http://www.thestandard.com.hk Latest headlines from The Standard Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 RSS newsfeed by The Standard The Standard, Sing Tao News Corp. editor@thestandard.com.hk todd.john@singtaonewscorp.com http://www.thestandard.com.hk/url_to_some_image.gif http://www.thestandard.com.hk http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=102777&sid=29534019&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 The battle for control of GOME Electrical Appliances Holdings (0493) has taken another twist, with chairman Chen Xiao reportedly securing the support of institutional investors holding more than 40 percent of the electronics retailer. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=102778&sid=29534675&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Haier Electronics Group (1169) plans to invest up to 400 million yuan (HK$458.16 million) next year to expand the logistics business it bought last month from its parent. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=102779&sid=29535808&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Mainland inflation hit 3.7 percent in August - the highest so far this year - and is expected to remain high in the next one or two months, economists estimate. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=102786&sid=29536602&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Annual income at Sunlight Real Estate Investment Trust (0435) fell 30.9 percent to HK$186.5 million because of an increase in distribution to major unit holders. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=102776&sid=29536851&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Three more firms have launched initial public offerings, seeking a total of HK$2.5 billion amid a revival in the IPO market. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=5&art_id=102784&sid=29533672&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 All Nippon Airways will team up with Hong Kong-based First Eastern Investment Group (0144) to launch a discount carrier next year. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=5&art_id=102785&sid=29534282&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 US President Barack Obama's proposed stimulus package is estimated to cost up to US$350 billion (HK$2.73 trillion). Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=5&art_id=102787&sid=29537003&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 China Huiyuan Juice Group (1886) has breached covenants on a US$250 million (HK$1.95 billion) three-year loan completed in April, and is seeking a waiver from lender banks. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=10&art_id=102774&sid=29532270&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 The most senior Chinese diplomat at the United Nations is alleged to have delivered a drunken rant last week against his boss, Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Americans. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=10&art_id=102773&sid=29536244&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Blind activist Chen Guangcheng, who exposed abuses in the mainland's "one child" policy, has been freed after four years in prison. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=102792&sid=29533430&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Experts have concocted a super-spray, which they claim, can wipe out 99 percent of microscopic nasties that threaten our health. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=102791&sid=29533471&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 The Ombudsman said the government should refuse to renew the driving and vehicle licenses of those who fail to attend court. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=102790&sid=29535753&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Abusive tour guide Ah Zhen (Li Hau- chun) had her license revoked for life by the Travel Industry Council and the company she worked for, Golden Win International Travel Services, was fined HK$47,500. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=102808&sid=29536091&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=102797&sid=29536408&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Animal welfare groups yesterday urged pet owners not to abandon their four-legged friends following reports of deaths caused by bites from ticks. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=102800&sid=29536669&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Suicides among young men, especially those who have left school and are jobless, have increased sharply, according to a study. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=102798&sid=29536953&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 The government has for the second time delayed the clearance of households at Tsz Tin Tsuen in Tuen Mun following the intervention of Heung Yee Kuk chairman Lau Wong-fat even as villagers prepared for another confrontation. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=102799&sid=29538433&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 A Princess Margaret Hospital nurse who scalded a three-month- old baby while bathing him was found guilty of professional misconduct by the Nursing Council yesterday. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=13&art_id=102801&sid=29535102&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Philippine investigators have admitted for the first time that police may have shot some of the hostages in a bungled operation on August 23 that left eight Hong Kong residents dead. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=13&art_id=102810&sid=29536963&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Model and singer Rosemary Vandenbroucke - who was arrested and charged by US police in a drug bust at the weekend - could lose her Hong Kong contract if she is found guilty. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=15&art_id=102765&sid=29487556&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Dog ownership is booming in Asia. Psychologists say it's because dogs are "tameable, predictable, simple- minded animals." Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=15&art_id=102763&sid=29488239&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Paris has been in the news lately for a crime wave. It got so bad it even made the news in Hong Kong when the Chinese community turned out in strength to protest violent robberies and were teargassed. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=15&art_id=102764&sid=29518894&con_type=3&d_str=20100910 Vigorous bidding at last week's auction of the prime Ede Road site in Kowloon Tong showed that niche developers are just as aggressive as their market leader counterparts Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=102783&sid=29533485&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Police in Thailand defused three unexploded bombs discovered in Bangkok and surrounding suburbs over a matter of hours, one of them in front of a school and one in a shopping mall. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=102775&sid=29533639&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 New Zealand's top military scientist has quit after allegations that his resume falsely claimed he was an ex-marine and an Olympic bobsledder who raced against Jamaica's Cool Runnings team. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=102780&sid=29534372&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Two "dumb and dumber" Australian pet thieves wrestled a stolen python in a McDonald's restaurant car park as astonished customers looked on. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=102782&sid=29536742&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 "Abracadabra, we'll turn all of you into toads!" Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=102781&sid=29537435&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Natascha Kampusch, who was kidnapped at the age of 10 and held captive for 8 years, has hit out at the police and their handling of the case in her book which went on sale this week. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=102766&sid=29532269&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Asian Tour chief Kyi Hla Han voiced fears over the future of Chinese golf, saying player development had been hurt since the country aligned with the rival OneAsia Tour. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=102767&sid=29532289&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 The Bledisloe Cup Test between Australia and New Zealand next month in Hong Kong will be the last to be staged overseas. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=102771&sid=29532309&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 The All Blacks - many of whom lived through the powerful Christchurch earthquake - will look to put the trauma aside as they eye a record 10th consecutive win over Australia in Sydney. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=102769&sid=29532368&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 The men's tour is in talks to implement a two-week extension to its off- season in time for the 2012 season. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=102770&sid=29532440&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 The Pakistan Cricket Board have asked Scotland Yard and the International Cricket Council to allow suspended trio Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir to return home from the tour of England. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=102768&sid=29536671&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Fifa are to consider abolishing extra time at the World Cup and going straight to penalties if knock-out matches are drawn. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=102772&sid=29536672&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Everton defender Phil Jagielka has warned England teammate Wayne Rooney to expect a hostile reception when the Manchester United striker returns to his former club for a Premier League clash tomorrow. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=102788&sid=29536049&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 It's common for senior monks to pray together for the common good - but they seldom close ranks and rise up. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=102789&sid=29536050&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Many people feel Philippine President Benigno Aquino should have just kept silent - or flashed his now trademark smile - when asked to comment on whether he should have answered that urgent phone call at the height of the deadly bus hijacking last month. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=102793&sid=29536051&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Hong Kong actress Carina Lau Ka-ling is the latest star to have a shoe molded at Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo's head office in Florence. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=102794&sid=29536052&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Tony Chan Chun-chuen has lost another battle. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=102795&sid=29536053&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau Tang-wah was in the hot seat again - literally. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=102796&sid=29536056&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Swire Property is expanding its kingdom in Quarry Bay. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=102809&sid=29532675&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 The authorities should make sure citizens have the right to cultural activities on the street, a magistrate said yesterday as he acquitted a juggler accused of causing an obstruction in a public place. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=102806&sid=29532818&con_type=3&d_str=20100910 The Education Bureau paid a sailing association HK$1.8 million in rent over 27 years even though it was sitting on government land. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=102807&sid=29535164&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 The family of a critically ill man is willing to undergo a liver swap with a donor in order to save him. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=102803&sid=29537420&con_type=3&d_str=20100910 Passengers narrowly escaped death yesterday when the arm of a toppling crane slammed on to a Light Tail Transit compartment in Tuen Mun. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=102804&sid=29537421&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 A three-year-old boy has died of human swine flu - the first death this year - forcing the closure of the Tuen Mun kindergarten he attended. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=102805&sid=29537422&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Prices for flats in public housing estates are going through the roof, with a Yiu On Estate apartment in Ma On Shan selling for a massive HK$2.07 million. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=102802&sid=29539543&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Philippine President Benigno Aquino said he is in touch with mainland authorities after receiving what he called an insulting letter from the Hong Kong government. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=36&art_id=102751&sid=29535926&con_type=3&d_str=20100910 Jason Ho has a busy learning schedule, though that's true of most students caught in Hong Kong's dog-eat-dog education system. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=36&art_id=102752&sid=29535927&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 September is the cruelest month - for those heading into Primary One. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=36&art_id=102753&sid=29535955&con_type=3&d_str=20100910 Chicken makhani - the two words that pop up in psychedelic colors every time someone asks me what I want for dinner. I swear I wouldn't mind living in prison just as long as they served chicken makhani three times a day and gave me one of those wooden paddles fitted with a rubber ball on a string. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=36&art_id=102754&sid=29535958&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Billed as a "playful take on modern Japanese cuisine," Zenku's (Tel: 2899-2216) opening this month is sure to make a splash with its creative dishes, including margarita maguro sushi and a pork tonkatsu mille feuille. Head chef Christian Yang's philosophy is sure to please: "I like to think of it as food with a sense of humor as well as a sense of flavor." Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=36&art_id=102755&sid=29535959&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 In a public contest, 7-Eleven Hong Kong has found its new Slurpee spokespeople to spearhead the launch of two new flavors: grape and pineapple-flavored Torpedo Shock, and a tangy cantaloupe- flavored Aloha Melon. The two winners endured a battery of tasks in the competition, including coming up with a new flavor and creating a Slurpee- themed dessert. They walked away with HK$20,000 and vouchers for a year- long supply of Slurpees. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=36&art_id=102756&sid=29535960&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Voted "best people-watching spot in Hong Kong," Staunton's Wine Bar + Cafe (Tel: 2973-6611) is giving out samplers at its SummerFest wine-tasting event on Wednesday. Drinkers can mingle with wine experts who will discuss the new wine menu and field questions. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=36&art_id=102757&sid=29535961&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 If the thought of free booze doesn't grab you, how about free ice-cream? Ben & Jerry's is bringing in its popular Cherry Garcia, made with pure cream, chewy cherry pieces and fudge flakes. Grab your free mini cone on Wednesday. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=36&art_id=102758&sid=29535962&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 Man Ho Chinese Restaurant (Tel: 2810-8366) has come up with a new food therapy menu using traditional ingredients known for health benefits. Dishes such as sauteed celery with beancurd and water chestnuts (HK$120) promise to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, while braised turtle in casserole (HK$230) is said to strengthen chi and tonify the kidneys. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=36&art_id=102759&sid=29535965&con_type=3&d_str=20100910 My wife and I popped over to Macau to check out the Golden Flower - a classy restaurant serving, among others, Tan clan cuisine - in the Wynn Macau. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=36&art_id=102760&sid=29535970&con_type=3&d_str=20100910 Vast. Intricate. Awe-inspiring. Depressing. Momentous. Stagnant. These conflicting words come to mind when gazing on the universally acclaimed works of Edward Burtynsky. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=36&art_id=102761&sid=29535971&con_type=1&d_str=20100910 fung shui is a valuable tool in the workplace. It helps to increase sales, boost the morale of employees, increase productivity and induce kind energies. Apply fung shui at your business or office at home. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=36&art_id=102762&sid=29535972&con_type=3&d_str=20100910 when one is totally immersed in the wine business, it is useful to be occasionally reminded that for most drinkers wine is a pleasure rather than a means of putting a roof over one's head and food on the table. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:19:12 +0800