Learn Chinese online - TV channels chase Jen Hawkins

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Television






TV channels chase Jen Hawkins


(Daily Telegraph)
Updated: 2007-08-13 18:52





Channel 9 is trying to lure TV's hottest property, former Miss Universe
Jennifer Hawkins, away from rival Channel 7.





The Great Outdoors reporter's three-year contract with Seven expires in
early October, leaving Nine open to aggressively pursue the small-screen
golden girl.

Seven has begun preliminary talks with Hawkins' manager Sean Anderson
about re-signing the star - who is unquestionably one of the biggest
names at the network.

But Anderson has revealed Nine is also chasing the bankable glamour queen.

"Yes, we are in negotiations with Channel 7 for renewal," Anderson said.

"Yes, Nine has approached me regarding Jennifer. I have not met with Nine
yet."

Nine is being tight-lipped about its pursuit, but when asked recently if
the network would be interested in adding Hawkins to its dwindling stable
of ageing stars, a senior Nine source replied: "Of course."

Hawkins' appeal is no secret - the former Newcastle cheerleader has
turned herself into the multi-million dollar girl since winning the Miss
Universe crown and landing lucrative contracts with Myer, Covergirl and
Loveable.

She has also fielded interest from Hollywood, after recently turning down
a role in the Pink Panther film sequel.

While the leggy blonde's back-to-back commitments in Australia have made
feature film roles impossible, Hawkins told Confidential she would be
keen to pursue film opportunities if she can eventually find an opening
in her frantic schedule.

"I'm hoping Hollywood will come knocking again and that the time will be
right," she said.























Top Entertaiment News ?




* 'Rush Hour 3' debuts No. 1 at box office
* Gwyneth: Chris wants to adopt like Brangelina
* Paparazzi swarm new mum Naomi Watts
* Funds crunch in Malawi delays adoption check-up on Madonna
* Chris Noth to reprise Mr. Big role





Today's Top News ?




* Consumer price inflation hits 10-year high
* Dollar assets key part of reserves
* 1,340 rescued from forced labor
* SCO states begin phase II of joint drill
* Drill not to push SCO into military bloc





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese, Chinese Online Class, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Pnyin - HBO launches unlikely comedy experiment

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Television






HBO launches unlikely comedy experiment


(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-08-10 21:18



LOS ANGELES?- Inside the Santa Monica office building that HBO calls
home, Woody Tondorf is ready to shoot his new series.

In a hallway, he stares into the camera, a Panasonic Handycam set on a
tripod. His producer, Danila Koverman, stands inside an office, but her
hands are visible on screen as she hands Tondorf a glass bowl filled with
scraps of paper.

A handsome 23-year-old wearing jeans and a T-shirt bearing the legend "As
Seen on Al-Jazeera," Tondorf fishes out a scrap and reads it to the
camera.

"Want to hear two short jokes and a long joke?" he asks as his co-star in
the scene, Paul Gulyas, pedals past him on a tricycle that he's about 20
years too old for.

"Joke," Tondorf says. "Joke. Jooooooooke."

Welcome to the set of HBO's newest series effort, "Runaway Joke of the
Day." Only don't expect the episode to actually run on the network; it is
meant strictly for the Internet. And it may be a stretch to call "Joke"
an episode, given that it's over in about 30 seconds.

Absurd riffs like "Joke" are a staple of HBOlab, an unlikely
off-the-radar experiment under way for nearly a year now at Time Warner's
prize programmer. With an 11-member unit willing to try just about
anything online, the TV industry's prime mover is finding its footing in
the amorphous world of digital media. And if you mistake any of them for
the rabble on YouTube, you're excused -- that's where some of the HBOlab
staffers were recruited.

Michael Lombardo, president of programming and West Coast operations at
HBO, envisions HBOlab tapping a creative sensibility foreign to
Hollywood. "There is a whole different group of artists who work in the
digital space," he said. "They're not performers in clubs, they're not
pitching scripts and they're not channeled into the mainstream with
agents."

The anonymity of this endeavor is intentional. HBO believes it can't
learn how to make its mark online by trading on its esteemed brand. Which
isn't to say HBOlab's online home, Runawaybox.com, is entirely
disconnected: The URL is a subtle allusion to the full name behind the
HBO acronym, Home Box Office.

"We're trying to 'run away' from the traditional Home Box Office brand,"
said Koverman, who manages HBOlab. "We don't want to raise false
expectations that you'll see the next 'Sex and the City' or 'Sopranos'
from us."

Which underlines what's most remarkable about HBOlab: It seems to be the
antithesis of everything we've come to know about HBO. The network that
built its reputation crafting lavish art-house dramas that attract A-list
talent and Emmy Awards is churning out cheap comedy most critics would
dismiss.

While every programming move HBO makes continues to generate scrutiny,
HBOlab toils in obscurity, although toil doesn't feel like the right word
to a visitor to the unit's headquarters in a far corner of HBO's
sprawling operation. Comprised mostly of twentysomething male cut-ups,
HBOlab seems more like a fraternity that's rented office space in lieu of
on-campus housing. Scrawled side by side on one white board are ping-pong
win tallies opposite Web site traffic statistics.

Launchdd in May, runawaybox.com is home base for a rotating corps of
serialized shortform programming like "Elevator," a daily sketch
indicative of HBOlab's modest budget. Each sketch is set within the
confines of an elevator, which is not only not shot on a soundstage --
HBOlab has none -- it's not even shot in an actual elevator. The scenes
are captured within three wood panels affixed together to resemble an
elevator, complete with a metal rail that Tondorf disclosed was not in
the budget.

"We stole stuff from the construction people working on a remodeled
hallway," he said.

"More like borrowed," corrected Koverman, a former producer for "Good
Morning America" and "Extra" who doubles as something of a den mother to
her young charges.

HBO is not saying how much it is investing in HBOlab, but sources say
it's a pittance, likely less than the expense of one episode of its
hourlong dramas like "Big Love."

HBOlab was the brainchild of Lombardo and Fran Shea, a former top
executive at E! whom Lombardo brought on as a consultant in business
development at HBO, where she began her TV career in 1980 as a production
assistant. Well before the controversy that saw chairman and CEO Chris
Albrecht exit amid legal difficulties and Lombardo, a 24-year-HBO
veteran, promoted, Shea was brought in with the mandate of helping HBO
establish its brand on digital platforms.

So she went about recruiting. Only Shea didn't proceed through the usual
assemblage of agents or managers; she went online and surfed around to
find people whose work exhibited potential. She discovered Mike Polk, who
produced on-air promos for a CBS affiliate in Cleveland. He moonlighted
as a stand-up comedian who also did some sketch work that he promoted
online.

