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People release white doves during a ceremony at the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, on August 15, to mark the 63rd anniversary of the end of World War II. (AFP/Ken Shimizu)

Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda bows in front of the main altar decorated with a huge bed of chrysanthemums as Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko look on during the memorial service at the Budokan martial arts hall in Tokyo Friday, Aug. 15, 2008 to mark the 63rd anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

TOKYO - Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Friday expressed Japan’s remorse for pain inflicted on other countries as the nation marked the anniversary of defeat in World War II.

Fukuda, known for his conciliatory views on history issues, took part in a nationally broadcast annual memorial service in the presence of Emperor Akihito, whose father Hirohito surrendered exactly 63 years ago.

“The nation inflicted significant damages and pain on many countries, especially on people in Asian countries,” Fukuda said.

(Photo: Sina.com)

(Photo: Sina.com)

(Photo: Sina.com)

(Photo: Sina.com)

(Photo: Sina.com)

The 798 art district is located in the eastern Dashanzi neighborhood in Beijing. For anyone serious about contemporary art, a pilgrimage to 798 (also known as Dashanzi Art District) is a must.

Constructed in the 1950s, this compound was a joint venture between East Germany and China, accounting for the Bauhaus aesthetic of its structures. After years of decline, these factories got a new lease on life when Central Academy of Fine Arts professors rented them out as studios in the early 2000s. Artists and other creative organizations followed. As early as 2004, the area boasted 100 art galleries, and two years later, Factory 798 was deemed an official “art and culture district.”

If you tire of Olympic fever and can’t stomach sites jammed with flag-waving throngs of tourists, don’t despair. The factory zone has now been transformed into a bohemian oasis with dozens of galleries, a smattering of cafes, book stores, outdoor sculptures, and lots of bemusing graffiti splashed on the old factory walls.

Premier Wen Jiabao shoots a basketball during a trip to the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium, August 3, 2008. (Xinhua)

Premier Wen Jiabao (R) receives a basketball signed by all the players of the Chinese men’s basketball team from China’s center Yao Ming during a trip to the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium, August 3, 2008. (Xinhua)

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao plays pingpang with a local resident in the Dajing neighborhood of the Fengtai District during his inspection tour on August, 3, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)

Blue skies smiled over Beijing for the fourth day in a row and excitement filled its air Sunday as Premier Wen Jiabao promised a clean, green and beautiful city during and after the Olympic Games.

A day earlier, International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge cleared another “layer of haze” by praising the Beijing Games organizers for their work and labeling the Olympic Village the “best ever”.

Premier Wen visited athletes and met with volunteers and utility workers five days before the Games. Thanks to the efforts of the entire society, the Beijing Olympics will satisfy the athletes, officials and the spectators at home and abroad, he said.

“China is a responsible country. We will fulfill the promises we made for the Olympics. We will not only host a quality and unique Games, but also build a more scenic, greener and more civilized city in a sustainable manner.”

Wen and senior officials of the Beijing Olympic organizing committee (BOCOG), Liu Qi, Liu Yandong and Guo Jinlong, visited the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium, where the Chinese men’s team was training.

Wen shook hands with the players and coaches, including NBA star Yao Ming, who has recovered fully from his left foot injury. “Are you feeling well? Is your foot okay?” Wen said. Yao replied that he was fine.

“I loved playing basketball when I was a kid,” the premier said. “It’s still my favorite game.” And then he joined the players to shoot hoops.

The Chinese hoopsters will take on the mighty Americans in their first game on Aug 10. “Your first game will attract great attention,” Wen said. “You need confidence and win or lose, it’s important to have the sporting spirit.”

Wen signed the basketball with which he went for the hoops, and the team presented him with one signed by all the players. The premier encouraged the volunteers at the stadium to serve “in a careful and serious manner with a strong sense of responsibility”.

With the sun shining brightly and the premier going about town visiting Olympic venues, officials dismissed fears over rescheduling endurance events because the level of pollution has gone down drastically.

Though the average air pollution index rose to 35 yesterday from Saturday’s 34, it was still “excellent”. The Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) has said a pollution reading below 50 is “excellent”, from 51 to 100 is “fairly good”.

From the data gathered over the past few days, “I believe the chance of rescheduling any event because of air quality is very low,” Fan Yuansheng, director of MEP’s pollution control, said.

