Obama Visits Great Wall

U.S. President Barack Obama had a taste of Chinese history on Wednesday by visiting the country's most iconic site, the Great Wall.

"It's magical," Obama said when walking along the Great Wall in chilly winter wind. "It reminds you of the sweep of history and our time here on earth is not that long. We better make the best of it."

Dressed in a dark winter jacket, a smiling Obama broke away from companions and walked alone along the ramp.

"I brought back the admiration for the Chinese civilization, I bring here the greetings of American People," Obama said when ascending a watchtower to enjoy a distant view at the Badaling section of the Great Wall.

Obama is the fifth U.S. president to visit the manmade wonder. Former U.S. President Richard Nixon visited the Great Wall in 1972,Ronald Reagan in 1984 and Bill Clinton in 1998. In 2002, former U.S. President George W. Bush and his wife Laura toured the same section as Obama did.

"I'm inspired by the majesty of the Great Wall and am grateful for the warmth of the Chinese people," Obama wrote on the visitor's book after his half-hour tour.

Local

Shenyang Qipanshan Ice-snow Great World Begins Trial Run

Qipanshan Ice-snow Great World begins its trial operation on Nov.21, 2009 (this Saturday) in Shenyang. According to the local press, the ski price during the trial operation is 30RMB everyday. The time of trial operation is 9:00-16:00 everyday, from Nov.21 to Nov.30, 2009.

Tigers Dead After Attack on Man in NE China Zoo

Two Siberian tigers shot after attacking a man in a zoo died over the weekend.

The zoo worker was cleaning snow outside the cages in a zoo in Shenyang, Liaoning province, on Friday when he was attacked.

He remains in a coma but in stable condition in hospital.

The cause of the attack remains unclear and the zoo has been closed since Saturday for investigation by local security supervision department, Shenyang Evening News reported yesterday.

Around 1:15 pm on Friday, 51-year-old Yang Jingwei, who operated electric doors at the zoo, was removing snow from passageways when the two tigers pounced.

Hearing Yang's voice, other zoo workers arrived and found him lying badly hurt and bleeding, with the two tigers still nearby. The workers tried to distract the tigers by turning on car sirens and firing guns, but to no avail.

When police arrived they shot the two tigers and saved Yang.

Yang was in a deep coma and had lost more than three liters of blood. His face and neck were badly injured, he had several fractures in his body, and his arms and legs were covered in wounds.

The two tigers died over the weekend.

According to the Wild Animal Protection Station of Shenyang, shooting the tigers to save people was appropriate as people come first under such conditions.

The zoo, built in Qipan mountain, includes two viewing areas - the walking area and wildlife area. Animals in the wildlife area include Siberian tigers, black bears, wolves and camels. Electric doors separate the animals.

Extension Line of Shenyang Subway Line 2 Starts Construction

The extension line of Shenyang Subway Line 2 will be formally started construction this year. According to the local press, it is expected to be completed by the end of 2012.

Treasured Bird Crashes onto Building Site in Shenyang

A red-crowned crane, a highly protected species, slammed onto a construction site last Wednesday in Shenyang, Liaoning province.

After seeing the bird plunge to the ground, a worker rescued it and called experts. They rushed the injured bird to a hospital and it was revived. But the crane later died after the condition of its broken wings worsened.

"It's really a pity that we failed to bring it back to life ," one of the experts said.

Shenyang Drunk Cabbie Delivers Himself to Police

A cabbie who drove to the police station to resolve a quarrel with his passenger ended up getting caught for drunk driving.

The passenger first started quarreling with the driver on Saturday when she suspected him of taking her on a roundabout route in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province.

Annoyed, the cabbie drove the woman to the police station to resolve the issue.

But police tested the driver for alcohol content and found that his blood-alcohol level exceeded the legal limit.

Health tips

The World Health Organization said on Thursday the H1N1 vaccine had been cleared of blame for 41 deaths which health authorities worldwide had investigated after suspicions they might have been caused by the inoculation.

The U.N. agency reaffirmed that the pandemic vaccine is as safe as the seasonal flu vaccine used for more than 60 years. It also voiced concern that some pregnant women and others at risk were shunning it because of a fear of side-effects.

Governments have so far reported that 65 million vaccine doses have been administered against H1N1, known as swine flu, in 16 countries, but the true figure is probably higher since immunization campaigns are under way in 40 countries.

Side-effects commonly reported include swelling and redness or pain at the injection site, although some had fever or headache, and all symptoms usually disappear after 48 hours.

A "small number of deaths" had been reported, and a WHO spokeswoman later put the figure at 41 in six countries.

"Although some investigations are still ongoing, the results of the completed investigations reported to WHO have ruled out that the pandemic vaccine is the cause of death. Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO's top vaccine expert, told a telephone conference.

Authorities in China -- where 11 million people have been vaccinated -- have reported 2 deaths following inoculation and 15 cases of severe side effects, the WHO said in a statement.

"Thorough investigation of these deaths, including a review of autopsy results, determined that underlying medical conditions were the cause of death and not the vaccine," it said of China.

Fewer than a dozen suspected cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome had been reported following pandemic vaccination, she said. "Only a few of this Guillain-Barre may be linked to the pandemic vaccine .... and patients have recovered," she added.