One step nearer equality

The Chinese government is discussing an amendment to its national election law that will give equal weight to rural and urban voters in elections for the National People’s Congress. Currently, rural votes are only worth 1/4 of urban votes. Experts, however, are skeptical that the change will have much impact on Chinese policy making, at least in the short term.

H1N1 deaths 'tip of iceberg'

Michael O’Leary, the World Health Organization’s representative in China, warned this week that the number of A/H1N1 flu deaths could be just the “tip of the iceberg.”

Many who died from the flu around the world are not tested for the virus, and so the number of A/H1N1 deaths has been vastly underreported, O’Leary said. About 5,000 people have died from the virus so far.

U.S. calls for lasting military dialogue with China

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called for increased dialogue between the US military and the PLA after meeting with Xu Caihou, the vice chairman of the PLA at the Pentagon this week.

Xu’s trip was part of a broader thaw between the American military and the PLA, but experts said tensions remain, particularly over Taiwan and US surveillance off the Chinese coast.

Car bomb in Pakistan market kills 100

A car bomb explosion killed at least 100 people at a market in the Pakistani city of Peshawar on Wednesday. The blast came as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was visiting the country to offer support in its fight against the Taliban and Al Qaeda militants. She was not near the explosion however, which, unlike many previous attacks, seemed to have been aimed directly at civilians.

In book, Agassi admits using crystal meth

In his upcoming autobiography, tennis star Andre Agassi admits to using the drug crystal meth and then lying to cover it up after failing a drug test. Agassi said he tried the drug on the suggestion of his then-assistant, while his marriage to actress Brooke Shields was falling apart.

"This Is It" heats up box office on first day

“This is it,” a documentary based on film footage of Michael Jackson’s rehearsals for a major comeback tour premiered on Tuesday. Unfortunately, however, the pop icon died before the tour began. But the film does include footage of him singing and dancing to some of his greatest hits.

Trying out traditional madicine

Finally, we leave you with a brief look at an ancient Chinese herbal therapy that might help to get you through the winter – and through flu season. I’m Dan Chinoy, thanks for watching.

With the arrival of fall, the temperature in Beijing has dropped. But traditional Chinese medicine might have an answer: Moxibustion, an ancient practice where doctors burn sticks of the Mugwort herb just above specific pressure points on a patient’s skin. The idea is to help stimulate blood flow and spread heat throughout the body, and ultimately, to make a patient healthier and less susceptible to illness.

Moxibustion is closely related to acupuncture, a more well-known treatment where doctors place needles in patients at carefully chosen points to promote healing. Often, people get both Moxibustion and acupuncture done at the same time.

（英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Dan Chinoy is a reporter and editor for the China Daily's website. A graduate of Columbia University, he grew up in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Dan has experience in Hillary Clinton's Senate Office in Washington, and Fortune Magazine in Beijing, the U.S. Consulate in Shenyang. Dan speaks Chinese, but not as well as he should.