“Excellent” air quality has been recorded on all the three days of this month. And overall, Beijing has had 152 “blue skies” or days with fairly good air quality.

Fan attributed the improvement in air quality to the emission control measures. “If environmental departments foresee serious air pollution during the Olympics, Beijing and neighboring areas will close more factories temporarily and pull more cars off the roads,” he said.

Government vehicles have been told to stay off the roads one day a week in the latest clean air initiative.

On the Games organizational front, Jacques Rogge credited Beijing for its work and providing the best possible facilities for athletes and officials. “It’s a totally different ball game (from the Athens Games),” he said on Saturday, reminding journalists that media headlines a week before the 2004 Olympics were on the delay in the completion of venues and the lack of organization.

“Today we have absolutely no concerns for the organization,” he told journalists at the Main Press Center as fireworks of the Games’ opening ceremony rehearsals lighted up the sky around the National Stadium.

“I am sure that on the 9th of August, the day after the Opening Ceremony, the magic of the Games and the flawless organization will take over,” the IOC president said, addressing his first conference in Beijing in the run-up to the Games.

He talked on many subjects, from media freedom, doping, the lifting of the ban on Iraqi athletes, and China’s rise in sports and athlete’s freedom of expression.

Praising the Olympic Village, he said: “I have had the privilege of staying in Olympic villages since the 1968 Mexico Games, and I have never seen a village like this. It is outstanding.”

Singer Miley Cyrus performs on NBC’s “Today” show in New York July 25, 2008. [Agencies]

Singer Miley Cyrus performs on NBC’s “Today” show in New York July 25, 2008. [Agencies]

Miley Cyrus, 15, has been offered $1 million to sign up as the new face of LifeStyles Condoms. The ‘Hannah Montana’ star - who has previously expressed her desire to wait until she is married before having sex - is considered the most “influential” teenager in modern society, according to LifeStyles Condoms Vice President Carol Carrozza.

Carla Bruni revealed she’d had 15 lovers

Carla Bruni is now married to French President Nicolas Sarkozy - were the 15 lovers she had before him too many?

London - When Carla Bruni revealed that she’d had 15 lovers before she married Nicolas Sarkozy, there was a collective sharp intake of breath.

‘What a slut!’ gasped some people, tut-tutting away. While others, equally shocked, asked: ‘Only 15? That’s peanuts!’

CHENGDU, Aug.1 (Xinhua) — A fresh aftershock measuring 6.1 on the Ritcher Scale hit southwest China’s Sichuan Province at 4:32 p.m. Friday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The epicenter was located at an area between Pingwu County and Beichuan County, Mianyang City. Slight tremor was felt in Chengdu,the Center reported.

A Kuna Yala woman sells her molas work, which are an ancient Panamanian art form created from fabric and worn by the Kuna Yala people, during the annual national Handicraft Fair held at the ATLAPA Convention Center in Panama city, capital of Panama, July 30, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)

The annual national Handicraft Fair is held at the ATLAPA Convention Center in Panama city, capital of Panama, July 30, 2008. The fair opened here is held from Wednesday, July 30 through Sunday, August 3.

Chinese dancers perform the “Thousand-hand Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva”, or “Guan Yin”, a Chinese goddess, at the Olympic Village in Beijing July 31, 2008.

Bottles of Johnson’s baby shampoo are on display in a store in New York in this file photo. (AP Photo)

Johnson & Johnson has bought top Chinese cosmetics firm Beijing Dabao, the firm said on Wednesday, wrapping up a deal estimated at more than $300 million and aimed at expanding the US giant’s shares in the Chinese market.

Johnson & Johnson, which vies with the likes of Unilever to sell cosmetics and healthcare products to a retail consumer market growing at double digits annually, won a bidding war with Avon and Unilever and will pay 2.3 billion yuan ($337 million) for Dabao.

The US firm did not disclose the financial terms for the completed acquisition on Wednesday.

China’s fragmented cosmetics and healthcare market hosts more than 3,500 distinct brands, local newspapers have reported.

But global consumer and healthcare product firms such as Procter & Gamble are nonetheless pondering acquisitions in China to shore up and expand market share, with rip-roaring economic growth creating a newly monied middle class.

