News & Reports 2010-10-16

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In This Edition

Chinese meteorologists reject reports of extreme abnormal weather in both China and Europe this winter, saying mankind does not have the ability to predict extreme weather.

Chinese authorities plan to start collecting royalties 1 on copyrighted films shown in internet cafés and on long-distance buses.

A senior UN official visits Buenos Aires to confirm plans for talks between Argentina and Britain over growing tension regarding the Falkland Islands, otherwise known as the Malvinas in Argentina.

New York City lawmakers debate a plan that would ban smoking in many outdoor public areas.

Hot Issue Reports

Chinese Climatologists: Difficult to Predict Extreme Weather

Chinese meteorologists have rejected reports of extreme abnormal weather in both China and Europe this winter, saying mankind does not have the ability to predict extreme weather.

Ren Fumin, a climatologist from the China Meteorological Administration, says European climatologists just don't have enough evidence to support their prediction that this winter will be Europe's coldest winter in a millennium 2.

He adds that international cooperation is an effective way to share data and expertise 3, given the difficulty of long-term weather forecast.

"We could have a kind of international meeting on the monitoring and forecast of extreme weather. Moreover, we should arrange more visits and exchanges among climatology researchers from different countries."

Earlier this month, Polish climatologists announced that the Gulf 4 Stream - the warm Atlantic current that protects Europe from the Arctic cold - is cooling fast and might even disappear completely.

They contend that without the Gulf Stream, Europe will likely be hit with its worst winter in 1,000 years.

Experts Examine China's Economic Achievements

Chinese experts are highlighting the importance of domestic consumption in promoting sustainable development as they examine China's economic performance over the past several years.

Wang Mengkui is a former director of the Development Research Center of the State Council, which is China's cabinet.

"We must expand the contribution of domestic consumption in our economy to lay a foundation for long-term development. You know, the objective of economic growth is also to improve people's lives."

Wang notes that the Chinese economy, representing more than eight percent of the world's total, has recorded double digit 6 expansion year on year from 2006.

And the National Bureau of Statistics says that domestic consumption accounts for more than 50 percent of GDP growth.

Liu Mingkang, Chair of the China Banking 7 Regulatory Commission, says China should be relying on its domestic market for future development, given the uncertainty 8 of the global economy.

"What China needs to do is to stimulate 9 its domestic consumption more effectively. This concerns the future of the whole country. It's a task we must assume no matter if we like it or not."

Statistics show China's per capita GDP has reached more than 3,500 U.S. dollars, which is 4-times what it was in 2000. Still, that only ranks China 106th in the world - behind Armenia and ahead of Iraq.

The Ministry 10 of Commerce points out that more than 40 million Chinese still live in extreme poverty.

Interview with Evan Tracey on Why China has Become a Hot Button Issue in the US Midterms Election

The bitterly contested US midterms election may be taking place half way across the world, but China has become a hot-button issue in many of the local races. Both Democrats 11 and Republicans in the US are spending record amounts of money on campaigning, flooding the airwaves with negative advertisments on television and radio.

Candidates from both sides of the political spectrum 12 are putting China in the spotlight 13, accusing it of being responsible for almost every economic problem the US is facing, particularly job losses.

The New York Times recently reported that over 29 candidates have suggested in their campaign ads that their opponents have been sympathetic to China.

For more how and why China has become such a hot topic in the US midterms elections, CRI's Paul James earlier talked with Evan Tracey with the Campaign Media Analysis Group.

- Why are politicans in the US using China as a political football in the midterms elections?

- Are these tactics working?

- How much should China be reading in to these campaign?

Anchor: And thats Evan Tracey with the Campaign Media Analysis Group, speaking to CRI's Paul James.

China to Charge Internet Cafes and Long-distance Buses for Film Royalties

Chinese authorities are now planning to start collecting royalties on copyrighted films shown in internet cafés and on long-distance buses.

As Chen Zhe reports, while hailing the move as a progress in the government's efforts to improve intellectual property right protection, experts and insiders are calling for additional action in collecting the fees.

Reporter:

Li Guomin is Secretary General of the Film Copyright Society of China, the organization that determines and collects film copyright royalty 14 fees in the country.

He says the copyrighted movies shown in internet cafes and on long-distance buses for free are hampering 15 the further development of the film industry.

"Collecting the royalties aims to increase the interests of film rights holders 16 to ensure their future production and expansion and make more high-quality movie productions for the general public."

As a remedy, Li Guomin says the National Copyright Administration has approved that a royalty fee regulation will first be implemented 18 in several cities and provinces next year before being applied 19 to the entire country.

Zhang Xiaoyong, an intellectual property rights protection law expert at the China Youth University of Political Science, hails the move.

"Undoubtedly 20, I think the move shows the country's determination and improvement in IPR protection. We can see that China has established and keeps improving a legal system on IPR protection in a much shorter period than some western countries have."

