Tremors felt in southwest Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Strong tremors were felt Wednesday in Quetta and adjoining areas in the southwest Pakistani province of Balochistan, local meteorological office said.

The jolts were felt for 15 seconds at around 11:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) and were over 5 degree on the Richter Scale.

The tremors were felt in Quetta city and nearby areas of Kuchlak,Ziarat and Pishin, and people rushed in panic out from residences to open places, local sources said.

"People are still standing out of their apartments and home out of fear," a local resident said.

Some people said that mud houses and apartments in the local villages are most vulnerable against strong tremors

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Brazil to host WHO meeting in 2011

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Brazil will host a meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO) next year on the goals of the contemporary public healthcare sector, the country's Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao announced on Tuesday.

The conference will take place in Rio, most likely in October 2011, the minister said.

"Our idea is to make this meeting a second Alma-Ata," he said, referring to the International Conference on Primary Health Care (PHC) which took place in Kazakhstan in September 1978. On that occasion, representatives from all over the world expressed the need for urgent action to promote the health of all mankind.

Temporao also commented on Brazil's nationwide campaign of vaccination against the H1N1 flu, which started in March and was supposed to end last Friday. The campaign was extended until June 2 in order to include children aged two to five years old in the immunized age groups.

According to the minister, the share of the population vaccinated against the disease in Brazil is high when compared to some other countries. He said that he was surprised with the Europeans' resistance to the vaccine in a recent trip to Geneva.

"The European press kept asking me how we managed to immunize millions of people against H1N1 flu in Brazil. No one wanted to take the vaccine there," he said.

According to a report released by the Health Ministry last week, over 61 million Brazilians have already been immunized against H1N1 flu. The figures represent 70 percent of the ministry's goal for the campaign.

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"De frente com Gabi", que estreia dia 6 de junho à meia-noite no SBT .

'Assim como batata, o amor acaba', diz Gabi sobre Gianecchini

Marília Gabriela se irritou nesta terça-feira ao ouvir de uma repórter o nome do ex, Reynaldo Gianecchini, na coletiva para lançar o programa "De frente com Gabi", que estreia dia 6 de junho à meia-noite no SBT . "Sei exatamente aonde você quer chegar. Eu sabia que ia partir para a baixaria. Estou separada do Giane há quatro anos e as pessoas ainda se dão ao direito de perguntar sobre este assunto", disparou a jornalista. (e ela esta certissima, reporter competente faz pergunta pertinente e inteligente, não fica na eterna invasão da vida alheia, o assuto era o programa, faz uma boa pesquisa sobre a entrevistada e faz perguntas com conteudo para ter uma boa entrevista, afinal , a entrevistada é genial ! )

Com a insistência da imprensa em saber detalhes da vida pessoal do ator, que disputa na justiça a propriedade de um imóvel com o ex-empresário, Gabi abriu a guarda e falou sobre o término da relação com o galã. "Assim como alimentos perecíveis, como a batata, o amor acaba. Eu fui absolutamente feliz com ele durante oito anos, mas o casamento acabou e cada um seguiu seu rumo. Hoje estou solteiríssima. Faço aula de inglês, francês, piano, canto, trabalho. Estou ocupada. Mas meus relacionamentos não são planejados, eles acontecem".

A primeira entrevista de Marília Gabriela no SBT será com Hebe Camargo. "Ela me deve essa entrevista. Ainda mais depois do momento difícil que atravessou. É uma maneira delicada de entrar no pedaço dela", afirma. O jogador Ronaldo, do Corinthians, Aécio Neves, ex-governador de Minas Gerais, e o padre Fábio Mello completam a lista dos quatro primeiros convidados do programa, mas a jornalista sonha mesmo em ficar cara a cara com o novo patrão, Silvio Santos. "Fiquei uma hora tentando convencer ele. Falei que o Jô, quando voltou para a Globo, entrevistou o Roberto Marinho. Ele recusou e sugeriu o Pelé, mas ainda não me dei por vencida", disse.