Underscoring the market’s attraction, L’Oreal bought popular local brands Mini Nurse and Yue Sai in 2004.

Dabao, a firm owned by the Beijing Sanlu Factory, cranks out a variety of self-branded, herbal cosmetics from skin cream to hair products. It exports to more than 30 countries, including the United States and Japan, according to its Web site.

In 2006, the firm posted a meagre 41.7 million yuan ($6.1 million) of net profit on sales of 675.2 million.

Republican presidential candidate US Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) speaks at a town hall meeting at Reed High School on July 29, 2008 in Sparks, Nevada. Democrats Thursday accused a “desperate” John McCain of offering voters a paucity of hope, after the Republican invoked Britney Spears to damn Barack Obama as nothing more than a glitzy showman. (Agencies)

John McCain accused Barack Obama of playing politics with race on Thursday, raising the explosive issue after the first black candidate with a serious chance of winning the White House claimed Republicans will try to scare voters by saying he “doesn’t look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills.”

BEIJING, Aug. 1 — Another 10 percent Beijing vehicles will go off the roads if the weather is “extremely unfavorable” during the Olympic Games, the Ministry of Environmental Protection has said.

The traffic restriction already in force allows vehicles with even and odd license numbers to hit the roads only on alternate days, reducing them by half.

The emergency measure would make private cars whose last two license plate digits match the date (between August 8 and 24) to be off the roads. This could reduce the total number of private cars on the capital’s roads by 60 percent.

Other emergency steps include temporarily closing 105 more factories and stopping all construction work in the city. Another 56 factories in Olympic co-host city Tianjin and 61 in Hebei province will be closed, too.

Earlier, independent experts had suggested the environmental authorities take up to 90 percent cars off the roads if the air quality does not improve during the Games.

Zhu Tong, an environmentalist advising the city government, told the Beijing News yesterday: “Though the final emergency plan will not be as effective as the one in which 90 percent cars would have been banned, the government must have considered the interests of all sides.”

It’s not common for Beijing to experience sultry weather like it did last week, Zhu said.

But “our independent study shows Beijing’s long-term efforts have worked”.

Yesterday’s air pollution index (API) was 69, much healthier than what it was a couple of weeks ago, before the even-and-odd license plate number restriction was imposed. Wednesday’s API was even better at 44.

BEIJING, Aug. 1 — Beijing will handle up to 1,500 flights and 260,000 passengers a day, the most its airport can cope with, in the run-up to and during the Olympic Games, Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) officials have said.

The challenge Beijing faces is evident from the fact that Athens handled 795 flights and 58,000 passengers on the eve of the 2004 Games’ opening.

Adding to the challenge is the threat of thunderstorms on Aug 8 and 9, according to a study based on the city’s decades-long weather data, said Huang Dengke, of the CAAC North China regional administration and in-charge of the airport’s Games time coordination.

But contingency plans are in place, with four airports in North China chosen to handle some of the flights if Beijing encounters bad weather or air traffic congestion, Huang said. The four airports are in Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan and Hohhot, and together they have 100 parking bays ready for emergency landings.

The CAAC has imposed a five-hour air traffic ban at the Beijing airport between 7 pm and midnight on Aug 8, the opening day of the Games, in line with the practice adopted by previous host cities, CAAC deputy head Yang Guoqing said.

The CAAC estimates that the busiest time for aviation and airport authorities will be between Aug 6 and 11, and peak on Aug 7.

The number of landings and take-offs will increase by 20 percent, compared with normal days, during the period, and the volume of passengers by 25 percent, Yang said.

To cope with the unprecedented increase in the number of flights and passengers, part of Terminal 3 will only receive Olympic guests, including more than 10,000 athletes. Terminal 3 is the world’s largest and was opened in March.

The newly built VIP terminals will handle special flights carrying 80 heads of state, and 160 chartered and 1,000 business flights.

Yang said the increase in the number of special flights will not disrupt ordinary passenger flights.

The CAAC has tightened security checks at airports since July 20 to foil any terrorist attack. It has been collaborating closely with other departments to verify and analyze information on possible terrorist threat, Yang said.

Some international terrorist groups, including the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, have threatened to attack Olympic venues. Security officers in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region busted a terrorist plot to hijack a plane bound for Beijing this March.

