
will only lead to retaliation. It serves the interest of no one.

The world economy paid a heavy price for the
prevalence of trade protectionism during the Great Depression in the 1930s,
which led to the contraction of global trade by two thirds. We should make sure
that the same mistake is not repeated.

Europe is the birthplace of free trade theory, and
the E.U. is the product of successful free trade practices. The removal of trade
barriers promoted formation of a single European market and enhanced development
and prosperity in Europe. As a result, the E.U. has grown into the largest
economy in the world today.

China is firmly committed to reform and to opening
up. Since its accession to the World Trade Organization, China¡¯s market has
become much more open and its trade greatly liberalized. The current overall
tariff level of China is only 9.8 percent. Its average tariff on industrial
products is only 8.9 percent, the lowest among all developing countries. Its
tariff on imported agricultural products is only 15.2 percent, which is not only
lower than other developing countries but also far below that of many developed
countries.

The openness of China¡¯s trade in services has reached
a level close to that of an average developed country. China has taken steady
steps to improve its market economic system and legal system. In particular, it
has made remarkable progress in intellectual-property rights protection, product
quality and food safety, environmental protection and labor security. China has
also taken concrete actions against trade protectionism ¡ª the Chinese government
recently sent Chinese enterprises on procurement missions to Europe and the
United States.

The economies of China and the E.U. have much to
offer each other and our two-way trade holds a huge potential. The E.U. is now
China¡¯s largest trading partner and China is the second largest trading partner
of the E.U.

China and the E.U. should make full use of the
platform presented by the high-level economic dialogue to strengthen
communication and cooperation and jointly oppose trade protectionism. This would
better enable us to tackle the current crisis and promote economic recovery and
growth. It would also reinforce the trend of economic globalization and
facilitates a further growth of two-way trade.

The two sides should work actively to put in place
the agreement reached at the G-20 summit in London, promote early, comprehensive
and balanced outcome in the WTO Doha round negotiations and uphold an open, fair
and equitable international trading regime. An early conclusion of the Doha
round is of symbolic significance to curbing protectionism.

The two sides should further open markets to each
other. China will continue to lower the threshold for market access, improve
trade and investment environment and encourage Chinese enterprises to increase
procurement and imports from Europe.

We hope the E.U. will relax restrictions on the
exports of high-tech products to China, enhance cooperation with China on the
development and application of clean energy, new energy and renewable energy and
support cooperation among our small and medium-sized enterprises. Meanwhile, our
two sides should step up efforts to update the E.E.C.-China Trade and Economic
Cooperation Agreement.

The two sides should work in a cooperative spirit and
properly resolve trade differences and disputes. Each side needs to take proper
care of its own interests. Yet, more importantly, both sides should accommodate
the concerns of the other, taking into full account national conditions and
their stage of development, and steadily broaden the scope of our common
interests.

We should strengthen dialogue and consultation,
refrain from taking protectionist measures and avoid politicizing trade issues.
China hopes that the E.U. will evaluate the conditions of the Chinese economy in
an objective and unprejudiced manner and recognize China¡¯s full market economy
status as soon as possible.

Trade liberalization was, is and will continue to be
the only way to global economic prosperity. The Chinese side is ready to work
with the E.U. and take effective measures to oppose trade protectionism, promote
better growth of China-E.U. trade and jointly move the world economy out of the
current difficulties at an early date.

Chinese Vice Premier leaves for
Sino-EU dialogue, visit Britain

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Wang
Qishan left here Wednesday for the second Sino-European Union (EU) high-level
trade and economic dialogue in Brussels on May 7 and 8, and to pay an official
visit to Britain from May 8 to 12 at the invitation of British Chancellor of the
Exchequer Alistair Darling.

Wang will co-chair the dialogue with Catherine
Ashton, EU Trade Commissioner and personal representative of the European
Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, said Jiang Yu, spokeswoman of the
Chinese Foreign Ministry. Full story

Chinese diplomat stresses importance
of pragmatism, shared interests in developing Sino-EU ties

BRUSSELS, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chinese
diplomat said here Wednesday that China and the European Union (EU) should push
forward mutually beneficial cooperation in all spheres by practicing pragmatism,
keeping in mind the overall interest of the bilateral relations and working
together to promote common interests between the two peoples.

