Legal

Bo Xilai to appeal life sentence

Bo Xilai, the former Chongqing Party chief, is to appeal his life sentence for corruption, Shandong Provincial High People's Court announced on Oct 9.

The appeal was submitted to the court on Sept 22 and has been accepted, the court said in an online statement.

According to Chinese law, the hearing will be the 64-year-old's final appeal. The court did not say whether the hearing will be open to the public.

Bo, also a former member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stood trial from Aug 22 to 26 at Jinan Intermediate People's Court in Shandong province.

He was sentenced to life for bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power, and was deprived of his political rights for life. His private assets were also confiscated.

Education

Animal welfare features in veterinary training

The Ministry of Education has included the topic of animal welfare in veterinary medicine courses curriculums this school year, reflecting the country's rising concern for animals, an expert says.

Jia Zili, secretary-general of the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association's Animal Health Service and Welfare Branch, said the ministry had included animal welfare as a compulsory course in veterinary education. "Animal welfare is still not widely accepted, even among veterinarians, who are probably the closest to animals," said Jia, who has been involved in negotiations over the new policy.

Animal welfare is about more than providing basic care, food and water for the creatures, he said, and involves taking measures to satisfy the physical and mental needs of animals as well as protecting them from avoidable suffering caused by humans.

Sport

East Asian Games open with subdued ceremony

The 6th East Asian Games opened amid a scaled-down but still spectacular ceremony in Tianjin on Oct 6, highlighting a more cost-conscious approach to sporting events.

About 8,000 spectators and representatives of participating athletes cheered at Tianjin Gymnasium as they watched the official launch of the quadrennial sports festival, the last before the event undergoes an overhaul. Organizers had pledged to keep costs down, and some events, including a torch relay and a flame lighting, were axed.

The Games, first held 10 years ago, are an important regional event for delegations from the eight East Asian countries and regions of the Olympic Council of Asia.

This year, 2,422 athletes are competing in 24 sports until Oct 15. Some have a distinct regional flavor, such as dragon boat racing and wushu, or Chinese martial arts.

China Daily  

(China Daily European Weekly 10/11/2013 page3)