But airport manager Zhang Zhihong said security forces are ready to deal with any eventuality. “We will ensure 100 percent security for the airport and the Games,” he told journalists at the airport.

Photo shows a Beijing-Tianjin high-speed train on its test run July 31, 2008. The new 350 kph train shortens the journey between the two cities to just 30 minutes. The Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway will open on August 1, 2008. [Xinhua]

Photo shows a Beijing-Tianjin high-speed train on its test run July 31, 2008. The new 350 kph train shortens the journey between the two cities to just 30 minutes. The Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway will open on August 1, 2008. [Xinhua]

A stewardess stands at the entrance to a Beijing-Tianjin high-speed train on its test run July 12, 2008. The new 350 kph train shortens the journey between the two cities to just 30 minutes. The Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway will open on August 1, 2008. [Xinhua]

Photo taken from the inside of a Beijing-Tianjin high-speed train July 18, 2008. The new 350 kph train shortens the journey between the two cities to just 30 minutes. The Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway will open on August 1, 2008. [Xinhua]

A stewardess displays the rotating chairs in a Beijing-Tianjin high-speed train on its test run July 17, 2008. The new 350 kph train shortens the journey between the two cities to just 30 minutes. The Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway will open on August 1, 2008. [Xinhua]

BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) — Rail fans and passengers queued upon Thursday morning to buy tickets for Friday’s debut of the world’s fastest intercity rail line linking Beijing with Olympic co-host city Tianjin.

Tickets were available at the Beijing Railway Station, the Beijing West Railway Station and other ticket outlets. But at the Beijing South Railway Station, where the first train would leave from, ticket sales were expected to start later on Thursday, station staff told Xinhua.

The Ministry of Railways (MOR) announced on Wednesday this ultra-modern line would go into service on Aug. 1, one week before the Games begin.

The first train would leave the Beijing South Railway Station at about 11 a.m. after an official launch ceremony, the Beijing Times reported.

After regular service begins on Aug. 2, the first train would leave Beijing for Tianjin at 6:15 a.m., according to a time schedule provided by the Beijing South Railway Station. Twenty minutes later, another train would leave the Tianjin Station for Beijing.

The final train would leave Beijing for Tianjin at 10:10 p.m. while in Tianjin, the final train would depart at 10:06.

During regular services, there would be 47 pairs of trains every day. Trains bound for Tianjin would leave at various intervals of 15, 20 and 30 minutes.

A first-class ticket costs 69 yuan while the price for a second-class ticket is 58 yuan, Vice Railway Minister Wang Zhiguo told a press conference. Fares would be unchanged in the first year of operation.

The line would be the world’s only line on which passenger trains could run at 350 km per hour, Wang said. It would also be the first high-speed intercity rail line in China.

The railway, on which construction started in July 2005, was built at a total cost of 21.5 billion yuan (3.1 billion U.S. dollars), said Wang.

About 100 km of the line, or 86 percent, was built on an elevated alignment because of the area’s alluvial soil, which was sensitive to ground settlement.

The new service would cut the 120-km journey from the current 70 minutes to about 30 minutes, according to Wang. There are five stations along the line: the cavernous new Beijing South Railway Station, Yizhuang, Yongle, Wuqing and Tianjin.

The train is classified by the MOR as C-category, with C standing for Chengji, meaning intercity.

There will be 10 trains of eight cars that can seat about 600 passengers. These sleek trains, with aircraft-like cabins, swivel seats, spacious interiors and rooftop solar panels, were built by the Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Company.

Called the CRH-3 (China Railway High-speed), these were China’s first self-designed and self-manufactured passenger trains.

The MOR had said about 26 million passengers traveled between the two cities every year, and this new line was forecast to raise the figure to 32 million in 2008.

Wang said more trains would be put into service in the future as the signal system allowed trains at minimum intervals of three minutes.

At least three kinds of trains already run between the two cities.

D-category trains run at 200 to 250 km per hour and take 70 minutes. Passengers pay 51 yuan for a first-class seat and 42 yuan for a second-class seat.

K-category trains run slower and take 100 minutes. The maximum fare is 20 yuan.

A third category runs only during major holidays, such as the Lunar New Year, and supplements regular services

BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) — The U.S. side should curb the “odious conduct” of a handful of anti-China lawmakers, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao here on Thursday.