"If we keep in mind the overall interest of our
relations and work together to promote common interest between our peoples, we
will be able to enjoy a closer partnership in the long run, and for next month
to ensure the upcoming Sino-EU High-Level Dialogue and the summit great
success," said the Chinese Ambassador to the EU Song Zhe in a speech at a
seminar on Sino-EU relations in Brussels. Full story

Chinese Vice Premier to attend Sino-EU
dialogue, visit Britain

BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier
Wang Qishan will attend the second Sino-European Union (EU) high-level trade and
economic dialogue in Brussels on May 7 and 8 and pay an official visit to
Britain from May 8 to 12.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu made the
announcement at a regular press conference here Thursday. Full story

China faces challenge of growing elderly society

2009-05-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 6 -- The growing population of the elderly in the country is a colossal challenge for which we appear to be least prepared, if not altogether unprepared.

Recent studies and articles by researchers both at home and abroad have sounded alarm bells for alerting us to the gravity of the situation the country will be facing in the coming decades.

According to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, the current ratio of 16 elderly per 100 workers is set to double by 2025 and rise to 61 by 2050. By then China will have 438 million people aged 60 and over and 103 million aged 80 or over.

Information from China's State Information Center and the China National Committee on Aging also showed a similar trend.

In a matter of 18 years, China has achieved an aging population ratio that developed countries reached in several decades or nearly a century. This means the challenge for China is far greater because we are becoming a greying society before the country becomes rich.

What it means for the economy is that the population dividend - the steady supply of fresh workforce and the high savings rate - we have been cashing in on during the last three decades of economic boom will finally come to an end. We will instead face a shortage of labor, which spells a potential disaster for the world's "manufacturing workshop."

The vast aging population will also have a negative impact on the living standards of every Chinese as more government money would be spent on pension and other services related to senior citizens. That is probably why many experts call the "fast-greying population" as one of China's biggest challenges in the 21st century.

Such an unprecedented challenge facing a developing nation would require the early preparedness to avert a devastating blow to the country a few decades from now.

Unfortunately, our country is ill prepared even for the aging population of today. For example, there are only a little over 2 million beds in various senior citizens homes, averaging 11 beds per 1,000 elderly, compared with the average of 35 to 50 beds in other developing countries.

Surveys in Shanghai show that the elderly yearn for more home services, community medical service and psychological and mental comfort, all of which are seriously lacking now.

This is an appalling situation for a nation, which boasts a tradition of reverence for old age, and calls for immediate action on the part of both the government and society.

We must spend more money on pension and include people in the vast countryside, where the challenge is even bigger. We should also build more public facilities for the elderly in local communities to make their twilight years easier and more comfortable. The list could go on.

Such efforts and expenditure would mean less money for other sectors and possibly slower economic growth. But unless we act now, act decisively and courageously, we will be making a terrible mistake in dealing with one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century.

(Source: China Daily)

U.S. confirms 226 A/H1N1 flu cases in 30 states

2009-05-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, May 3 (Xinhua) -- A total of 226 human A/H1N1 flu cases have been confirmed in 30 U.S. states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Sunday.

The only person that has so far died of the H1N1 flu virus is a Mexican toddler who was visiting relatives in Texas, said the CDC.

According to the center, the State of New York has reported 63 confirmed cases of the H1N1, followed by 40 of Texas, 26 of California, 18 of Arizona and 15 of South Carolina.

The number of confirmed cases on Saturday was 160 in 21 states.

As of Friday, at least 430 schools in the United States had temporarily closed, while the CDC suggested more schools "should consider" sending students home if campuses have one or more cases of the new strain of influenza.

In his weekly radio address on Saturday, President Barack Obama told the public that his administration is confronting the epidemic's outbreak, vowing to take all necessary precautions in case the virus turn into "something worse."

The administration also continue its public relation campaign on Sunday by sending Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and acting CDC Director Richard E. Besser to all five major TV talk shows.

Emergency plan for Influenza A/H1N1 under consideration in Pakistan

2009-05-05T16:16:00.002-07:00

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

ISLAMABAD, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Health of Pakistan has planned to hold inter-provincial coordination committee meeting to prepare emergency plan for handling a possible epidemic of Influenza A/H1N1, official Associated Press of Pakistan reported on Sunday.

Instructions have been issued to concerned departments for detection and handling of importation of H1N1 virus that causes the disease, initially known as swine flu, said the report.

The ministry has made proper arrangements in hospitals in this regard including immediate isolation and hospitalization of any suspected case.