How Gulyas joined HBOlab is a murkier matter. Before he was hired, Gulyas
managed to produce arguably the most famous work HBOlab is associated
with but not technically responsible for: "Seven-Minute Sopranos."
Released on YouTube just before the start of "The Sopranos" final season,
"Seven" managed to boil down the story lines of the show's preceding six
seasons to a comically edited, 456-second highlight reel comprised
entirely of copyright-infringing "Sopranos" scenes.

Now here is where "Seven" gets hazy. Gulyas created the clip while he
still lived in Connecticut, but it was Joe Sabia, a friend of Guylas' who
worked for HBOlab, who edited the piece independently of HBOlab, which
Shea said didn't commission the project. That "Seven" happened to be an
HBO marketer's viral dream released right before its final season is a
coincidence by all accounts at HBO.

When Sabia showed Shea what he and his friend had done, it presented a
dilemma: Though it was a brilliant, marketing-friendly work, it would
never pass muster with HBO's legal team.

But to Shea's surprise, they cleared it for distribution. HBOlab got the
ultimate approval when, within a day of its viral spread online,
"Sopranos" producer Matthew Weiner sent a complimentary e-mail.

It wasn't long before Shea approached Gulyas herself. "When HBO called, I
knew it was either to arrest me or hire me," he said.

For now, HBOlab exists in its own self-contained world. But its future
could bring different arrangements. Though nothing is even in the
planning stages -- Lombardo declined to impose any kind of timetable for
results from HBOlab -- there's talk of establishing formal broadband
channels for this new influx of content, and maybe some TV exposure, too.

"(HBO entertainment president) Carolyn Strauss is looking very closely at
what Fran is doing," Lombardo said. "They're not in isolation."

As for the prospect that HBO could lend its own brand strength to HBOlab,
don't expect a Bill Maher cameo anytime soon. However, Shea does have a
different kind of synergy in mind: exposing her digital-minded creators
to their TV counterparts. "Before you see me take Jeremy Piven and put
him in the elevator, I may take a writer like Mike Polk and let him
develop some TV chops," she said.

"People who are creative in digital space also have ideas that can work
on the traditional television landscape, and that's exciting," Lombardo
said. "What the right way of cross-pollinating is, we're not clear, but
there's going to be intersection of some kind."























Top Entertaiment News ?




* Lohan's ex bodyguard blames parents for her wild behaviour
* Parking-lot fender bender for Britney
* AT&T errs in edit of anti-Bush lyrics
* Ricky Martin says he wants to adopt
* Nicole Kidman to star in remake of Colombian horror flick





Today's Top News ?




* China's economy to grow 11.4% in third quarter
* Ex-chief lawmaker sentenced to death
* China to survey 'every inch' of moon
* China's July trade surplus at US$24.4B
* China invites the world to 2008 Olympic gala party





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese, Free Chinese Lesson, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Chinese Speaking - Lopez may get $545,000 from ex-hubby Noa

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Lopez may get $545,000 from ex-hubby Noa


(AP)
Updated: 2007-08-09 08:57





?

Jennifer Lopez arrives with then husband Ojani Noa at a film premiere on
April 7, 1997,
in the Westwood section of Los Angeles.[AP]

?

Jennifer Lopez has been awarded nearly $545,000 in a lawsuit against her
first husband, Ojani Noa, over his plans to publish a tell-all book
claiming she had several affairs.

A court-ordered arbitrator made the decision in April in Lopez's
breach-of-contract lawsuit against Noa, court papers filed Monday
indicated. The figure includes only $200,000 in damages, with the rest
going for arbitration costs and attorneys' fees.

Lopez's lawsuit claimed that Noa had violated a previous lawsuit
settlement preventing him from revealing private information about their
relationship.

The arbitrator also decided that a permanent injunction should be awarded
against Noa that would bar him from "criticizing, denigrating, casting in
a negative light or otherwise disparaging or causing disparagement" to
the singer-actress.

Noa also would be directed to give Lopez or her attorney all copies of
materials related to the book.

The arbitration decision was disclosed Monday when Lopez's attorney filed
papers asking a Superior Court judge to confirm the award. A hearing in
the case was scheduled for Sept. 5.

A call to Lopez's attorney, Paul N. Sorrell, wasn't immediately returned
Wednesday.

Noa couldn't be located for comment.

Noa, 31, and Lopez, 39, married in February 1997 and were divorced 11
months later.

His unpublished, ghostwritten book alleges that during that time Lopez
had multiple affairs, including one with her third and current husband,
Marc Anthony, court documents indicated.

Her lawsuit claimed Noa offered not to publish the book in return for $5
million.

In 2004, Noa sued Lopez for breach of contract, claiming she lured him
into taking a $1,000-a-week managerial job at her Pasadena restaurant,
Madre's, and then fired him five months later.

Noa settled the case for $125,000 and agreed not to disclose private
information about their relationship or to disparage Lopez, according to
court papers.

Lopez's lawsuit claimed Noa's book plans breached that agreement.

?








Related Stories ?



� Jennifer Lopez: no handbook for rich and famous
===========================================================================
� Premiere of Jennifer Lopez starred movie "El Cantante"
===========================================================================
� Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony unveil concert tour
===========================================================================
� Jennifer Lopez: I'm in the best place I've ever been
===========================================================================
� Jennifer Lopez poses for Italian Vanity Fair
===========================================================================
� Jennifer Lopez's photo album
===========================================================================
� Jennifer Lopez dumps her 'diva' J Lo title
===========================================================================






















Top Entertaiment News ?




* Lohan's ex bodyguard blames parents for her wild behaviour
* Parking-lot fender bender for Britney
* AT&T errs in edit of anti-Bush lyrics
* Ricky Martin says he wants to adopt
* Nicole Kidman to star in remake of Colombian horror flick





Today's Top News ?




* Vehicles ordered off road for Olympics drill
* Call to abandon wooden chopsticks
* Ex-chief lawmaker sentenced to death
* Japan minister 'says no to shrine visit'
* China invites the world to 2008 Olympic gala party





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese, Free Chinese Lesson, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Learn Mandarin online - Dexterous hands

? ?



CITYLIFE / Shopping






Dexterous hands


By Fiona Zhang (That's Beijing)
Updated: 2007-08-08 10:40





This shop specializes in goods made from natural materials, such as
leather, wood, and paper, using authentic handcraft techniques to
challenge the mass manufacturing production.

?

