China and Russia have confirmed their eastern border, ending a decade’s long border dispute when Russia ceded part of Heixiazi Island, that the former Soviet Union occupied in 1929.
Boundary markers were unveiled at a ceremony onWednesday and Chinese troops have started patrolling the 174 sq km of returned territory, about half the island.
Discussions on building a railway that will connect the island with the Chinese mainland are already under way.
China to double farmers’ incomes
The Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee announced goals to double the per capita disposable income of rural residents by 2020, after a plenary session in Beijing.
Per capita rural disposable income in 2007 was only 4,140 yuan or $605, and a rise of at least 6 percent is expected this year, according to the government annual report released in March.
The rural population in absolute poverty was also reduced to 15 million last year, down from 250 million in 1978.
Turbulent week on global stock markets
This week has been a wild ride for world stock markets with the Dow Jones industrial average diving 733 points on Wednesday, its second largest point loss since the Great Depression, before then rebounding 4% on Thursday.
Meanwhile the Japanese Nikkei index, plunged more than 10 percent on Thursday after 14% gains on Tuesday, most other markets were also down.
To make matters worse, the huge mid-week drops came after the markets seemed to have recovered on Monday and Tuesday, with several governments announcing coordinative plans on how to stem the financial tsunami.
US tourist blasts into space
A Texan computer game developer arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) with two crew mates on Wednesday after paying $35 million for his space trip.
After 10 days in space Richard Garriott will return to Earth with the ISS's outgoing crew aboard a Soyuz re-entry vehicle.
At the station Garriott, whose father was a US astronaut, met Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov, whose father was also a cosmonaut and had met Garriot’s father in space.
IN-DEPTH NEWS
Pakistani President visits China
President Hu Jintao welcomed his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari on his first state visit as president to China this week.
Zardari received a red-carpet welcome and a 21-gun salute outside the Great Hall of the People.
Hu said China attaches great importance to the China-Pakistan relationship and has always made the development a diplomatic priority.
The two attended a ceremony for the signing of 11 pacts, ranging from agriculture, mining and environmental protection to space technology.
During his visit, Zardari met with a number of Chinese business leaders. He said an economic zone would be set up to facilitate Chinese investors to Pakistan.
Pre-Sept 14 milk products ordered off shelves
Earlier this week government agencies ordered all dairy products made before September 14 pulled off the shelves.
They are to be tested for melamine, a chemical blamed for killing four babies and sickening more than 54,000.
The General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said the cut-off date was set for September 14 because the central government already requires every batch of dairy products made after that date to undergo melamine checks before entering the market.
It is the first time the government has issued a blanket recall on products since the contamination scandal broke out on September 11.
Last US Presidential debate
Republican John McCain had his best debate performance, but Democrat Barack Obama calmly batted away his opponent’s feisty attacks, in the last presidential debate before the November 4 elections.
Wednesday’s debate came as voters express growing anxiety about US finances.
Surveys show Obama heavily favored as the best candidate to handle the crisis, one that many blame on the Bush presidency.
Realizing the debate might be his last chance to reverse his slide, McCain went on the attack immediately, declaring Obama’s tax plans amounted to class warfare and deriding his opponent’s efforts to link him to Bush.
However, viewers who watched the 90-minute debate felt Obama won by a wide margin in instant polls.
Other News
Walking church in Fujian
A church in Fujian province has performed a miracle and moved 90 degrees in 45 days.
Well, not on its own, but with the help of engineers.
The Priest’s House of Fanchuanpu Church in Fuzhou City was lifted up and moved in a southeasterly direction to make way for road construction.
The church was built in 1933 in Gothic and French styles. It has been placed under provincial protection as a cultural relic.
Scientists map panda genome
Chinese scientists have worked out the first genome map of the giant panda.
They hope it will help to explain why pandas eat bamboo, have black circles around their eyes and produce few offspring.
So far the data supports the theory that the panda is a subspecies of the bear, and that the genome of the dog is closest at 80 percent, but also similar to humans at 68 percent.
Madonna and Guy Ritchie call it quits
On Wednesday in a statement, Madonna and filmmaker Guy Ritchie will end their marriage after nearly eight years.
A financial settlement has not been agreed by the wealthy couple, who must also decide child custody issues.
The couple have two children: Rocco, 8 and David Bana, 3, who was adopted from Malawi in 2006.
Madonna also has a 12-year-old daughter Loudes from a previous relationship.
（英語點津 Helen 編輯）
Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries.
Dylan Quinnell is a freelance journalist and photographer from New Zealand who has worked in TV, print, film and online. With a strong interest in international affairs, he has worked in Denmark, Indonesia and Australia, covering issues like the EU, indigenous people and deforestation. Dylan is in Beijing on an Asia New Zealand grant working as a copy editor for the English news department.
Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries.
Dylan Quinnell is a freelance journalist and photographer from New Zealand who has worked in TV, print, film and online. With a strong interest in international affairs, he has worked in Denmark, Indonesia and Australia, covering issues like the EU, indigenous people and deforestation. Dylan is in Beijing on an Asia New Zealand grant working as a copy editor for the English news department.