Letters for 2020

China Post will issue 20.2 million special envelopes today that allow the public to write a letter that will be delivered in 2020, Xinhua reports. These letters can be dropped in any mailbox in China and will be kept by China Post for 10 years.

China conducts 30,000-troop drill

China's People's Liberation Army starts a military exercise today to test and improve the force's combat capability in high-tech warfare, Xinhua reports. The exercise involves over 30,000 soldiers from three divisions - Beijing, Lanzhou and Chengdu. Military transport planes, fighter jets and attack helicopters are also included.

Highway accident kills 17 in Jiangsu

At least 17 people were killed and 6 were seriously injured after a passenger coach collided with a cement tanker truck Saturday morning in Jiangsu Province, Xinhua reports. The accident happened on the highway between Hefei and Nanjing.

OECD warns Israel on Jerusalem claim

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has said it could cancel a tourism conference in Jerusalem over remarks by an Israeli minister, BBC reports. The tourism minister told a newspaper the meeting scheduled on Oct. 20 was in effect the OECD's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's undivided capital. The OECD described the comments as unacceptable and said the meeting's location had no political implications.

Google developing a self-driving car

Engineers at Google have tested a self-driving car which has so far covered 140,000 miles on the road, the company has announced. According to a BBC report, such cars use video cameras mounted on the roof, radar sensors and a laser range finder to "see" other traffic. Software engineer Sebastian Thrun said that Google hopes the cars can eventually help reduce road traffic and cut the number of accidents. The technology has the potential to cut the number killed each year on the roads, perhaps by as much as half.

Fire waterfall in Yosemite

You can find the natural wonder - the fire waterfall in Yosemite National Park in California, ZME Science reports. Each year, ice gathers on top of El Capitan, and then starts to melt into a seasonal waterfall. Orange rays get reflected in the waterfall, making it look just like a river of lava.

Tiger sex tape to sell on website

A website promising a Tiger Woods sex tape has surfaced and says it will accept pre-orders for the alleged tape starting Oct. 15.

A website promising a Tiger Woods sex tape has surfaced and says it will accept pre-orders for the alleged tape starting Oct. 15, New York Daily News reports. A man Nick James identifying himself as self-proclaimed Tiger mistress Devon James' husband sold the video to a DVD company. James said that he owns the copyright since the purported sexcapades were filmed on his equipment. He claimed the 62-minute video clearly shows Woods in 37 minutes worth of compromising positions in a Tampa condo two years ago. You can see him clearly, He's pretty dirty, he added.

Yoko Shimada to make AV debut

Japanese actress Yoko Shimada (57), best known for her Golden Globe award-winning performance in the miniseries Shogun, will soon be making her AV debut, Groove Asia reports. Shimada is getting a 30 million yen guarantee for the video. It is reported that the primary reason for her AV debut is financial. She apparently had accumulated a debt of more than 200 million yen at one point and even now is still facing trouble with her taxes.

Simple secret to a happy life

New research finds that six hours of sleep a night, a 20-minute commute to work, and two hours a day playing with the children are the key things which lead to contentment, the Daily Telegraph reports. Researchers discovered that those who were happiest in life work just over seven hours a day and jet off on two holidays a year. They also socialize with friends once a week, watch three episodes of their favorite soap opera, and exercise up to four times over seven days.

Sunshine causes wrinkles through glass

A new study revealed that damage caused by sun coming through glass can be so dramatic that, over time, the side of the face exposed to the rays can end up looking up to 10 years older than the other, the Daily Mail reported. Participants showed significantly more clinical signs of facial aging on one side of their face due to driving or working close to windows over many years. Glass does block out the sun's UVB rays, but about 50 percent of UVA rays, associated with burning and aging, do get through. During spring and even autumn months the damage is far worse than previously realized.

Vitamin B slows brain shrinkage

Bloomberg reports that Vitamin B can slow brain shrinkage in elderly people, according to a study by the University of Oxford that may facilitate further research into Alzheimer's disease. Vitamin B6 and B12, as well as folic acid, lower the level of amino acid called homocysteine that's linked to brain cell damage.

(China.org.cn October 11, 2010)