Starting off with notebooks, the store now has various handcrafts
including paper purses (RMB 20), wooden clocks (RMB 120), leather
bracelets (RMB 25), and other creative items. Every piece in store, from
small scratchpads (RMB 5) to larger photo albums (RMB 150), is unique.
Cover embellishments feature calligraphy and other items from Chinese
traditional culture. Not merely geared towards the nearby tourist
clientele, these products are classic, stylish and well made, and should
find favor with residents as well.

?

The finishing is done artistically making this store ideal for finding
gifts.

?

Xing MU Handcraft

Location: 99 Nanluoguxiang, Dongcheng District
Tel: 010-8404 3217
Open: Daily 11am-late.























Feature ?




Pilgrimage to Tibet If you want to get a detailed Travel Handbook to
Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

Yunnan New Film Project Ten female directors from China! Ten unique
sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!




Editors' Picks ?




* Master storyteller has something to say
* Lookng after your skin naturally
* Evocative scents in a glass of wine
* Go on a shopping spree to discount stores
* Teatime!





Beijing Guide ?


Eating out: Mouth-watering magic
Bars&Cafes: Catch underground bands
Weekend&Holiday: An Oasis at Shichahai
Shopping: Ice up your world
What's on: Smoke society





Shanghai Guide ?


Eating out: An institution in the making
Bars&Cafes: The new money
Weekend&Holiday: Band of gypsies
Shopping: Chinese made delicacy
What's on: Teenage wasteland





Learn Chinese, Free Chinese Lesson, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Chinese School - Michelle Pfeiffer is honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Movies/TV






Michelle Pfeiffer is honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame



Updated: 2007-08-07 09:41





Actress Michelle Pfeiffer poses at the unveiling of her Hollywood Walk of
Fame star during ceremonies in Hollywood, California, August 6,
2007.[Reuters]





?? ?? 1?? 2?? 3?? 4?? ??

?? ?? 1?? 2?? 3?? 4?? ??
























Top Entertaiment News ?




* Michelle Pfeiffer treads Hollywood 'walk of fame'
* Forbes: Damon's a `Bourne' moneymaker
* Madonna is told her little African baby may have to return home
* Jennifer Aniston promoted to management
* 'The Bourne Ultimatum' earns $70 million





Today's Top News ?




* Foreign media enjoy greater access in China: FM
* Taliban warn of more kidnappings
* Economist: China to keep inflation in check
* Law on personal info 'next year'
* China bans stiff family planning slogans





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese, Learning Chinese, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing,

Learn Chinese online - Get a string of pearls

? ?



CITYLIFE / Shopping






Get a string of pearls


By Kelly Shen (City Weekend)
Updated: 2007-08-06 09:28



Summer is a good time show the beautiful neck. So get it a company, a
string of pearls.

1 Amylin's Pearls & Jewelry

These high quality fresh water pearls come from the family pearl farm in
southern China. Renowned for not only its pearls but its unique designs,
the store has attracted an exclusive clientele list that includes
presidential personalities鈥搕he US's Clintons, Russia's Putins, and the
UK's Blairs. The pearls are priced to match.

2 Pearls and Jewelry by Fandy

Offering a wide variety of silks and pearls with fashionable designs and
unique colors, this store is perfect for those who love accessorizing.
The distinctive Chinese characteristics and style of the jewelry and
other items adds to their appeal and charm.

3 Pearl Village

A veritable haven for those seeking a wide variety and cheap prices, this
venue has over 50 vendors selling pearls from all parts of China. Shops
offer an array of fresh water pearls, sea pearls as well as black and
inlaid pearls and allow buyers to choose from pre-made items or their own
designs.

4 Angel Pearls

Pearls from Chinese waters are not the only gems to grace these walls.
This store sells fresh water pearls, South China Sea pearls and Japanese
cultural pearls from the Sea of Japan, giving customers a wide range of
choices. Also check out their distinctive collection of silk embroidery
and carpets.

5 Shanghai Hongqiao International Pearl City

This pearl city is conveniently located above the fake goods market in
Hongqiao. Coming here not only means going home with bags full of pearls
but also with an endless stock of sunglasses, bags, shirts, shoes and
more. Third floor shops sell products ranging from sea pearls to jade. If
you want pearls for a good price this is the place, but be ready to
bargain hard.























Feature ?




Pilgrimage to Tibet If you want to get a detailed Travel Handbook to
Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

Yunnan New Film Project Ten female directors from China! Ten unique
sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!




Editors' Picks ?




* Master storyteller has something to say
* Lookng after your skin naturally
* Evocative scents in a glass of wine
* Go on a shopping spree to discount stores
* Teatime!





Beijing Guide ?


Eating out: Mouth-watering magic
Bars&Cafes: Catch underground bands
Weekend&Holiday: An Oasis at Shichahai
Shopping: Ice up your world
What's on: Smoke society





Shanghai Guide ?


Eating out: An institution in the making
Bars&Cafes: The new money
Weekend&Holiday: Band of gypsies
Shopping: Chinese made delicacy
What's on: Teenage wasteland





Learn Chinese, Chinese Mandarin, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Pnyin - Actors Berry, Thornton to star in new racism drama

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






Actors Berry, Thornton to star in new racism drama


(AFP)
Updated: 2007-08-03 09:59





The film industry journal Variety reported that the legal drama "Tulia"
will tell the tale of a small Texan town where a tenth of the black
population was targeted by drugs charges in 1999 and later mostly
pardoned -- a case that drew accusations of racism.

Berry and Thornton will be directed in the film by John Singleton, who
directed the 1991 cult classic "Boyz n the Hood," a drama about the
violent lives of black youngsters in a Los Angeles ghetto.

The 40-year-old actress won the Oscar for best actress in 2002 for her
performance in "Monster's Ball," -- a film in which she played a black
woman who had an affair with a white racist portrayed by Thornton.

?























Top Entertaiment News ?




* Britney 'may have Bipolar disorder'
* Pitt and Jolie deny split rumours
* Kate Moss's Doherty detox: Can she kick the habit?
* Eddie Murphy concedes fathering Spice Girl baby
* New "Bourne" set to lead weekend box office





Today's Top News ?




* China FM: Asia must drop Cold War mentality
* Paulson: China committed to yuan reform
* Taliban takes Al Qaeda tactics
* PLA budget to rise with the economy
* Domestic violence in spotlight





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Chinese Speaking - ESPN putting "Bobby V" on deck for documentary

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Television






ESPN putting "Bobby V" on deck for documentary


(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-08-01 20:03



NEW YORK?- ESPN is shooting a two-hour documentary about former New York
Mets manager Bobby Valentine's transformation into a hero of Japanese
baseball.

