In Brief
Mao, mum and dad feature in student list of heroes
Mum and dad run Mao Zedong a close second in the popularity stakes if the results of a poll of schoolchildren's heroes are to be believed.
Olympic gold medallist Liu Xiang ranked fifth, Hong Kong action movie star Jackie Chan was sixth, and the mainland's first spaceman, Yang Liwei, tenth.
But the survey of 443 boys and 575 girls in six cities and provinces, sponsored by the Chinese Youngsters and Children's News Publishing House, the All-China Women's Federation and Chinese Women magazine, saw more traditional role models fill out the top four in the 'My Top Ten Heroes' list, with late premier Zhou Enlai ranking third and perennial Communist Party favourite Lei Feng fourth.
A new communist icon, policewoman Ren Changxia, who was killed while on duty at the age of 40, ranked 7th, while two civil war figures - Communist Party members Liu Hulan and Dong Cunrui, who died in their teens - came in at eighth and ninth respectively. Shi Ting
Minister in rare admission of the scale of poverty
Commerce Minister Bo Xilai says 90 million mainlanders live on less than US$1 a day, state press reported yesterday, in a rare instance of Beijing recognising the internationally accepted measurement for poverty.
Mr Bo made the comments during a speech on Friday when arguing that the mainland was still a developing country despite two decades of robust economic growth, Xinhua reported.
The mainland had set its poverty line at an annual average income of 668 yuan, the report said. AFP
Beijing asks US to stop Taiwan army training bid
Beijing called on Washington to stop an effort by US lawmakers to establish a military training programme for Taiwan.
The measures, approved by the US House of Representatives last week, violated US commitments to the mainland on relations with Taiwan, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said.
'We firmly oppose them and have made solemn representations to the US side,' Xinhua quoted him as saying. AP
Pair resign over bank irregularities
China Construction Bank has approved the resignation of two provincial branch heads held responsible for illegal activities committed by subordinates.
Liang Fucheng, head of the Shanxi province branch, and Sun Jiancheng, head of the Hunan province branch, tendered their resignations after irregularities were discovered, Xinhua reported. Staff Reporter
