Results tagged “shanghaidaily”

Oh boy, what's news is news (we suppose), but Shanghai Daily still manages to crack us up with its solemn and hard hitting reportage from time to time. Ever litter off a high-rise building just because you can with absolute impunity? It seems that people who live closer to ground level are starting to complain about the steady flow of garbage falling from the sky: terrace-tossers are becoming a serious threat to public safety and sanity. Hit us with a poignant example, Shanghai Daily!

If you've found yourself commenting to your friends, family, or coworkers on the prolonged warm weather, you probably wouldn't be surprised to know that Shanghai's summers are actually getting longer by the year. A lot longer, in fact. Shanghai Daily reports that since 1970, the length of summer has increased by 50%, from a measly 100 days back then to a whopping average of 150+ days a year. So if you crunch the numbers, that means summer takes up more than 40% of the year.

Zeng Shaoxuan, a wildcard entry from China, upset Dudi Sela yesterday in the first round of the Shanghai Masters. Zeng, ranked 396th worldwide, defeated the 44th-ranked Israeli in an come from behind victory. Sela, who has reached a semifinal and two quarterfinals so far this season, started off strong with a five-game win string, but faltered through the second and third sets. Zeng said the enthusiasm of the crowd helped him win, and we cant' blame him: we imagine it was quite an uproar. Photo:Shanghai Daily

The Boston Globe? Hanging on by a thread.

Shanghai police were able to recover the body of the mechanic who had been missing since a helicopter serving China's Antarctic exploration ship, Xuelong (雪龙）, fell to the sea. Fishermen discovered remains with ID belonging to 56-year-old Yang Yongchang off the muddy banks of Changxing Island. Final confirmation, done through a DNA match, is still needed. The helicopter was carrying four men when it crashed into the ocean off of Shanghai only one minute after taking off from Snow Dragon. The three other passengers suffered minor injuries. Source: Shanghai Daily

Hundreds of parents set to the streets on April 15th in a peaceful march, begging for help in finding their missing children. Originally reported by the New Express (translated by Danwei), the parents claim that about 1,000 children have gone missing from the Dongguan area since 2007. At their wits end, they've set out to draw more attention to the apparent, widespread abduction problem.

Shanghai officials have issued a warning against taxi drivers that may be using black market devices to scam passengers. The gidgets, which can be had for "several dozen yuan" either make the meter tick faster or increase the distance traveled.

Minhang commuters and residents have been enjoying free bike rides for the last two weeks. No its not a rash of bike stealers - in fact, it's actually a new government sponsored program partially intended to curb theft.

Remember that incredibly entertaining (if somewhat morbid) story about a woman who lost a best mistress contest and then drove her lover and his four other mistresses off a cliff? Well, apparently it might have been complete fiction! Damn it!

A 26-year-old Shanghai woman died in New York after being run over by an allegedly intoxicated off-duty police officer. Her family is now preparing to fly to the U.S. to handle funeral arrangements. The officer has now been charged with vehicular manslaughter, assault and driving while intoxicated. A woman identifying herself as the officer's mother blamed the victim, telling the New York Daily News that “It was her fault... my son went out and had a couple of drinks. He deserves to have a good time now and then.” Uh... worst mother ever? Source: Shanghai Daily

... and before you start scoffing, it's all from a very reliable and authoritative source of course — no, it's not AC Nielsen and neither is it Taylor Nelson Sofres — it's a doctoral student from Shanghai University by the name of Ni Lin. Never heard of her? Well neither have we, but if the Shanghai Daily starts quoting her as proof of its popularity among expats in this town, then she must be something right?

Her boyfriend told a doctor that her left ear cracked while they were kissing. The woman later found she couldn't hear anything with that ear.

God forbid you should ever come across two or more of the Shanghai World Expo mascots in the street, at least now, thanks to Shanghai Daily, you know the proper collective noun to use when describing the furry blue monsters to the 119 operator: Brace. "I am being attacked by a brace of Haibao!" Should there be six Haibao, you would say "three brace of Haibao!" Seven? Good luck. No one has ever escaped from such an encounter alive. Please note that, like "fish" and "zucchini", the plural form of Haibao is also Haibao, making them even creepier. [Via apgalbraith on Twitter]

On Wednesday the manager of a construction firm in Shanghai's Jiading District was held hostage by a man who claimed he had a bomb. The three-hour drama ended with the offender taken into custody. According to Shanghai Daily, this is the fourth bomb hoax that has been carried out in the city this summer. We kind of think that's enough for this year.

