Blogs » Society » Death count of Beijing’s rainfall reaches 77

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• Death count of Beijing’s rainfall reaches 77
• Slightly Offensive Shirt, If You Are Black, French, Gay, Italian, British, Lesbian, White, Or Irish
• TONIGHT: Get Stiff at Amber Lounge [Ad]
• The Contenders for Shanghai's Best Pizza Competition
• Premature baby girl discarded in trash bin with throat cut
• ‘CCTV Censors David’s Penis’: Danwei
• Forget Swimming In The Street; Here’s Jet Skiing
• Gu Kailai, Officially Charged With Murder, Needs A Nickname
• Will China exploit its shale gas?
• Bill McKibben: China should rethink gas fracking
• Gu Kailai charged with murder
• We'll let this Global Times special section speak for itself
• “Midnight Struck”, viral video rumors police mob connection in Wuhan
• Photos: Kim Jong-Un debuts hottie wife
• Bo Xilai’s Wife Charged With Murder
• Advice for friends and family of Chinese students abroad
• Xinhua Does Not Cease To Amuse: “Happy Moments Of Overweight People”
• Shanghai Weekender: Theme-tastic
• Top 10 Search List (July 26)
• “Hong Kong is a Colony of China”

Death count of Beijing’s rainfall reaches 77 Posted: 26 Jul 2012 09:24 PM PDT by Allison Carroll Goldman on July 27, 2012 The front page for today's Beijing Morning News shows a candlelight vigil against a black backdrop. The headline reads: "The death count from the July 21st rainstorm has risen to 77." Sixty-six bodies have now been identified; they are still waiting to confirm the identities of the remaining eleven.The front page then says "may they rest in peace," and printed the names of all sixty-six identified dead. According to the China Daily, five of the sixty-six perished in the line of duty. Of the remaining 61 civilian victims, 36 were men and 25 were women: 46 drowned, 5 were electrocuted, 3 were killed by collapsing buildings, 2 were struck by flood debris, 2 died from trauma-induced shock, 2 were killed by falling objects and 1 person was hit by lightning. This was the heaviest rain Beijing has seen in six decades. Homes have been flooded and people are seeking temporary shelter in tents pitched in public squares. One of these people is Zhang Junfeng, a 28-year-old saleswoman in a supermarket in Beijing, who told the China Daily: "The flood rushed into the basement so quickly that you had hardly any time to clear away any of your stuff…I only had time to grab my mobile phone and my purse as the water rose to my chest in just a few minutes…We hope the government can find us a place to live, instead of the tents." The China Daily says the delay in reaching this final death count was due to the massive amount of debris which made the search more difficult. Meanwhile, the Australian newspaper Sky News suggested the government was forced to raise the official death toll to 77 after the public questioned the days-old tally of 37. Sky News reported that some residents mistrusted official figures so deeply that they were attempting to calculate their own figures. Links and Sources Beijing Morning News: 7·21暴雨遇难者升至77人 China Daily: Beijing flood death toll hits 77 Sky News: China Storm death toll rises to 77

Slightly Offensive Shirt, If You Are Black, French, Gay, Italian, British, Lesbian, White, Or Irish Posted: 26 Jul 2012 09:17 PM PDT This woman has no idea whatsoever what these words mean. Finally, a world without racism — words are just words. Via Reddit user jjjmills, who notes his wife took this picture last week in Beijing. (H/T Candice L.)

TONIGHT: Get Stiff at Amber Lounge [Ad] Posted: 26 Jul 2012 09:18 PM PDT Friday nights will never be the same again with Get Stiff at the spanking new Amber Lounge. If you are seeking a hot location filled with alcohol-fueled polysexual debauchery, this party delivers quality cocktails, proper music and beautiful people all packed into one space. The afterhours party rolls on and on until early morning. 9pm till late @ Amber Lounge, 449 Huashan Lu by Wulumuqi Lu ( 2-for-1 entry at RMB50 before 23.00) [ more › ]

The Contenders for Shanghai's Best Pizza Competition Posted: 26 Jul 2012 07:36 PM PDT Date: Jul 25th 2012 5:37p.m. Contributed by: cityweekend_sh City Weekend is searching for Shanghai's best pizza.