Liu made the remarks when commenting on a resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, which citing the “Olympic traditions of freedom and openness,” criticized China on human rights issues and asked the Chinese Government to stop supporting the governments of Sudan and Myanmar.

The House of Representatives passed the resolution proposed by a handful of anti-China lawmakers against China’s firm opposition. This disclosed their malicious intention to politicize the Olympic Games, and interrupt and sabotage the Beijing Olympic Games, Liu said.

He noted such a deed itself is blasphemy to the Olympic spirit, and is against the common wishes of people all around the world, including people in the United States. China has made solemn representations to the U.S. administration and Congress, urging the U.S. side to concretely curb the “odious conduct” of a handful of anti-China lawmakers.

Liu said to hold a successful Olympic Games is the dream of the Chinese people for many years, as well as the common expectation of people across the world. We firmly believe that the Beijing Olympic Games will become a great world sports event with the joint efforts and support of the big Olympic family.

We advise those anti-China lawmakers in the U.S. Congress to see clearly the situation and change their course so as to avoid further harming their own images, Liu said.

In this undated handout image. Keepers unveil six white lion cubs, born to the UK’s only pride of the rare animals, at West Midland Safari Park, Bewdley,England, Monday, July 28, 2008. The cubs, born to two different mothers, take the number of white lions at West Midland Safari Park in Worcestershire to 19 - thought to be the world’s largest pride of pure-bred white lions in captivity.

JERUSALEM, July 30 (Xinhua) — Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Wednesday he has decided not to contend in the Kadima primary and would resign as soon as the new party leader was chosen, due to the criminal investigations embroiled him in recen tmonths.

Olmert made the announcement in a statement to the public from his official residence in Jerusalem on Wednesday evening.

Olmert began the unexpected address by saying that despite having been beset by investigations during his tenure, he has improved the situation in Israel and continues to believe that peace is the most important track for the country.

The prime minister said as long as he is in power, he would work toward this goal of peace.

“I am proud to be the prime minister of a country that investigates its prime ministers,” he said, adding that, “The prime minister is not above the law, but he is in no way below it.”

The primary election of the ruling Kadima party is set for Sept.17.

Workers walk past the National Olympic Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, at the Olympic Green in Beijing July 29, 2008. [Agencies]

Beijing finally cooled on Tuesday as a brief heavy shower embraced the city around noon after a hot and humid week.

The rain, though lasting only 10 minutes, will hopefully help restore confidence in the city’s air quality, according to Guo Hu, Beijing Meteorological Observatory director.

“The rare lack of rain and wind to blow away accumulated emissions contributed to the city’s substandard air quality,” he said, admitting a number of days had failed to meet the local standard for good air quality despite the capital’s car control measures.

“The temperature and humidity will gradually drop and we will have better air quality and more comfortable weather in August.”

His confidence was shared by many as the city goes through every detail to fulfill the dream of billions on its 10-day countdown to the August Olympics.

Chinese Athletes Eyeing First Gold

With the Beijing Olympic Games around the corner, eager Chinese are crossing fingers for a gold spree on home soil. Du Li, a gold medal winner in the women’s 10-meter air rifle at the 2004 Athens Olympics, bears the expectation of millions to score the Game’s first win.

The 26-year-old, who established a new world record for women’s10-meter air rifle in 2003 just one year after she entered the national team, further impressed the world the following year with her Athens victory.

However, the native of the eastern Shandong Province has struggled of late.

During three World Cup events this year, Du pocketed only one gold medal in the 50-meter rifle three positions, rather than in her speciality event, the 10-meter air rifle. Her second best result was a fourth.

The so-called home advantage at the upcoming Games may turn into a disadvantage for Du in defending as applause and spectators’ cheers might add burden in a sport where psychological stability is most important.

Despite the difficulties, Du is eager for a good result. “Maybe this is the only chance for me to compete in the Olympic Games hosted by my own country.”

Wang Yifu, the national shooting team head coach, said, “The main focus of the shooters at this point of time is the adjustment of their psychological status rather than refining technical skills.”

Du and her teammates will leave for the Olympic Village on August 3.

Olympic Village in Operation

The Olympic Village officially opened its gates on Sunday. By July 28, delegations and advance teams from more than 70 countries had arrived at the 66-hectare complex.