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The Making (and Remaking) of Tom Cruise: Cover Preview

In his own words, the star of Knight and Day — and Esquire's new 'How to Be a Man' issue — on how he figured things out, from forgiving his father to being one. And that whole thing on Oprah's couch.

By Cal Fussman

"I remember looking at my dad and wanting to understand him. I didn't want to just write the guy off. He was lost. I can't speak specifically in terms of why and how he got to where he was — that was his journey. All I can tell you is, he was overwhelmed by life... My mother basically did all the work, and then they got separated and I didn't see him for a long time. He didn't try to help the family financially or spiritually, and I lived with the effects of the chaos."

"You hear about people who have lifelong friends. I never was in a place long enough to have them. So that role was filled by my family.

"If anyone was teasing my sisters, I really felt it... I'd create different characters and ad-lib sketches to make my sisters and my mother feel better. I'd try to make them laugh. I'd do Donald Duck as John Wayne. I'd watch Soul Train and imitate the dancers. I guess you can say that's where it started. I always had a dream to be in movies, [my family] didn't say, That's impossible. They laughed."

"Now, I'd ridden bikes a lot. When I was a kid, I'd set up ramps for jumps, like Evel Knievel, and crash all the time. I'd done it all — but never on a minibike. I got on. Of course, all I wanted to do was go fast, so I hit the throttle. I started off by a neighbor's yard, went past our yard, which had a little hump, and suddenly I was airborne... Rrrrrrrrrrr! The minibike is still going. Oh, no, I'm alive... Okay, I'm alive. The minibike was wedged between the bumpers of the two cars. What a lesson: Know before you go. [You don't] have to curb your enthusiasm. Just fill it in with a little knowledge."

"Risky Business had become a hit. I hadn't seen my father in about ten years. I found out he was dying, and I went to see him in the hospital.

"He knew that he'd blown it. There was deep regret. I think he was torturing himself. We tend to do that. All I could do was tell him, 'Look, it's okay.' I wasn't going to live in blame and regret. I wanted to understand what happened. I wanted to understand, so I could answer the question, What can I do to make things better? I looked at my father there dying and thought, How can I not be that guy?"

"We shot [A Few Good Men] in one go. You could sense how it was going to be edited — like butter. At a certain point it goes beyond work, which is when it's fun. All I can tell you is, I remember being sad afterward that it was over."

"I'll never forget the moment I became a dad. But it's hard to describe — that level of responsibility, the desire to give such joy. The clarity: Nothing is more important than this. I remember that first night, just staring at Bella. I was checking her every second, just looking at her, feeling that immediate bond. I was probably looking at her so much that I was keeping her up.

"I made a promise to her: All I can do is the best I can. But I'm not going to say I'm gonna do something and then not do it."

"I got to talk to an astronaut and I asked him, 'What's it like going out into space and looking back at the world?' He said that it changed his perspective. Looking back at the world, you think, My God, how small it is. What are we doing? We don't need barriers and borders. But I already understood that. I understood it going from Canada to Kentucky.












""What happened, happened... I wanted the audience to be happy just like I wanted to make my sisters and my mother happy when I did those skits as a kid. But I'll take responsibility for my actions... Afterward, wild things were being said about me, and once they're in the ether, there's nothing you can do about it. It felt like being the new kid in the schoolyard again and the other kids are whispering and whispering about you and suddenly you hear what they're saying, and you think, What? That didn't happen. Look at the reality of the situation."



"There was a confluence of events. My deal with Paramount was up and it wasn't extended. At first it was, Huh? I don't get it. But people have misconceptions about that whole thing, too. Sumner Redstone and I are friends. It's a business."



"Because we do live in a cynical world. It's easy to be cynical. Making the choice not to be cynical is important. You can keep dwelling on what didn't work, or you can figure out how to fix it. Which is what being a parent is all about. You know, I'm married to such a special woman. Every night before we go to sleep, Kate and I look at each other and it's like, How'd we do today?




"Those are times you learn a lot about life. You're back to, How do I figure this out? I'd lived through so many different periods in life that I had a good idea. You just get back to work. You move forward. That's what I did. Here we are today. Mission: Impossible IV."



"It's come full circle. Now I'll put Suri on a swing and tell her stories when I'm working on a script. I'll start with the beginning of the movie and take her through the story beat by beat. Of course, I make it age-appropriate. She's four years old. But she asks all the right questions: Why does that happen? Those are the bad guys? You're the good guy, right?"




"It comes down to the same thing as when I was a kid. Can I create a character that will make her happy, that will make her laugh? And you know what? She makes me get better and better, because she's always asking me to do it again."

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Terremoto de magnitude 4,9 atinge o Amazonas

26/04/2010 02h25 - Atualizado em 26/04/2010 03h09
Terremoto de magnitude 4,9 atinge o Amazonas
Região é próxima à fronteira com o Peru.
Epicentro foi localizado a 100 km da cidade de Cruzeiro do Sul, no Acre.

Um terremoto de magnitude 4,9 a atingiu o estado do Amazonas e região de fronteira com o Peru neste domingo (25), segundo o Centro de Pesquisas Geológicas dos Estados Unidos (USGS, na sigla em inglês). Não há informações sobre estragos ou vítimas.

O abalo ocorreu às 18h09, e seu epicentro foi localizado a 100 km da cidade de Cruzeiro do Sul, no estado do Acre, e a 245 km de Pucallpa, no Peru.

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U2's Bono 'saved from possible paralysis'

By Louise Hogan
Wednesday, 26 May 2010

U2 have had to postpone tour dates after Bono injured his back

U2 frontman Bono was saved from possible paralysis, it was revealed yesterday, as full details of his emergency back surgery emerged.

U2 manager Paul McGuinness said the superstar singer was deeply concerned he had badly let down more than a "million ticket buyers" as it emerged the band was postponing the North American leg of their tour and cancelling next month's Glastonbury appearance.

The rock icon is now on doctors' orders to start a rehabilitation programme and to recuperate for the next eight weeks at least.

Only emergency surgery saved the singer from possible paralysis after he injured his back during rehearsals for the second leg of the lucrative U2 360 Tour.

Bono, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, was yesterday discharged from the Ludwig Maximilians-University (LMU) Hospital in Munich, Germany, after undergoing the vital emergency surgery on Friday.

The two-month rehabilitation programme and rest means the postponement of 16 shows from Salt Lake City on June 3 through to New Jersey's Meadowlands Stadium on July 19.

It has also ruled them out of playing next month's 40th anniversary of the Glastonbury Festival.

"I'm heartbroken. We really wanted to be there to do something really special -- we even wrote a song especially for the festival," Bono said on the band's website yesterday.

Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis last night said it was too early to comment on possible replacements for the headline act as he wished Bono a speedy recovery.

Tour promoters Live Nation confirmed the 16 North American shows would be rescheduled for 2011. Fans have been told to hold on to their tickets.

U2 manager McGuinness, speaking at the hospital in Munich, said Bono and the rest of the band members -- the Edge, Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton -- were all devastated as they believed what was their biggest and best tour had been interrupted.

"For a performer who lives to be on stage, this is more than a blow. He feels robbed of the chance to do what he does best and feels like he has badly let down the band and their audience. Which of course is nonsense," Mr McGuinness said.

"The most important thing right now is that Bono makes a full recovery."

Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt, a world-renowned sports injury specialist, also employed as the club doctor at Bayern Munich, yesterday painted a full picture of the paralysis-threatening injury.

"Bono suffered severe compression of the sciatic nerve. On review of his MRI scan, I realised there was a serious tear in the ligament and a herniated disc, and that conservative treatment would not suffice," he revealed.

