Headlines:

168 people killed in Iran plane crash

An Iranian passenger plane carrying 168 people crashed shortly after takeoff Wednesday, smashing into a field northwest of the capital and shattering into flaming pieces. Officials said all on board were killed in Iran's worst air disaster in six years.

Before crashing, the plane's tail was on fire as it circled in the air, one witness told The Associated Press. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

Corrupt Sinopec ex-chairman convicted

Former chairman of Chinese oil giant Sinopec Corp Chen Tonghai was sentenced to death Wednesday, with a two-year reprieve. It is believed to be the country's biggest bribery case.

The 61-year-old Chen was convicted of illegally receiving 196 million yuan, between 1999 and June 2007, when he resigned as the chairman of Sinopec Corp. In return for bribes, Chen helped others "seeking illegal interests" in company operations, land transfers and contracts.

US signs up for 2010 Shanghai Expo

After much speculation about whether the United States would take part in the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, the globe's largest economy finally announced last Friday it would be attending.

The US has been blocked by its own domestic laws from using government funding for expo projects since 1991. Therefore it has relied on corporate funding and private donors to finance its expo activities, leading to a reduced presence at World's Fairs.

Kim Jong-il has pancreatic cancer

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's leader Kim Jong-il has life-threatening pancreatic cancer, a news report said Monday.

The 67-year-old Kim was diagnosed with the cancer around the time he was felled by the stroke last summer.

News in depth:

Steven Chu and Gary Locke in China

US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke arrived in China on July 14 with the agenda to highlight the tremendous potential for mutually beneficial relationships in the clean energy sector.

During his speech at Tsinghua University Wednesday morning Chu said that the United States is now ready to lead in the fight against climate change.

Although Chu was grim in his appraisal of the challenges facing the US and China, he said there were huge opportunities for collaboration between the two countries in terms of making buildings more energy efficient.

Gary Locke said in an exclusive interview with China Daily that crisis and protectionism always come together, but US companies need to be treated fairly in China, pointing to occasions in which the distribution of Chinese stimulus money was limited to Chinese companies making goods in China.

The two secretaries are scheduled to leave China today (July 17).

The exclusive interview with Gary Locke in which he revealed some of his hobbies can be viewed on our website. (http://www.ttav89.com/video/2009-07/16/content_8435980.htm)

Updates on Xinjiang situation

Almost two weeks after Xinjiang's deadliest riot in decades, most Urumqi residents feel secure again after tension has eased significantly in the city.

But Chinese citizens and organizations abroad were alerted by authorities on Tuesday about potential terrorist attacks, one day after Al-Qaida threatened to target the 50,000 Chinese workers in Algeria as well as Chinese projects and workers across northwest Africa, for the deaths of Uygurs in Urumqi.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a press conference last Tuesday that China will "take any measure necessary to protect the safety of its overseas institutions and citizens."

In Urumqi July 13, police shot dead two armed Uygurs and injured another, after spotting the three Uygurs, armed with long knives and batons, attacking another Uygur.

The police asked the men to drop their weapons and surrender but they refused and turned violent, even after officers fired warning shots into the air.

Meanwhile, the local government said it plans to unblock the Internet.

The Xinjiang government said it terminated Internet access to prevent the spread of the violence, believing overseas separatist groups used it to spread messages.

Chinese mourn Ji, acclaimed scholar

After the death of Ji Xianlin on July 11 - one of the greatest minds of China - people around the country paid their respects in different ways.

The line of mourners was seemingly endless for the midday memorial service in the auditorium at Peking University on July 12, where Ji had once worked.

Ji, who was born in Shandong, was awarded the highest honors in literature by China and India.

He was one month short of his 98th birthday when he suffered a heart attack at a Beijing hospital on Saturday morning.

Premier Wen Jiabao paid a special visit to Ji's deathbed at the hospital hours after Ji's death.

Other news:

Airline just for pets

On Tuesday, the first Pet Airways’ flight of the first-ever all-pet airline, took off from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York.

Alysa Binder and Dan Wiesel started the company in 2005. The last four years have been spent designing their fleet of five planes according to new four-legged requirements.

Flights on Pet Airways are already booked up for the next two months.

About the broadcaster:

Siberian-born Kristina Koveshikova is a freelance journalist from New Zealand who has worked in print, television and film. After completing a BCS degree majoring in journalism, she won an Asia NZ Foundation/Pacific Media Centre award to work for China Daily website. Kristina previously did internships at ABC 7 News in Washington DC and TVNZ in New Zealand and has written for a number of publications, includingThe New Zealand HeraldandEast & Bays Courier.