"Bobby V in Japan" will premiere in the spring on the sports cable
network. Valentine, who worked a year at ESPN as an analyst before going
to Japan, met with ESPN executives and granted them full access. The
filmmakers have been living in Japan for the past four months and plan to
stay through the end of the Chiba Marines' season.

ESPN vp content development Bob Wallace said he was struck by Valentine's
"passion for baseball, his passion for what he thinks baseball should be,
his passion for Japanese baseball as well as American baseball. It's very
powerful."

Meanwhile, ESPN has acquired "Hellfighters," a documentary profiling the
Harlem high-school football team of the same name. It debuted in April at
the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.























Top Entertaiment News ?




* Photographers: Spears threatened us
* Queer Lion to roar at Venice Film Festival
* Spears accused of threatening paparazzi
* Nicole Richie confirms she's pregnant
* Keith Richards working on memoir





Today's Top News ?




* 69 miners miners rescued after 3 days
* Lust vs love: 237 reasons we have sex
* China 'is no threat to anyone'
* PLA will not tolerate secessionist moves
* UN approves troops, police for Darfur





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese, Chinese Online Class, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Learn Chinese online - Italian filmmaker Antonioni dies at 94

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






Italian filmmaker Antonioni dies at 94


(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-07-31 19:14



ROME?- Michelangelo Antonioni, one of Italy's most famous and influential
filmmakers, has died at the age of 94, city officials in Rome said on
Tuesday.

Considered the cinematic father of modern angst and alienation, Antonioni
had a career spanning six decades which included the Oscar-nominated
"Blowup" and the internationally acclaimed "L'Avventura" (The Adventure).

His death on Monday night followed that of Swedish film legend Ingmar
Bergman, who died on Monday aged 89.

"With Antonioni, not only has one of the greatest living directors been
lost, but also a master of the modern screen," said Rome mayor Walter
Veltroni. His office said it was making plans for Antonioni's body to lie
in state on Wednesday.

Antonioni's deliberately slow-moving and oblique movies were not always
crowd pleasers but films such as "L'Avventura" turned him into an icon
for directors like Martin Scorsese, who has described him as a poet with
a camera.

Antonioni was born in 1912 in the northern Italian city of Ferrara. He
directed his first feature, "Cronaca di un amore" ("Story of a Love
Affair"), in 1950 at the age of 38.

Over the next two decades Antonioni worked with some of the greatest
names in post-war Italian cinema like Marcello Mastroianni but it was not
until the 1960s that he emerged on the international stage.

Despite winning favorable reviews at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival with
"Il Grido" ("The Outcry") he scored his first real international success
in 1960 with "L'Avventura," an exploration of the emotional sterility of
modern society.

His second breakthrough picture came in 1966 with the English-language
"Blowup," set in "swinging 60s" London, which turned him into a cult
figure for moviegoers and moviemakers.

Many audiences found his pictures, with their long lingering shots,
plodding and pretentious. Others hailed him as one of the founding
fathers of European avant-garde cinema.

Next came the disappointing "Zabriskie Point" in 1970 and "The
Passenger," starring Jack Nicholson, in 1975.

He continued working after suffering a paralyzing stroke in 1983.

He was awarded Venice's Golden Lion in 1983 and a U.S. Academy Award in
1995 for his lifetime achievements.























Top Entertaiment News ?




* Malaysian group urges ban on Gwen Stefani concert
* Christina Aguilera cancels 2 shows in Australia
* Spears, Federline are divorced
* Douglas, Lumet set for tributes at French fest
* 'Simple Life' ends for Paris, Nicole





Today's Top News ?




* To fight pollution, China takes the capitalist route
* Body of 2nd slain S.Korean found
* Banks' reserve rate raised again
* Govts warned against price intervention
* Green effort key to future of officials





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese, Chinese Mandarin, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Chinese Class - 42nd Street - Broadway Musical

? ?



CITYLIFE / what's on








42nd Street - Broadway Musical

(chinadaily)
Updated: 2007-07-30 11:31


Time is running out to see this acclaimed production of a musical theater
legend!

The ultimate Broadway musical comedy 42nd Street is also one of the
biggest shows on the Great White Way. And since it's closing on January
2, 2005, time is running out to see this landmark show!

Based on the classic 1933 movie musical of the same name, 42nd Street
concerns the story of a naive young actress named Peggy Sawyer who
arrives to audition for the new Julian Marsh extravaganza set to open on
Broadway starring aging leading lady Dorothy Brock. A classic backstage
story, 42nd Street is a delightful throwback that the entire family will
enjoy.

You say you like big-time Broadway dancing? Well come and meet these
dancing feet! 42nd Street boasts a stageful of young talented tappers and
hoofers bringing to life legendary songs like We're In The Money, Shuffle
Off To Buffalo and Lullaby of Broadway. Maybe Clive Barnes of The New
York Post said it best when he called 42nd Street "One of the great New
York night-outs"!

This gorgeous musical is also going to enter other big cities like
Shanghai, Guangzhou, Changsha in China.

Tickets for Broadway Musical 42nd Street will be available soon!

42nd Street (Beijing Exhibition Theater)
Date: Sep 2007
Prices: Undetermined (Around $30-40)
Location: 135 Xizhimenwai Dajie, Xicheng District
Tel: 010-6835-4455



?

?

?











Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Today's Top ?




* Negotiators 'hopeful' in Korean hostage crisis
* US to curb Iran with Gulf army deal
* Illgal gov't charges fuelling soaring house prices
* Penalties vary as kids die in hot cars
* Official urges Dalai Lama to abandon secessionist








Alibaba is the largest B2B marketplace in the world. Source model ship,
wooden puzzle, one-piece toilet, RC hovercraft, photo album, prom dress,
pocket bike, Vaginal Speculum, Samurai Sword, String Panty and PVC Pipe.





Learn Chinese, Learning Mandarin, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Study Chinese - George Michael?performs at the OAKA Stadium

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Music/Theater






George Michael?performs at the OAKA Stadium



Updated: 2007-07-27 15:24





British pop singer George Michael performs during his concert as part of
his 25 Live European tour at the OAKA Stadium in Athens, July 26,
2007.[Reuters]





?? ?? 1?? 2?? ??

?? ?? 1?? 2?? ??









Related Stories ?



