HEADLINES

Snow in Beijing brings drought relief

On Tuesday Beijing received its first snowfall of the year, driving temperatures below zero.

The Beijing Weather Modification Command Center said artificial means were used to increase the volume of snow in order to combat drought.

The precipitation helped ease the drought in some areas of north China, with more rainfall expected in the next two weeks.

State Council calls to drop hukou

The State Council has asked every city in China – except for four – to drop the permanent residency requirement when hiring non-native college graduates.

Cities except for Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing are asked to lift hukou, or the residency permit so that applicants can move almost anywhere for a job.

The announcement comes after a job stimulus package was unveiled in early January to help college students find jobs amid the economic slowdown.

24th Universiade opens in Harbin

Chinese state councilor Liu Yandong declared the 2009 World Winter University Games open on Wednesday evening.

It’s the first time China is hosting a world-class winter games, which will have a record 81 events over 11 days.

More than 1,600 students from 44 countries and regions are participating.

China has sent its largest-ever delegation of 359 people, with 193 students competing in 69 events.

Japanese finance minister quits

Japan’s finance minister resigned Tuesday after he denied he was drunk at a G7 news conference.

Shoichi Nakagawa said he had sipped a little wine at a luncheon before the press conference.

But he said he had taken a large amount of cold medicine, which may have affected his performance badly.

Prime Miniter Taro Aso picked Economics Minister Kaoru Yosano to replace Nakawaga, as the government struggles to lift Japan out of a deepening recession.

NEWS-INDEPTH

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives in China

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives in Beijing today as part of her Asia tour.

Earlier she was in Japan, South Korea and Indonesia.

The main issues on her agenda include climate change, clean energy, nuclear proliferation and the global financial crisis.

Asia is her first trip as US Secretary of State, signaling the region’s importance to America.

She said she wanted to convey that America’s relationships across the Pacific are indispensable to address the challenges and seize the opportunities of the 21st century.

This Sunday February 22 at 11:50am, Secretary Clinton will sit down with chinadaily.com.cn for a webchat broadcast live on our website.

China Daily is collecting questions for Mrs. Clinton。

If you have any, please email us at videonews@chinadaily.com.cn. Your questions will be posted to her.

Meteorologists predict more sandstorms

More sandstorms will hit North China this spring than last year, thanks to the worst drought in half a century, meteorologists said Tuesday.

In an exclusive interview with chinadaily.com.cn, Li Weijing, deputy director of the National Meteorological Center, said the increasing expanse of arid land will create more dust.

He added the frequency and scale of the sandstorms would still be below the average of the past few years.

The other main factor is that strong winds generated by atmospheric circulation carry dust and sand from arid areas, and speed up with the absence of natural or manmade barriers.

Sandstorms usually occur between March and May and usually originate from Northwest China.

Qing relics from Forbidden City to go to Taiwan

The mainland has agreed to lend 29 Qing Dynasty relics from Beijing’s Forbidden City to Taiwan to be displayed at a joint exhibition in October.

The Forbidden City and Taipei’s “National Palace Museum” signed seven other agreements at the first-ever high-level meeting in Beijing earlier this week.

The 29 Qing Dynasty relics, separated 60 years ago because of civil war, will travel for the first time to Taiwan.

The three-month exhibition will focus on Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty, and so the island is borrowing the portraits of Yongzheng and his concubines from the mainland.

PICTURE NEWS

13-year old father in the UK

A 13-year-old boy has become a father in Britain. The mother of his child is 15.

Alfie Patten was present earlier this week when his girlfriend Chantelle Steadman gave birth to Maisie Roxanne in East Sussex.

Patten was 12 when his daughter was conceived.

But now there are two other teens claiming to be the father of the child.

（英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries.