Advertising business, print media forum, Viagra, annoyed mayor, Xinhua babes, Africa and China

Xinhua: Which way forward for advertising?
A look at the prospects for China's advertising industry as the sector prepares to open up to wholly foreign-owned companies at the end of 2005.

Gratuitous girlie pics on Xinhua 1
State-owned news agency Xinhua reports: "Columbian actress Sofia Vergara has laughed off reports her relationship with Tom Cruise has already turned serious." Of course the story is accompanied by many photos of Sofia in a bikini. The photos are credited to Secretosdeseduccion.com, a site that introduces itself thusly: "Y si te mostrase en 24 horas cómo conquistar esas mujeres soñadas". Good to see Xinhua getting content from such high quality news sources.

Gratuitous girlie pics on Xinhua 2
George W. Bush's daughters "depicted wearing lingerie in the aftermath of a pillow fight" ripped off from Maxim magazine (pictured).

China Daily: Beijing court hears wrangle on Viagra patent

The legal battle over the legitimacy of the patent rights for impotency drug Viagra began yesterday at a Beijing court.

Drug maker Pfizer is suing China's Patent Re-examination Board (PRB) of the State Intellectual Property Office for wrongfully invalidating its China patent over the use of sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, a drug taken by patients suffering male erectile dysfunction (MED).

Xinhua: Beijing mayor condemns public rudeness
Mayor Wang Qishan got annoyed when Beijingers made noises and answered cell phone calls during a snooker match.

Print media forum in Beijing
A media buying agency announces that China's General Administration of Press and Publications (GAPP) plans to hold a China Print Media Forum in Beijing on 25-26 April, 2005. According to the report:

International media leaders will be able to network and establish valuable business relationships in a friendly and interactive environment. They will learn where opportunities for participation may be in the near future and they will be able to meet exclusively with top Chinese officials and media executives and share information, foster prestige and gain good will in the Chinese media market.

China Looms Large in Africa's Future
A story from South Africa's Business Day newspaper, republished on Allafrica.com.