� George Michael kicks off London's new Wembley Stadium
===========================================================================
� George Michael faces sentencing
===========================================================================
� George Michael: 'I'm addicted to prescription drugs'
===========================================================================
� George Michael to play first gig at new Wembley
===========================================================================
� George Michael announces follow up tour
===========================================================================
� Singer George Michael pleads not guilty to charge
===========================================================================
� George Michael charged with being unfit to drive: police
===========================================================================






















Top Entertaiment News ?




* 75th anniversary Venice film fest promises 'surprises'
* Man arrested in Tom Cruise photo plot
* Jessica Alba and Cash Warren split
* Actress Naomi Watts gives birth to baby boy
* Damon gets Hollywood Walk of Fame star





Today's Top News ?




* Taliban negotiate over Korean hostages
* Warning on overheated economy
* More forced into labor, prostitution
* Stocks plunge, Dow falls more than 400 on credit concerns
* Dow plunges 350 pts on credit concerns





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese, Chinese Mandarin, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Free Chinese Lesson - Summer romance party

? ?



CITYLIFE / Weekend & Holiday






Summer romance party



Updated: 2007-07-26 12:06





Clothes requirements: Apparels in traditional Chinese style Food &
Beverage: distinctive snacks and passionate cocktails

All for free. RSVP only. The first 25 pairs of couples will be invited.
Reply immediately!

Couples are invited to this awesome party on Aug 5th to celebrate Chinese
traditional Valentine's Day. You'll enjoy a unique experience that taking
you into traditional Chinese culture. To get to know how ancient Chinese
people express love, what their love token is, how to use body language
to send a love message ... why not just dress up in a traditional Chinese
gown to see how beautiful the bride could be? We'll have our Best Couples
at the party to win souvenir prizes. Come and have lots of fun for
Chinese Valentine's Day!

Time/Date: 2 pm ---4.30pm, Sunday, Aug 5, 2007?
Venue: Zhijiang Dream Factory, 3F Building 15, The New Factories,14 Yuyao
Road, by Xikang Road
Tel: 021-52583615
Email: angela.yang@youthlink.com.cn























Feature ?




Pilgrimage to Tibet If you want to get a detailed Travel Handbook to
Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

Yunnan New Film Project Ten female directors from China! Ten unique
sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!




Editors' Picks ?




* Master storyteller has something to say
* Lookng after your skin naturally
* Evocative scents in a glass of wine
* Go on a shopping spree to discount stores
* Teatime!





Beijing Guide ?


Eating out: Mouth-watering magic
Bars&Cafes: Catch underground bands
Weekend&Holiday: An Oasis at Shichahai
Shopping: Ice up your world
What's on: Smoke society





Shanghai Guide ?


Eating out: An institution in the making
Bars&Cafes: The new money
Weekend&Holiday: Band of gypsies
Shopping: Chinese made delicacy
What's on: Teenage wasteland





Learn Chinese, Learn mandarin, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing,

Learning Mandarin - Julia Roberts to be honoured by Cinematheque award

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






Julia Roberts to be honoured by Cinematheque award


(ANI)
Updated: 2007-07-24 17:32




?

?


?

Julia Roberts

Actress Julia Roberts will be honoured at the 22nd American Cinematheque
award.

The American Cinematheque Award annually honours 'an extraordinary artist
in the entertainment industry who is fully engaged in his or her work and
is committed to making a significant contribution to the art of the
motion pictures'.

The Oscar winning actress will be presented the award at the Beverly
Hilton's International Ballroom on October 12, Variety magazine reports.

The award ceremony will be broadcasted exclusively on AMC in December.

The 39-year-old actress presented the award to actor George Clooney last
year.

Since its inception in 1986, the non-profit committee has given awards to
several actors, directors and writers including actor Al Pacino, actress
Nicole Kidman, Nicolas Cage, Tom Cruise and others.























Top Entertaiment News ?




* Damon gets Hollywood Walk of Fame star
* Britney behaved badly at photo shoot
* Lohan goes from pretty kid to party girl
* Lohan latest star to tumble into abuse
* Oprah tops list of highest paid TV stars





Today's Top News ?




* China strengthening food rules
* Taliban kill one Korean hostage
* Taliban: Patience running out on Koreans
* Taliban threatens Korean hostages
* Prices to continue upward trend - agency





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese, Chinese Online Class, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Learning Mandarin - Mambo is the new cotillion

? ?



CITYLIFE / Odds & Ends






Mambo is the new cotillion


(City Weekend)
Updated: 2007-07-23 10:39





Twelve-year-old Janice Wu and 8-year-old Anita Lu smile shyly, giggle and
fiddle with the dance studio bar before Mambo Jack's Saturday afternoon
youth salsa class. But once the music comes on these two salsa 'tweens
turn into salsa queens. "I loved having everyone watch me dance," Wu says
of her on-stage performance at the inaugural China Salsa Congress last
summer. "It made me feel proud."

Salsa is not only red hot on the Beijing party circuit, more and more
kids are getting into it for exercise, coordination and plain old fun.
This year's China Salsa Congress features a week long kiddie camp wrapped
up with a large-scale salsa performance, where salsa 鈥榯weens like Wu
and Lu will show Beijing how to shake it.

Mambo Jack (Jack Dunn) first launched kid's salsa a year and a half ago.
"I was teaching an adult class at the time, when one day a mother asked
if her daughter could learn it, too," Dunn recalls. Another mother, Feng
Danyi, adds, "Anita loved to watch the adult classes through the window.
She saw them and said 'I want to try, too.'"

Today, the youth team has around eight members ranging from 6 to 12 years
old鈥攁ll girls. "One boy tried once but couldn't do it," Dunn says. "We
need a few guys to get it started. When boys walk by and see a roomful of
girls, they get intimidated."

The weeklong camp, held as part of the 2007 China Salsa Congress, will
hopefully get more little salsa kings out on the dance floor. The
presence of world famous youth salsa teams from Colombia and New Zealand
should help.

"We try to appeal to kids on many levels," Dunn says. "We not only learn
dance moves and improve coordination and flexibility; we also learn a bit
of salsa history and how to recognize the rhythms of different salsa
instruments."

Mambo Jack uses a newer version of Bachata music to introduce kids to the
panoply of salsa styles. "It has a hip-hop type beat that kids like,"
Dunn explains. "The bands we dance to are like boy bands for Bachata."

The main goal of the salsa camp is to help kids develop skills, ambition
and confidence, says Dunn: "Some kids will get on stage and realize that
wow, this is my world," Dunn says.























Feature ?




Pilgrimage to Tibet If you want to get a detailed Travel Handbook to
Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

Yunnan New Film Project Ten female directors from China! Ten unique
sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!




Editors' Picks ?




