Drought continues in Anhui and Jiangsu

Record low water levels are creating water shortages for both rural and urban areas in eastern China.The latest satellite data shows a dried-up Huai River. A major lack of rain has led to severe drought which has reduced the important waterway to one-sixth of its normal size. In Anhui Province, the water level of Chaohu lake,the country's fourth largest freshwater lake,barely reached 12.14 meters, which is nearing what is referred to as the "dead level". According to the weather officials,local rainfall since March has been around 50 percent less than normal.Bridges on Chaohu lake are standing in mud instead of water. Vessels are stuck and fishermen are gone.Wang Yaowu, Local River Administration Official, said, "Chaohu lake is experiencing its lowest levels in a decade. We are going to face...

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Defense Ministry clarifies "Cyber Blue Team"

Some people call it a professional unit of the People's Liberation Army fighting on the Internet. At a recent press conference held by the Defense Ministry, a spokesman clarified the team's role.Geng Yansheng, Spokesman of Defense Ministry, said, "At present, Internet safety has become an international issue. It not only affects our civil societies but also the military. China is also a victim of Internet attacks. Right now our Internet protection system is still relatively weak. Improving Internet safety is one of the most prominent tasks of our military training. The purpose of the "Cyber Blue Team" is to improve our ability to safeguard Internet security."The Defense Ministry also emphasized that the "Cyber Blue Team" are not hackers and that the International community should not misunderstand...

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U.S. unilateral action hurts public sentiments: Pakistani President

 The unilateral action taken by the U.S. forces to kill the al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden on Pakistani soil has hurt the public sentiments, said the Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari here on Friday.The president made the remarks during a meeting with the visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at his presidential office in Islamabad.During the meeting, Zardari also demanded the United States to stop the drone strikes in the country's northwestern tribal areas.The president also said that Pakistan has suffered a great loss of lives in fight against terrorism and its economy has been badly affected by terrorism.Local watchers pointed out that the messages sent by the Pakistani president during his meeting with Hillary Clinton have reflected at least three demands put forward...

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U.S. secretary of state to meet opposition leader Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad

The U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who arrived in Islamabad on Friday for talks with the Pakistani leadership will also meet Pakistan's largest opposition party leader Nawaz Sharif, said a spokesman of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N).Nawaz Sharif has reached Islamabad from Murree, a resort city some 40 kilometers northeast of Islamabad, for the scheduled meeting with Hillary, spokesman of PML-N Sadiq Ul Farooq told Xinhua correspondent over telephone.Hillary has held a meeting with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Friday morning and she will also hold meetings with the Pakistani Prime Minister and the Army Chief during her short visit he...

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Drought continues in Anhui and Jiangsu

Record low water levels are creating water shortages for both rural and urban areas in eastern China.The latest satellite data shows a dried-up Huai River. A major lack of rain has led to severe drought which has reduced the important waterway to one-sixth of its normal size. In Anhui Province, the water level of Chaohu lake,the country's fourth largest freshwater lake,barely reached 12.14 meters, which is nearing what is referred to as the "dead level". According to the weather officials,local rainfall since March has been around 50 percent less than normal.Bridges on Chaohu lake are standing in mud instead of water. Vessels are stuck and fishermen are gone.Wang Yaowu, Local River Administration Official, said, "Chaohu lake is experiencing its lowest levels in a decade. We are going to face...

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Taipei 101, landmark in SE China

 Photo taken on May 26, 2011 shows the landmark skyscraper Taipei 101 in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan. Comprising 101 floors above the ground, the 508-metre-high Taipei 101 is a complex building for office, shopping, leisure,tourism and so on. Since its completion in 2003, Taipei 101 was ranked as the world's tallest until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010.  Photo taken on May 26, 2011 shows the landmark skyscraper Taipei 101 in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan  Photo taken on May 19, 2011 shows the interior of the landmark skyscraper Taipei 101 in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan.  Photo taken on May 18, 2011 shows the interior of the landmark skyscraper Taipei 101 in Taipei, southeast China's...

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Australian federal gov't to return to surplus despite mining tax issues with Western Australia

Australian federal Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten on Friday said he is confident the federal government will resolve the mining tax issue on royalty increases with Western Australia, and assured that the government will get the budget back to surplus in 2012/13.The 30 percent minerals resource rent tax (MRRT) is due to operate from July 2012, and the government has earlier signed an agreement stating all royalties will be refunded under the new tax.However, Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett announced to remove the concession on iron ore royalties under its state budget released last week.In response to the move, the federal government has threatened to cut goods and services tax (GST) and infrastructure funding to Western Australia, and Shorten said he had no doubt that the commonwealth...