From Italian lasagna to Beijing roast duck to kosher foods, athletes from more than 200 countries and regions may find their favorite home foods in the village.

The diversity of meals, divided into different zones including Chinese, Asian, international and Mediterranean, underlines the meticulous preparation in the village that houses about 16,000 athletes, coaches and their entourages.

“The food here tastes very good and there are many entertaining facilities, including Internet bars,” 20-year-old Hector Fuentes told Xinhua. The Cuban triple jumper, participating in his first Olympics, said the village had gone beyond his expectation.

Deng Yaping, the Olympic Village deputy director, said the facilities are “a place where the athletes can unwind and get to know Chinese culture. We want to give them a full experience with Chinese culture.”

The table tennis legend, a winner of four Olympic gold medals, said the priority work at the village for the next 10 days was the reception of athletes from around the world.

“All sport delegations will arrive at the village before the Games start. The village is now in 24-hour operation to accommodate the guests. We will try to make every operation as smooth as possible,” she said.

Ten Days to Perfection

A grand show will be held at 8 pm on Tuesday by the China Central Television to mark the 10-day countdown to the Beijing Games.

While the content of the Olympics’ opening ceremony remains a guarded secret, organizers are planning to stage three dress rehearsals over the next 10 days to ensure a grand show for a live audience of 91,000.

The first full dress rehearsal of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games was held, in secret, at the National Stadium on July 16.

Wang Chaoge, a director of the ceremony, disclosed the elements of “Sichuan” and “Wenchuan” will be embodied in tribute to the Chinese spirit manifested after the devastating May 12 earthquake that hit the southwest Sichuan Province.

He said the biggest headache for the organizers of the ceremonies was the weather, for “rain would cause delays in the progress of the event, as it would dampen performers’ costumes and props.”

But Beijing’s meteorological departments said earlier that should there be any unfavorable weather, experts might artificially change it.

Chen Zhenlin, China Meteorological Administration (CMA) vice director, said on July 15 that meteorologists have made preparations for artificial weather modification since 2003, especially on reducing rainfall, but admitted the technology had limitations.

“Artificial weather modification could be useful when a drizzle occurs,” he said. “But in case of a heavy rainfall, no one can help.”

Weather statistics from 1951 to 2007 show there was a 47 percent chance of drizzle on Aug. 8. But the possibility of heavy rain was slim, he said, adding the analysis of historical data was by no means an official weather forecast.

According to meteorologist Guo Hu, the Games opening on Aug. 8 is one day after the first day of autumn on the Chinese lunar calendar. It is expected to be less humid.

“The temperature and humidity will gradually drop and we will have better air quality and more comfortable weather in August.”

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Penn State defensive tackles Chris Baker and Phil Taylor, who were involved in off-field fights last year, have been kicked off the team by coach Joe Paterno.

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Team spokesman Jeff Nelson said Wednesday no information was available on why they were dismissed.

Baker and Taylor were disciplined by the school and Paterno for the fights last year.

Baker was sentenced to two years’ probation in Centre County court in May for his role in two separate fights. He was allowed to work out with the team.

Taylor was sentenced to one year of probation for his role in a campus fight. He was not scheduled to rejoin the Nittany Lions until Aug. 16.

ATHENS, Greece - An astronomical calculator, considered a technological marvel of antiquity, was also used to track dates of the ancient Olympic games, researchers have found.

Experts from Britain, Greece and the United States said they have detected the word “Olympia” on a bronze dial, as well as the names of other games in ancient Greece on the device known as the Antikythera Mechanism.

Their findings will be reported Thursday in the British science journal Nature.

The 2,100-year-old Antikythera Mechanism was recovered from an ancient shipwreck in 1901 near Antikythera, a small island off Greece’s south coast.

Its insides look like a clock. About 30 bronze gears were cranked to calculate phases of the moon, eclipses and other celestial information specific to a certain date. Results were displayed on dials on the front and back of the mechanism.

Most workings of the device only came to light with recent advances in scanning technology and computer processing power.

In 2005, an X-ray tomography machine was brought from Britain to the National Archaeological museum of Athens, which houses the device’s corroded and sediment-encrusted remains. Researchers soon found the gear structure — including the number of teeth cut into the wheels — corresponded to known theories of celestial cycles.