Beijing - China again used rockets to disperse clouds so that rain would not dampen the fireworks at the Olympics closing ceremony, state media said Monday.

Seoul - China and South Korea agreed Monday to begin a high-level strategic dialogue aimed at strengthening political and economic cooperation between the two countries.

South Korean President Lee Myung Bak and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao, who is on a two-day visit to South Korea, also announced plans to for an exchange programme for military officers.

In a joint statement, both presidents stressed their commitment to full implementation of the international agreements to end North Korea's nuclear weapons' programme.

Kathmandu, Aug 25: Chinese

Beijing, Aug 25 : China has reportedly deported eight Americans who were detained in Beijing last week during the wave of pro-Tibet protests coinciding with the Olympics.

The US embassy in Beijing confirmed the release of the eight Americans. “Chinese authorities informed us last night that the eight individuals, detained August 20 and 21 respectively, were deported by Chinese authorities,” The News quoted a US embassy spokeswoman as telling a foreign news agency.

Two other detained foreigners, a Briton and a Tibetan-German, were also reported to have been deported back to their respective countries. Though there was no immediate official confirmation about this.

Beijing - China has arrested a 73-year-old underground bishop, a US-based Catholic group said in a statement.

Julius Jia Zhiguo, bishop of the unregistered or "underground" Roman Catholic congregation of Zhengding village in northeast China's Heibei province, was arrested by Chinese officials Sunday morning, the Cardinal Kung Foundation said.

It was the 12th time Jia has been arrested since 2004, the foundation said in a statement issued late Sunday. He has spent
18 years in prison.

He was last arrested in August last year, and released again in December.

Beijing - Chinese Security forces detained 500 members of the ethnic Uighur minority in the Xinjiang region over the past two weeks, Uighur activists said Monday.

More than 100 people were arrested in the desert town of Kashgar alone, the in-exile Uyghur World Congress said. The organization called on the international community to lodge protests with Beijing.

Many of the Muslim Uighurs are opposed to Chinese rule. Violence in Uighur towns near the Takla Makan desert in Xinjiang caused around 30 deaths over the past weeks.