Premature baby girl discarded in trash bin with throat cut Posted: 26 Jul 2012 02:50 PM PDT From NetEase At a little past 8 o'clock. on July 23, a rag-collecting scrap-peddling old man found a premature newborn in a trash bin in Anshan, Liaoning province. When the baby girl was found, she was wrapped in two plastic bags with her placenta and umbilical cord still attached and a very deep cut on her throat. At the time she was purple from lack of oxygen. The old man and residents nearby called the police and had the preemie rushed to hospital, where she received an emergency operation. She is still in a critical condition. To donate: Please wire money to China Postal Savings Bank account number: 6210982230002703100. Account holder: Zhao Xuedi (赵雪迪). The fundraising is launched by North Morning News (Bei Fang Chen Bao, 北方晨报). Ministry of Tofu is not directly involved and thus shoulder no responsibility for monitoring the use of contributions or detecting frauds. The time of the abandonment is estimated at around 8 a.m., as if the baby girl had been dumped earlier, she would have been taken away with other garbage by the garbage truck. In the maternity/neonatal ward at Anshan Central Hospital, doctors rescued the baby by closing the 5-centimeter (2 inch) long wound, which was so deep that it went down to the windpipe. "The cartilage had already been cut off. It came so close to damaging the membrane of the windpipe," Dr. Wu said, "Half a centimeter deeper, the kid would have died instantly." The cut was even on the edges and was highly likely to be intended. The scar it left will be permanent. Dr. Li, director of the maternity/newborn ward, said that the baby girl is around 32 to 34 weeks old and weighs only 1.4 kg (3 pounds), "She didn't cry most of the time and only cried a little when she was given an anesthetic shot. Except for the external injury, there is nothing wrong with her, not even with her heart and lung functions." Li said that each of her three serious problems, that is, premature birth, lack of oxygen, and the cut, was enough to kill her, "She was really blessed." But she will still be placed under intensive care to make sure no complication or other life-threatening condition occurs. While her conditions have stabilized, it is too early to feed her with milk. She will have to depend on glucose for nutrition. The staff members at the local community say the child will be sent to foster care after she is discharged from hospital. A resident points at the trash bin where the baby was rummaged out by the rag collector. The inside plastic bag is tainted with blood. The police has stepped in and began investigation. According to the Chinese, abandoning one's own child, has violated the criminal law, item 261, which is called the "Offense of Abandonment". The maximum punishment can be five years behind bars. The main culprit of child abandonment in China is the nation's favoritism towards sons, which stems from the traditional notion that women do much less farm work than men and have to leave their parents behind once they marry into a new family. When the preference for a boy is coupled with the much-criticized One-child Policy, child abandonment becomes a particularly salient problem, for a family which desires a boy and wants to escape the monetary penalty for having more than one child is very likely to keep procreating and abandon all baby girls until the first son is born. Other factors to the high incidence of child abandonment in China may include poverty, birth defects and out-of-wedlock birth. Last year in the Chinese city of Shijiazhuang, a children's welfare home had to set up a baby hatch to increase the survival rate of the 20 or so foundlings discarded near the institution every month. (Read: Chinese city sets up baby hatch to tackle child abandonment) Top comments on NetEase: 北邮博士 [网易中国网友]：2012-07-24 22:55:26 发表 A real animal. The cruelty of this act makes one's hair stand on end! F**K your mother! 正义压倒一切 [网易广东省网友]：2012-07-24 22:59:08 发表 What a poor kid!! Find the bestial parents, perp-walk them and beat the hell out of them!!! 找到那畜牲父母游街暴打！！！ 没事就放毒 [网易广东省江门市网友]：2012-07-24 23:01:06 发表 Hope you can be strong and live well on! 646705316 [网易广东省茂名市网友]：2012-07-24 22:59:01 发表 This is murder! yehui8330 [网易北京市网友]：2012-07-24 23:06:04 发表 F**K you! Even a vicious tiger will not eat its cubs. You are worse than animals. liao0008 [网易湖北省咸宁市网友]：2012-07-24 23:00:49 发表 If favoritism towards sons is still not going to be antiquated, bro (referring to self) will find no wife! F**k. (Jing: he is talking about the skewed sex ratio as the result of selective abortion and killing of baby girls.) 网易河南省三门峡市手机网友 ip：61.158.*.*2012-07-26 19:44:40 发表 What is wrong with this woman! However old-fashioned one is, one cannot possibly have the heart to do this. This is way too hurtful. 网易河南省三门峡市手机网友 ip：61.158.*.*2012-07-26 05:41:41 发表 Simply shot them to death after they are caught. This kind of people is already psychologically twisted, and their living is a harm to the society. 网易日本手机网友 ip：126.86.*.*2012-07-26 03:55:23 发表 Hope that child can be strong and live well on. After she grows up,(She should) find her biological mother and ask her in person. Figure it out before cutting her throat too! Selected comments on Sina Weibo shan_shan_wong：I was so close to tears after reading it. candy糖果会：So cruel. How did they possibly have the heart to do it… The parents should really go to hell. 子乔1213：Worse than a beast! They don't deserve to be even a human being, much less a parent! 端毅诚爱-KL斯大林同志：China's traditional "Males are better than females" notion can attain a level so in human. This is beyond anyone's imagination! shanghairen妈妈咪呀：Having escaped death in such misfortune, the child is destined to good luck for ever after. 温吞水宝宝：The parents should be publicly tried for murder charges. I beg the judiciary to bring them to justice!!! 哈利路亚777的小屋：What a sin! I truly wonder what this woman's heart is made of. You don't have the tiniest bit of attachment to the child you had been pregnant with for months? Isn't she the flesh of yours? My heart is aching as if it is pierced by ten thousand arrows…You despicable woman! You will definitely get your karma! 老科Kuberk：Uh…When I read about this in books in childhood, I was told this kind of thing only happens in the old man-eat-man society…

