Hillary Clinton staged a comeback winning the Ohio and Texas primaries, ending a string of defeats in her bid for the White House. Republican John McCain secured his nomination as well.
Israeli attack on Palestinians
After several days of Israeli air strikes, 120 Palestinians and three Israelis have died according to each side.
Talks broke off between the two camps, and US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice visited the Israelis and Palestinians in a bid to get them back to the table.
Prince Harry out of Afghanistan
Prince Harry returned to England on Saturday after serving as a soldier for 10 weeks in Afghanistan.
His secret tour of duty abruptly ended after a website disclosed details of his whereabouts.
Zhang Yimou confident about opening ceremonies
Film director Zhang Yimou says he’s very confident of a successful opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics in August.
He said mass rehearsals involving 10,000 people are going well.
China clinches world team crown
China claimed both the men and women's team titles at the world table tennis championships in Guangzhou on Sunday, beating South Korea and Singapore respectively.
And now for more news in depth:
China’s defense budget to rise by 17.6%
At the National People’s Congress, the government said it will increase the defense budget by 17.6 percent for salary raises for military personnel, education and training.
The budget of 417.77 billion yuan or $58.79 billion will also be used to upgrade military equipment.
Last year, China’s military expenditure was only 1.4 percent of GDP, compared to 4.6 percent in the United States, 3 percent in Britain, and 2.63 percent in Russia.
Medvedev wins Russian presidential election
42-year-old Dmitry Medvedev is the new Russian president after securing victory with almost 70 percent of the vote.
At a press conference held hours after the polling, Medvedev said he would continue with his predecessor Vladimir Putin's policies.
The youngest ever Russian president-elect will be inaugurated on May 7th.
Olympic village opens to media
Foreign and domestic media were given a sneak preview of the Olympic Village Wednesday, just northwest of the National Stadium and Aquatic Center.
Covering an area of 16,000 square meters, the 42 apartment blocks will host 16,000 athletes and officials during the Games.
The buildings have environmentally friendly features including double-glazed windows, solar heating and recycled water for plants and grass. These residences will be the only ones in the city that have potable water.
Yao Ming undergoes successful surgery
Chinese basketball fans heaved a sigh of relief this week as Yao Ming successfully underwent foot surgery at a Texas hospital on March 3rd.
On the NBA scene, Yaos team, The Rockets, have won their last three contests without the big man, extending their winning streak to 15 games.
And now for more news on a lighter note:
Quintuplets ambassadors for the Games
Quintuplets from Cangzhou, Hebei Province were chosen as young ambassadors for the Beijing Olympic Games.
The three girls and two boys performed a lion dance on roller skates.
The announcement was made on Tuesday to coincide with their sixth birthday.
Bird's Nest lights up for test
The National Stadium, otherwise known as the "Bird's Nest" lit up earlier this week. Managers of the 91,000-seat arena, which will host the opening and closing ceremonies at the summer Games, began trials on lighting the stadium on Monday to the pleasure of local residents
110th birthday of late Premier Zhou remembered
March 5 this year is the 110th anniversary of the late Premier Zhou Enlai’s birth. There are several exhibitions across China focusing on his life and contributions to the country.
Zhou, the first premier of China, is widely respected by the people.
（英語點津 Celene 編輯）
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.
Brendan joined The China Daily in 2007 as a language polisher in the Language Tips Department, where he writes a regular column for Chinese English Language learners, reads audio news for listeners and anchors the weekly video news in addition to assisting with on location stories. Elsewhere he writes Op’Ed pieces with a China focus that feature in the Daily’s Website opinion section.
He received his B.A. and Post Grad Dip from Curtin University in 1997 and his Masters in Community Development and Management from Charles Darwin University in 2003. He has taught in Japan, England, Australia and most recently China. His articles have featured in the Bangkok Post, The Taipei Times, The Asia News Network and in-flight magazines.