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Paralysed gymnast Sang Lan sues for $2.1 billion

A Chinese sports hero is facing a new challenge, 13 years after an accident left her paralysed and ended her career as a world-class gymnast.China's Sang Lan has filed a lawsuit in the United States, one that threatens to tarnish her carefully-maintained reputation for resilience at home.The 2.1-billion dollar suit targets everyone from Ted Turner, who founded the Goodwill Games where the accident happened in 1998, to the former AOL Time Warner media company, which owned the games in New York.It also cites USA Gymnastics, which supported the event, along with the couple who served as Sang Lan's guardians in the city where she underwent extensive medical treatment, paid for by the insurers. The lawsuit says they all broke promises to care for Sang, who was 17 years old when the accident took...

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Brazil's primary surplus up 67% in first four months of 2011

Brazil's central government's primary surplus reached 41.4 billion reais (25.7 billion U.S. dollars) in the first four months of 2011, up 67.7 percent from the same period last year, the country's Finance Ministry said on Thursday.The amount equals to 3.29 percent of the country's GDP.The ministry said it has surpassed half of the target for 2011, which is 81.7 billion reais (50.7 billion U.S. dollar...

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16th NAM ministerial meeting ends in Bali

 The 16th Ministerial Conference and Commemorative Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) came to an end in Bali, Indonesia on Friday.Marty Natalegawa, Indonesian Foreign Minister, said in his closing remarks that the meeting had been a fruitful conference and a meaningful commemorative meeting.He said that the deliberations yielded an 127-page Final Document that reflected the shared vision and common position of the Movement, which sent strong message on the need to step up NAM 's efforts on the reform of the United Nations and the global economic and financial system.The final document as well as the Bali Commemorative Declaration issued on Wednesday also prescribed measures to address emerging challenges in the world of 21st century, called for enhanced international cooperation...

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NHL: Vancouver advances to Stanley Cup Final

The Western Conference championship series between Vancouver and San Jose. The Canucks skated into this one just a single victory away from clinching their first appearance in the Stanley Cup finals in 17 years. It was a madhouse for game 5, the Vancouver faithful hoped to end the Western Conference Finals on home ice.And the Canucks' Alex Burrows delivered the first goal eight minutes in. Brothers Henrik and Daniel Sedin helped on the scoring play.But the Sharks would not go quietly. They got the equalizer on a power play from Patrick Marleau. It was his sixth goal of the series.It was tied 1-1 going to the third period. San Jose took command with a nice sequence that ended with Devin Setoguchi scoring into an empty net. He got his first of the series 24 seconds into the final period.They'd...

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Beckham returns to Man United for Neville

A famous face returned to England's most famous club, as David Beckham made a one-off return to Manchester United.Becks was on hand for the end of best friend Gary Neville's career in a friendly against Juventus.The former England captain renewed his partnership on the right flank with defender Neville that worked so well for club and country in the past, but United lost to Juventus 2-1.Manuel Giandonato and Simone Pepe netted for the Italian Serie A side, after Wayne Rooney's opener for the English Premier League champion which had not lost at home all season. Beckham and Neville were reunited with other members of the so-called "Fergie's Fledglings", including Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.Giggs made his first public appearance since being revealed as the footballer covered by...

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Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic committee unveils marketing plan

 Nanjing Youth Olympics organizers announced marketing plans for the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games here on Friday.The organizing committee aims to cooperate with companies from various industries, including logistics, financial services and tourism to provide financial support for the Games.In a video message, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge also called for companies in China and worldwide to help the committee deliver a "fantastic event"."The Nanjing 2014 Organizing Committee can not deliver the Games on its own. It needs the support of key partnerships with the business community that will become integral to the success of the Games," said Rogge."Youth Olympic Games Partners will help us forge new ground, bringing industry-leading expertise, innovation, and...

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ASEAN calls on Asia to select a candidate for IMF chief

ASEAN secretary-general called on Asian countries to jointly nominate a candidate for the post of managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Thai media reported on Friday.As the leading engine of global economic growth, Asia needs to assert itself in the way international institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF operate, Surin Pitsuwan, a Thai national secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said on Thursday."The time is for Asia to field a candidate and it doesn't have to be an Asian. They could be a member of a Third World country but not the European Union and they surely must not be a North American," the Bangkok Post, Thailand's English newspaper, quoted the ASEAN chief as saying.Since 1946, a European has always held the post of IMF managing...

