Forest-saving project presented at Copenhagen talks

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) was to present a forest-saving project in Copenhagen on Wednesday.

The three-year project, which is to be launched in 2010 through financing from Brazil's Amazon Fund, was designed to legalize farms of 18 million hectares in Mato Grosso and Para states so as to control deforestation.

Figures from the Brazilian National Committee show that the total agricultural area in the country is about 50 million hectares with a potential to cultivate another 60 million hectares which can be used for rain-fed agriculture.

TNC will receive 16 million reais (9.1 million U.S. dollars) from the Amazon Fund and will invest an additional 3 million reais (1.7 million dollars) to work in the central western and northern states which suffered the highest deforestation rates in the Amazon region.

In Brazil, farms must have a legal reserve, a rule that may date back to the 1930s. However, few farms in the country are observing it.

Things have changed today as the Brazilian government has ordered farm owners to delimit their legal reserves in three years.

"Nowadays, it is clear that preservation is part of development," said Ana Cristina Barros, a TNC representative in Brazil, in an interview with Xinhua.

Farmers who do not settle their situation until 2011 will be punished with daily fines of up to 500 reais (285 dollars) per hectare for illegal deforestation, Barros said.

Last week, the Brazilian Development Bank announced a release of 40 million dollars for the first five environment-related projects to be financed with resources from the Amazon Fund.

Created in 2008, the fund received 110 million dollars from Norway, which will deliver a billion dollars by 2016, while Germany has pledged 18 million euros until March 2010.

The initiatives include actions to reduce deforestation, support for land regularization and land reclamation.

Japanese girls want to marry Chinese

December 11, 2009

Nowadays, there is a popular saying among Japanese girls that goes "What we want is Chinese food and men, not French lovers or American houses." This means Japanese girls have lost their interest in French and American men.

In Japan, men from China are becoming more popular with Japanese girls. More than 1,500 Japanese girls married with Chinese men last year, an increase of 30 percent, which is the highest in history.

A representative from Japan's China information research institute told the reporter that the quick development of China's economy and Chinese people getting richer are the most important reasons for Japanese girls changing their appetites. Also because Japan has more women than men and Japanese men compared to Chinese men are generally less capable when it comes to being both a considerate family man and a breadwinner.

Today's Japanese men feel much more inferior compared with men from China because they found what they are lacking is not little.

China drawn with hosts Turkey in 2010 FIBA WC

China were drawn with the hosts Turkey in Group C on Tuesday at the 2010 FIBA Men's Basketball World Championships.

The draw, which was held at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel, Istanbul, launched the official count-down to the tournament, which is slated from August 28-September 12.

24 teams were divided into four groups with top four teams from each group progressing to the next round.

Germany, Lebanon, Lithuania and Russia were awarded the wild cards by FIBA's Central Board on Saturday to complete the line-up.

Following are the draw of the tournament:

Group A:

Argentina, Serbia, Australia, Germany, Angola, Jordan

Group B:

United States, Slovenia, Brazil, Croatia, Iran, Tunisia

Group C:

Greece, Turkey, Puerto Rico, Russia, China, Cote d'Ivoire

Group D:

Spain, France, Canada, Lithuania, New Zealand, Lebanon.

List of Golden Globes nominations

Following is a complete list of Golden Globe nominations announced on Tuesday in Beverly Hills of Los Angeles.

Best Motion Picture, Drama

-- "Avatar"

-- "The Hurt Locker"

-- "Inglourious Basterds"

-- "Precious"

-- "Up in the Air" Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

-- "(500) Days of Summer"

-- "The Hangover"

-- "It's Complicated"

-- "Julie & Julia"

-- "Nine"

Best Director in a Motion Picture

-- Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"

-- James Cameron, "Avatar"

-- Clint Eastwood, "Invictus"

-- Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air"

-- Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

-- Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"

-- George Clooney, "Up in the Air"

-- Colin Firth, "A Single Man"

-- Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"

-- Tobey Maguire, "Brothers"

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

-- Emily Blunt, "The Young Victoria"

-- Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"

-- Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"

-- Carey Mulligan, "An Education"

-- Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious"

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

-- Matt Damon, "Invictus"

-- Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger"

-- Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station"

-- Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"

-- Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

-- Penelope Cruz, "Nine"

-- Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"

-- Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"

-- Mo'Nique, "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire"

-- Julianne Moore, "A Single Man"

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy

-- Matt Damon, "The Informant!"

-- Daniel Day-Lewis, "Nine"

-- Robert Downey Jr., "Sherlock Holmes"

-- Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "(500) Days of Summer"

-- Michael Stuhlbarg, "A Serious Man"

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy

-- Sandra Bullock, "The Proposal"

-- Marion Cotillard, "Nine"

-- Julia Roberts, "Duplicity"

-- Meryl Streep, "It's Complicated"

-- Meryl Streep, "Julie and Julia"

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

-- "The Hurt Locker," Mark Boal

-- "District 9," Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell

-- "Inglourious Basterds," Quentin Tarantino

-- "It's Complicated," Nancy Meyers

-- "Up in the Air," Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

Best Animated Feature Film

-- "Coraline"

-- "Fantastic Mr. Fox"

-- "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"

-- "The Princess and the Frog"

-- "Up"

Best Foreign Language Film

-- "A Prophet"

-- "The White Ribbon"

-- "The Maid"

-- "Baaria"

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

-- Michael Giacchino, "Up"

-- Marvin Hamlisch, "The Informant!"