Instructions have also been issued to the airport authorities regarding screening of all incoming passengers to check any importation of the virus.

The Health Ministry has issued instructions to the officials at sea ports and land entry points for screening of individuals on their entering to Pakistan.

Heads of educational institutions of the federal and provincial level have also been asked to advise parents to have proper check on their children particularly those having flu-like symptoms.

The APP quoted sources as saying that the heads of all hospitals across the country had been instructed to advise their staff to maintain the history of such incoming patients with flu-like symptoms and use protective measures while handling such patients.

New anti-cancer vaccine developed by Czech lab

2009-05-05T16:16:00.001-07:00

PRAGUE, May 3 (Xinhua) -- A new vaccine which may be capable of halting
cancer has been manufactured in the labs at the Prague Motol Hospital for a
year, local daily Mlada Fronta Dnes reported Sunday.

The vaccine is useful in the fight against a number of tumors, and it does
not have any such side-effects as chemotherapy has, the daily cited a report
published by prestigious medical journal Clinical Immunology.

"Now we are drafting a request for clinical tests," Jirina Bartunkova, a
leading researcher, was quoted as saying.

The vaccine, which was developed by a unique method that the Czechs had
worked for ten years, can be used in the treatment of melanoma, leukemia, bowel
cancer, ovary cancer and recurring tumors, the paper wrote.

One vaccine is sufficient for one patient for a year, and the treatment
costs about 100,000 crowns (5,000 U.S. dollars) per year, Bartunkova said.

However, using the vaccine to cure patients is very demanding in terms of
time and equipment, and only one vaccine a week can be manufactured in the super
pure labs.

"We are able to produce some 50 vaccines a year. However, the research has
reached the stage in which the production of the vaccine can be made on a large
scale," Bartunkova said.

The research group is negotiating with a biotechnological firm on the
production of the vaccine, said the daily.

Australian gov't to subsidize breast, bowel and kidney cancer

2009-05-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

CANBERRA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Australian federal government said on Sunday it
will allocate 600 million Australian dollars (432 million U.S. dollars) in the
upcoming budget to subsidize expensive bowel, breast and kidney cancer drugs.

"I think it's a sign that while we are in tough economic times, we still
are determined to do the things that are needed to help people in very
vulnerable circumstances," Health Minister Nicola Roxon told local media Ten
Network.

Roxon said that from July, the bowel cancer drug Avastin will be subsidized
under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which will cost the government about
311 million Aust dollars (223.9 million U.S. dollars) over the next four years.

"These drugs are expensive. We've made room for them to be able to be
funded. Sutent, Avastin and Herceptin deal with some of the most severe forms of
cancer ... bowel cancer and breast cancer," Roxon said.

Listing the drugs will mean new patients suffering advanced bowel cancer
will pay about 33 Aust dollars (23.75 U.S. dollars) for Avastin instead of more
than 2,000 Aust dollars (1440 U.S. dollars).

Sufferers of metastatic breast cancer will also receive a boost with the
free Herceptin program at a cost of 166 million Aust dollars (119.5 million U.S.
dollars).

With the free Herceptin program, patients will save about 60,000 Aust
dollars (43,200 U.S. dollars) a year.

One confirmed, nine probable of A/H1N1 flu in Alabama

2009-05-05T16:15:00.000-07:00

Special Report:
World Tackles A/H1N1
Flu

HOUSTON, May 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
on Saturday confirmed the first case of A/H1N1 flu in the State of Alabama.

The patient is a kindergartener at Heritage Elementary School in the city
of Madison, local public health officials said late in the evening.

Meanwhile, six new probable cases of A/H1N1 flu are identified on Saturday
in the state, including five students. That brings to 10 the number of confirmed
and probable cases so far in the state -- one in Jefferson County, one in
Montgomery and eight in the city of Madison.

Local public health officials were notified late Saturday afternoon that
the Jefferson County, the largest in Alabama, has detected its first probable
case of A/H1N1 flu. The patient is an adult man with a type of virus that is 95
percent likely to be A/H1N1 flu.

Other five probable cases identified on Saturday in Madison were all from
students, but increased from one to four the number of schools affected.
Officials said all the elementary schools in the city of Madison remain closed
until May 14.

Alabama has been identifying probable cases that it then sent to CDC for
confirmation. Officials say starting next week the state will be able to confirm
its own cases.