‘CCTV Censors David’s Penis’: Danwei Posted: 26 Jul 2012 05:20 PM PDT Another lighter post while I'm at Buddha Camp. CCTV News Channel broadcasted a show called 'Beijing Century Celebration: Masterpieces of the Renaissance.' The network spared viewers from embarrassment by pixilating the penises of Michelangelo's masterpieces. Posted on the Danwei blog was 'CCTV censors David's penis' with this Oriental Guardian cover: …and the caption:  'You can see it in a museum, but not on TV.' Clever cover, clever caption. Danwei goes on to report on the ensuing controversy:  The broadcast was in honor of the China National Museum's 100-year anniversary, and the censorship of nudity immediately triggered controversy: one online commentator complained that pixilating the images showed a lack of respect for great works of art, while another argued that these statues from Ancient Greece and the European Renaissance reflect an aesthetic that is mainstream in the United States but not in China. This person believed it was wrong for a public channel to show nudity in the first place.  But, the Oriental Guardian noted that 'CCTV had removed the pixilation from future airings of the show. It did not offer any explanation for this change.' Sort of like the Catholic Church. Until the recent restoration of Michelangelo's  Sistine Chapel, the Church had covered all the penises in the Chapel with, you guessed it, fig leaves. With the restoration, they now breath free. So, Chinese aren't the only ones who are schizophrenically prudish, but they are switch a lot faster than the Catholic Church.

Forget Swimming In The Street; Here’s Jet Skiing Posted: 26 Jul 2012 01:00 PM PDT This happened in Tianjin recently, probably Wednesday. Questions: How did this man get the jet ski into the street? Over shallow water, does the jet ski not get damaged? Why does he have a jet ski? Is he too good for swimming? What happens when the water recedes? How did this video get 1.12 million views in 14 hours on Youku? After the jump for those in China.

Gu Kailai, Officially Charged With Murder, Needs A Nickname Posted: 26 Jul 2012 11:13 AM PDT Just look at her. That face. In a snap it could transform into a teeth-baring devil or a demurring tigress. Few people in the world could command attention like so — indeed, demand it by simply biting down so that her cheeks — much like her glare — lock into place. She is the type who would whisper into the ear of a gentleman 20 years her junior, through flashing teeth, I would tear you apart. And don't think she'd blink when inserting a poison-tipped needle into your kidney before disappearing into a crowd before you've realized you were dying in your own bile. Do I think she killed Neil Heywood? I don't know, but she sure looks like she could have. Xinhua: Bogu Kailai and Zhang Xiaojun were recently prosecuted by the Hefei Municipal Procuratorate in Anhui province on charges of intentional homicide, Xinhua learned from Authorities Thursday. Resisting the urge to parse that phrase, which makes it sound like Xinhua employs a team of investigative journalists who need to do more than dial their friends in the Party for the latest scoop, let's just be glad that we now know for sure. It always seemed inevitable that she would be charged of murder, but then she (and Bo Xilai) fell out of the news for a few months. As NY Times points out: The brief report is the first official news that the case against Gu is proceeding since the announcement three months ago that she and Zhang were being investigated and that Bo was being suspended from the powerful Politburo for unspecified discipline violations. Unmentioned in the Xinhua report was any reference to Bo or a separate party investigation into him. But back to the more pressing issue at hand. What should we call this thewy lady? This sly vamp? This perspicacious shrew? The Iron Lady has already been taken, by Margaret Thatcher. Black Widow is taken too, by some Asian American pool player. I shy away from anything involving tigers because Amy Chua has forever ruined that image for me. Maybe Yellow Golem? But people will inevitably take offense. Duchess of Chongqing? GK-47? The Empress? Your best effort is as good as mine. Leave it in the comments section. The best answer will get a prize.

