tagged w/ Beijing
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Drug companies manipulated the World Health Organisation into downgrading its definition of a pandemic so they could cash in on a swine flu outbreak, it is claimed.
An inquiry heard yesterday that the WHO allegedly softened its criteria for declaring a H1N1 flu pandemic last spring - just weeks before announcing there was a worldwide outbreak.
Critics said the decision was driven by pharmaceutical companies desperate to recoup the billions of pounds they had invested in researching and developing pandemic vaccines after the bird flu scares in 2006 and 2007.
Students quarantined in China chat with a health worker in Beijing
Pandemic status: Students quarantined in China chat with a health worker in Beijing
As a result, millions of people have been vaccinated against a mild illness, and money that could have been used to prevent and treat major killers such as heart disease has been squandered.
The claims, which emerged during the first of several Council of Europe hearings into the handling of the swine flu pandemic, were strongly rejected by the WHO.
Following the organisation's declaration of a pandemic, the Department of Health warned of 65,000 deaths, set up a special advice line and website, and suspended normal rules so anti-flu drugs could be given without prescription.
But with just 250 or so deaths in Britain and 14,000 worldwide, the WHO is being asked to account for its actions.
The Government is now trying to off-load millions of jabs it ordered at the height of the scare. Sources say it is even considering giving some doses away for free.
Wolfgang Wodarg, former head of health at the Council of Europe, the Strasbourg-based 'senate'
responsible for the European Court of Human Rights, said vaccine contracts were put in place in 2007, when it was feared the more lethal bird flu virus would mutate into human form.
Drug companies, which spent up to £2.5billion developing a vaccine, then pushed their interests within the WHO, leading to the definition of a pandemic being softened and an outbreak declared.
He told the hearing: 'It was stated in panic- stricken terms that this was a flu that could threaten humanity and a great number of humans could fall ill.
'This is why billions of dollars of medications were bought.
Dr Wodarg, an expert on the spread of disease, said that the change in definition made it possible for a worldwide pandemic to be declared and for the pharmaceutical companies to cash in.
Also giving evidence, Professor Ulrich Keil, a WHO adviser on heart disease, said the decision had led to a 'gigantic misallocation' of health budgets.
'We know the great killers are hypertension, smoking, high cholesterol, high body mass index, physical inactivity and low fruit and vegetable intake,' he said.
'In spite of all these facts, governments instead wasted huge amounts of money by investing in pandemic scenarios whose evidence base is weak.'
But Dr Kieji Fukuda, the WHO's top flu expert, rejected the allegations. 'We do not wait until (these global virus outbreaks) have developed and we see that lots of people are dying,' he said.
'What we try to do is take preventive actions. Our purpose is to try to provide guidance, to reduce harm.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1246370/Drug-firms-drove-swine-flu-pandemic-warning-recoup-billions-spent-research.html#ixzz0dzLExGg7Drug companies manipulated the World Health Organisation into downgrading its... more
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Liu Bolin is a Beijing-based artist you wouldn’t want to play hide and seek with. For his project titled “Camouflage”, the gifted artist acts as a chameleon, transforming his appearance to blend with the background behind him, no matter how elaborate. At first and sometimes second or third glance Bolin doesn’t seem to appear in these photographs, almost as if he’s invisible and one with his surroundings.
Read more: http://www.whitespace.bz/ws/web/forms/pulse/PulseMainArticle.aspx?id=358Liu Bolin is a Beijing-based artist you wouldn’t want to play hide and seek... more
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Mr. Gay election (that should have been today in China) was a very important sign for a country that until 2001 was considering homosexuality a mental disease.
But Chinese police cancelled the election because the regime does not tolerate homosexuality.
http://www.inaltreparole.net/en/world/cinaconcorsogaybloccato150110.htmlMr. Gay election (that should have been today in China) was a very important sign for... more
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From the News Blog: http://blogs.current.com/news/2010/01/06/chinas-record-snowfall-photos/
Beijing was buried under snow a few days ago when a massive snowstorm hit the Chinese capital. It's still incredibly cold there (Beijing today hit a 40 year record on its minimum temperature), but we've got some beautiful pictures to warm your heart.
Anyone out there in China have some pictures? Post them in the comments. Likewise, if you think the Beijing snow doesn't hold a candle to your local snowfall - send us those.From the News Blog:... more
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The entire Beijing was blanketed in snow the morning of 3 Jan 2010. By noon, enthusiastic photographers and tourists were braving the storm to capture the Forbidden City in its majestic white surroundings. Many were game enough to climb up the hill on Jingshan Park for a bird's eyeview of the Forbidden CIty.The entire Beijing was blanketed in snow the morning of 3 Jan 2010. By noon,... more
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We've all somehow been there, even though we've never set foot there: Tiananmen Square, The Square of Heavenly Peace. This is -- as they say -- China's "money shot." Andreea & I were on a very tight schedule which almost caused us to miss our Shanghai connecting flight, but these were some the moving images we snagged as we traversed from north to south along the expanse of this Beijing landmark, from the Forbidden City to Mao's Mausoleum. Sorry I'm mumbling a bit, but the capital was positively freezing on this day. Wind gusts and the like. Thanks again for watching!We've all somehow been there, even though we've never set foot there:... more
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gtowna
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2 years ago
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As our regular host shies away from assignments involving male models and metrosexual entrepreneurs, guest host Victoria Shen fronts this episode of Fashionista with glee.
