And what would a track meet be without a little controversy? During the 110m hurdles final taking place at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, Dayron Robles of Cuba robbed China's Liu Xiang of what looked to have been a certain victory in the event. Though Robles began at a better pace than Liu, the Shanghai-native began to gain ground on Robles and American Jason Richardson, taking the lead by the seventh hurdle. more ›

You know that much hyped Oasis show that got canceled because of guitarist Noel Gallagher's opinion on Tibet? Well, in case you had any doubt, it seems like his opinion may have been a bit overstated. more ›

A bookkeeping official in Dongfushan village, Guandong province allegedly razed 24 mou (亩) of land - roughly 4 acres - to provide himself and his family with a large "luxurious and imposing" cemetery plot according to a Guangzhou Daily article from last week. more ›

A site where cosplay enthusiasts can act out the online game Counterstrike, has been set up close to the ruins left by the Sichuan earthquake. According to the site's manager Dai Jun, the area's collapsed buildings make a good setting for the game. People in the area have protested against the park, but Dai Jun, quoted in Xinhua news says that the bereaved will find consolation in the reconstruction of tourist attractions, rather than in prayers alone. "How to restore the local tourist market and benefit the local villagers should be at the top of the agenda". more ›

Tibetan lawmakers have designated March 28 as an annual "Serfs Emancipation Day" to mark the liberation of about one million serfs in the region and the end of what the Chinese government says was a system of feudal oppression 50 years ago. This CCTV report carries the official party line of what life in pre-Liberation Tibet looked like for serfs. It portrays them as having suffered immensely under a theocratic system and the despotic rule of lamas and aristocrats, and how they were often subjected to judicial mutilation such as the gouging out of eyes, and the cutting off of hands or feet. more ›

Late last year we documented SH magazine's trials and tribulations. The English-language weekly stopped publishing in December, but it continues to be a source of drama in 2009. A final "funeral issue" — death themed from front to back — was finished and set for publication on December 19. But the swan song never saw the light of day. Until now. The issue in its entirety can be found after the jump on this post. Here's some back story from someone familiar with the situation: more ›

Highly controversial (and tit-tilating) art works from 53 year old Beijing-born painter Hu Ming (呼鸣). Hu's parents were military doctors who had always hoped their daughter would some day become a great surgeon. During her days in high school when the Cultural Revolution was in full swing, Hu's time was all spent either drawing the portrait of Chairman Mao (after her teacher found out she loved painting) or studying the Little Red Book. Finding it all very boring, Hu begged her parents to let her join the army. They relented, and at age 15, Hu joined the People's Liberation Army, where she would serve another 20 years in various roles as a hospital broadcaster/announcer, a librarian, a projectionist, recreational club director, cultural secretary and nurse. [h/t to Wang Ning] more ›

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For those of you still dwelling on the age of a certain Chinese gymnast, we've got good news for you: Someone is more obsessed about the controversy than you! A blogger has done some internet sleuthing (see here and here) that has some people convinced that He Kexin (何可欣) is all of 14 years old (Olympic rules state that gymnasts must be 16). All the cyber-digging might be in vain, however — we doubt the IOC is going to do anything about this. more ›

And those reports were published by China's state-run media. On November 3, Xinhua listed He Kexin as being 13, referring to her as "this little girl" (an apt description for any of China's diminutive gold medalists). A May 23 story in China Daily listed He as being 14. Gymnasts must be 16 the year of the Olympics to be eligible to compete. He's birthday is officially listed as January 1, 1992, a rather eye-opening date we must say, signaling that either He is truly 16 or someone is a very lazy liar. He helped China win its first ever women's team gold on Wednesday. China's denies the age-fixing allegations (the ages of two other Chinese gymnasts have also been questioned) and the offending state-media stories have either been "fixed" or erased from the internet. The questions remain: How much of an advantage do you get from using underage gymnasts? And is it better to say you lost to a bunch of really young looking 16-year-olds or to admit you lost to 13-year-olds, some of whom are reportedly missing teeth? [Source] more ›