China became a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization in 1980 and issued a patent act in 1983, 200 years after the United States issued its own patent regulation.

In this regard, Zhang Xiaoyong says China's IPR protection still faces great challenges.

"After the government set up the law, more effort should be put into its implementation 21, which not only relies on law enforcement departments, but also the general public who should be fully 22 aware of the importance of IPR protection and learn to respect it."

Zhang cautions that setting up proper standards for establishing and collecting royalty fees and dealing 23 with those who refuse to pay them are vital issues.

Li Guomin from the Film Copyright Society of China says the organization has been researching ways to implement 17 the new regulation, but is still tying to determine the final fee scheme.

"The main principle of the regulation is to avoid misunderstanding, ensure copyright holders' legal interests and protect film broadcasters from further legal disputes."

Li says specific procedures for charging and collecting royalty fees will be publicized after they are finalized 24. The fee coverage 25 will also be expanded from internet cafes and long-distance buses to other film users in the future.

For CRI, this is Chen Zhe.

UN official urges talks over Falklands

The president of the UN's Special De-colonisation Committee, Donatus Keith St. Aimee, is now in Buenos Aires to confirm plans for talks between Argentina and the UK over growing tension regarding the Falkland Islands, otherwise known as the Malvinas in Argentina.

President Cristina Fernandez De Kirshner has met with St. Aimee to discuss diplomatic relations between the two countries, which have come under new strain recently after the British government announced plans to carry out military tests in the disputed South Atlantic archipelago.

St. Aimee now says the British government, that had previously 26 rejected talks, now has their "door open".

"In this specific case of the Malvinas, both countries have agreed that they want to talk. It seems though that they can't find the time or the place to talk, There are many resolutions in the general assembly and in the committee that say that there must be discussions, so my role will be to try to facilitate that discussion so that we can get to a reasonable solution to the problem, acceptable to everyone."

It has been nearly three decades since Argentina and Britain went to war for 10 weeks over territorial 27 claims for the islands, back in 1982.

NYC Residents Locked in Debate on Plan to Ban Smoking

As New York City lawmakers debate a plan that would ban smoking in many outdoor public areas, the controversial issue is now firing up residents on both sides of the issue.

In September, New York announced a plan to ban smoking in every one of its 1,700 public parks.

That includes the city's beaches, boardwalks, playgrounds, and other public spaces, as well as pedestrian plazas 28.　

In a public park, near City Hall, a group called Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker 29 Harassment 30 have held a rally, accusing the city of infringing 31 on people's private lives.　

Among their supporters is David Goerlitz, who is otherwise known as the "Winston Man," the advertising 32 face for Winston cigarettes.　Now 60 years old, Goerlitz no longer smokes, but argues the government has no right to ban the public use of a legal product.

"I support freedom. I support that if you are 18 years of age, you choose to smoke in the privacy of your own home or in a public area where you are not hurting anyone or you are not smoking around a child with asthma 33 or bronchitis, I believe that you should be allowed to buy a product that is still legal, pay a fair price that is standardized 34 throughout the nation."

Just steps from the rally, people in support of the outdoor smoking ban gathered on the steps of New York's City Hall and pressed the health dangers of second-hand 35 smoke.

Sheelah Feinberg is the director of the New York Coalition 36 for a Smoke Free City.

"Every New Yorker has the right to breathe clean air, and the science is out there supporting that second hand smoke is dangerous. And even the U.S. Surgeon General has said there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke."

Here in China, Hong Kong is so far the only place to bring in smoking restrictions 37 at public parks and beaches.

Hungarian Scientists Said Residents May Soon Return Areas Affected 38 by Toxic 39 Sludge

Hungarian scientists say that people will soon be able to return to areas affected by toxic red sludge.

But farmers in the area say they are still worried about the long-term damage to their livelihoods 40.

Professor Janos Szep-volg-yi with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences says people will be fine living in the area after it's cleaned up.

"If they manage to clean the area and there is no static problems I can say the residents can move back quietly in peace. Because, after cleaning the area, no post effect on their health and their living conditions is to be expected"

Despite the assurances, many people, including dairy farmer Jozsef Papp, aren't so convinced.

"Looking at the future, these lands are pretty much useless for the next 30 years. So we don't know what our future will be like right now."

Last week's red sludge, which covered some 40-square kilometers, killed 9 people and consisted of highly caustic 41 by-product 42 created by the production of alumina, which is used to make aluminum 43.

Call Service for Virtual Nursing Homes

Elderly people here in China are now being given an opportunity to stay in their homes, while at the same time getting the care they need to help them through their twilight 44 years.

Zhang Wan 5 explains.

Reporter:

Wang Liming is over 80 years old and lives in Lanzhou city. Doing housework has become difficult for him and his wife. But a virtual nursing home is helping 45 them do the work they are unable to do.

