Heavily armed gunmen in speedboats kidnapped seven workers, including three foreigners, from an offshore Nigerian oilfield on Saturday.
The raid was the first big attack on an oil facility in five months since the inauguration of President Umaru Yar'Adua.
Government officials say the kidnapping is a major blow to peace efforts in the Niger Delta.
China: EU quotas to be lifted
The European Union (EU) will lift quotas on 10 categories of textiles imported from China starting from January 1, 2008, the Ministry of Commerce said yesterday.
In late September, the two sides agreed to establish a bilateral system to monitor Chinese exports of T-shirts, pullovers, men's trousers, blouses, dresses, bras, bed linen and flax yarn after the lifting of the quotas.
Meanwhile, China and the EU will implement export license administration and automatic import licenses, without quantity restrictions.
UN: Helicopters sought after
The United Nations is lobbying countries to provide helicopters for a UN-African Union peacekeeping force to Darfur.
The mission is expected to arrive in the war-ravaged nation on January 1st.
UN Officials and diplomats say no country has made a credible offer to provide 24 transport vehicles and attack helicopters needed for the 26,000-strongforce.
China: Gold for Chinese speed skaters
South Koreans dominated the opening of the 2007-08 International Skating Union Short Track Speed Skating World Cup in Harbin.
China's Olympic gold medalist Wang Meng claimed two top prizes in women's 1,000m and 500m.
She also led the Chinese team to a first place in the women's 3,000m relay.
Wang's teammate Fu Tianyu clinched a silver in the women's 500m and Zhou Yang and Liu Qiuhong settled for bronze in the first and second races of the women's 1,500m, respectively.
London: British fans defeated but proud
England fans trudged home from Paris yesterday after their team's defeat in the rugby World Cup final, bitterly disappointed but with heads held high.
The defending champions lost 15-6 to South Africa after the five-week tournament.
From a disastrous first start the Lions made a remarkable turnaround but it was not enough to fend off the prowess of the Springboks.
The Sunday Telegraph's Paul Ackford, says it was a "hugely worthy effort" and "on balance of play there could be few complaints from England".
England claimed the world cup in 2003 after defeating Australia, a win which left the rugby fraternity stunned.
（英語點津 Linda 編輯）
About the broadcaster:
Marc Checkley is a freelance journalist and media producer from Auckland, New Zealand. Marc has an eclectic career in the media/arts, most recently working as a radio journalist for NewstalkZB, New Zealand’s leading news radio network, as a feature writer for Travel Inc, New Nutrition Business (UK) and contributor for Mana Magazine and the Sunday Star Times. Marc is also a passionate arts educator and is involved in various media/theatre projects in his native New Zealand and Singapore where he is currently based. Marc joins the China Daily with support from the Asia New Zealand Foundation.
Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries.