Will China exploit its shale gas? Posted: 26 Jul 2012 04:53 AM PDT China urgently needs new sources of energy, but is shale gas the way forward? As the government prepares to launch a new auction of drilling rights, Xu Nan and Wang Haotong look at the debate within China. Shale gas is a rising star in China. Ever since the government solicited interest in its first auction of drilling rights on May 17, policy on unconventional gas extraction has been under the close gaze of an energy industry anxious to join the "gold rush" already under way in the United States. So far, that policy has been very supportive. But key questions remain unanswered: what impact will fracking, the controversial technique used to extract gas from shale rock, have on China's already stressed water resources? Does China have the technical ability to tap these deep underground gas reserves, often located in far-flung and mountainous regions? Who will regulate the business? And how reliant will Chinese firms have to be on more experienced US partners? Now, as the land ministry prepares to issue its second tender for shale gas blocks (in which more than 70 companies have already registered their interest) getting answers to these questions is more pressing than ever. Fast growing ambitions In late 2011, the State Council – China's highest executive organ – officially recognised shale gas as China's 172nd "independent mineral resource", an important milestone. This was followed in spring this year by premier Wen Jiabao's annual parliamentary report, in which he outlined government intentions to speed up efforts to survey and develop the country's shale-gas resources. These moves were likely spurred on by America's shale-gas revolution, which has already transformed Washington's energy debate. In 2000, shale gas represented 1% of US natural gas supplies. By the end of 2011, it had hit 30%.  In November 2009, during Barack Obama's visit to China, the government signed a memorandum of understanding on shale-gas cooperation with the United States. Two years later, the 12th Five Year Plan – China's overarching strategy for 2011 to the end of 2015 – called for the development of non-conventional oil and gas resources, including shale gas. The document set an initial production goal of 6.5 billion cubic metres for 2015. When energy consumption targets were issued in 2011, shale gas was classed as a special type of resource exempt from these reduction goals, further bolstering the sector. China's large state-owned energy firms and big overseas companies have taken the lead. Data from several large Chinese oil firms show that, as of May this year, 63 trial shale gas or shale oil wells had been completed – 61 by oil companies, and two by China's Ministry of Land and Resources. Thirty of these wells have been able to generate industrial-quality gas. State-owned energy giant China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has made the fastest progress, obtaining rights to drill four shale-gas "blocks" with good prospects in southern Sichuan and northern Yunnan, and achieving commercial-quality flows at four wells. CNPC is joining forces with Shell, which in March announced it had signed China's first shale-gas production partnership. The two companies plan to jointly survey, develop and produce shale gas resources. Meanwhile, Sinopec has drilled five prospecting wells in Guizhou province and Sichuan, both in western China, and in Anhui province in the east. Another mega state-owned firm, China National Offshore Oil Corporation, is still in the early surveying stages. The country's big power companies, including Huaneng, Huadian and Honghua, are also getting involved. Between them, these three have signed shale-gas development agreements with local governments in Chongqing city, as well as Hunan and Sichuan provinces. The US State Department's special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs Carlos Pascual has been quoted as saying that American oil giants such as Exxon-Mobil and Chevron may benefit by partnering with Chinese firms to develop shale-gas resources. Private companies welcome When it launched its first auction of shale-gas drilling rights on May 17, the Ministry of Land and Resources specified that any Chinese oil and gas mining company with registered capital of 300 million yuan (US$47 million) or more could bid for the right to prospect for shale gas. This opened the sector's door to private companies as well as state-owned players.  Private firms including Xinjiang Guanghui, MI Energy and Honghua have reportedly been making preparations to enter the shale-gas market for a long time. The State Council's official recognition of shale gas as a mineral resource last year meant that its development would no longer be subject to the constraints of the oil and gas sector and any company with the financial and technical means would be allowed bid for drilling rights. Although the big state-owned firms and overseas energy giants have rushed to grab the prime sites, there is a route into shale for private capital. Looming concerns Initial estimates from China's land ministry put the country's extractable shale-gas reserves above 25 trillion cubic metres (excluding Qinghai and Tibet). That's a similar figure to China's onshore conventional gas reserves, and also to the 24 trillion cubic metres of shale gas the United States claims to possess. The US has an even more optimistic view of China's resources: in an initial assessment of shale-gas reserves in 14 regions around the world, published in April 2011, energy officials said China could have as much as 100 trillion cubic metres of the fuel, 36 trillion of which are recoverable. Despite the impressive figures and the enthusiasm from industry and government, serious concerns loom in the background. China has rich shale gas reserves and boundless confidence. But it also has limited technological capabilities, production bottlenecks and an undeveloped market. And, while there are high hopes that shale gas could provide China with a less carbon-intensive energy supply than coal, there is also growing awareness of the damage extracting it could inflict on the country's aquifers. In the United States, where shale-gas extraction is much more mature, environmentalists are waging war against the industry (see our Q&A with campaigner Bill McKibben). Fracking, which involves pumping millions of litres of "slick water" – a mixture of water, sand and chemicals – down a well at high pressure is poisoning precious water supplies, critics say. China is certain to be dogged by similar problems, say many observers. Zhang Yongwei, a researcher at the State Council's Development Research Centre, has said that without an environmental protection framework in place, large-scale development of shale gas in China could be disastrous.  Within China, the biggest worry appears to be over a possible technology lag. The conventional view is that the technology and equipment used to develop shale gas is similar to that for natural gas, and that no great leap is needed. Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing are already applied in China's natural gas fields, while China is already able to make drilling rigs, fracturing systems and well-bottom equipment. But concerns persist. In the late 1990s, breakthroughs in horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing techniques in the United States kick-started the "shale gas revolution". But in China, where the shale gas lies much deeper underground and in tougher terrain than the US, no companies have yet mastered multi-stage hydraulic fracturing. Some say this means China will have to work with American firms. Others worry it will be hard to adapt imported technology and expertise to Chinese geology. "Many American shale-gas companies are anxiously waiting for the market to open up in China – they've got the technology and hope to work with Chinese firms to get a slice of the market. That's both good and bad. It will all depend on how policy is finally set, and how supervision works," one industry insider told Chinese website stdaily.com. Even if all technical worries are alleviated, regulating the sector could still prove a headache. To date, there is no clear legislation on the extraction of shale gas, and there is still dispute over systems for managing shale gas drilling rights and block registration as well as who takes responsibility for environmental oversight. Financial and taxation policies have not yet been set for this sector either – in a context where big injections of cash will be needed. If production of shale gas is to reach somewhere between 60 billion and 100 billion cubic metres a year by 2020, between 400 and 600 billion yuan (US$63-94 billion) will need to be invested in the next decade. Meanwhile, China's existing mechanism for setting natural gas prices (they are currently capped, though reforms are being piloted in southern Guangdong province) could affect the commercial viability of shale gas.   Xu Nan is managing editor in chinadialogue's Beijing office. Wang Haotong is a journalist based in Beijing. Homepage image by SRWA