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Two dead as Typhoon Songda leaves Philippines

Typhoon Songda is leaving the Philippines with two people dead and tons of crops and property destroyed.Benito Ramos, executive officer of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, identified the two casualties as Jaime Torillos, 70, and Emmanuel Macaro, 27.Songda also damaged 11.46 million pesos (263,448 U.S. dollars) worth of crops and properties.Ramos said Songda affected 67,514 families in eastern and southern Philippines. Of the affected population, 53,792 families are from the Bicol region where authorities effected a pre-emptive evacuation of people who are living in flood and landslide prone areas.The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Songda is moving towards the north, and as of 1 p.m., local time, is now located...

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Sri Lanka won't give into int'l pressure: president

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared here Friday that his government would not be buckled into pressure from the international community.Addressing a state ceremony marking the second anniversary of the government troops' victory over the Tamil Tiger rebels, the Sri Lankan president said, "Sri Lanka can solve its own problems and human rights cannot be guaranteed by only including them in the constitution"He was responding to the criticism of his government's rights record by a special panel appointed by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.The Ban Ki Moon's panel report released in mid-April had accused Sri Lanka of committing war crimes during the last concluding stage of the war against the rebels."We have established genuine human rights by eliminating terrorism," Rajapaksa...

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S Korean prosecutors demand death penalty for Somali pirate

South Korean prosecutors on Friday demanded the death penalty for a Somali pirate accused of attempted murder in the country's first-ever piracy case.Arai Mahomed, 23, is charged with shooting the South Korean captain of the 11,500-ton freight Samho Jewelry, which he and four others hijacked in January in the Arabian Sea, and faces seven other offenses including robbery.Three other pirates were sentenced to life imprisonment, while one of the five pirates declined to be publicly tried and will be separately sentenced on June 1.The pirates were captured alive in a Navy raid, which killed eight pirates and rescued all 21 crew members aboard the vessel.The court verdict, which will not be bound by the jury verdict, is due later in the d...

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U.S. scientists develop new clean energy technology

 U.S. scientists have developed a new clean energy known as Direct Methanol Fuel Cell for future Pentagon and commercial applications, it was announced on Thursday.This novel fuel cell technology uses liquid methanol as a fuel to produce electrical energy, and does not require any fuel processing, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which partnered with the University of Southern California (USC) in developing the technology.Pure water and carbon dioxide are the only byproducts of the fuel cell, and no pollutants are emitted, said JPL in Pasadena, Los Angeles.Direct Methanol Fuel Cells offer several advantages over other current fuel cell systems, especially with regard to simplicity of design and higher energy density, JPL said.Current systems rely on hydrogen gas, a...

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Quake-delayed New Zealand census moved to 2013

 New Zealand's next national population census will be held in March 2013 two years later than the original schedule, which was disrupted by the devastating Christchurch earthquake."The 2011 Census could not have been successfully completed given the national state of emergency and the probable impact on census results," Statistics Minister Maurice Williamson said Friday in a statement announcing the new schedule.Williamson said the government and Statistics New Zealand had considered holding the census in March 2012, but it was agreed the time period was too short to ensure the census could be planned accurately."Statistics New Zealand will now begin planning and work on the 2013 Census," Williamson said.The exact date for the count of people and dwellings was expected to be announced...

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Cambodia plans 3 bln USD new town in Phnom Penh's peninsula

 A well-known local firm, Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation (OCIC), said Friday the firm has received approval-in-principle from Prime Minister Hun Sen to develop a new satellite city in Phnom Penh's Chroy Changvar peninsula."Prime Minister Hun Sen has already given the green light for the OCIC to develop the new town, now we're working with the Phnom Penh municipality in order to reach an official agreement,"Pung Kheav Se, president of Canadia bank, the country's third largest bank, and chairman of OCIC, which is the developer of the current Diamond Island City.The would-be new town dubbed the Chroy Changvar, or "City of the Future" project will cover the area of 387 hectares in Russei Keo district's Prek Leap area, just across Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge (Chroy Changvar...

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China seeks to expand modern philanthropy

Zong Qinghou, once the richest man on the Chinese mainland, has confirmed in an exclusive interview with Xinhua that he will set up a charity foundation named after him with one to two million yuan as initial capital."Donation is not charity. A true philanthropist should be able to help people in need by continuously creating social wealth," Zong says.The charity foundation will be continuously supported by Zong, the chairman of Wahaha, China's largest beverage producer. He topped the 2010 Forbes China Rich List with a personal fortune of 8 billion U.S. dollars in net worth.Zong is not alone in his pursuit of modern philanthropy in China. The number of professional charity foundations in China is booming, and donations are increasing every year. China is changing the way it approaches philanthropy.PHILANTHROPY:...

