Jackie Chan dogged by 'empty promise' claim

KUNG FU film star Jackie Chan is facing public scrutiny after the headmaster of a school rebuilt after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake said his school did not receive a penny of promised donation from Chan. Liu Yachun,...

Gome to open 130 outlets to rebut ex-boss

GOME Appliance Co said it planned to open 130 stores in the next four months in a move to refute its jailed former boss Huang Guangyu who said Gome was losing market shares to its archrival Suning. The announcement...

Free condoms for college students

COLLEGE students in Shanghai can get free condoms on campus and condom vending machines have been installed in some dormitory buildings, the local birth control office said. Free condoms are available in dormitories,...

Vanke sets home sales record in August

CHINA Vanke Co reported today its August sales more than doubled from a year earlier to 11.99 billion yuan (US$1.76 billion), a monthly record for Chinese property developers. Vanke's August revenue was a 42 percent...

Evacuation, 1 detained at Miami airport

A passenger was detained and four of Miami International Airport's six concourses were evacuated after a screener spotted something suspicious in a checked bag, authorities said. The Transportation Security Administration...

Market dips as developers, banks drop

SHANGHAI'S key stock index dipped today, led by property developers and banks. The benchmark Shanghai Composite dipped 0.01 percent, or 0.38 points, to close at 2,655.39 points. Turnover stood at 146 billion yuan...

Outbound travel heats up as holiday nears

OUTBOUND tours during upcoming National Day holidays have almost sold out although the week-long break does not begin until October 1, Shanghai travel agencies said. Outbound travelers have increased by about 20...

Lion Rock brings heavy rainfall to SE China

TROPICAL storm Lion Rock continued to bring widespread rain today to southeast China, as its was downgraded to a tropical low pressure front in Guangdong Province after a fierce landing in Fujian Province yesterday. ...

Death toll rises to 15 in Yunnan landslide

THE death toll from mudslides that hit a village in southwest China's Yunnan Province Wednesday has climbed to 15, and 33 are still missing, the rescue headquarters said today. Eight people were injured and are...

China marks 65th anniversary of WWII victory

Capello says critics turned him into a monster

ENGLAND coach Fabio Capello is confused by his sudden transformation from a "god" to a "monster" since his team faltered at the World Cup. Preparing for European Championship qualifying, a combative Capello fought...

FIFA says Iberian stadiums are ideal WCup venues

A FIFA delegation says the main stadiums proposed by Spain and Portugal in their joint bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup are "ideal" venues for big games. FIFA inspectors visited Barcelona's Camp Nou, Real...

Typhoon kills 5 South Koreans

THE death toll from Typhoon Kompasu, which battered the Korean peninsula with strong winds and heavy rains, rose to five in South Korea, an official said today. The typhoon struck Seoul the day before, toppling...

Developers and banks drop in the morning

SHANGHAI'S key stock index fell in the morning session led by property developers and banks. The benchmark Shanghai Composite dipped 0.46 percent, or 12.28 points, to close at 2,643.5 points. Turnover grew to...

BP removes cap from Gulf well

BP Plc said it removed a cap from equipment atop its ruptured Gulf of Mexico oil well yesterday, the first of several steps in advance of plugging the leak for good. Spokeswoman Jessie Baker said underwater robots...

Israel, Palestinians agree to more peace meetings

ISRAELI and Palestinian leaders agreed to a series of direct talks yesterday, seeking to forge the framework for a US-backed peace deal within a year and end a conflict that has boiled for six decades. US Secretary...

Earl weakens but still powerful as it smacks US

THE last ferry left for the mainland and coastal residents hunkered down at home as Hurricane Earl closed in with 177 kph winds yesterday on North Carolina's dangerously exposed Outer Banks, the first and potentially...

Sharapova joins easy centre court winners

MARIA Sharapova joined the stampede of easy centre court winners at the US Open yesterday when she trampled Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 6-1 6-2 to reach the third round. The 2006 Open winner did not face...

Argentina planning England match next year

BIG soccer rivals Argentina and England could play a friendly on February 9, 2011, the man charged with organizing the South American team's international calendar said yesterday. "In February we have a match...

Wall St rises on economic hopes ahead of payrolls

US stocks rose on low volume yesterday as data showed improvement in housing and the job market a day ahead of the critical monthly payrolls figures. Investors built on Wednesday's sharp advance as indicators...

Jackie Chan dogged by 'empty promise' claim

KUNG FU film star Jackie Chan is facing public scrutiny after the headmaster of a school rebuilt after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake said his school did not receive a penny of promised donation from Chan. Liu Yachun,...

Lion Rock brings heavy rainfall to SE China

TROPICAL storm Lion Rock continued to bring widespread rain today to southeast China, as its was downgraded to a tropical low pressure front in Guangdong Province after a fierce landing in Fujian Province yesterday. ...

Death toll rises to 15 in Yunnan landslide

THE death toll from mudslides that hit a village in southwest China's Yunnan Province Wednesday has climbed to 15, and 33 are still missing, the rescue headquarters said today. Eight people were injured and are...

Desperately digging for dozens

'Straddle bus' passes research test: inventor

THE "straddle bus," a newly developed vehicle that may reduce traffic jams by about 30 percent and is less costly than an urban subway system, has theoretically proved workable, according to its designer. A work...

Scantily clad 'Diana' draws ire

A CHINESE lingerie company is facing a backlash from England for a new ad campaign featuring a half-naked Diana doppelganger for one of its underwear brands that has the same name as the late Princess of Wales. But...

City bureau fails to yank cancer-linked edible oil

IN a sharp about-face, a Chinese edible oil maker has admitted that nine batches of its products contained excessive carcinogen, two weeks after vehemently denying the allegation. The admission has caused some...

Manila sends 3 bodies to wrong HK families

PHILIPPINE authorities mistakenly sent the bodies of three of the victims in the Manila bus hijacking to the wrong families, Hong Kong said yesterday, the latest in a series of missteps in the handling of the crisis. ...

More China rich moving to West

AN increasing number of wealthy Chinese are flocking to the West for permanent residency, taking with them 15 billion yuan (US$2.2 billion). The number of Chinese investors applying for foreign permanent residency...

Death sentence lightened for mogul

A FORMER real estate mogul in Chongqing Municipality was given a suspended death penalty in a final ruling for paying henchmen to kill the only son of a family that had refused illegal relocation requests. The...