Yesterday we heard that authorities in Sichuan were offering hush money to parents who lost children in the May earthquake. The story has been circulating widely, and more details about the government’s attempts to placate parents have come to the fore. Not only are officials apparently going door to door offering pay outs of around 60,000 RMB, they’re sweetening the deal by adding more incentives to keep up the harmonious front. The list includes pensions,......

Earthquakes with magnitudes of 4.8 and 5.5 hit Sichuan yesterday afternoon after an early morning tremor struck the region. The first counts report the quakes left at least one dead, 17 injured and 360 homes flattened. The tremors are just the latest in the string of over 12,000 aftershocks the region has suffered following the May 12 disaster, 25 of which have measured greater than 5.0 on the Richter scale, classifying them as moderate quakes......

An earthquake measuring a moderate 5.5 on the Richter scale struck southwest China just before four a.m. this morning, hitting the area 48 kilometers northwest of Guangyuan that was devastated by May's massive quake. Unlike this spring's 8.0-magnitude disaster, there are no reports yet of major damage or casualties. [Source]......

The first post-earthquake panda birth took place Sunday when twelve-year-old Guo Guo gave birth to twins at the Bifengxia Giant Panda Base outside Chengdu. Guo Guo was one of 63 pandas moved from the Wolong Nature Reserve to other facilities after the quake caused the death of one panda and damage to the reserve, endangering the province’s 1,800 pandas. But new mother Guo Guo isn’t the only one getting congratulated — the quake pig’s protector,......

Olympics China Rises: Restricting the foreign press Reuters: China urged to curb executions ahead of Olympics China Herald: Another Olympic mishap: problems in getting tickets Channel NewsAsia: Hong Kong toughens rhetoric to avoid Olympic Games protests ABC News: Athletes banned from Beijing opening ceremony China and the U.S. Blogging For China: America opens its doors, slightly, to Chinese tourists People’s Daily: First Chinese leisure travelers to U.S. greeted by music, hospitality Washington Post: In......

Left: American Gangster trailer; Right: Across the Universe trailer The 11th Shanghai International Film Festival had a rocky start on Saturday, when the opening film, Olympic Dreamers, failed to arrive, leaving confused media stranded in the rain after an unusually brief opening ceremony. Critics from around the world have noted that the event has less energy this year, a change from a decade-long trend of increasing prestige. Chinese organizers point to the earthquake as......

Fiery episode of 《针锋相对》on Phoenix TV hosted by Hu Yihu (胡一虎) discussing whether Fan Meizhong (范美忠), teacher at the Guangya School in Dujiangyan, was "morally corrupt" for being the first to run away when the earthquake struck (If you missed this story earlier, read this backgrounder by Danwei). Unfortunately, we won't be able to translate everything said in these four videos, but a few things are worth pointing out. First, Fan starts by saying that......

It's perfect BBQ weather! As we're sure you've all heard, tonight's the night for the Shanghaiist Benefit for Sichuan’s Earthquake Victims at Sasha's. Word travels fast in Shanghai and some people have received the benefit announcement from five different sources! The value of the raffle prizes has now topped 30,000 RMB and includes travel vouchers, hotel suites, jewelry, wine, beer, concert tickets, and much more. Click here for the complete list. Thanks to all the......

UPDATE, 18:09 The first Japanese relief workers are expected to leave tonight. A group of 60 earthquake specialists together with sniffer dogs will head to Sichuan over the next few days. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has appealed for earth-moving equipment to aid rescue efforts in the region. Many relief workers are currently sifting through the rubble with their hands according to ABC News. The latest official death toll stands at 19,500 but is expected to......

As we told you earlier, there had been very real fears that the Zipingba Dam, 6 miles upstream from the devastated city of Dujiangyan, was displaying "extremely dangerous" cracks. The People's Daily is now reporting that the dam is "structurally stable and safe" following a full inspection. "The conclusion was reached after a panel of experts, led by Jiao Yong, Vice Minister of Water Resources, rushed to the site and made a thorough inspection of......

Though reports are varied, it now appears that the current death from the Wenchuan earthquakes is somewhere between 17,000 and 20,000 (latter figure from the Time China Blog, although most of the media is still reporting the official count at a more conservative 15,000. It's still to0 early to say just how high that figure will climb once everything is said and done, but an earlier Time's estimate put that number at around 100,000 (their......

The environment NY Times: Disaster Set Off by Colliding Land Masses NPR: Geology, Engineering Contribute to Quake Damage Probe International: China's deadly quake: Is the Three Gorges Dam to blame? Treehugger: China earthquake threatens nearby dams, environment Rescue efforts The Guardian: Ill-equipped soldiers face losing battle in huge rescue operation Press TV: China rejects foreign rescue teams NY Times: Quake toll rises; China struggles to reach victims Xinhua: Wen: 90 more copters for quake......

Film star Jackie Chan has donated RMB10million to help those in need following the earthquake in Sichuan province. Other celebrities have also dipped into their wallets. From CriEnglish: "Jackie Chan also sent his consolation to the quake victims and encouraged them to hold on as "people all over the country are with you," the star said. The One Foundation initiated by kungfu star Jet Li has made a donation of one million yuan and......

......

We know that many of you have been affected by the tragic aftermath of this week's devastating earthquake in Wenchuan and are looking for ways to help the victims, so here is your chance to immediately get involved. We received word from ShanghaiExpat that the blood mobile will be out today in front of the Shanghai Exhibition Center opposite the Portman Hotel (a.k.a. the Shanghai Center). Those interested in donating blood have been instructed......

As reported earlier, the epicenter of the Sichuan earthquake was not only near the city of Wenchuan, but it was also very close to the Wolong Panda Reserve. Xinhua informed us that some pandas at other facilities were safe, but the status of the Wolong pandas was still known. Luckily we have good news. We received this email from Karen Rose, Chairman of Pandas International:We have a report from the Bifengxia Panda Base that......