Before lunchtime, Wang and his wife dialed the virtual nursing home's call center. An employee then came to their apartment to cook for them. Wang says this new form of nursing care has been a great help to them.

"For elderly people who are over 80 like us, our sons and daughters are all busy with work and life. It's hard for them to be available at any time to take care of us. But the virtual nursing home helps solve the problem."

Nursing home care is an inevitable 46 way of life for frail 47 older adults. Nowadays while more nursing homes provide daily care for the elderly, virtual nursing homes have popped up to provide additional services.

Virtual nursing homes are call centers that take phone requests from elderly people who need help with a task and transfer their requests to service agencies. Employees from the agencies are then sent to provide professional service as needed.

Virtual nursing homes have indeed provided a solution for elderly people who have difficulty doing housework, but what about seniors' emotional need for human interaction?

The community nursing home in Wuhan city of Hubei Province provides another alternative.

Every day before Hu Caibao goes to work, she sends her mother to the nearby community nursing home.

"Here she has many peer friends to talk to and all kinds of facilities where she can do exercises. Also she can get good care. I send her here so that I can concentrate on my job."

In the community nursing home, there are recreation rooms, televisions, books and exercise facilities.

Jin Shuyu, one of the senior residents from the community, says many elderly people feel lonely and are not capable of doing housework. Using herself as an example, she says she doesn't like to cook, so she comes here for lunch with her husband. Afterwards, they can chat with others, read books and exercise.

Apart from these activities, the community nursing home also provides services such as checking blood pressure and giving haircuts.

Now it's time for lunch, and the elderly residents sit down together to talk while they enjoy their meals.

One elderly woman says her meal, which includes both fish and meat, costs six yuan. After lunch, the seniors can take naps in the lobby, get massages 48 or exercise.

So far, more than 100 community nursing homes have been set up in Wuhan.

Liu Zhihai from the local Bureau of Civil Affairs says he believes community nursing homes will become a trend in eldercare, because most seniors don't want to spend their rest of their lives in nursing care facilities, but remain in their own homes with their families.

For CRI, I am Zhang Wan.

Tennis roundup 1015: Monaco Survives Melzer; Federer to Play Djokovic in the Semis

Juan Monaco of Argentina outlasted 49 No.13 seed Jurgen Melzer in a marathon quarterfinal to secure his place in the last four of the Shanghai Masters.

The unseeded Argentine rallied from one set down to enter his first semifinal in Shanghai, beating Melzer 6-7, 7-5, 6-2 in two hours and 49 minutes.

Monaco took revenge from last week's loss to the Austrian in Tokyo, and extended his head-to-head series advantage to 5-1 against Melzer.

"I never give up. It was tough for me because I take good advantage when I was 4-1 at the beginning. Then I lost my concentration a little bit. But I still in the match, I still fighting."

Third seed Roger Federer of Switzerland smashed No.5 Robin 50 Soldering 51 6-1, 6-1, and set up a semifinal clash with Novak Djokovic.

The Swiss said it would not be an easy match against Djokovic as both of the two were good at playing on the hard court.

"Tomorrow is going to be different, more difficult, a bit more tactical I guess. We've always had good matches against each other, especially on the hard courts. They've always been very even."

In another quarterfinal showdown on Friday, fourth-seed Andy Murray of Britain recorded a 55-minute victory over Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and plays Monaco en route to his first Shanghai Masters final.

Newspaper Picks

From the Shanghai Daily's Metro 52 Section: Anyone thinking about bringing on a batch 53 of "Qiu Dofu" on the Shanghai Subway might want to reconsider their options.

Goods with strong smells are among items to be banned on the Metro.

In response to passengers' calls for a definition of a "smelly" item, Subway officials say that it's impossible to list all the possible banned items in the rules.

The operator says it will only restrict those goods of a size or with a smell that seriously disturb other passengers taking the trains.

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From the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation: Fiji has lost its copy of the historic document that confirmed the Pacific nation's independence from Britain in 1970.

The head of government archives has now revealed the Independence Order, which sets out the basis of Fiji's constitution, went missing more than five years ago..

The government had to finally contact British authorities to get a photocopy 54 of the Independence Order.

Fiji celebrated 55 the 40th anniversary of its independence on October 10th.

Market Update

US Stocks ended higher Friday for the second straight week, but mixed for the day, as financial stocks dragged down the Dow and technology stocks lifted the Nasdaq.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3 percent to close at 11,063.

The S&P 500 Index rose 0.2 percent, to close at 1,176.And the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 1.4 percent, to 2,469.

European shares were mostly higher with technology names leading the gains.

Britain's FTSE 100, however, lost 0.4 percent to 5703. Germany's DAX gained 0.6 percent to 6492 while France's CAC 40 was up 0.2 percent to finish at 3827.