-- James Horner, "Avatar"

-- Abel Korzeniowski, "A Single Man"

-- Karen O, Carter Burwell, "Where the Wild Things Are"

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

-- "Cinema Italiano" from "Nine," music and lyrics by Maury Yeston

-- "I Want to Come Home" from "Everybody's Fine," music and lyrics by Paul McCartney

-- "I Will See You" from "Avatar," music by James Horner and Simon Franglen; lyrics by James Horner, Simon Franglen and Kuk Harrell

-- "The Weary Kind Theme from Crazy Heart" from "Crazy Heart," music and lyrics by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

-- "Winter" from "Brothers," music by U2; lyrics by Bono

Best Television Series, Drama

-- "Big Love"

-- "Dexter"

-- "House"

-- "Mad Men"

-- "True Blood"

Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical

-- "30 Rock"

-- "Entourage"

-- "Glee"

-- "Modern Family"

-- "The Office"

Best Actor in a Television Series, Drama

-- Simon Baker, "The Mentalist"

-- Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"

-- Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"

-- Hugh Laurie, "House"

-- Bill Paxton, "Big Love"

Best Actress in a Television Series, Drama

-- Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"

-- Glenn Close, "Damages"

-- January Jones, "Mad Men"

-- Anna Paquin, "True Blood"

-- Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"

Best Actor in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical

-- Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"

-- Steve Carell, "The Office"

-- Thomas Jane, "Hung"

-- David Duchovny, "Californication"

-- Matthew Morrison, "Glee"

Best Actress in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical

-- Toni Collette, "United States of Tara"

-- Courteney Cox, "Cougar Town"

-- Tina Fey, "30 Rock"

-- Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"

-- Lea Michele, "Glee"

Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

-- "Grey Gardens"

-- "Into the Storm"

-- "Little Dorrit"

-- "Taking Chance"

-- "Georgia O'Keeffe"

Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

-- Kevin Bacon, "Taking Chance"

-- Kenneth Branagh, "Wallander: One Step Behind"

-- Chiwetel Ejiofor, "Endgame"

-- Brendan Gleeson, "Into the Storm"

-- Jeremy Irons, "Georgia O'Keeffe"

Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

-- Joan Allen, "Georgia O'Keeffe"

-- Drew Barrymore, "Grey Gardens"

-- Jessica Lange, "Grey Gardens"

-- Anna Paquin, "The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler"

-- Sigourney Weaver, "Prayers for Bobby"

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

-- Neil Patrick Harris, "How I Met Your Mother"

-- Michael Emerson, "Lost"

-- Jeremy Piven, "Entourage"

-- William Hurt, "Damages"

-- John Lithgow, "Dexter"

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

-- Jane Adams, "Hung"

-- Rose Byrne, "Damages"

-- Jane Lynch, "Glee"

-- Janet McTeer, "Into the Storm"

-- Chloe Sevigny, "Big Love"

The Golden Globe Awards will be presented Jan. 17 in Los Angeles.

China to push forward urbanization: vice premier

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang urged the nation to "actively" and "firmly" push forward urbanization as an important way to deal with the international financial crisis, boost domestic consumption, and restructure the economy.

He made the remarks during his inspection trip to the country's economically-developed southern Guangdong Province from Monday to Wednesday, in purpose of conducting researches on the promotion of urbanization.

He stressed urbanization would provide the country with new space for relatively fast and stable economic growth in the long-term.

Accompanied by local government officials, Li visited cities including Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Foshan, as well as towns and companies.

He praised the Guangdong-based home appliances manufacturer Galanz for its employment of more than 10,000 people, about 90 percent of whom were workers from rural areas.

"By tapping into new markets and expanding the business, companies can absorb rural workforce substantially. This will help create conditions for deeper urbanization."

"Urbanization in return can boost consumption and drive up the economy." he said.

He was also concerned about employment and housing issues of people from rural areas in cities, saying the country's economic achievements should benefit both the urbanites and rural residents by improving their living, access to health care and children's education.

He said the country would increase supply of smaller houses at medium-and-low price levels and expand construction of housing projects for low-income families.

This was in line with a meeting by the State Council on Monday calling for the healthy development of the country's real estate sector as housing prices in some cities were rising too fast.

To further urbanization, pragmatism based on national conditions, scientific planning and efficient use of land were needed, he said.

China, Poland seek to further military ties

Senior Chinese and Polish military officials held talks here Wednesday afternoon on bolstering military ties.

China would work with Poland to promote in-depth development of bilateral military relations, said Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie when having talks with visiting Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich.

China-Poland relations have developed smoothly since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1949, said Liang, citing fruitful cooperation in various areas.

Liang said, with frequent high-level visits as well as productive military exchanges and cooperation, the relations of the two armed forces have deepened gradually.

Liang also introduced China's national defense policies and the progress of its military building and exchanged views with Klich on the security situation of the Asia-Pacific region and other issues of common concern.

Klich said, Poland speaks highly of China's rapid economic and social development and its increasingly important role in safeguarding the regional and world peace and stability.

He hoped that, through this visit, Poland and China could consolidate their traditional friendship as well as the sound relations of their armed forces and enhance military exchanges and cooperation in different fields.

China protests Copenhagen chair's draft texts

China on Wednesday protested the proposed draft texts of the Copenhagen climate change conference the Danish chair put forward without consulting the parties to the conference.

"This is a party-driven process, you can't just put forward a text from the sky," China's chief negotiator Su Wei said at the morning session of the conference after an announcement on such draft texts by the Danish chair.

It has been agreed before this meeting that the only legitimate basis for discussion will be the outcome of the two major working groups of the conference, Su said.