* Master storyteller has something to say
* Lookng after your skin naturally
* Evocative scents in a glass of wine
* Go on a shopping spree to discount stores
* Teatime!





Beijing Guide ?


Eating out: Mouth-watering magic
Bars&Cafes: Catch underground bands
Weekend&Holiday: An Oasis at Shichahai
Shopping: Ice up your world
What's on: Smoke society





Shanghai Guide ?


Eating out: An institution in the making
Bars&Cafes: The new money
Weekend&Holiday: Band of gypsies
Shopping: Chinese made delicacy
What's on: Teenage wasteland





Learn Chinese, Learn Mandarin online, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing,

Learning Mandarin - Shanghai survey: bras too tight

CITYLIFE / Hip & New








Shanghai survey: bras too tight
(Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2006-05-09 11:18


In fashion-conscious Shanghai, a city-funded survey of 1,000 women found
they still have something to learn - how to wear a bra.

The study found nearly 80 percent of respondents don't know how to wear a
bra properly. The study findings revealed most commonly that bras were
too tight or too small, or worn too many hours without a change or
readjustment.

And that, health officials said, may lead to health problems related to
the breast and supporting muscles.

"Local women should attach more importance to proper bra wearing.
Long-term improper wearing could affect your health," said Yu Junde,
director of the Shanghai Women's Disease Rehabilitation Commission, the
group that coordinated the survey.

The women in the survey were between 18 and 50 years old, and were
interviewed at company work sites in the city about breast health issues.

Too tight a bra can hurt muscles on the shoulder and back and influence
blood circulation, doctors said.

"An uncomfortable bra can lead to different kinds of breast diseases. A
woman should not wear a bra longer than 10 hours within one day," said Dr
Li Zhuying from Liren Women's Hospital's breast department.

"It is better to have the body remeasured and choose a proper bra every
three months."

He said 25 percent of local women between 25 and 45 years old have
various breast illness, which may be related to improper use of bra.
















Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Today's Top




� China demands return of five Gitmo detainees

� China, Japan agree to hold talks on gas

� Police crack down on pyramid selling

� China, US net record cocaine seizure

� Pay rises by 16% for State sector workers








Alibaba is the largest B2B marketplace in the world. Source model ship,
wooden puzzle, one-piece toilet, RC hovercraft, photo album, prom dress,
pocket bike, Vaginal Speculum, Samurai Sword, String Panty and PVC Pipe.





Learn Chinese, Learn Mandarin online, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing,

Learning Mandarin - Abe sacks minister, clings to job

/ Page 8








Abe sacks minister, clings to job

Updated: 2007-08-02 07:26




Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, seeking to soothe voter outrage over
political corruption that contributed to a devastating election loss,
sacked his scandal-tainted farm minister yesterday.

Politicians and analysts said the dismissal came too late to help improve
the image of Abe, who has vowed to stay on despite the weekend drubbing
that cost his coalition its majority in parliament's upper house.

But with no appealing candidates to replace him and polls showing the
public split on whether he should go, the wounded leader looked likely to
limp along, although one possible successor, Foreign Minister Taro Aso,
said he would seek the job if Abe quit.

Abe's coalition has a huge majority in the more powerful lower house, so
his job is safe as long as he has the backing of the ruling camp.

Abe accepted the resignation of Agriculture Minister Norihiko Akagi, who
had been dogged by media reports over discrepancies in his political
funding records since he was appointed in June. His predecessor committed
suicide after another scandal.

"There were various reports about me in the media and this affected the
election," Akagi - the fourth minister to exit Abe's Cabinet - told
reporters. "It is undeniable that this was one reason for the defeat of
the ruling coalition.

"I apologize deeply."

Abe came under fire during the campaign for defending Akagi and other
gaffe-prone ministers, and some lawmakers from his Liberal Democratic
Party (LDP) said his move now was ill-timed.

Grilled by reporters over why he had fired Akagi but decided to stay
himself, Abe replied: "I take the results of the election seriously, but
we must not create a political vacuum."

Criticized for packing his first Cabinet with inexperienced cronies, Abe
has pledged a new line-up but given no schedule.

Analysts doubted he would benefit from the sacking.

"It's too late," said Toru Umemoto, a foreign exchange strategist for
Barclays Capital. "It's reactive, not proactive."

The prime minister may, however, take some comfort from the fact that his
support rates haven't plunged.

About 47 percent of respondents to a poll by the liberal Asahi newspaper
said Abe should resign, while 40 percent wanted him to stay. The
conservative Yomiuri newspaper found 44 percent supported Abe while 45
percent said he should go.

Abe's approval rate ranged from 26 percent in the Asahi survey - the
lowest since he took office 10 months ago - to 32 percent in the Yomiuri
poll, down about five points.

Abe, now 52, took office promising to revise Japan's pacifist
constitution and restore traditional values - priorities that now appear
out of synch with voters' concerns about pocket-book issues such as
pensions.

Perhaps even more telling was a Nikkei survey showing likely LDP
successors to Abe impressed voters even less.

"If Abe says he won't quit, no one can force him to go," said independent
commentator Hirotaka Futatsuki.

"They really have no alternatives."

Opposition Democratic Party leader Ichiro Ozawa topped a list of
politicians seen by voters as suitable prime ministers, but with just 18
percent compared to 14 percent for Abe.

Abe's predecessor, the maverick Junichiro Koizumi, got 12 percent, but
many analysts dismissed the notion that he might be tempted to make a
comeback.

Aso, an outspoken hawk long considered a frontrunner to replace Abe, got
just 5 percent, but said he was ready to make another run for the post if
the LDP held a presidential election.

Agencies


(China Daily 08/02/2007 page8)
















China Daily PDF Edition











Learn Chinese, Chinese Mandarin, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Learn mandarin - Actor Jude Law promotes U.N.'s Peace Day

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






Actor Jude Law promotes U.N.'s Peace Day

(AP)
Updated: 2007-07-20 14:42





British actor Jude Law speaks to the media in Kabul, Afghanistan on
Thursday, July 19, 2007. [AP]

Jude Law traveled and filmed in treacherous areas of eastern Afghanistan
to help promote the United Nations' annual day of worldwide cease-fire
and nonviolence in September.

Accompanied by British director Jeremy Gilley and a film crew, the
34-year-old actor interviewed children, government ministers and
community leaders for a movie to mark the U.N.'s Peace Day on Sept. 21.

The United Nations General Assembly adopted Peace Day into its global
calendar of events in 2001, following Gilley's lobbying campaign, which
he documented in the film "Peace One Day."

