Quiet Finns want space 2007-9-24 1:50:43 　·   AN old joke, popular among Swedes, runs as follows: two Finns open a bottle of vodka. One says Cheers! The other replies, Did you come here to talk or to drink?To other Europeans, the Finns can be a forbidding people. Finnish bars tend to be lined with lonely drinkers, and Finns who come across strangers in the forests will look away rather than say hello.The countryside seems equally unwelcoming. Finland is so heavily forested that Finnish maps leave woodlands blank and mark c…… Agassi bravely bids farewell 2007-9-24 1:50:40 　·   ANDRE Agassi will wake up tomorrow a father, a husband and a friend. But, as of Sunday, he is no longer a professional tennis player.The 36-year-old ended his magical career with an uncomfortably brave but losing effort against Germanys 112th-ranked Benjamin Becker in the US Open on Sunday.The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesnt say is what it is Ive found, Agassi told the crowd after his match at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.Over the last 21 years, …… New youth crimes increase 2007-9-24 1:50:39 　·OURE approaching a busy roundabout on a busy city road, when suddenly someone jumps onto the road and walks towards you.You swerve, narrowly avoid collision, and go on your way, cursing perhaps. Later you learn it was a deliberate act, designed to film road accidents and post them on the Internet.This happened last week in Benidorm, a coastal city in Spain. Four Frenchmen, all 18-year-old, risked their lives to cause traffic accidents while one of them filmed the scene.Screeching brakes and angr…… Fans shape films plot 2007-9-24 1:50:39 　·   WHEN amateur filmmaker Hu Ge remixed Chinese director Chen Kaiges film The Promise into a 10-minute parody, he was almost sued. But when thousands of American online fans mocked a new Hollywood thriller, they were invited to join in the movies production. Snakes on a Plane, which stars Samuel Jackson, opened in the US last Friday. It marks the beginning of a new era of filmmaking: Those paying to see the film have some say over its outcome.With its ridiculous plot in which 500 …… Heroes come in all shapes 2007-9-24 1:50:38 　·UST about every TV idol show runs on sex appeal. Shanghai Dragon TVs My Hero (Jiayou Haonaner) is no difference. It has glorified the rise of male beauty and, in turn, caused some to wonder if manliness is going out of style.When the top three winners surfaced last week, 21st Century reporter Xu Weiwei interviewed them: a Tibetan cowboy, a hearing-impaired man and a high school dropout.But instead of focusing on their fashion sense and romantic affairs, 21st asked them about being men.In the lob…… Pluto gets demoted 2007-9-24 1:50:38 　·   LAST weeks decision by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to strip Pluto of its planetary status, held since its discovery in 1930, has saddened those with a sentimental attachment to it.Pluto, writes American science writer Dava Sobel, in her book The Planets, still has an emotional hold on planethood. People love Pluto. Children identify with its smallness. Adults relate to its isolated existence as a misfit.Many people felt sorry about Plutos demotion.I just cannot …… Li puts Chinese tennis on map 2007-9-24 1:50:34 　·   RANKED 21st in the world, Li Na is leading Chinese tennis where it has never gone before — towards the top.One American newspaper has even called her play revolutionary for the game in China.Li, 24, is competing at this weeks China Open in Beijing. But her revolution reaches beyond the court and into the Chinese tennis system.Lis frank, if sometimes controversial, personality has challenged the Chinese tennis system to reform. In 2005, she called on tennis authorities to allow …… Meet Japans new PM 2007-9-24 1:50:33 　·HINZO Abe, aged 52, has already given signs that he is something more than just the youngest prime minister of Japan since World War II. He will also be one of its most hawkish ones. His appointment came on Tuesday.Unlike previous prime ministers, Abe has shown doubt about the Tokyo trials where Japans leaders were charged after World War II. He has also implied that he rejected the view that Japan invaded other Asian countries during the war. Political moveIt is not necessarily appropriate for …… Cinema that fits in your back pocket 2007-9-24 1:50:33 　·TILL carrying that old MP3 player? Youre just too out of it. Nowadays, we dont just listen to music on the go. We watch video along the way.The MP4 player, or video+MP3, is now the hottest gadget for the hip set.This week, 21st Century brings you to some of the leading MP4 players available. This piece will help keep you in the know. Or, you may be interested in buying one. After all, the golden week is approaching.Apple iPodCapabilities: plays video and music; displays photosMemory: 30/80 GBPla…… You say you got your baby where? 