Bill McKibben: China should rethink gas fracking Posted: 26 Jul 2012 01:06 AM PDT The rise of unconventional gas in America has proved a "real distraction" from the priority of tackling climate change, Bill McKibben tells chinadialogue. Bill McKibben is an American environmentalist and founder of the campaign group 350.org chinadialogue: Why have US environmentalists moved away from their initial support for shale-gas exploitation? Bill McKibben: More data has emerged on many fronts. One, the extent of damage to water supplies has become clearer, and also the threat of associated damage like earthquakes. Protesters in Youngstown Ohio recently chained themselves to fences to try and stop more wastewater injection into wells there, because on New Years Eve it triggered a whole swarm of earthquakes. Two, the methane that leaks from the fracking process [used to extract the shale gas] has been estimated in some studies to be high enough to make it worse for the climate than burning coal. Three, even if no methane leaks, widespread fracking seems likely to undercut the push for renewables, and the International Energy Agency has said that a gas-dependent world would still have 660 parts per million CO2, a figure that is much too high.  cd: Many have linked the US problems to poor regulation, while a recent report from the UK's Royal Society has said fracking is fine as long as it follows strict rules. Is regulation the crux? BM: No, I think the crux of the problem is that this is one more carbon-based fuel. Also, that there's incredibly large amounts of money behind it. Increasingly in the US, the biggest oil companies – Exxon especially – are buying up these leases and starting to produce more gas. And of course they have enormous power over government policy. cd: So what approach do you think China should take to fracking? Would you recommend a moratorium? BM: I think it's a chance to learn from the experience of the west. I'd recommend examining it closely. My home state, Vermont, has just enacted a ban on the practice, in part because of concern about our water. I know that China is deeply concerned about its water supplies. [See "Will China exploit its shale gas?" for more on the debate within China] cd: Some claim coal accounts for as much as 20% of China's water use. Fracking also uses water and Chinese reserves are concentrated in the arid far-west. So how should we analyse the water footprint of fracking vis a vis coal? BM: This is a case-by-case question, dependent on the geology. With fracking, you are left with large quantities of wastewater to dispose of, which has proved very tough in the United States. In the US, there have been streams where every fish died, and rivers where hundreds of thousands of people were told to find alternative sources of drinking water. Local sewage-treatment plants have been overwhelmed trying to treat the wastewater. cd: Even so, people have argued that shale-gas could provide an interim solution for China as it seeks to wean itself off coal. Could this work? BM: I think it's pretty clear that what we need is an all-out push towards renewables, and here of course China has become a leader. The potential was illustrated in Germany last month, when one day the country generated more than half its power from solar panels within its borders. cd: Is there a reliable way of estimating how much of the shale-gas reserves are in fact extractable and at what cost, financially or environmentally? BM: The estimating process seems very shaky. In the US, one study will say we have "100 years of gas" and the next says "it's actually 20 years". A problem, of course, is that the estimates are often driven by commercial needs, as companies try to sell off the drilling leases they've acquired.  cd: Gas appears to have changed the energy discussion in the US – people are starting to write about exporting energy again and the return of America as the world's major power. Is this just another gold rush or are these arguments sound? BM: They seem to me to miss the real point, which is that our number one job as regards energy now must be to avoid global warming. In that sense, the rise of unconventional forms of energy has been a real distraction. But it's coming at an odd time, as weather events are making more Americans worried about climate change. So, it's hard to tell how it will all work out. As I've said, I don't think [unconventional gas] is that transformational. It's one more way to avoid actually having to grapple with our central need, the transition to a renewable energy society. Homepage image by  The Aspen Institute

Gu Kailai charged with murder Posted: 26 Jul 2012 06:08 AM PDT Gu Kailai, wife of fallen politician Bo Xilai, has officially been charged with murder. Xinhua reported today that both Gu and Zhang Xiaojun were "recently" prosecuted by the Hefei Municipal Procuratorate in Anhui province on charges of intentional homicide. No further details were given, but Reuters is reporting that the two are accused of poisoning British businessman Neil Heywood. According to a lawyer, Gu is likely to stand trial on August 7 and 8. [ more › ]

We'll let this Global Times special section speak for itself Posted: 26 Jul 2012 05:45 AM PDT Now you can find all the laowai coverage you'll ever need in one convenient place! Everyone's favorite government mouthpiece, the Global Times, recently launched a special section on its website called ... wait for it ... "Foreign Devils or Angels." The page contains all sorts hard-hitting/award-worthy coverage about the foreigner debate that you would expect from the Global Times. [ more › ]