On his recommendation Bono was then taken for emergency surgery with expert neurosurgeon Professor Jeorg Tonn at the Munich hospital.

Prof Tonn revealed Bono presented late last week with a sudden onset of the injury.

"He was already in severe pain with partial paralysis in the lower leg," he said. The exact details of the injury revealed the ligament surrounding the disc had an 8mm tear and during surgery it was discovered fragments had travelled into the spinal canal. "This surgery was the only course of treatment for full recovery and to avoid further paralysis. Bono is now much better, with complete recovery of his motor deficit. The prognosis is excellent but to obtain a sustainable result, he must now enter a period of rehabilitation," Professor Tonn cautioned.

Doctors' appeared to be warning that the singer may be laid up for longer than the two-month rehabilitation period.

"In our experience, this is the minimum time," Dr Muller-Wohlfahrt said.

Band management refused to reveal the precise financial implications of the postponement of 16 shows and the cancellation of their Glastonbury appearance.

Figures from 'Billboard' magazine revealed the band earned €80m from touring, record sales and other royalties in the US last year.

It is also expected to impact on promoters Live Nation who have signed a 12-year deal with the band.

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Ministério da Defesa só investiu 20% no 5º Jogos Mundiais Militares desde 2009

Giselle Mourão Do Contas Abertas

Jogos Mundiais Militares: orçamento milionário, mas execução insatisfatória Jogos Mundiais Militares: 2010 pode fechar com apenas 35% pagos Governo só investiu 20% para preparação de Jogos Mundiais Militares O Conselho Internacional do Esporte Militar (CISM) e delegações esportivas internacionais visitaram, no último dia 11, no Rio de Janeiro, os locais de competição que irão abrigar provas e treinamentos do 5º Jogos Mundiais Militares. A cidade foi eleita em votação realizada em 2007 durante a 62ª Assembléia Geral do Conselho Internacional do Desporto Militar, em Ouagadougou, na África. A competição terá a participação de mais de cinco mil atletas de 110 países e será realizado no período de 16 a 24 de julho de 2011. O evento conta, desde o ano passado, com uma dotação orçamentária de R$ 748 milhões. No entanto, até agora, o governo federal desembolsou apenas R$ 147 milhões (20% do total). O Ministério da Defesa é o único órgão responsável por aplicar recursos em projetos e obras relacionados aos jogos, como construção da vila olímpica, tecnologia, preparação dos atletas, instalações esportivas e segurança. A obra da vila possui a maior dotação prevista entre todas as ações, com R$ 432 milhões, desde 2009. São 1.200 apartamentos, cada um com três quartos para seis pessoas. Porém, a pasta investiu neste ano R$ 50 milhões, até maio, ou seja, 17% do montante autorizado em orçamento. A ação de “implantação de infraestrutura, tecnologia e de comunicações para o 5º Jogos Mundiais Militares”, responsável por preparar tecnologias da informação e adquirir sistemas para controle e apurar resultados, também está mal executada. Dos R$ 194 milhões previstos desde 2009, apenas R$ 37 milhões foram desembolsados até agora, valor que equivale somente a 19% do autorizado. No ano passado, foram gastos R$ 82 milhões nos projetos ligados aos Jogos Mundiais Militares. A quantia representou apenas 33% da dotação prevista (R$ 250 milhões). Nos cinco primeiros meses do ano, somente R$ 65 milhões dos R$ 498 milhões autorizados para 2010 foram gastos, incluindo os “restos a pagar” (dívidas passadas roladas pelo governo para anos seguintes). Se a média de gastos continuar desta forma (R$ 14 milhões por mês), o governo federal vai desembolsar 35% do montante global estimado no orçamento, execução pouco maior que no ano passado (veja tabela). Segundo a assessoria de comunicação do Ministério da Defesa, os valores estão compatíveis com o desempenho das obras. “Os créditos disponíveis atendem às vilas de atletas e instalações esportivas, tais recursos são liberados progressivamente, conforme andamento físico das obras”, afirma. Quando o assunto é segurança, área menos contemplada do evento (9% de execução orçamentária), a assessoria explica que os recursos serão destinados à aquisição de sistemas de segurança, materiais e equipamentos. “Nós custeamos os eventos testes e dos jogos”, informa. “Os repasses ocorrem à medida que avançam os cronogramas das obras, e eles estão fluindo de acordo com o previsto”, garante a assessoria. Para eles, o Ministério da Defesa e as três Forças (Marinha, Exército e Aeronáutica) cumprirão os cronogramas previstos e a entrega das obras acontecerá no prazo certo. “Todas as grandes obras deverão ficar prontas até maio de 2011”, conclui. Execução orçamentária é pífia, diz comentarista O jornalista e comentarista de esporte José Cruz, que já cobriu eventos internacionais em mais de 30 anos de profissão, reconhece a importância do evento para o calendário esportivo do país. “Trata-se de uma competição fortíssima, pois muitos países, principalmente da Europa, têm nas forças armadas um dos núcleos de seleção de seus atletas olímpicos”, diz. Ele também afirma que, apesar do Ministério da Defesa ver “compatibilidade” nesse desempenho, o entendimento do raciocínio do órgão é de difícil compreensão. “Devemos ficar atentos, pois se o orçamento não está sendo cumprido dentro do cronograma previsto, é sinal que poderá haver atrasos. E isso significa apressar obras na reta final, fato que pode fazer com que as licitações sejam suprimidas por falta de tempo. Isso aconteceu nos Jogos Pan-Americanos em 2007”, diz. O comentarista ainda lembrou mais problemas em torno do Pan-2007 relacionados à má execução. “Apesar de termos tido um evento sem problemas graves, a segurança deixou a desejar, com equipamentos caríssimos que não funcionaram, e até permitindo que pessoas estranhas entrassem em áreas reservadas, como comprovou um repórter, ao furar o cerco da Vila Pan-Americana com extrema facilidade”, afirma. Segundo Cruz, a segurança dos Jogos Mundiais Militares deverá servir como teste para a Copa do Mundo de 2014. O ritmo lento dos investimentos para a realização do evento preocupa o comentarista.“Isso demonstra como o esporte ainda não é assunto importante na pauta do governo. Nossas autoridades fazem um carnaval com a conquista de eventos importantes para o país, mas sob o ponto de vista de dividendos políticos, pois na hora de cumprir um cronograma, chega-se a essa execução ridícula e comprometedora”. Mas a responsabilidade pelos atrasos, segundo ele, será exclusivamente do Ministério da Defesa. “Ao aceitarem essa execução orçamentária pífia, tornam-se responsáveis diretos por demoras ou fracassos que vierem a ocorrer com tão importante programação esportiva”, conclui.

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Immigration office deports French journalists

Jayapura immigration office deported two French nationals Wednesday after finding them guilty of violating their visa terms.

Head of the immigration office Robert Silalahi told Antara state news agency that Baudouin Koenig, 54, and Carole Lorthiois, 27, left Jayapura on Wednesday morning for Jakarta, where they would be expelled from the country.

Robert said the two French nationals had no reporting permit in Papua but were caught filming a demonstration outside the Papua legislative council on Monday. The official added that Koenig only had a permit to film documentary footage on cultural activities in Aceh, Jakarta, Bali, Gorontalo and Sorong in West Papua, while Lorthiois just had a tourist visa.

“The rally they covered had nothing to do with the documentary they were working on,” Robert said.

The two journalists were employed by Mano a Mano, a Paris-based production company, for a documentary project about Indonesia's rise as a modern Muslim-majority state for Arte TV.

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Explosion hits bank in Argentina, no casualties

BUENOS AIRES, May 25 (Xinhua) -- A home-made explosive device exploded in front of a bank in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, damaging windows and an ATM of the bank but causing no casualties.

Police said in a statement that the explosion occurred at 1:48 a.m. local time (0448 GMT) in a building in front of the Justice Palace and some 300 meters away from the Colon Theater."

Police said the damage was "severe" and the explosion "completely destroyed the windows at the entrance of the bank and the ATM."

There were no victims, but police said the explosion occurred in the streets that have been under absolute control since Friday because of Independence Day celebrations.

At the moment of the explosion, a dancing show was underway in a street less than 500 meters away from the bank.

The Chilean anarchist movement "Revolutionary Cells Mauricio Morales Brigade" claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they did it to oppose the celebrations.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner on Tuesday inaugurated the closing ceremony of the celebrations of Independence Bicentenary, which began last Friday in Buenos Aires. More than 1 million people participated in the celebrations.

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Greek crisis not to affect Indonesia: finance minister

JAKARTA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Newly appointed Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo has said that the Greek debt crisis which has caused share prices worldwide to fall would not affect the Indonesian economy, the Jakarta Post reported on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday after attending the plenary session of the House of Representatives, the finance minister said that the Indonesian economy remained fundamentally strong despite the significant fall in share prices and the decline in the rupiah against the U.S. dollar in the recent days.

"I'm optimistic, Indonesia can face the financial storm safely thanks to a healthy state budget and the country's strong cash flow,"he said.

Given these encouraging economic factors, he said that the people need not fear any possible negative impact of the Greek crisis on the Indonesian economy.

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Bomb attacks hit S.Thailand 2 dead, 29 injured

BANGKOK, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Bomb attacks on Wednesday hit south province of Yala, killing at least two, injuring 29, local media said.

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Louisiana oil spill: nature's tears of sorrow

April 20 explosion consumed the Deepwater Horizon oil platform off the Louisiana coast and set off a catastrophic rupture and so-far unstoppable spill. Now the spilling continues, which has done immeasurable damage to the ecosystem off the Louisiana coast.






An April 20 explosion consumed the Deepwater Horizon oil platform off the Louisiana coast and set off a catastrophic rupture and so-far unstoppable spill. Now the spilling continues, which has done immeasurable damage to the ecosystem off the Louisiana coast.



An April 20 explosion consumed the Deepwater Horizon oil platform off the Louisiana coast and set off a catastrophic rupture and so-far unstoppable spill. Now the spilling continues, which has done immeasurable damage to the ecosystem off the Louisiana coast

An April 20 explosion consumed the Deepwater Horizon oil platform off the Louisiana coast and set off a catastrophic rupture and so-far unstoppable spill. Now the spilling continues, which has done immeasurable damage to the ecosystem off the Louisiana coast. (Photo: news.cn)

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Bangladesh to send 50,000 women workers abroad in next fiscal year

DHAKA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi government expects to receive demand orders for sending 55,000 women workers abroad in the next 2010-11 fiscal year (July 2010 to June 2011), mainly for housekeeping services, according to local media on Wednesday.

The parliamentary standing committee on Labor and Employment Ministry Tuesday disclosed the details on the prospect of migrant labor, leading English news paper The Daily Star reported.

After completing a 21-day training course, a woman can go abroad and engage in the service at a cost of 30,000 taka (429 U.S. dollars) only, according to the committee.

The government plans to send about 50,000 women workers against the demand orders in the next fiscal year, said M Israfil Alam, chief of the committee.

Unemployed women can easily take a three-week training course on housekeeping from technical training centers (TTCs), run by the labor ministry, and can fit themselves into jobs abroad, Alam added.

The labor ministry is listing the women who have completed training at the TTCs.

In the current fiscal year (July 2009 to June 2010), the government has so far sent 34,000 women to different countries, including Lebanon, UAE, Jordan and Saudi Arabia against demand orders for 40,000.

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City planners should bring people closer to nature: Commissioner General

SHANGHAI, May 26 (Xinhua) -- City planners should bring people closer to nature to provide livable environments, said Pertti Huitu, Commissioner General of Finland for the Shanghai World Expo.

"Even in the very center of a city, people should be able to escape into nature and enjoy life," said Huitu, also vice chairman of the Steering Committee of the Shanghai Expo Commissioners General.

The Scandinavian country has "Sharing Inspiration" as the theme of its pavilion, to promote ideas on how to improve living standards, of which a livable environment is a key element.

Nicknamed "the Giant's Kettle" or "Kirnu", a Finnish word meaning a rocky hollow formed along the seashore, the pavilion resembles a small island floating over water that offers a "refuge" from busy city life.

"We hope visitors can experience a view of a promising future that celebrates man's place in nature," Huitu said.

In Finnish cities, nature is closely knitted into residential and industrial areas. Almost all cities have "nature corridors," such as seashores, rivers, forest and snowfields, said Huitu.

When city dwellers wanted to ski at the weekend, they could stay in the city rather than travel 20 km first, he said.

"To make sure nature is blended with people's lives, our transportation system, including roads and railways, has been planned in such a way that they don't cross these 'nature corridors'," said Huitu.

In addition, city planners in Finland try to combine residential and industrial areas, rather than separate them as cities normally do, to avoid unnecessary traffic and long commutes. "This means people can have more time and resources to enjoy life," Huitu said.

Encouraging a green lifestyle and developing a renewable society through regulation was another element of a more livable city, he said, citing the construction materials of the pavilion as an example.

The 25,000 fish scale-like shingles covering the external wall are made of waste paper and plastic. In Finland, more than 90 percent of waste paper is recycled to produce printing paper, toilet and tissue paper, and cups.

"We have strict regulations for city planning and closely follow them to create conditions for ordinary people to be part of the solution," Huitu said.

Finland and China differed in many aspects of national circumstances, and Chinese city planners faced enormous challenges given their cities' scale and the unstoppable trend of urbanization, he said.

"However, real changes start from ordinary people and big changes come from small moves. This might be one of the key messages that the Shanghai Expo should spread to people all over the world," Huitu said. Enditem

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Injury-hit Kaka takes first Brazilian training session

Brazil's soccer players (R-L) Julio Baptista, Kaka, Elano and Thiago Silva run during their training session in Curitiba May 25, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Brazil star Kaka trained for the first time with the World Cup squad on Tuesday after missing the previous session due to injury.

The 28-year-old playmaker, whose maiden season with Real Madrid ended in disappointment with no trophies, had been suffering from a left groin injury.

Brazil are due to play two friendlies on June 2 and June 7 against Tanzania and Zimbabwe respectively before traveling to Brasilia to meet President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's and flying to Johannesburg.

The five-time World Cup champions, who finished top in South America to qualify for the June 11-July 11 World Cup finals, will kick off their South Africa campaign against DPR Korea in Group G on June 15.

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Argentina marks Independence Day

BUENOS AIRES, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner opened on Tuesday the closing ceremony of celebrations marking the bicentenary of independence from Spain.

More than one million people participated in the celebrations Tuesday, which were held in nine blocks of the central 9 de Julio Avenue and nearby streets, featuring tango, folklore and cars parade.

"It is a beautiful day, there is sun and the temperature is nice," a participant whose first name is Martin told Xinhua.

The government asked the citizens to travel by public transportation for free so that more people could participate in the celebrations, which were scheduled to finish on Tuesday with a parade of 2,000 actors representing 19 key scenes in Argentine history, including the crossing of the Andes by the liberator Jose de San Martin, the war for the disputed Malvinas Islands, known as Falklands in Britain, and the fight for human rights by the Mothers of la Plaza de Mayo, a peace movement.

Some Latin American leaders, including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, attended the ceremony.

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89 deaths tied to Toyota acceleration

BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhuanet) -- The U.S. government said that the sudden and unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles may have been involved in the deaths of 89 people since 2000, according to media reports Wednesday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that it had received more than 6,200 complaints involving sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles over last decade. The reports include 89 deaths and 57 injuries. The complaints have not been verified by the agency.