2007-9-24 1:50:32 　·H, my, Madonna has adopted a one-year-old boy from Malawi, the southern African country. Or has she? There have been denials from her people but its not so unbelievable, is it?The 48-year-old is in Malawi this week visiting orphanages. It had been reported that 12 children were selected, from which she would choose a little brother for her children Lourdes, nine, and Rocco, six.Madonna wouldnt be the first. By now, developing countries have already seen American celebrities dropping by to pick u…… Enjoy ballet with an open heart 2007-9-24 1:50:32 　·ALLET. Is it just about men prancing around in tights while women follow along in tutus? Or does the high class art form offer us something more to think about? Last weekend, the New York City Ballet (NYCB), one of the leading ballet companies in the US, arrived in China. It hoped to appeal to a Chinese audience with a contemporary American style. Our performance is based on classical ballet but its still very accessible, says Nilas Martins, the ballet companys lead dancer. Its a fun performance…… Verdict invites unrest 2007-9-24 1:50:32 　·VISIBLY shaken Saddam Hussein was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging for crimes against humanity by a special Iraqi tribunal on Sunday. Saddam was charged with killing 148 Shiites from Dujail, a town 55 kilometres north of Baghdad. The killing was done in revenge for an attempt on Saddams life in 1982. The verdict was hailed as a victory for Iraqs young democracy by the US. But, many believe it will intensify tensions between the countrys two main Muslim sects: the Sunnis and Shiite…… Team play is Ballacks first goal 2007-9-24 1:50:27 　·VER since German midfielder Michael Ballack left his old team Bayern Munich for Premierships Chelsea, Bayern has been off to its worse start in 13 seasons. But 30-year-old Ballack, who played four years with the club, insists that the success or failure of Bayern or Chelsea does not rest on one player. Soccer, he says, is a sport thats won and lost by teams — not by individuals.If I have a bad day, 10 other teammates may have a good one and we might win after all, Ballack told the official websi…… Here are classics you can enjoy 2007-9-24 1:50:26 　·O six men anywhere on a stage could present such a soul-touching, fun-filled performance as the Kings Singers do. And now, theyre coming to China. The Kings Singers are six male vocalists from the United Kingdom. They have generated international fame for almost four decades by performing in the musical form a cappella, which means singing without instrumental accompaniment. The musical form has deep religious roots coming as it does from early Christian music (of many centuries ago). The Kings …… Looks dont score baskets 2007-9-24 1:50:26 　·OAKIM Noah is a star forward on the No 1-ranked University of Florida (UF) mens basketball team. Noahs widely predicted to be a top pick in the 2007 NBA draft. But the 21-year-old started his teams first exhibition game on the bench because he was late for his 11:40 am African studies class.For an NBA hopeful like Noah, university is never just university — a life of classes, tests, papers and parties. Its also a preview to the pressures of life as a star.Noah is the son of French pop star and f…… Anatomy of a pianist 2007-9-24 1:50:25 　·HE young woman is sitting on the bench in front of a piano playing Chopin under the glare of stage lights and cameras. Shes playing what she has likely practised for hours on end. But her 24-year-old teacher, a world-renowned pianist says she just cant seem to get it right.Da dada da dada, the teacher sings before reaching over the piano to show the young woman how to do it properly. His eyes are hidden behind strands of his hair. His ears are tuned to the echoes of Chopin. His fingers dance on …… No shame to be poor 2007-9-24 1:50:22 　·   XIANG Haiqing (not his real name) gained a sort of name recently, but not a very good one.The 22-year-old Shanghai Fisheries University student is now known for living way beyond the limits of average poor students.Xiang was being supported by actress Sun Li, getting 500 yuan each month from her. She also paid his tuition of 6,000 yuan a year. But, while the 500 yuan might have been enough for most Chinese students, it wasnt for Xiang.He kept asking Sun for more after being adm…… Wait a minute, its your turn 2007-9-24 1:50:22 　·PLITTING dinner checks can cause a splitting headache, even when the diners are mathematics majors.Three computer science grad students at the USs Carnegie Mellon University were fed up with worrying about shared bills so they decided to act. Shashank Pandit, Amit Manjhi and Ashwin Bharambe created a free website, Buxfer.com, in September, to help people track their shared expenses and remember who owes what and to whom.Instead of trying to figure out how every dinner bill should be split, the s…… Testing citizenship 2007-9-24 1:50:21 　·   WHERE does Santa Clause come from? How old do you have to be to buy a lottery ticket? If your adult son declares hes a gay, what do you do? If a film or a book insults your religious feelings, what is your reaction? Why are aboriginal peoples seeking self-government? Who has the power to declare war?Answering such questions correctly may not define you as a citizen of the world. But it could help you become a citizen of Britain (the first two), Germany (the second two), Canada …… Green Christmas has come to stay 2007-9-24 1:50:21 　·HE recently-cut evergreen stands tall, its branches decorated with twinkling lights, while underneath, piles of brightly wrapped presents are scattered. Could there be a more perfect image of the holiday season?Well, yes. While its time again for the endless round of annual shopping, people are becoming aware of the problems of global warming and over-consumption. Green has become a key word this holiday season around the world with more people trying to celebrate a stylish and green Christmas.G……