"Afghanistan will be the focal point for the second film, so it seemed
important that Jeremy also have a sounding board, a third-party
perspective on his trip," Law told reporters Thursday inside a guarded
U.N. compound in Kabul.

"This film is about documenting and seeing how Peace Day can save lives,"
Law said.

Law's trip was conducted in secrecy for security reasons. The crew also
filmed schools and visited United Nations Children's Fund-supported
programs in Kabul and in the eastern provinces of Laghman and Nangarhar,
where violence often flares.

"This is a country I'd always wanted to visit," Law said. "It was a
situation that I found intriguing. I felt that if it was safe for Jeremy
it must be safe for me."

Gilley said the film will be shown in 50 countries and up to 70
international film festivals.

"Whether there is fighting in our countries, whether there is fighting in
our homes, in our communities or in our schools, the message is to us
all, there is one day of peace on this planet and if peace is important
... then we will all do everything that we can on that day to send a
message of hope to the people of our world," Gilley said.

Law received Oscar nominations for his roles in "The Talented Mr. Ripley"
and "Cold Mountain."










Related Stories



� Jones tops "Pie" with strong acting debut
===========================================================================
� Celebs poses at the 60th Cannes Film Festival
===========================================================================
� Cannes' glittering 60th edition opens
===========================================================================
� Jude Law finds love again
===========================================================================
� Jude gets closer to Natalie
===========================================================================
� Cameron Diaz and Jude Law pose for photographers in Tokyo
===========================================================================






















Top Entertaiment News




� 'The Sopranos' gets 15 Emmy nominations

� Filming begins on Tom Cruise movie

� Brangelina top list of pricey photos

� Britney hits the beach in lingerie

� Brigitte Nielsen checks into rehab





Today's Top News




� Hu urges global effort to resolve Darfur issue

� N.Korea talks end without deadline

� Economy grows at blistering pace

� Community plan eases prison pressure

� Nuke talks hit snag, extended by a day





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese, Learn mandarin, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing,

Chinese Studies - Christina Aguilera defends Spears' mom skills

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Christina Aguilera defends Spears' mom skills


(WENN)
Updated: 2007-07-19 13:27





Christina Aguilera and Jordan (R)

Pop star Christina Aguilera has defended fellow singer Britney Spears'
parenting skills, insisting she is a great mother.

The Beautiful hitmaker - who is reportedly expecting her first child with
husband Jordan Bratman - says the pressures of childhood fame have taken
its toll on her pal Spears - but she is not a bad parent.

She says, "Britney is a good person and a good mom.

"She's been under so much pressure since she was a child. I don't think
any of us should judge her or jump to conclusions.

"She loves her boys (Sean Preston and Jayden James) and they're turning
out great."























Top Entertaiment News ?




* Rolling Stones donating share of Polish concert proceeds to bus crash
fund
* 'Potter' star keeps mum about birthday
* Kelly Clarkson apologizes to Clive Davis
* Songwriter Ron Miller dies at age 74
* Hollywood luminaries welcome Beckhams





Today's Top News ?




* Peacekeeping - a rising role for China's PLA
* China bank makes global finance foray
* UN rejects Taiwan's membership bid
* Taliban extends deadline for hostages
* ICBC tops Citigroup as world's biggest





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese, Learn mandarin, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing,

HSK Exam - New Bond film bows out of Prague

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






New Bond film bows out of Prague

(ANI)
Updated: 2007-07-17 18:24


The next Bond flick will not be filmed in the Czech Republic, because
bosses aren't happy with the meagre financial incentives the country is
offering.

And the news comes straight from Vladimir Kuba, the head of Barrandov
Studios, which is one of the oldest, largest, and most sought after film
studios in Europe, who reveals that he was informed that Bond production
company Eon would not be using it for the next movie in the series.

Eon confirmed that it would not be shooting in Prague, and that the new
Marc Forster-helmed pic, which starts shooting in December, will be based
at the UK's Pinewood Studios.

While Eon would not comment why it was choosing a new studio, Kuba
admitted that it was the lack of Czech incentives that saw Bond bosses
make their decision, reports Variety.

And, the move has industry bigwigs in the country worried, especially as
Barrandov has also lost out on another high-profile Hollywood movie
franchise "Hellboy".


























Top Entertaiment News




� New role, network for Isaiah Washington

� Eva Longoria heads back to work

� Rehab saved Urban and Kidman's marriage

� Lindsay Lohan checks out of rehab

� Hayek named Hollywood's sexiest celeb





Today's Top News




� US cautious ahead of North Korea nuclear talks

� Man gets death for kiln slavery

� Party leaders to be more media savvy

� Climate change taking toll on glaciers

� Twin bombings in northern Iraq kill 80





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese, Free Chinese Lesson, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Chinese language - Water Splashing Fest kicks off in Beijing Park

CITYLIFE / Photo Gallery






Water Splashing Fest kicks off in Beijing Park

(CRI)
Updated: 2007-07-16 11:21





Visitors and invited performers revel in a water-splashing festivat
Beijing World al Park on Saturday, July 14, 2007. [Photo: jinghua.cn]


Visitors to Beijing World Park on Saturday reveled in a water-splashing
fight, as the curtain was raised on a water-splashing festival which will
last until the end of next month.

Joining patrons were visiting Dai people from Xishuangbanna in
southwestern Yunnan province, where water-splashing is an annual
tradition. There were also some Zimbabwean and Ukrainian performers on
hand, dressed up in traditional clothes to celebrate the carnival.

Date: July 14 to August 31
Place: Beijing World Park, 158 Fengbao Lu, Huaxiang, Fengtai District.






















Feature




Pilgrimage to Tibet If you want to get a detailed Travel Handbook to
Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

Yunnan New Film Project Ten female directors from China! Ten unique
sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!




Editors' Picks




� Enjoy an easy life in a busy city

� 24-hour convenience stores satisfy your late night cravings

� Color your life green

� Master storyteller has something to say

� Looking after your skin naturally





Beijing Guide




Eating out: A little sum-thing tasty
Bars&Cafes: The communal punchbowl
Weekend&Holiday: To the moon and back
Shopping: Consuming passion
What's on: Gone batty







Shanghai Guide


Eating out: Time for the lanes
Bars&Cafes: A town to have fun
Weekend&Holiday: More changes like this
Shopping: Think print
What's on: Sticking it to the man





Learn Chinese online, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Speak Chinese - Paris Hilton's jail time investigated

ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Paris Hilton's jail time investigated

(AP)
Updated: 2007-07-14 09:52









Paris Hilton leaves the Los Angeles County Correctional Facility in
Lynwood, California, in this file photo from June 26, 2007. The Los
Angeles County Sheriff's Department has opened an investigation into
whether Hilton received special treatment during her 23 days in jail last
month, a spokesman for the department said on Friday.[AP]



LOS ANGELES - The Sheriff's Department opened an investigation Thursday
into allegations that Paris Hilton received special treatment during her
23 days in jail for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless
driving case, authorities said.