Toyota Motor Corp. has paid a record 16.4 million U.S. dollars fine for its slow response to an accelerator pedal recall and is facing hundreds of state and federal lawsuits.

The automaker has recalled about 8 million vehicles worldwide to fix sticky pedals and misshapen floor mats linked to unintended sudden acceleration. Plaintiff lawyers have said the cars' electronic throttle system caused the problems, an allegation that Toyota has denied.

The government is investigating acceleration problems in Toyotas and a separate 15-month study by the National Academy of Sciences is scheduled to begin in July.

(Agencies)

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Brazil's current account deficit soars in 1st 4 months of 2010

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Brazil registered a current account deficit of nearly 17 billion U.S. dollars in the first four months of 2010, a surge from the 4.8 billion dollars recorded a year earlier, the country's Central Bank said Tuesday.

The latest deficit represents 2.68 percent of Brazil's gross domestic product. In the first four months of 2009, the current account deficit amounted to 1.26 percent of the country's GDP.

The current account figures are formed by the trade balance results, the services and income account, and the unilateral transfers from abroad. In the first four months of this year, Brazil accumulated a trade surplus of 2.2 billion dollars, down from the 6.7 billion dollars a year ago.

The services and income account accumulated a deficit of 20 billion dollars, up from 12.7 billion dollars in the same period last year. The unilateral transfers from abroad totaled 1.12 billion dollars, down from 1.145 billion dollars in the same period last year.

Remittances rose by more than 2 billion dollars to 7.9 billion dollars, compared to the year-ago figure.

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Brazil ready for new prosperity: ruling-party presidential candidate

BRASILIA, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Former Chief of Staff and presidential candidate from the ruling Workers' Party Dilma Rousseff said Tuesday that Brazil would see a new era of prosperity by carrying on the policies implemented by the government of incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Rousseff, handpicked by Lula as the successor, hailed the achievements made by the current administration in dealing with the global financial crisis, during a debate with two other leading candidates -- former Sao Paulo governor Jose Serra from the Social Democracy Party (PSDB) and former Environment Minister Marina Silva from the Green Party (PV).

"For the first time Brazil had a strong position against the crisis, and we also conducted a countercyclical policy," she said. "We were the last country affected by the crisis and the first to recover from it."

She said Brazil's good economic performance was firstly due to good macroeconomic management with the control of inflation, the exchange rate, reserves accumulation and fiscal discipline in the public sector's primary surplus.

Secondly, policies of inclusion and mobility, income distribution and access to credit and basic services helped to create a strong domestic market and a new middle class, Rousseff said.

Thirdly, policies that encourage public investment and export diversification and exploration of new markets abroad were also effective, she added.

We are facing a new era of prosperity with a new development model," she said, adding that the country should in the future give priority to reducing the public debt-gross domestic product ratio, which currently stands at about 41 percent.

Rousseff also vowed, if elected, to promote tax reforms to further boost competitiveness, investment, exports and employment.

Meanwhile, she said she would maintain broad outlines of the current government's foreign policy as it has been "extremely worthwhile" and increased "the country's respectability abroad".

Rousseff hailed her country's approach to its Latin American neighbors as well as to Africa over the past years.

When developing relations with countries in Asia such as China, ties with traditional partners like Europe and the United States were also extended, said Lula's handpicked candidate, who also considered Brazil's efforts in solving the Iranian nuclear issue "very virtuous".

"Brazil proved ... that it is possible in relationships, regardless of differences between states, to build bridges and not to build walls," she said.

Lula, after two consecutive terms, will not run in the upcoming general elections in Brazil, but has promised to be devoted to Rousseff's electoral campaign.

If no candidate secures an absolute majority in the Oct. 3 election, a runoff will be held on Oct. 31 between the two frontrunners.

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