“Midnight Struck”, viral video rumors police mob connection in Wuhan Posted: 26 Jul 2012 02:20 AM PDT Recently, a viral video named "Midnight Struck" (午夜来袭) is circulating on the Internet. The video was captured by surveillance camera both inside and outside of a shop.  In the video, a group of shirtless men with tattoos gathered in front of a grocery store and constantly kicking the locked gate.  During that time, a police officer appeared in front of the store and communicated with the shirtless men and also with the person inside of the store.  Sometime later, this group of men finally kicked down the store gate and stormed into the shop.  These men smashed computer monitor, cash register and other items caused further disputes. Storeowner ended up chasing them out with a knife and  injured some of these men with his knife.  After the video went online, people labeled it as "Cops and robbers are from one happy family", which had very negative impact on society. Video Caption: Wuhan mafia-police denounce~~~ Time: 2012 6/30 2am Place: Wuhan Hanyang district, Bailin Road I am a small shop owner 2 am they came, First just a underling… One after another… All came… 1:03 This is the big boss… 1:28 I don't dare to open the gate… 1:41 Crazy… 1:56 Where is the police, where is the police, where is the police… 2:18 Who come to safe me? 2:25 The police came~~~ 2:37 This is not the time to work, you need to stop them. 2:55 Whatever it is, let's wait till tomorrow and talk in the police station. 3:03 They don't give up~~~ 3:30 What is their relationship? 3:38 Are they together? 3:54 They look close 8:14 Got crazy… 9:20 Don't do anything… 9:30 I dare you chop! 10:30 He beat up my sister~~ viciously~~~ Mafias rampant I had no choice but to hide a knife in my store. This knife saved my sister and me. Can not reply on the police. I injured 2 people, My 4 fingers were also chopped off. The police arrested me. Lawyer said it is self-defense. I want to go out to attach my four figures. They don't let me. Lawyer said I should sue the police. Really? How long will be jailed for? How many years to sentence? Help me… 027-84868940 From People.com: Wuhan Hanyang police responded on the "Midnight Struck" video that "Cops and robbers are one happy family" is completely untrue rumor spreading on the Internet.  The police in the video resolved the conflict at the time, but not knowing these men came back to create more trouble.  The suspects are now have been arrested. Hangyang Police said, at 2 am on June 30, Hanyang Public Security Bureau received a 110 call reporting that there was extortion at a food wholesale store. The police arrived at the scene, Liu and others outside of the grocery store claimed they had bought fake cigarettes from this store, and asking the shop to respond.  However the storeowner (Qiu) said the key had broken inside of the gate, so the gate could not be opened at the time.  The police attempted to open the gate from outside but failed also.  The police asked both sides to wait till the next day to settle the matter, and both sides agreed.  After Liu and his men left, the police also left the scene. However the police station again received multiple phone calls from the shop owner continuously, saying there are people came to kick the front gate again. When the police came to the scene, storeowner Qiu stood outside of the shop on the sidewalk with blood on his hands.  Qiu admitted to the police that he chased these men out of the shop with his knife injured some of them, and he also cut his own hands.  Those men left the scene already.  The police sent Qiu to Tongji Hospital for treatment.  The police also went to Hanyang Hospital and found Liu and Liao etc. people who were being rescued for their knife wounds at the time. After investigation, Liu and these men had a dispute with the shop owner for the reason of they had purchased fake cigarettes at his shop.  They left after police's mediating effort.  However Liu and these men came back, kicked down the front gate and stormed into the shop.  They smashed computer monitor, cash register and other items, also threatened the shop owner.  Later they also beat up and injured storeowner's sister who came to mediate the fight.  Qui took out a knife from the counter to fight off Liu and his men.  When chasing Liu and his men out of the store, Qui injured Liu and Liao with his knife. Liu, Liao and these men were from Chongqing, Wuxi County, currently working in Hanyang.  Hanyang police already detained Liu and Liao etc. for crime of provoking troubles. Forensic determined, the shop owner Qiu caused serious injure to Liu and minor injure to Liao, the police also arrested him on suspicion of intentional assault.

Photos: Kim Jong-Un debuts hottie wife Posted: 26 Jul 2012 04:42 AM PDT North Korean media confirmed today that the mysterious woman lately seen in press photos with leader Kim Jong-Un is indeed the nation's newest First Lady. It's not known when Lil' Kim and North Korea's Kate Middleton, Ri Sol-ju, tied the knot. But the announcement is notable; his father, the late Kim Jong-il, was a man who the NYTimes says "was known for marrying beautiful performers but who never introduced them to the public." [ more › ]

Bo Xilai’s Wife Charged With Murder Posted: 26 Jul 2012 05:07 AM PDT Gu Kailai, wife of disgraced for Chongqing party boss Bo Xilai, has been prosecuted for murder, according to state media. She and a family employee, Zhang Xiaojun, are said to have 'recently' faced court proceedings in connection with the suspected … Continue reading →

