News makers

Russia's Putin turns 57

Russia's most powerful politician Vladimir Putin marked his 57th birthday yesterday in the company of literary luminaries and lauded by the Orthodox Church for his wisdom.

The Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily published an "Ode to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin".

"The country is again at a crossroads wondering whether it might perish or not," the ditty reads. "We congratulate you comrade Putin and ask God to give you another 120 years."

Putin was to meet writers in a Moscow literary museum. Leading Russian classic writers like Valentin Rasputin and Andrei Bitov, as well as best-selling novelists like Alexander Kabakov were scheduled to attend. But Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the meeting with writers was not linked to the premier's birthday.

Chavez jokes about uranium

President Hugo Chavez is poking fun at Washington's misgivings over a possible transfer of nuclear materials between Venezuela and Iran.

During a televised Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Chavez welcomed Mining Minister Rodolfo Sanz as he arrived late and asked, "How's the uranium for Iran? For the atomic bomb?" Sanz grinned.

US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said recently the United States is worried about the possibility of nuclear transfers between Iran and Venezuela.

Venezuela is not planning to send uranium to Iran, which has significant uranium deposits and currently has no need to import uranium.

"They are going to start saying that we are going to make an atomic bomb," Chavez said.

Yacht-crash girl gets new alarm

An Australian girl criticized over her bid to sail solo round the world said yesterday her yacht had been fitted with an ear-splitting new alarm to stop her crashing again.

Jessica Watson, 16, said her pink yacht had been modified since it was badly damaged in a collision with a 63,000-ton cargo ship just hours into a test run.

Maritime officials have said Watson, who will sleep in 20-minute bursts during the 8-month voyage, probably "dozed off" before the crash.

"I suppose one big thing is that really loud alarm we've got now so there's absolutely no chance of me missing the warning alarm of a ship approaching," she said. "It's quite something actually, it hurts your ears."

Reuters-AP-AFP

(China Daily 10/08/2009 page8)