A 19 year old woman who owed over 500RMB in a bill to a beauty salon in Minhang District stabbed one of the salon's worker 11 times with a kitchen knife before fleeing and committing suicide by jumping into a river. Fortunately, the beautician who was sent to follow the woman home to take payment, has survived to tell the story. The dead woman's siblings have since arrived in Shanghai from Shandong, and said their......

To bolster confidence against terrorist attacks in the upcoming Beijing Olympics, Xinhua gives us stills from a CCTV special of the armed police demonstrating anti-terrorist tactics in Jinan, capital of Shandong Province. Observe the acrobatic prowess, the state-of-the-art defense of the flame-thrower, the heavy-duty mob scattering water cannons, and, of course, no anti-terrorist drill would be complete without armed police on wheels! While we admit that high-powered water cannons might have conveniently served the......

Another police officer who was attacked on July 1 was pronounced dead today, increasing the fatality count to six. The conditions of the three remaining injured officers and one security guard are still unclear. Yang Jia (杨佳), 28, is currently under police custody. Danwei offers further background on Yang.......

The 28 year old suspect, surnamed Yang, is from Beijing, and was taking revenge on police officers at the Zhabei police station for investigating him for alleged bicycle theft. Not the sort of harmonious news we'd like to be hearing one month before the Olympics. [Source]......

Several thousand rioters have gathered in Guizhou's Weng'an County, torched a police station, ransacked government buildings and overturned police cars, after allegations of a cover-up over a 15 year old girl's death blew up. Ming Pao reports the son of the county's vice-deputy mayor had raped and murdered the girl along with another youth and tossed her body into the Ximen River. Police only detained the suspects for five hours and released them without charge.......

"Doggie cops snatched a bunch of unlicensed dogs from owners in my courtyard in a sting op this AM. Self-important JERKS. " [Source]......

Someone once said 'an unjust law is no law at all,' but perhaps a more accurate rephrasing would read 'an unenforced law is no law at all.' This has largely been our experience, at least, when it comes to navigating our way through the complicated legal terrain of the PRC. No approved foreign media outlets, but a hundred (illegal) satellite dishes on every apartment complex (and hotel for that matter). Only a handful of state-sanctioned......

Way back in 1925, during the heyday of foreign imperialism in Shanghai, discontent was fomenting among the local populace over what were generally considered to be unfair privileges granted to foreigners and Chinese exclusion from the governing Shanghai Municipal Council. The deals the foreign powers had struck up with Manchu officials in the 19th century, suspect from the beginning, had little official legitimacy after the fall of the Qing more than ten years earlier. Tensions......

Carry your passport with you wherever you go, says the Exit-Entry Administration of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau because police are going to step up on their random checks. Good times.Professors from Tongji University are now working on the preservation of historic and cultural relics damaged in the Sichuan earthquake, including a systematic protection plan for Dujiangyan's more than 2,000-year-old irrigation infrastructure.A 61 year old retired teacher has put up her 148 square metre Xujiahui......

Via Speak4China which is rapidly becoming one of our favourite blogs: Shortly after Chinese netizens launched a "human flesh search engine" and elicited a tearful response from a group of three Sichuan students for their earthquake interview prank, the online lynch mobs have quickly found a new target in a Liaoning girl by the name of Gao Qianhui (高千惠). But this time we think that she kinda deserved it. First let's check out her crime,......

Sorry this bears no relation to the Sichuan earthquake, but has any of you seen this in your hood yet? We don't have any time to translate this right now (maybe one of you can help), but apparently they're looking for the suspect in the explosion of Bus 942 in Yangpu District which happened earlier this month. The (dead) suspect is said to be around 40 years of age, 1.64m tall, and sports about 9......

The huge African community in Guangzhou is starting to feel the heat as many of them are being forced to leave the country because of new visa policies, reports Bloomberg citing the South China Morning Post:Nearly half of the 10,000 Africans in the city have already been forced to leave because their visa-renewal applications have been denied and at least 100 people are stranded in Macau without enough money to return home, the newspaper reported.......

Spot any interesting ad in your neighbourhood? Snap a picture and send it to us at info AT shanghaiist DOT com!......

Photo from Heidi D Via Danwei: For the first time, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has acknowledged that visa procedures have been tightened. Said Qin Gang, according to the AP:"We have made some arrangements according to usual international practice. That is, in the approval process we are more strict and more serious with the procedure," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said. He did not directly link the changes to the Aug. 8-24 Beijing Olympics, but......

Taikang Lu has developed rapidly in the last few months — expanding from the original alleyway into a sprawling collection of labyrinthine lanes populated by galleries, arty shops, and some great restaurants. However, the revitalisation of Taikang Lu hasn't been welcomed by everyone. Yesterday, on a gloriously sunny afternoon that saw large numbers of people flock to the area, some local residents decided to voice their dissent against the ongoing development. Three white and blue......

We're not sure if this has anything to do with this earlier story, but Beijing police do seem intent to really CLEAN UP the city in time for the Olympics. In a massive raid on Sanlitun recently, the city's popular nightlife area, Beijing police have arrested 20 people (including eight foreigners) and many young people are said to be shaken. Blogger Beijing Boyce happened to be in the vicinity, and observed:1) this raid was much......

