Katie Hoff checks the result after the Women’s 400m Individual Medley at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha of the United States, June 29, 2008. Hoff won the title and set a new world record with 4 minutes and 31.12 seconds.(Xinhua Photo)  

前奥运冠军，世界游泳名将林莉高举火炬     大运会官方网讯 旧金山当地时间4月9日下午15时20分（北京时间10日凌晨6时20分），旧金山奥运圣火传递顺利完成。当天下午1时（北京时间10日4时）奥运火炬从麦科维湾起跑，中国奥运游泳冠军林莉担任第一棒火炬手，期间当地警方临时改变了线路，而且传递方式也有所调整，从一个人举火炬传递变成了两个人同举火炬传递，但是整个火炬传递进行得十分顺利。　　     4月9日这一天旧金山晴空万里。林莉接过火炬后，高举火炬向欢呼的人群致意。 随后，她手持火炬开始了第一棒的传递。在火炬传递的起点，聚集了数千群众，其中有来自美国各地的华人，他们高举中美两国国旗和奥运五环旗，同时打出各种各样自制的欢迎北京奥运圣火的横幅，打着腰鼓、扭着秧歌、在锣鼓声和欢呼声中，等待奥运火炬的到来，表现出对中国成功举办奥运会的热切期盼和热情支持。     从第二棒开始，当地警方临时改变了火炬传递线路，第二棒的传递由两名火炬手同时完成。旧金山火炬传递路程比原计划大约缩短一半。在火炬传递沿线，两边的观众用掌声和欢呼声欢迎火炬的到来。      本次火炬传递的另一大亮点是在第31组，这一组的两名火炬手中有一位是中国著名的排球女将郎平中，郎平是美国奥委会推荐的火炬手、郎平的名字在国内可谓家喻户晓，在美国也是知名度极高的女排教练。2005年2月，郎平出任美国国家女子排球队主教练一直至今，美国女排在她的指导下在近两年的大赛中也有上佳的表现。　　     今天的火炬传递可以说，用“出人意料”形容今天的圣火传递的圣火传递恐怕是最贴合实际的形容。正如旧金山火炬传递发言人大卫皮瑞所说：“任何计划都可能随时改变，我们最终的决定就算是最后一秒钟做出的也不算晚，而今天传递路线的临时改变也印证了这一点。”当被问到结束仪式会不会被取消的时候，他再次强调：“现在，一切都不是下定论的时候，我们会根据当时的情况来决定火炬的进程以及仪式是否举行。”     据前方传回的最新消息，庆典仪式改在机场举行，将有40名火炬手赶到机场参加庆祝活动。　　      北京奥运会圣火的旧金山之行也引发了当地华人华侨的踊跃参与。一辆辆满载洛杉矶华人华侨的大巴车八日陆续抵达旧金山，他们将和旧金山当地数以万计的华人华侨一起为旧金山接力活动护航。据了解，作为美国著名的华人聚居城市，旧金山将有数以万计的华人华侨前往火炬传递沿途欢迎圣火，同时旧金山附近的硅谷地区也将有约两千名华人华侨、留学生前往旧金山为奥运圣火传递护航。来自美国各地的华人华侨将一起营造喜庆气氛迎接圣火，届时将有中华武术、中国民族服装展示、中国腰鼓等表演活动为火炬传递助兴。    美国大洛杉矶地区促进中国统一联合会主席刘建民告诉记者，对加州华人华侨来说，这是一次难得一遇的庆祝活动，他们将在奥运圣火传递的沿途为火炬接力加油助威。他说：“我们怀着快乐喜庆的心情来迎接圣火，我们希望奥运火炬传递顺顺利利、平平安安地进行。”谈到少数“藏独”分子扬言要干扰破坏火炬传递活动，刘建民说，洛杉矶和旧金山华人华侨将在火炬接力沿途以和平、喜庆的方式为圣火传递加油助威。针对美国议员希拉里近日发表抵制北京奥运的言论，刘建民表示：“这种做法对北京奥运会非常不公平，我们很生气，奥运和政治要分开。我希望华人团结一致。”　　      旧金山站是北京奥运会圣火境外传递的第六站。作为北美地区唯一的圣火传递城市，也是北美地区华人影响力最大的城市，本次传递被称为”永续之旅”。传递启动现场旗帜飘飘，人们举着中国、美国的国旗以及国际奥委会的会旗。在启动仪式上，旧金山市市长说该市被选择不是偶然的，旧金山是一个美丽的城市，他们欢迎北京奥组委和奥组委执行副主席蒋效愚，把圣火带到了旧金山。他说圣火使大家聚集在一起，圣火代表着和谐和交流。     下一站传递将于4月11日在阿根廷首都布宜诺斯艾利斯举行。  

By Wu Liming and Pan Zhi 　 When Germany play handicapped Turkeyat Euro 2008 semifinal, any suspense left? It is widely believed that there is no much suspense for Germany to overwhelm handicapped Turkey at the semifinal in Baselon Wednesday, but there are still some suspense left for the local derby.  Coach Joachim Loew stands […]

      Torchbearer Ma Bajin of the Tibetan ethnic group displays the torch at the launching ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Shangrila, southwest China’s Yunnan Province on June 11, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)         Torchbearer Chen Jianli, photographer from China’s Xinhua News Agency,runs during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay […]

Newman Huo Entrepreneur displays his stone carving collection  DATA： 2008-06-26 A stone sheep with wings from the Han Dynasty. WU QIANGHUA, a Shenzhen-based collector in his early 40s, is holding a special exhibition of 82 ancient Chinese stone carvings at Shenzhen Museum until the end of July. The exhibits, some of which date as far […]

Visitors to an exhibition featuring 80 paintings and calligraphic works by adolescents in Bao’an District. The works were auctioned during the exhibition held at the Bao抋n Adolescents?Activities Center yesterday, fetching up to 46,000 yuan (US$6,571). The money will be donated to children in quake-devastated areas in northwestern China. Qiu Haibin  

Newman Huo TODDLER, Duan Yating, just 19 months old, became a beneficiary of the city’s medical insurance scheme for children when she was discharged from Shenzhen Children’s Hospital in Futian District at the end of April. “My daughter was taken to the hospital and was there for more than a week in April when she […]

Human Resources From 1985 through 2006, Shenzhen had brought in 270,000 overseas experts in various fields, including about 10,000 returned overseas Chinese students. The city now has more than 1.67 million professionals, making Shenzhen an important base for focusing and harnessing talent. Commence and Trade The city’s consumer market is in stable growth. In 2006, […]

ENTREPRENEURS in Shenzhen were granted the 2007 Mayor’s Award, the highest award for technological innovation in the city, on Friday. The four winners were Xu Shaochun from Kingdee International Software Group Co. Ltd., Guo Deying from Yulong Computer Telecommunication Scientific (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Chen Zhilie from EVOC Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd. and Deng Guoshun from […]

Intellectual Property Rights Transference Commitment Letter     Based on the full understanding and voluntary accepting of the Design Contest Rules for the Shenzhen 26th Summer Universiade Mascot and all its Attachments, this legal entity/natural person (hereinafter referred to as “the promisee”) makes the following commitments to the Executive Board of the Shenzhen 26th Summer Universiade (hereinafter […]