The internal probe will examine whether the hotel heiress was given free
access to a cordless phone instead of being forced to wait in line to use
a pay phone at certain hours, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

Also under scrutiny are claims Hilton received a new jail uniform instead
of the recycled ones given to many inmates and that her mail was
delivered by a captain instead of inmate trusties, Whitmore said.

The allegations were brought to the attention of the department's union,
the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, by its members, the Los
Angeles Times reported Thursday on its Web site.

Whitmore said the claims differ from the department's own information
about Hilton's incarceration.

"We're going to investigate it and get to the bottom of it and find out
exactly what happened," he said.

A message left with a Hilton spokesman late Thursday was not immediately
returned.

The department was also accused of granting Hilton special treatment when
Sheriff Lee Baca released the 26-year-old from jail after only three days
for medical reasons. She was sent back to jail after one night.









Related Stories



� Paris Hilton: Don't drink and drive
===========================================================================
� Paris Hilton in Hawaii
===========================================================================
� Paris Hilton defends Britney
===========================================================================
� Paris Hilton vows to prove jail has changed her
===========================================================================
� Paris Hilton due to break her silence
===========================================================================
� Paris Hilton released from jail
===========================================================================






















Top Entertaiment News




� "Harry Potter" works box office magic in debut

� Rome enters "Golden Age" with Blanchett

� Avril: Marriage turned me from a tomboy to a real woman

� Beckham arrives in LA to start American adventure

� Orlando Bloom will not go naked on London stage





Today's Top News




� Official warns of major algae outbreak

� Assistance urged for flood victims

� NKorea to shut down nuclear reactor

� Hang Seng reaches all-time high

� Unit by unit,energy use improving





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese, Chinese School, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Learn Chinese online - Sean Penn, Iggy Pop booked for "Persepolis"

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






Sean Penn, Iggy Pop booked for "Persepolis"

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-07-12 10:30


NEW YORK - Sean Penn and Iggy Pop will voice roles in the North American
version of Sony Pictures Classics' French animated political drama
"Persepolis."

It's the first animation role for Penn, who will lend his voice to the
father of a young girl struggling with life in Iran during and after the
fall of the Shah in 1979. Pop, who has voiced roles in animated series
like Comedy Central's "Lil' Bush," will play her politically active uncle.

Gena Rowlands has already been cast to voice the role of the girl's
grandmother in the new version, and Catherine Deneuve will reprise the
role of the girl's mother in the English-language version. The film is
tentatively slated for domestic theatrical release at the end of 2007.

Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi's film is based on Satrapi's
autobiographical graphic novels. It tied with Carlos Reygadas' "Silent
Light" for the jury prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Penn's recent credits include his Oscar-winning turn in "Mystic River,"
"All the King's Men" and the upcoming immigration drama "Crossing Over."
Punk-rock star Pop's screen work has included roles in "Coffee and
Cigarettes" and "Snow Day."






















Top Entertaiment News




� Orlando Bloom will not go naked on London stage

� Longoria says she wasn't a bridezilla

� Plea deal possible in Richie DUI case

� Toronto slots gala premieres for Clooney

� 'Rat' leads box office with $47 million





Today's Top News




� China tightens approval of new medicines

� China to be third largest economy

� Half a million people displaced

� At least 106 dead at Pakistan mosque

� Most people free to have more child





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese, Learn mandarin, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing,

Chinese School - Fox, MGM fight breast cancer with DVD sale

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






Fox, MGM fight breast cancer with DVD sale

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-07-11 13:50


LOS ANGELES - 20th Century Fox and MGM are teaming up on a giant DVD sale
to raise money for the fight against breast cancer.

On September 18 the two studios will re-release a dozen DVD titles chosen
to appeal to women, including "Thelma and Louise" and "Never Been
Kissed," in distinct pink packaging. Fifty cents from each DVD sold (the
list price is $14.98) will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a leading
research organization in the fight against the disease.

The studios have pledged a minimum donation of $250,000 in what's being
billed as "DVDs for the Cure."

"Consumers are evaluating the effects of their purchasing dollars and
given the choice will pick a product that positively impacts the greater
good, whether it's a green purchase to benefit the environment, a red
product for relief in Africa, or a pink product to support the quest for
a breast cancer cure," said Steve Feldstein, senior vice president of
marketing communications at 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Other titles in the promotion include "An Affair to Remember," "A Walk in
the Clouds," "Entrapment," "Ever After," "In Her Shoes," "Legally
Blonde," "Mermaids," "Moulin Rouge," "Say Anything" and "There's
Something About Mary."

20th Century Fox and MGM have sponsored and contributed to various other
charitable groups, including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the
USO and the Marine Mammal Center. But their support for Susan G. Komen
for the Cure is their largest charitable campaign to date, the studios
said.






















Top Entertaiment News




� Plea deal possible in Richie DUI case

� Toronto slots gala premieres for Clooney

� Nicole Kidman to star in, produce romantic comedy 'Monte Carlo'

� Songwriter retracts comments against Lavigne

� Character actor Charles Lane dies





Today's Top News




� Most people free to have more than one child

� China's food safety beset by challenges

� Blood collections to be videotaped

� China thrash Malaysia in Cup opener

� Former SFDA chief executed for corruption





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese, Learning Chinese, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing,

Makeover success 101: How to turn a wreck into a dream home

Every major remodeling project has a low point. For Jenny Joyce and Rob Crampton, owners of a 1901 fixer-upper in Seattle, it's tough to say just when rock bottom arrived. Maybe it was the time when Joyce's parents flew in to see the work in progress: While Crampton was showering, the bathroom wall collapsed, spilling rotten wood and centipedes into the tub. Or maybe it was when, after jacking up the house, the couple lived for months without heat or insulation. They would come home at night, seal the drafty front door with duct tape and huddle around a kerosene heater while wind whipped through the floorboards and the whole house swayed like a boat.

When Joyce and Crampton began their house search, they had no idea how tough the going would get — how they would end up hemorrhaging money and living in pre-industrial conditions, buffeted by the weather. Or how close Joyce would come to throwing up her hands and moving out. Instead, they were excited — a pair of apartment renters claiming their stake in the local real-estate boom.