Photo from Shanghai Daily.

...and we don't mean playing the role of a teacher in a film, we mean an actual teacher. No, really. Most of us know Jay Chou (周杰伦) – the mumbling Taiwanese R’n’B superstar – as that guy who stares blankly at us from Meters Bonwe adverts on the metro, but if you thought he was just another vacant celebrity then a reappraisal may be due, as Jay will soon take up the post of lecturer in our fair city.

The curved road ramp on the Yan'an Highway by the Bund is getting torn down in an operation that will take 120 days. It is a part of a larger makeover programme that will also see the Waibaidu Bridge dismantled, repaired and reassembled beam by beam. Such a pity! We used to LOVE the view whenever we go down there in a taxi. Now we may never get that view again. Coming in its place, according to the Shanghai Daily:

Eventually, the elevated ramp will be replaced by a lower ramp linking the elevated road to the tunnel.

Continue reading "More on the Bund makeover"

By Wm Patrick Cranley

In our past life as a public relations executive, we were always surprised at how China's media world appears to be in sort of a pre-Cambrian age with as many publications going out of business as there are coming in. Call up all the journalists you've invited after a press conference and there always be bound to be one or two publications that have folded up. Well it appears we haven't quite come out of those pre-Cambrian times yet, and at least the expat magazine circle is beginning to feel the heat. Hot on the heels of the closure of News Views Reviews comes the demise of Hint Magazine. We just received this in our mail from the editors of the publication:

Dear Friends of Hint Magazine,

Continue reading "Hint Magazine calls it a day"

Nasty. Nasty. Nasty. If we didn't have to walk the dogs, we'd just stay inside our (semi) warm living room all day. We know the miserable sleet (or is it freezing rain?) and slippery conditions are forcing some offices to send workers home early today. But winter's icy grip on China is far more serious than some missed work or a slip on the sidewalk. Here's a rundown (and, please, feel free to add to this list in a comment):

This news just in from Shanghai Daily:

FIVE workers were injured in an explosion at a demolished building near Shanghai's landmark Jin Mao Tower in Pudong New Area this morning, Eastday.com reported.

Continue reading "Breaking News: Pudong gas blast injures 5"

This is Al-Jazeera's take on the new nationwide ban on plastic bags that begins June 1 this year. Apparently, Australia now also follows China's lead to ban plastic bags. Time to take your own bags when you go grocery shopping guys! Remember, you're helping China to save 37 million barrels of oil each year.

Poor, poor Sania Mirza. The 22 year old Indian tennis starlet (and world number 31 on the current charts) was caught exposing her cleavage — the one below her waist, that is — on Shanghai Daily, of all places. The unflattering picture appeared on page A14 of the sports section in yesterday's paper. Hat tip to Chris St. Cavish of SH Mag, who we presume was flipping through the papers in search of the latest gastronomic delights to write about.

As Saturday, December 29 approaches, Shanghaiist wonders if the addition of three new lines to Shanghai's subway system will do anything to relieve the congestion on the city's metro rail system. Let's ask the Shanghai Daily:

OK, you know we love to slag off Shanghai Daily articles even though we know it's an essentially meaningless thing to do so. Old habits die hard. We just finished reading one about the planned Fisherman's Wharf in Yangpu district, which we are told is

Unlike its namesake in San Fransico with sea views and sea lions, the local FW will be built on the banks of the Huangpu River in Yangpu District, according to the district officials.

The outlook of its main buildings will resemble various kinds of fish to commemorate the city's history. Shanghai was evolved from a small fishing village about 1,500 years ago.

China Digital Times: Deal With Global Warming: Try Not to Divorce - China Youth Daily

From Shanghai Daily:

SHANGHAI issued an orange alert for heavy fog this morning. It was the first orange fog warning since winter began early this month.

Continue reading "Orange fog alert and lousy airport/airline services"

We want some of whatever this guy is smoking:

Not too surprising, we suppose. They broke ground on this at the expo site today, More from the Shanghai Daily: