International community offers more condolences, aid for quake-hit China

Taiwan Ruling Party Chief Arrives in China
China finds escaped quake panda
China Sends Troops as Quake Waters Threaten 700000
China s one-child policy to make exceptions
China opposes British PM s meeting with Dalai Lama
China Mobile shares fall after news of telecom overhaul
Hang Seng China Enterprises Index tumbles 3 04
President Hu pledges to keep development trends
Vice premier urges efforts to restore power supply
China s coal supply gets boost
International community offers more condolences aid for quake-hit China

Shell-shocked pandas recuperate in Beijing

Eight giant pandas have arrived in Beijing from China s quake-ravaged Sichuan province Planned before the disaster the move is now focusing on helping them recover from the trauma

China torch relay resumes

China reiterates urgent need for tents in quake-hit areas
China to airlift giant pandas from quake-hit Sichuan to Beijing
Tokyo high court rules Nanjing Massacre victim be compensated for slander
Medvedev s visit to consolidate ties
Piles of cash under credit union s debris
China 17th competitive economy study finds
China auto industry little affected by earthquake
China denies imminent plan to liberalize oil gas prices
National banks to better withstand quake impact
Export growth of toys slows down substantially
China torch relay resumes

Two dead, more than 480 injured as major aftershock hits China quake zone

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Two dead more than 480 injured as major aftershock hits China quake zone

Premier lauds UN support for China s quake relief
Eight giant pandas arrive in Beijing from Sichuan Province
Quake lakes under control situation still grim
Tent makers at full production to shelter China s quake homeless
Economists forecast lesser inflationary pressure in China despite quake devastation
China embraces fast line
Wahaha to push exit says report
Coal shortages spark into power production
Roadshow gives New Zealand businesses tools to put China FTA to work
3G licenses to follow restructure

Earthquake Pandas Move Into New Home

Eight pandas are now calling Beijing home brought there after the Chinese earthquake damaged their preserve The pandas got acclimated to their new place before digging into bamboo May 24

Muse: Summer Box Office Bets

Breaking the Bank - Studios Set Sights on Summer Box Office Records

Raw Pandas Prepare for Olympics

Eight pandas from a Chinese reserve severely shaken by a deadly earthquake were getting ready for a trip to the capital where they were expected to go on display for the Olympics May 23

Council slashes mayor's travel budget

SOME ALBUQUERQUE CITY COUNCILORS SAY MAYOR MARTIN CHAVEZ HAS BEEN SPENDING TOO MUCH MONEY ON HIS TRIPS -- AND WONDERING WHAT THE CITY IS GETTING OUT OF IT SO NOW THEY VE CUT HIS TRAVEL BUDGET JEFF MAHER IS LIVE AT CITY HALL WITH THE STORY JEFF WHETHER IT S TRAVELING TO CHIHUAHUA CITY MEXICO FOR TRADE DELEGATIONS PICKING UP AWARDS IN D C OR GOING ACROSS THE WORLD TO CHINA TO TRY AND BRING A PANDA TO THE RIO GRANDE ZOO - - MAYOR CHAVEZ DOES A LOT OF TRAVELING BUT THIS WEEK THE CITY COUNCIL DECIDED ENOUGH S ENOUGH so I think we re just starting to question - is his travel really in the best interest of the city ACCORDING TO THE CITY S WEBSITE IN THE LAST FIVE MONTHS - MAYOR CHAVEZ HAS SPENT AT LEAST 12- THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR TRIPS OUT OF STATE RECENT TRIPS STILL NEED TO BE ADDED CITY COUNCILORS MICHAEL CADIGAN AND BRAD WINTER SAY IT S GOTTEN OUT OF CONTROL LATELY his amount of travel has increased significantly he s been doing a lot of travel THE MAYOR S TRAVEL BUDGET FOR 2007 WAS and 036 44 380 THIS YEAR IT WENT UP TO and 036 65 000 FOR 2009 HE WAS ASKING FOR THE SAME AMOUNT - BUT INSTEAD THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A 20-PERCENT CUT FOR ALL OF THE CITY S TRAVEL BUDGET - INCLUDING THE MAYOR S SO NEXT YEAR HE LL HAVE A BIT LESS TO WORK WITH - and 036 52 000 so a 20-thousand dollar increase over the prior year we just didn t think that was in line with a budget that was proposing to cut back on bus drivers cut back on planning staff cut back on code enforcement THE MAYOR S CHINA TRIP LAST YEAR TO TRY AND GET ALBUQUERQUE A PANDA COST MORE THAN 8-THOUSAND DOLLARS CADIGAN SAYS THAT DEAL FELL THROUGH A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE MAYOR SAYS THE TRIPS THAT THE MAYOR HAS TAKEN HAVE IMPROVED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN ALBUQUERQUE THOUSANDS OF JOBS HAVE COME TO OUR CITY BECAUSE OF THE MAYOR BEING ONE OF THE MOST SUSTAINABLE GREEN LEADERS IN AMERICA MAYOR CHAVEZ HAS CERTAINLY PROVEN HE IS FINANCIALLY PRUDENT AND WILL WORK WITHIN WHATEVER TRAVELING BUDGET THE TAXPAYERS FEEL IS PERMISSIBLE THE MAYOR JUST GOT BACK FROM A TRIP TO THE EAST COAST THIS EVENING A SPOKESPERSON SAYS BECAUSE OF THAT TRIP - ALBUQUERQUE WAS GIVEN THE HIGHEST BOND RATING THE CITY HAS EVER SEEN - WHICH MEANS OTHER BIG COMPANIES ARE LIKELY TO INVEST HERE LIVE AT CITY HALL JEFF MAHER

Pandas Still Missing After Earthquake

Two pandas that live at the Wolong Reserve in the area of China hardest hit by the earthquake are still missing The quake damaged the panda enclosures at the reserve which is just 20 miles from the quake s epicenter May 22

Earthquake Pandas

Some more survivors from the eathrquake in Sichuan province

In grave grief, China mourns quake dead

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In grave grief China mourns quake dead

Russia to send new humanitarian aid to quake-hit China
Over 200 relief workers buried in mudslide in earthquake-hit area
pandas missing in reserve after quake
Chinese and US presidents talk over phone on issues of earthquake and Tibet
Forbidden City opens disabled tourist paths
Importing food inflation cautioned
Sichuan industrial enterprises lost 67b yuan in earthquake
Most Taiwan counties attend the 10th Cross-Straits Fair
Soda ash export prices up 41 7 in first quarter
PetroChina resumes oil supply to quake-hit areas

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi plan to marry

Hi on this Friday May 16 2008 I m Melisse Hinkle with today s UPI Entertainment Update
Ellen DeGeneres and her girlfriend Portia de Rossi are reportedly planning to marry Thirty-five-year-old de Rossi was in the studio when DeGeneres delivered the news during a taping on Thursday That s according to the Associated Press The talk show host s announcement set to air on Friday s show comes just after the California Supreme Court declared the state s ban on gay marriage unconstitutional DeGeneres and de Rossi have been dating since the end of 2004
Meanwhile Shania Twain is separating from her husband music producer Robert Mutt Lange The couple has been married for more than 14 years and they have one son who was born in 2001 The singer worked closely with her husband on many of her songs Twain has spent several years away from the public eye She told Redbook magazine last year that she had a hard time dealing with her fame But the singer plans to release a new perfume and a new album this year
Gretchen Wilson now has her high school diploma The 34-year-old country singer dropped out of school in ninth grade because of family troubles But she started working toward her degree last year through an adult education program in Tennessee The Grammy-award-winner says it was her 7-year-old daughter who led her back to the books Wilson is set to tour 30 cities starting June 12 and her fourth album is due out this fall
The film festival continues in Cannes with the cast of the French film Un Conte de Noel spending time at a photocall today Actress Catherine Deneuve stars in the film which examines familial relationships Deneuve s daughter Chiara Mastroianni also appears in the movie Both actresses stepped out for the event
Also in Cannes Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were out and about yesterday for the premiere of Jolie s new animated film Kung Fu Panda The actress wore a green Max Azria Atelier gown on the red carpet This is Jolie s second visit to the film festival for a Dreamworks movie Other Kung Fu Panda stars Dustin Hoffman Jack Black and Lucy Liu also showed up for the screening
That s it for now Go to UPI com to catch this week s White House Wrap-up Have a great weekend

Showbiz Minute: DeGeneres, Cannes, Rodman

AP is told Ellen DeGeneres Portia de Rossi to wed Jolie and Pitt at Cannes Kung Fu Panda launch party Harrison Ford arrives in Cannes Dennis Rodman charged with domestic violence May 16

Cannes Red Carpet: 'Kung Fu Panda'

Hollywood stars Dustin Hoffman Jack Black and Angelina Jolie attend the premier of feel-good movie Kung Fu Panda at the Cannes Film Festival in the south of France on Thursday

The best films at Cannes

Preview of the best films at the Cannes Film Festival including a Kung Fu Panda and Indiana Jones

Tourists Rescued From Chinese Panda Preserve

A group of tourists who had been touring China s famous Wolong panda preserve has been rescued after Monday s earthquake May 15

Jack Black Launches a 'Kung Fu' Cannes

The Cannes film festival kicks off today with a mix of serious films and antics by Jack Black Check out the Kung Fu Panda star in action May 14

Jack Black hits Cannes with giant pandas

The Cannes Film Festival 2008 kicked off with a surprise appearance by actor Jack Black who hit the beach with giant pandas The stunt was to promote his new film Kung Fu Panda showing out of competition