Advice for friends and family of Chinese students abroad Posted: 26 Jul 2012 06:29 AM PDT This is the latest posting on Danwei in a series about Chinese school life. It's a translation of a popular posting on the social network Renren. Other articles in the series include Confessions of a Chinese graduate, Chinese students living in fear in the USA and Notes from a Chinese student in the USA. The image is a bottle of Laoganma (老干妈), a type of chili sauce mentioned in the posting. Laoganma is popular amongst Chinese students abroad for rendering barbarian food edible. The name Laoganma mean "old godmother". ★ If you know someone who is studying abroad If you ever know someone who is studying abroad, then congratulations, your life may suffer because of this person. However, if you care about him or her, read on. 1. When you see their online albums of exotic scenery, western food, and the student in intimate positions with foreigners, please do not sneer, as (the photos) may be meant for their families who want to learn about their beloved's life. And this is probably all the fun the person can get from his days and setting up photo albums is the quickest and most convenient way to keep people who care about them updated on their life. 2. When you see them whining about hardship, please do not despise them. Homework is really hard and competition is really fierce. 3. Never say "Don't come back" to them. When you are abroad, you will know how demonized China is and even the dusty air (of China) is so sweet. No matter how wonderful life is out there, when we wake up, we miss the time we spent with friends singing KTV and eating hot pot. Not that we are spoiled kids, the best thing about life is speaking your own language on your own land. So please tell them: Come home when you get tired and the door is always open for you. 4. Please do not say "Oh, I envy you that you can go abroad, you are enjoying all the benefits of capitalism and you are whining too much." You don't know how hard it is to stay up late to cram for tests. Those kids that study abroad are spending their parents' communist wages in a capitalist world. Unless you are doing a PHD, you will be exploited by the capitalist system, leading a life harder than the most underprivileged in the society, even though you are supposed to be middle-class back home. 5. Please do not say "Only the losers come back." Many of those who return to China received a sound education, learned to speak perfect English, and were able to fully integrate into mainstream of American society. And even for them, coming back to China is not a bad choice. 6. Do not consider complaining as a sign of weakness. If a person in a different time zone calls you to tell you that he or she really wants to go home or change their major, it must be that the person is under a lot of stress and he or she doesn't want to worry their mom and dad. They only need someone to agree with them that life is tough and to encourage him or her to carry on and persevere, so when they wake up the next morning, they will be able to fight on with renewed energy. 7. Do not think that they had it easy. Please show these 20-year-old young people a little bit understanding, because if you don't, no one else will. There is still a long way to go and they need time to grow. The bitterness of studying abroad is not from the plight of frozen food swallowed down with Laoganma (a Chinese chili sauce many Chinese students abroad are fond of). It is not just having only three or four hours of sleep a day and a hellish load of homework to complete on the computer. The bitterness is not just from having to think about saving money while living in a shabby place, tramping in the snow to school and unable to afford a car. Nor is it from speaking English badly, or because the Chinese people are discriminated against. It's not even from being thousands of miles away from your loved ones. The bitterness is because the time zone difference and school hours make it hard to call their parents when they get a message "Missing you"; it's from having to hang up the phone in order to finish homework. It is when you burn your hand, you have to nurse it alone and silently because you don't want people back at home to get worried. When you say "I really miss home," you know they will tell you on the phone "You will get used to it. You will be fine." It seems that your plight is something people around you do not care about, and people who are distant do not understand. Links and sources: Original posting on Renren: 如果你认识一个正在留学中的孩子 Danwei: Confessions of a Chinese graduate, Chinese students living in fear in the USA, Notes from a Chinese student in the USA, Study abroad websites for Chinese students, Opening the door to American universities with lies

Xinhua Does Not Cease To Amuse: “Happy Moments Of Overweight People” Posted: 26 Jul 2012 03:32 AM PDT Xinhua's efforts to be your uncle's uncle's version of Buzzfeed continue. Are media outlets still identifying Xinhua as "the official press agency of the People's Republic of China"? Yes? OK, just making sure. Here are a set of pictures published on the official press agency of the People's Republic of China's website yesterday. Samples: Happy, delightful moments, yes. The best part about this collection? All of these pictures are from Hebei News. Now you know.

Shanghai Weekender: Theme-tastic Posted: 26 Jul 2012 03:14 AM PDT Date: Jul 26th 2012 6:06p.m. Contributed by: katvelayo

