1. Limits to packaging sought:
Products with more than 3 layers of packaging or those that occupy less than 45% of package space will be banned if a draft regulation is passed as law. Such products can neither be produced nor sold in China, says the draft, which was put up for public hearing by the quality authorities Tuesday. The packaging cost should not exceed 15% of the product's price and firms that make or sell such products would face fines of up to RMB50000.
2. 128 KILLED IN MUD-ROCK FLOW:
The death toll from a rain-triggered mud-rock flow in Shanxi rose to 128 as of 5 pm Wednesday, the local rescue headquarters said. An initial investigation revealed the accident's cause was the unlicensed Tashan mine operated illegally and stored waste iron ore dregs had surpassed the capacity of the holding pond. The State Council will examine the cause.
3. Yangtze River polluted:
14 plastic buckets containing waste fluid were discarded from a van near the Yangzte River at Xishui section in Hubei last Sunday, Chutian Metropolis Daily reported. The van fled the scene and some of the black noxious fluid flew into the Yangtze River. As of Monday, the polluted scene had been effectively controlled. Local police have started an investigation.
4. Olympic items auctioned off:
Over 1800 pieces of furniture and household appliances used in Beijing's Olympic Media Village were auctioned off, bringing in RMB133000. Some popular items, including the bed that Yao Ming slept in, were not auctioned, but the auction attracted a lot of attention in China. The Beijing Jiahe Auction House received thousands of inquiries from China. Another auction was postponed until September 18.
5. DPRK officials deny Kim is ill:
DPRK denied Wednesday that leader Kim Jong II is seriously ill. Kim Yong Nam said there was "no problem" with the supreme leader, and senior diplomat Song II Ho also said that reports about Kim Jong II's health are "not true," according to Japan's Kyodo News agency.
6. Flaw in Twin Towers revealed:
Scientists have discovered the fundamental reason why the Twin Towers collapsed on September 11, 2001, the financial Times reported. The steel used in the buildings softened fatally at 500C, as a result of a previously unsuspected magnetic change in the metal. The finding should lead to a new generation of safer steels capable of retaining strength at higher temperatures.
7. Putin's daughter revealed:
A photo of Maria Putin, one of Russia PM Vladimir Putin's grown-up daughters, has appeared on the internet. The picture was originally taken by an owner of an online diary. Maria, 23, and her sister Ekaterina, 22, have never appeared in any media before due to safety concerns.
8. Armstrong to return in 2009:
US cycling great Lance Armstrong, who will turn 37 on September 18, said Tuesday he will return to professional cycling in 2009 in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden. Armstrong, a cancer survivor, won 7 consecutive Tour de France titles from 1999 to 2005.
9. Cash payment cuts spending:
If you want to spend less, use cash instead of credit cards or vouchers, research has confirmed. Psychologists from New York University and the University of Maryland published the results by saying that participants spent cash much more carefully than other forms of payment. The 2 summarized their findings as "the more transparent the payment type, the greater the pain of paying".
10. Google to digitize old papers:
Google Inc has stepped up efforts to digitize dozens of historical newspapers in order to make old newspapers searchable online. The effort involve the archiving of newspaper titles and indexing of old newspapers from The New York Times and Washington Post. The initial batch of partnership newspapers are mainly US and Canada-based publications.
from China Mobile (China Daily)
