20090831 China's new-tech LCD industry gets $4B boost

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn BEIJING: China will promote the production of liquid crystal display (LCD) based on a new generation Thin Film Transistor (TFT) technology with a total investment of 28 billion yuan (US$4 billion), at Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area. BOE Technology Group Co., an LCD-making company with patent technology on G8 TFT-LCD production, will complete a production factory by 2011 which is able to assemble 40-inch LCD TV screens. Related readings:  TV makers suffer from soaring LCD panel prices  Taiwan LCD makers seek tie-ups with mainland firms  NEC closing LCD plant, reducing jobs to cut costs  LCD firms vie for mainland market  China imports 9.5% more LCD panels at higher cost "Our products will meet the surging domestic demand for large-sized LCD TV screens with high quality but lower prices," said BOE Chairman Wang Dongsheng at the inauguration ceremony of the factory on Monday.

20090831 Expert: Beware shark fins for health, and green

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn Steve Trent, president of US-headquartered WildAid, said it was important for China, the world's largest consumer of shark fins, to promote public awareness of the protection of this animal which is feared on the verge of extinction. Trent said consumers should find alternatives for shark fins and urged wasteful fishermen to harvest all of the shark instead of taking only the fins and discarding the rest. According to a 2009 WildAid report, the collapse and possible extinction of sharks would cause widespread ecological disruption with ensuing massive economic losses and decreased food security. Over-fishing, wasteful and destructive fishing practices and increasing demand for shark fin were blamed as the leading causes threatening the existence of sharks, the report said. Trent also called on China's government to promote international cooperation on shark conservation and management. In addition, China was considering listing certain endangered sharks as protected, Li said.

20090829 Premier urges to combat drought

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn BEIJING: As severe drought ravages China's northern areas and begins to extend southward, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has called for greater efforts to deal with the situation and ensure good harvests. devastated by drought in Aohan banner of Chifeng, in north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, August 28, 2009. [Xinhua] Wen said long-lingering drought in major agricultural regions greatly harmed production, so governments should make all out efforts to utilize irrigation facilities and reduce losses. Wen urged local governments to ensure water supplies to people and livestock in drought-hit areas, and channel funds to farmers affected by drought, to ensure their livelihoods.

20090829 Severe drought hurts drinking water supply(2)

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn To help relief work in these disaster-hit areas, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Civil Affairs appropriated a total of 176 million yuan ($25.7 million) on Friday to fight the ongoing drought. The money will be used in resolving grain and drinking water difficulties in drought-afflicted Hebei, Shanxi, Heilongjiang and Gansu provinces, along with Ningxia and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions. Drought has been plaguing the country since the beginning of this year. In early summer, the drought reached a peak, with 191 million mu of farmland affected.

20090829 Severe drought hurts drinking water supply(1)

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn A farmer in Wengniute Banner in north China's Inner Mongolia takes a close look at his dried-out field of crops in the drought-hit region on Aug 20. The drought is being described as the area's most severe for 100 years. Li Yuqiao A fast-spreading drought has decreased drinking water supplies for nearly 7 million people and damaged crops in seven provinces and regions in central and northern China, the national anti-drought administration said. Official statistics showed the drought had caused water shortages for 6.93 million people and 5.62 million head of livestock by Thursday. The overall scenario is serious because the drought is spreading fast due to low rainfall and lingering high temperatures, anti-drought officials said. "The rainfall in Inner Mongolia has been barely enough for grass to grow", and both people and livestock are facing a serious shortage of drinking water, Lu Juan said.

20090829 住藍屋數十年 李伯不願走

clipped from hk.apple.nextmedia.com 【本報訊】藍屋只剩下十多戶居民，選擇留下的坦言對灣仔有深厚感情，「灣仔乜都有」，不欲遷往別處，十分期待活化後有獨立浴室及洗手間。 在藍屋住了 35年的李伯表示，以前這裏是「七十二家房客」的現實寫照，高峯時一個單位住 10伙人，其房間約 80平方呎，現租金只需數百元，「如果留低住要交市值租金，梗係負擔唔起要搬啦，但政府話只跟通脹加租，即使係 10%，都唔係好貴。」決定留下居住的他指現時無獨立洗手間，要在廚房小解，大解則要往附近公園解決。 據了解，中標團體可以在不影響原貌下，在單位內加設洗手間等設施，但如無空間，則會在藍屋旁空地另建衞生設施。 不過，同一單位獨居的鄧伯卻選擇離開這個地方，「住咗 20年，係時候轉吓環境。」他說這裏樓底高夏天通爽，但每逢下雨天，木做的天花板漏水，而居民上落木樓梯時，「嘭嘭聲」十分煩擾，故他決定接受政府安排，遷往筲箕灣愛東邨過新生活。 李伯在藍屋住了 35年，對灣仔有深厚感情，故選擇留下。黃冠華攝