Top 10 Search List (July 26) Posted: 26 Jul 2012 01:40 AM PDT Here is today's top 10 real-time search list, recorded at 2:19PM.   1. 河南呕吐死 Hénán ǒutù sǐ –  Henan resident Yu Gangfeng was arrested in October of last year as a suspect of auto theft, and in three days time was pronounced dead by the police who took him. While the public security authorities claimed that Yu had died a sudden death from uncontrollable vomiting and foaming at the mouth, relatives of Yu remain unconvinced and highly suspicious. The local hospital refused to release records Yu's treatment, and the police have repeatedly rejected the family members' requests to review Yu's autopsy report. A lawyer hired for the case confirmed with Chinese media that there is sufficient evidence to suggest the death was caused by torture during questioning. Here's the story in Chinese. 2. 金正恩已婚 Jīn Zhèngēn – Korean Central Television has confirmed to the public for the first time former singer Ri Solju's marriage status to North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jung Eun (see photo). Here's the story in Chinese.   3. 郭晶晶霍家过夜 Guō Jīngjīng – Former Olympics diving medalist Guo Jingjing had reportedly stayed over at her billionaire fiancé mansion after a high-profile appearance at a Max Mara event this Tuesday. Guo is expected to marry her lover of 8 years in November this year. Here's the story in Chinese. 4. 北京捐款门 Běijīng juānkuǎn mén – More than 60 million yuan was raised within merely two days of the fundraising campaign's initiation for the Beijing's rainstorm disaster relief effort. Here's the story in Chinese.   5. 南航迫降 Nánháng pòjiàng – Yesterday afternoon, flight CZ6199 of China Southern Airlines was forced to return to Xiaoshan airport for emergency landing when large amounts of smoke began to form from the body of the plane after take-off. The airline company announced today that the plane's air-circulation engine was malfunctioning and causing the smoke, and that all 105 passengers aboard the plane during the incident were safely evacuated from the aircraft. Here's the story in Chinese.   6. 朝鲜女足退赛 Cháoxiǎn nǚzú tuìsài –  At U.K. local time July 25th 19:45, Olympics female soccer contestants representing North Korea collectively quit the competition in protest upon seeing the big screen displaying South Korea's national flag next to their team profiles. The match was delayed for an hour and fifteen minutes before the contestants finally agreed to recommence the games. Here's the story in Chinese.   7. 天津大雨 Tiānjīn dà yǔ – The city of Tianjing has been experiencing strong rainstorms since yesterday morning. Here's the story in Chinese.   8. 黄宗泽 柳岩 Huáng Zōngzé Liǔ Yán – Actress Liu Yan denies rumors that she was the cause of the recent breakup between actor Huang Zongze and actress Hu Xinger. Here's the story in Chinese. 9. 疑似韩国女主播 yísì Hánguó nǚzhǔbō – Video of a young Korean woman dancing provocatively in see-through lingerie has gone viral in China's cyberspace. Online users believe the star of the video to be Korean television host Pu Nimai, though this has yet to be confirmed by official sources. Here's the story in Chinese.  10. 营业税改征增值税 yíngyèshuì gǎizhēng zēngzhíshuì – The standing committee of the state council has announced that it will expand the scope of its experimentation with the collection of value-added tax in place of sales tax for transportation and other modern service industries to include 10 provinces and cities, effective from August 1st to the end of this year. Here's the story in Chinese. READ MORE

“Hong Kong is a Colony of China” Posted: 26 Jul 2012 01:40 AM PDT 2012.7.26 The Sun, Two days ago, a short video titled "A Beijing Tour Guide and Hong Kong Tourists Beat Each Other Up and Clothes Got Torn Up" was uploaded to Mainland Chinese site "iFeng Video". At the beginning of the video, a Mainland Chinese female tour guide who had her hair dyed and was in a striped shirt yelled at members of the travel tour, asking them to line up and board a ship. A female tour member who was in a one-piece black dress could not stand the humiliation and repeatedly requested the tour guide to show her working permit. A violent verbal war broke out between both sides. "Hong Kong is a Colony of China" The female tour guide accused tour members of "beating people up" and she even rained curses on them, "Hong Kong is a colony of China!". She also added, "Chinese travel to Hong Kong. If they don't shop, it will kill many people (Hongkongers)!" The speech provoked discontent among many tour members. A female tour member came up to her and questioned her the reason of making such a speech. Tour members nearby immediately separated them. However, not only had the dispute not been ended, it was exacerbated to become a fight involving more than 10 people. Later, someone came up to them and dissuaded them from fighting. The party then started to disperse. The blouse of the female tour guide got torn up during the fight, revealing half of her back and bra. However, this did not stop her from blustering. She kept cursing f**k your mom" at tour members and even took out her cell phone and claimed that she would report to the police. A tour member then responded, "I am waiting for you to report to the police!" Both sides was still in confrontation. Whether further confrontation happened is unknown. Netizens' comments oceanface: I think the female tour guide is right. Hong Kong is really a colony of China. As for the part that Hong Kong will be doomed if she doesn't depend on China, I don't agree. 含包散: In 1997, Hong Kong ended the colonial rule of Britain. However, she is then colonised by China. 人生迷路者: Hong Kong is a colony of China. What she said is right and the reality is like that. However, colony is renamed to become "one country two systems". 畢特來: Therefore, over this 10 odd years, there are 1M of new immigrants. 高登抽水西: Now Hong Kong is being colonised. F***. Locusts are allowed to settle down in here nonstop, colonise, homogenise, brainwash. 濕膠王: I have said a long time ago that the use of "locust" will only give leftist a chance to say that there are good people among Chinese. Actually, good people can support "Hong Kong is a colony of China" and "locusts" are colonists who have settled down in Hong Kong.

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