Scene of devastation at a school in Dujiangyan (都江堰) which collapsed from the Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan, China * Over 10,000 feared dead in biggest earthquake in China for 30 years * Earthquake measured at 7.9 on the Richter scale, epicentre(s) in western Sichuan * Second earthquake/aftershocks measuring 5.0 and 6.1 magnitude reported at epicentre today * Relief efforts hampered by terrain and poor weather * 15 British tourists among the missing. The group......

By Sue Anne Tay For those who are looking to contribute to current aid efforts underway, you can now donate money to the Red Cross Society of China which has formed a disaster relief working group to be dispatched to the earthquake-stricken Wenchuan County in Sichuan. They have also published an emergency relief hotline, along with bank account information to receive donations to assist their cause: Account name: Red Cross Society of China 开户单位：中国红十字会总会 For......

By Kenneth Tan, Dan Washburn, Pete Chorba, and Derek Sandhaus digg_url = 'http://digg.com/world_news/Huge_earthquake_jolts_Sichuan_tremors_felt_across_China'; A strong earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale has rocked Wenchuan in Sichuan province, some 92km northwest of Chengdu. The earthquake took place at 14:48 Beijing Time and tremors were felt (by our MSN friends) as far as Wuhan, Shanghai and Beijing. This picture on the right shows the aftermath of the IT department of the Sichuan Bureau of the Xinhua......

China's disabled children are sold into slavery as beggars [The Guardian] As Beijing prepares for the Olympics, racketeers live well off their street army of exploited teenagers. China overtakes Germany as world's No 3 carmaker [The Guardian] Figures show China increased its vehicle output by 30% last year and is closing in on Japan's No 2 spot. Huaihe River faces severe flood-control challenge [China Daily] The middle and lower reaches of the Huaihe River, China's......

Tokyo, Japan - 6.7 earthquake hits Japan and shuts nuclear plant The world's largest nuclear power plant by output capacity remained closed Tuesday, after seismometers indicated the magnitude 6.7 earthquake that hit northwestern Japan Monday produced shocks that exceeded the reactors' design strength. The quake, which occurred shortly after 10 a.m. Tokyo time Monday, caused nine deaths, more than 900 injuries and widespread damage Pyongyang, North Korea - DPRK shuts nuclear reactor U.N. inspectors on......

FDA: Throw away toothpaste made in China This is in the US. In China, remember not to drink Evian. Two Die, 70 Hurt In Chinese Earthquake At least two, including a five-year-old boy, were dead and about 70 injured when an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 on the Richter scale hit Yunnan, a south-western Chinese province, late Saturday. Report: Chinese vice premier dies at 68 - CNN.com Vice Premier Huang Ju, a key......

While looking up a new exhibition from a friend of Shanghaiist, we were directed to a website called Art Mofile, a sort of YouTube for video artists and aspiring film makers. Art Mofile bills itself as a "platform for short films and art videos." Anyone can submit work (provided the works are artistic in nature, not for commercial purposes) and the people behind the site select the best ones to put on the site for......

Rumor: Chinese Xbox 360 in "next few months" - Joystiq Microsoft is in talks with Chinese internet providers and government ministries for a possible Chinese New Year launch. (tags: Microsoft Xbox360 games gaming internet computers China) Foreigners working in Shanghai might get new government health care service The city government is considering offering health insurance to foreigners working in Shanghai, alleviating problems for those whose work does not offer health insurance or who are......

AsiaPundit » Blog Archive » iPhone Now Available in China "Even though the official Asian launch date for the Apple iPhone is not until 2008, users of the China’s Taobao auction site can already buy the ‘revolutionary’ phone. No wonder Taobao could beat eBay in the China market ..." (tags: china iphone gadgets tech taobao) Syphilis epidemic raging in China, says study - Yahoo! News "Syphilis, virtually eradicated in China under Mao Zedong, has......

Sunday. Usually, a quiet, contemplative day in the Blogosphere. But not here in the Ist-a-Verse. Nonono! Just look below and see all of the wild and crazy stuff our staffs are up to. In Austin, bands are beginning to confirm for SXSW and the rumor mill is up and running. Good thing, too, because we all know how much Austinites love live performances. Austin also found itself in the national spotlight, with Longhorn Legend Vince......

Did you see this story from yesterday? Let the good times roll! Telecommunication operators and Internet users need to wait longer to get normal access as the authority said Tuesday the damage on undersea cables caused by earthquake last month is more serious than previous estimated. According to the latest estimation Tuesday by the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) of Hong Kong, the quake damage on cables is more serious than the preliminary survey......

We're still trying to get all the post-earthquake wires reconnected here at Shanghaiist headquarters (and some of us are still on vacation), so while we get back up to blogging speed, why not head over to the 2007 Bloggies and nominate some of your favorite blogs from 2006. We don't want to tell you what to do, but there is a category called Best Asian Weblog ... and Shanghaiist is a weblog about Asia. Hmmmm.......

We simply got tired of waiting for the optical cable guy to arrive. We also started experiencing the internet withdrawal shakes had some research to do. A man can only organize his Gmail inbox so many times. So we laid down some cash and got things working again. Here's how. The Taiwan earthquake broke undersea internet cables — that's why your ADSL connection likely can't reach many foreign websites right now — but certain wireless......

Most of you know that the earthquake off the coast of Taiwan has severely disrupted telecommunications, including phone and internet, all over the Asia-Pacific region. The 7.2 earthquake messed up some of the submarine optical cables that connect Asia with much of the rest of the world. In response, there's been an attempt to reroute and use backup systems to get traffic flowing again, albeit slowly. The New York Times ran a report about this,......