In this episode on SOOKSTV, we visit the Bauer Company, a designer's studio specializing in haute couture in the hutongs of Beijing. Don't let fancy words like 'haute couture' scare you away though, because as model-cum-designer Jose Acosta explains, the basic suit at the Bauer Co. costs only around 1200RMB (almost the same as what you would pay for at places like Yashow). Tune in as Victoria walks you through the process of ordering a suit.
For more info on the Bauer Co., contact Jose at joseacosta@thebauerco.comAs our regular host shies away from assignments involving male models and metrosexual... more
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Beijing was once famous for the number of bicycles on its streets, however due to the increasing number of cars on the road the city is increasingly congested like many other cities in the developing world.
Officials have spent billions of dollars on public transport in recent years, however shortly the city of 17 million people will have 6 millions drivers and 4 million cars on its streets.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8418101.stmBeijing was once famous for the number of bicycles on its streets, however due to the... more
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,0,3842540.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fmostviewed+%28L.A.+Times+-+Most+Viewed+Stories%29
"...some Chinese believe that climate change will hasten the coming of an era in which China dominates at the expense of Europe, where temperatures could drop as a result of a weakening of warming Atlantic ocean currents caused by melting glaciers.
'Europe will become as cold as Siberia. Much arable land will disappear and the continent will no longer be fit for human habitation,' a Chinese blogger who writes under the name Feitie Zhiyi suggested in a posting last week. 'China should emit more CO2 and make the world warmer! This will only do good to China and bring nothing bad.
"As for the Europeans, it's better to freeze all of them to death!'"
Isn't it spooky how the "sentiments" of the Chinese blogger above eerily mirror the blabbing of Right-Wing radio hosts?,0,3842540.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campai... more
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China and the U.S. spent much of last week goading each other on impassible positions.
The Chinese, on behalf of developing country colleagues in the G77, want developed countries to live up to their “historic responsibility” for climate change and provide enough funding for adaptation and mitigation to help developing countries face the challenges posed by climate change.
The U.S., while offering money to developing countries, denied that China was still a developing country.
Here's why Beijing may come away from Copenhagen looking like the conciliatory party.
http://solveclimate.com/blog/20091215/china-still-developing-countryChina and the U.S. spent much of last week goading each other on impassible positions.... more
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Heavy first snow covers Beijing two months earlier than last year, with officials saying they have artificially increased snowfall to ease a lingering drought in the region.
For more news video by Current TV visit http://current.com/Heavy first snow covers Beijing two months earlier than last year, with officials... more
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China celebrated its rise to a world power over 60 years of Communist rule Thursday, staging its biggest-ever parade of military hardware with over 100,000 marching masses in a display that stirred patriotism - and some unease.China celebrated its rise to a world power over 60 years of Communist rule Thursday,... more
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Beijing, today, is celebrating the 60th anniversary from People Chinese Republic fondation.
Twitter and Facebook were hidden since yesterday. Today, for the celebration, there are many new rules. One of this is really unusual: nobody could fly kites.Beijing, today, is celebrating the 60th anniversary from People Chinese Republic... more
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Beijing -- an ancient city developing into a modern metropolis at breakneck speed. As the economic tide turns against the west, more and more young, foreign talents are taking their entrepreneurial ambitions into China.
How have these 20-something year-old entrepreneurs been affected by the economic crisis? As China moves towards 60 years of communist rule, what is the future for the country's market economy?
Meet these creative young minds as they venture into a new China.
p/s: Check out our other pods to for a more in-depth feature of the businesses featured.Beijing -- an ancient city developing into a modern metropolis at breakneck speed. As... more
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Beijing -- an ancient city developing into a modern metropolis at breakneck speed. As the economic tide turns against the west, more and more young, foreign talents are taking their entrepreneurial ambitions into China.
How have these 20-something year-old entrepreneurs been affected by the economic crisis? As China moves towards 60 years of communist rule, what is the future for the country's market economy?
Meet these creative young minds as they venture into a new China.
p/s: Check out our other pods to for a more in-depth feature of the businesses featured.Beijing -- an ancient city developing into a modern metropolis at breakneck speed. As... more
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Remember those crazy syringe stabbings in China we covered a few weeks ago? Back then they were out in the western province of Xinjiang, but now authorities are concerned that they've moved to the capital, Beijing.
From the Times of London:
"The threat of such needle attacks comes as an enormous security blanket has been thrown across Beijing to ensure that a huge military parade to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Communist Party rule passes off without a hitch on October 1.
Indications that the bizarre attacks may have extended from the mostly Muslim, riot-torn region of Xinjiang to Beijing came in the form of directives from internet service providers to clients to prevent any mention of such violence on websites.
Managers of websites said that they received notification today to delete any discussion or mention of syringe stabbings in Beijing as soon as these are spotted. "Remember those crazy syringe stabbings in China we covered a few weeks ago? Back then... more
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It's the end of summer and it's probably the last time you'll see any bikini babes around the block. Sand beneath your feet, stars above your heads, and tequila shots in your hands...join us as MC LZ brings all the summer partying to an end with a bikini contest at The Beach in Beijing.It's the end of summer and it's probably the last time you'll see any... more
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A new exhibition in the Chinese city is using 3D technology to make Mona Lisa and other iconic art works come to life. They can respond to the people visiting the exhibition, even answering questions from visitors.A new exhibition in the Chinese city is using 3D technology to make Mona Lisa and... more
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Pardon
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2 years ago
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Ever heard of a robotic blowjob machine? Yes, in this episode we are talking about BJ. An automated, hands-free blowjob machine that is getting our host all excited.
Watch on as LZ Wang chats with CEO of roboticblowjob.com about his ingenious invention.Ever heard of a robotic blowjob machine? Yes, in this episode we are talking about BJ.... more
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