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Fiji disputes with Tonga over Minerva Reef

The Fiji government stated Friday that the controversial Minerva Reef is inside Fiji's Exclusive Economic Zone and this is determined by geographical coordinates.The Fiji government made the statement after the Tongan government claimed that the reef belonged to them and had started building a navigational beacon in the area, according to FijiVillage news website.The website quoted the statement by the Fiji authorities as saying Fiji is a party to the 1982 United Nations Convention on The Law of the Sea and that it has complied with the requirements of article 75 of the Convention, which reads that the coastal state shall give due publicity to such charts or lists of geographical coordinates and shall deposit a copy of each such chart or list with the Secretary General of the UN.The Fiji government...

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New Zealand research questions value of vitamin supplements over fresh fruit

Eating kiwifruit might be a much better way of getting vitamin C into your system than taking purified vitamin supplements, according to research from New Zealand.Researchers with the University of Otago found that in mice eating kiwifruit, vitamin C uptake was five times as effective as taking a purified supplement form.The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the highest ranking journal for human nutrition research, said a statement from the university.Lead researcher Associate Professor Margreet Vissers said people required vitamin C (ascorbate) in all body tissues and organs to be healthy, but the only source of vitamin C was through food or in purified form, arguably the most commonly consumed vitamin supplement.In the experiment vitamin C-deficient mice...

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Toddler, police contract potentially deadly mosquito-borne disease in Western Australia

A toddler and a policeman have become the latest victims of a rare and potentially deadly mosquito-borne disease in Western Australia (WA), local media reported on Friday.The two-year-old child contracted Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) in the Kimberley of WA and is now in Royal Darwin Hospital in a stable condition, according to Australian Associated Press (AAP).The 29-year-old police officer, who was recently contracted the disease at an Aboriginal community of WA, has emerged from a coma in a Perth hospital but is still unable to communicate.It is not known if the victims from WA's far north will fully recover.In April 2011, a man who had been traveling in WA's northwest became the first person in the state to die from the disease in three years.A 19-year-old Canadian tourist also died...

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S Korean banks' BIS capital ratio falls in Q1

The capital adequacy ratio of South Korea's local banks fell in the first quarter from three months earlier due to dividend payments to shareholders, the financial watchdog said Friday.The average capital adequacy ratio under Basel II for 18 local lenders stood at 14.23 percent as of the end of March, down 0.32 percentage points from 14.55 percent at the end of 2010, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said in a statement.The BIS ratio posted a second straight quarterly decrease in the first quarter. The ratio fell to 14.55 percent as of the end of last year from 14.62 percent three months ago, according to the FSS.The first-quarter decline came as banks' equity capital contracted on banks' payments of cash dividends to investors while risk-weighted assets increased by 16.7 trillion won...

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Suicide bomb toll in Hangu of Pakistan rises to 36

The death toll of a suicide car bomb attack Thursday evening in Pakistan's northwest city of Hangu has risen to 36, reported The News on Friday.According to the report, among the people killed in the blast there were ten police and over 50 others were also injured in the blast, some of whom are said to be still in critical condition.The attack came at about 18:15 p.m. local time near a district police officer's office at the Hangu-Kohat link road in the city.The office of the district police officer was partially damaged but the district police officer escaped the attack.An estimated 15 shops were damaged during the blast. One small hotel near the blast site, in which many police are said to be eating inside, were completely destroyed and six shops surrounding the hotel collapsed following...

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Massive wind farm gets go-ahead in New Zealand

New Zealand environment authorities have approved plans for a massive wind farm that could provide enough electricity for 170,000 homes.The wind farm, to be named Hauauru ma raki (Maori for "north west wind") will comprise 168 turbines along 34 km of land along the upper northwest coast of the North Island.The project, proposed by Contact Energy, New Zealand's biggest listed energy company, and Wind Farm Group, is expected to generate 540 megawatts of electricity.The company's original proposal included the construction, operation and maintenance of a 220-kV transmission line, three substations, associated support structures, equipment and facilities.New Zealand's environment minister appointed a board of inquiry to consider the proposal and objections to it in 2008.Secretary for the Environment...

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Colombia commemorates Shanghai Expo participation

 Colombia held a grand ceremony Wednesday night at the National Museum to commemorate its participation in the 2010 Shanghai Expo, including the official launch of a book that captures the best moments at the Colombian Pavilion during the Expo.Chinese Ambassador to Colombia Gao Zhengyue told Xinhua at the event that the Expo was a great opportunity for Colombia to show its best side to the world."Colombia was one of the countries which actively participated in Shanghai Expo. Through the expo many people from China and other countries got to know that Colombia is a very rich country whose coffee and emeralds, for example, are now more famous not only in China but around the world," he said.Thus, the expo enables Colombia to continue presenting itself to the world as a country with great...