A weekend trip had us stopping off at the Lama Temple, the center of Gelug Buddhism (the particular branch of Buddhism practiced by the Dalai Lama) in Beijing. In light of the recent developments, it probably shouldn't have come as a surprise that they would step up their security but there wasn't any real change that could be detected on the surface. But then we took a closer look. Scattered throughout the temple complex were......

The following update from Beijing-based AIDS activist Wan Yanhai (万延海) is currently being circulated among gay and other AIDS-related online groups (proxy/VPN required) on the mainland:Account of police raids targeted at LGBT in Beijing Wan Yanhai First instance: in the second half of January 2008, the police in Chaoyang District visited the residence of a LGBT activist. They enquired about her ex-roommate residence permit, asked for her picture, and enquired about the nature of her......

The situation in and around Tibet Reuters: Tibetan riots spread, security lockdown in Lhasa AFP: Foreign tourists in China not allowed into Tibet: tour guides Reuters: Nepal closes Mount Everest over protest concerns PTI: China intensifies border vigil along Nepal-Tibet border Reuters: Visitors recount Tibet violence, tell of troops What China says China Daily: 11th Panchen Lama condemns Lhasa riot Xinhua: Shops reopen, vehicle back on streets as Lhasa calms Xinhua: Religious leader, locals......

More quirky winter training and this time from the Chinese military police. It's close to freezing point and the boys are stripped down to their underwear and left to huddle up to each other, rubbing their buddies to keep warm. To keep their hearts ablaze, they're also made to sing patriotic songs and chant patriotic slogans. And this is how they will spend the next three to four hours to complete the training. Such training......

We were surprised to read from the China Briefing blog that ShanghaiExpat.com has been reported to the Chinese Network Security Police:The social expatriate website Shanghaiexpat.com has had a legal case against it lodged with the network security division of the Public Security Bureau in Shanghai for libel and ‘disrupting social harmony’ it has been reported today. The site, which last year celebrated its fifth anniversary, has proved popular with local expatriates yet has consistently drawn......

From Reuters:A group of lawyers and human rights campaigners are objecting to China's "re-education through labour" system which allows China citizens to be sent to prison-like camps without trial. The government calls the system a humane corrective alternative to jail. But in practice, police use it to hold tens of thousands of people including protesters, thieves and addicts. In another parallel universe, there is the Internal Security Act inherited from the British by countries......

Shanghai wants 50 top minds every year “Local authorities are offering lucrative packages to lure leading academics to the city under a new scheme to help boost its competitiveness.” Shanghai to launch int’l channel targeting foreigners “The ICS programs, covering news, information, fashion, entertainment, foreign TV shows and movies, will be aired in English and Japanese, with Chinese captions, for 19 hours a day.” Shanghai GM to launch Buick LaCrosse hybrid prior to Olympic......

Air transport AFP: Air China, Shanghai Airlines join Star Alliance XFN: China Eastern says partnership with Singapore Airlines, Temasek 'only option' AFP: Singapore Airlines says won't raise China Eastern bid Finance Reuters: U.S. says China recognises need for stronger yuan NYT: Little Headway With China on Finance FT: Beijing lectures US on effect of weak dollar Drugs, drugs and drugs AP: China Shuts Down Leukemia Drug Maker Xinhua: China issues new drug recall method......

... and going with strange girls who want to practise their English to coffee shops is STILL a bad idea, folks. Yet another chump — this time a Swedish guy on a business trip — has fallen for the time-honoured scam by following a pair of temptresses who were "dressed like university students" (so wearing mortar boards, presumably) to the Manabe coffee shop on the 3rd floor of the Brilliance Shimao Plaza, Shanghai Daily reported......

If you have never seen what a Chinese job fair looks like, you NEED to take a look at this clip. Recruitment fairs usually have more security guards for crowd control and police on standby than other fairs, but it looks like even the organisers of this most recent fair in Jiangxi were taken aback by the turnout. As captured on the clip, a stampede almost broke out but fortunately, it did not. The truth......

If you guys still haven't heard about the scuffle between the group of 120 or so Hubei tourists and their Macau tourist guides, here's the video which includes some really really crazy scenes. Looks like even the riot police had to be called in! Short little backgrounder from Reuters:A group of tourists on a trip to Macau riot after being pressured to spend in shops. The tourists said guides took them to too many shops......

Shanghai Awaiting Approval on Disneyland [AP] Shanghai is awaiting approval of mainland China's first Disneyland, and the theme park could be built on an island in the Yangtze River, according to reports in the mainland and Hong Kong media.Shanghai sets up $1bn fund [FT] Shanghai's city government is setting up a financial investment company with about $1bn to spend on investments in China and overseas.New mechanisms required for China's climate change efforts - Greenpeace [Forbes]......

What would you do if you paid a shitload of money to study at some college, thinking it would legit and all, only to be told that your diploma would not be recognised after all? We don't know about you, but we would definitely riot. Well, that's what some civilian students at the Hefei PLA Artillery Academy did a few days back. And it turned out to be a very bloody incident. Iron doors were......

A group of 1,800 angry workers demanding overdue pay at a cotton mill in Xinhe, Chongming Island have held seven top managers of the Korean-owned mill hostage since Friday, including the chief executive officer of the factory. The news was reported in the Korean Chosun Ilbo, and as Fons Tuinstra of China Herald notes, the Chinese media has been silent on the story because "Chinese media cannot write about such unharmonious behavior". Our own search......