Chinese assignment for Bush brother
SHANGHAI: A Chinese corporation has signed on the elder brother of former US President George Bush as a senior economic advisor to promote its business ties with the United States, the official Wenhui Daily reported on Tuesday. The development could cause discomfort forthe presidential campaign of Republican front-runner George W. Bush, given the strong anti-China sentiment in some sectors of the party. The report said auto-part maker Zhejiang Wanxiang Group recently appointed Preston Bush to help it develop its market in the US. ``He will be responsible for setting up a bridge" between Wanxiang and large US corporations, group chairman Lu Guanqiu was quoted as saying.

Clinton goes online for national chat
Washington: US President Bill Clinton, who has described himself as ``technologically challenged'', took to the Internet yesterday to discuss politics and policy in the first ``virtual town hall meeting''.Clinton dropped his presidential demeanor repeatedly during the nearly two-hour online chat as he peered and pointed at the screen and laughed with his host during various computer glitches.

Clinton and democratic leadership council President Al From ran the town hall meeting from George Washington university, and they were joined by elected officials andparticipants from across the country.

Monet's `Waterlilies' fetches $22 million
NEW YORK: One of French impressionist Claude Monet's ``Waterliles'' paintings sold for more than 22 million dollars here late Monday at a Christie's auction. The work, characterised by its intense blue, was painted at the artist's home in Giverny near Paris in 1906. Valued by Christie's at 15 million dollars, the work sold for 22,552,000 dollars, including Commission. Earlier Monday, Vincent Van Gogh's ``Trinquetaille Bridge'', painted in 1888 in Arles, southern France, fetched 15,402,500 dollars. Christie's had valued it at some 20 million dollars.