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U.S. Secretary of State Hillary arrives in Islamabad

 The U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Islamabad for talks with the Pakistani leadership, according to a website report of a local English daily newspaper The News on Friday.During her short visit, Hillary Clinton will hold talks with the Pakistani president, the prime minister and the army chief to discuss the ways to mend the relations between the two countries following the killing of the al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden by the U.S. forces in Pakistan early this month, said the repo...

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Brazil, Spain sign agreement on triangular cooperation

 Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota and his Spanish counterpart Trinidad Jimenez signed on Thursday a memorandum of understanding for triangular cooperation in third country, especially in Latin America and Africa.In a press conference after signing the agreement here, Jimenez said that Spain and Brazil have already carried out successful joint operations in this regard."In the field of cooperation we already have a good experience of jointwork in countries with which we are closely linked, such as Haiti. We had an excellent experience and would like to carry it on," he said.The agreement will aim at promoting "the development of joint actions for the benefit of third countries, as developed or less developed ones, with which both countries maintain cooperation relations for...

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Ecuador demands sanctions against Honduras' coup mongers

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa on Thursday said that his government will not support Honduras' re-entry to the Organization of American States (OAS) until the coup mongers are punished.As long as it does not occur, "Ecuador will never give its support for Honduras to return to the OAS," Correa told reporters.Correa said it is fundamental to punish those responsible of the coup against then Honduran President Manuel Zelaya in June 2009 as some of them held senior posts in the new government."We cannot think that nothing happened; that is called impunity," he said, adding however that he respects the position of other countries which support Honduras' return to the OAS.Most of the OAS countries support the return of Honduras, whose membership was suspended on July 4, 2009 after the coup...

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Oprah Winfrey bids farewell in last show

 Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey took her final bow in a taped episode that aired Wednesday, marking the end of her 25-year daytime talk show with a tearful goodbye.Her self-titled, multi-award winning talk show has become the highest-rated program of its kind in American history. And Oprah, according to some assessments, has become the most influential woman in the world. CCTV correspondent Roee Ruttenberg reports from Washington.Oprah show starts say: there’s no business like show business. Or in this case: O business.Oprah Winfrey – the American talk show host famous for bringing intimate moments into households across the country – has called it quits for her flagship show after 25 years on the air.A quarter of a decade that included nearly 5,000 episodes, interviews with more than...

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Hong Kong Art Fair opens with global focus

The Hong Kong Art Fair is one of the most important events in the global art calendar according to its organizers.And for the 2011 event, they've got good ground to stand on considering the economic boom in Asia has seen China overtake the UK as the world's second biggest art market after the US. ART Hong Kong 11 promises to be the biggest yet, with 260 galleries from nearly 40 countries taking part.Nodding gently in monotonous rhythm, these sculpted heads welcome visitors to the Hong Kong Art Fair.Art lovers and collectors flock to the Hong Kong Convention Center for the biggest art show in Asia.As the booming economies of China and India produce more and more collectors, the volume of sales in Asia has multiplied year on year.China totaled almost 8.3 billion US dollars in gallery and auction...

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Smoking causes 17% of annual deaths in Cuba: expert

 Smoking causes 17 percent of annual deaths in Cuba besides heavy economic losses to the state, according to a local expert here Thursday.Alfredo Duenas, chief of Preventive Cardiology at the Institute ofCardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery, said that the "addiction takes away 10 years of remaining life of the smokers."Duenas said that a third of the Cuban adult population smoke, "which is a hindrance to the development of the nation"."The dire consequences of smoking, besides diminishing quality of life, have significant impact on health and economic costs to the individuals and to the country's budget, due to illness and the expense involved," he said.He said that "85 percent of Cubans are exposed to cigarette smoke in public and private spaces."Cigars and snuff production is one of...

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Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda concludes visit to Cuba

Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Winston Baldwin Spencer, concluded here Thursday his four-day visit to Cuba.During a meeting with Cuban leader Raul Castro on Wednesday, both sides "expressed satisfaction of the current state of bilateral relations."Diplomatic sources from Antigua and Barbuda said that during the talks, Spencer said "Antigua and Barbuda and Cuba's relations is an ideal model for regional cooperation.""We have much to learn from the experiences of Cuba," he said, adding that "together we will work to ensure to develop a better hemisphere and, by extension, a better world."Cuba and Antigua and Barbuda established diplomatic relations in 1994 and both nations pledge to further strengthen the existing relatio...

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