20090829 第二期歷史建築計劃接受申請 活化藍屋 留屋又留人

clipped from hk.apple.nextmedia.com 【本報訊】發展局推出第二期活化歷史建築伙伴計劃，灣仔藍屋建築群、前粉嶺裁判法院及首個納入計劃的法定古蹟沙田王屋村古屋等五個歷史建築，昨起接受非牟利團體申請。其中藍屋採用嶄新的「留屋又留人」活化方案，營辦團體要改善藍屋衞生設備，多年來「倒夜香」的特色，日後將會絕迹。 記者：黃偉駿、張文傑 其餘兩個歷史建築，包括在第一期計劃時因沒有收到合適方案而回收的舊大埔警署以及九龍城侯王廟石屋。文物保育專員陳積志昨介紹時表示，獲批經營權的團體，毋須承擔翻新費用，全數由政府承擔，並會獲上限 500萬元的資助，補貼非牟利團體首兩年營運可能面對的赤字。 在可供申請的歷史建築中，只有房協旗下的灣仔藍屋仍然有住客，目前大約有十多戶，多數是住了多年的老街坊。陳積志稱，為令藍屋居民社區網絡，在活化後得以保留，發展局採用嶄新的留屋又留人構思，讓現有居民選擇在原址居留，令街坊街里人情味延續下去。房協表示，經初步了解後，暫有 6戶住客要求在藍屋活化後原址居留，其餘願意遷出的住客，將安排遷往其他公屋單位。不過，發展局稱有大約 13戶住客願意留下來。 藍屋 舊大埔警署 二級， 1899年落成 總樓面面積 1.4萬平方呎，用地 7萬平方呎 建議用途：度假村、文化藝術村

20090827 China's legislature endorses climate change resolution

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn BEIJING: China's top legislature approved Thursday a resolution on climate change, ahead of an international conference in December in Copenhagen, Denmark. The resolution says China will adhere to "the basic framework" set up in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), signed by more than 150 countries in 1992, and the Kyoto Protocol, agreed in 1997 by the majority of the international community to set binding targets for developed countries to reduce CO2 emissions, and the principles of UNFCCC-endorsed "common but differentiated responsibilities" as well as "sustainable development." It says China "as a developing country" will firmly "maintain the right to development," and opposes "any form of trade protectionism disguised as tackling climate change." Developed nations should "take the lead in quantifying their reductions of emissions" and honor their commitments to "support developing countries with funds and technology transfers," it says.

20090827 NYC's 'skinniest' house has fat price tag: $2.7M

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn NEW YORK: It's 9 1/2 feet wide and 42 feet long and is billed as the narrowest house in New York City. But there's nothing small about its asking price: $2.7 million. This Aug. 1939 file photo shows the narrow townhouse on Bedford Street in New York's Greenwich Village. [Agencies] Located at 75 1/2 Bedford St. in Greenwich Village, the red brick building was built in 1873, sandwiched between 75 and 77 Bedford. It's famous for other reasons, too. Corcoran real estate broker Alex Nicholas says anthropologist Margaret Mead and poet Edna St. Vincent Millay once called it home. The three-story structure boasts plenty of light with large windows in the front and back, and a skylight. The current owner bought it in 2000 for $1.6 million. Nicholas says it's a place for someone who wants a little history.

20090819 海底地震阻網絡服務

clipped from hk.apple.nextmedia.com 【本報訊】受鄰近區域海底地震影響，本港互聯網服務前日起受阻中斷，估計全港有逾 60萬名網民，由前日下午起無法瀏覽包括 facebook、 Soccernet在內的多個大型海外網站，網上即時通訊工具 MSN也無法登入。電訊管理局承認有個別電訊商的服務受阻，營辦商正派船到現場搶修。 多名網上行用戶由前日下午起瀏覽海外網站受阻，一直延續至昨日上午才稍為改善。電訊盈科發言人解釋，鄰近區域的海底地震，造成該公司租用的部份海底電纜受損，影響上網速度，該公司已即時將互聯網流量轉至其他運作正常的電纜。 電訊管理局表示接獲七宗投訴，主要是瀏覽台灣、日本及韓國等海外網頁時速度緩慢，但主要通訊包括對外話音服務大致正常。該局自本月 12日已收到海底通訊電纜損毀的報告，一直跟海底電纜營辦商和互聯網服務供應商保持緊密聯繫，營辦商已安排船隻前往搶修。 香港互聯網協會主席莫乃光表示，今次主要受損的兩條海底電纜，包括 FNAL與 RNAL，都是電盈與中國聯通租用的電纜之一，但今次影響不及 06年底台灣地震時的網絡大災難。

20090814 港人口突破七百萬

clipped from hk.apple.nextmedia.com 【本報訊】政府統計處發表最新本港人口統計數字，截至今年 6月底，本港人口臨時數字突破 7百萬人，較去年同期微增 0.4%，出生及單程證人士來港定居是本港人口增長的重要因素。 根據政府統計處資料顯示，截至今年 6月底，本港人口臨時總數為 7,008,300人，較去年同期增加 30,600人，增長率為 0.4%。過去一年在港有 81,200名新生嬰兒，包括本港居民及非本港居民所生；同期死亡人數有 39,900人，兩者相差計算，上述期間的人口自然增長為 41,300人。 又同期有 41,400名單程證人士來港定居，但扣除同期移居海外的 52,100人，本港淨移出人口為 10,700人，抵銷部份人口增長。 統計處又指，本港現時常住居民接近 680萬人，流動人口則超過 21萬人，當局又修訂去年底本港總人口數字，實為接近 699萬人，按年人口增長率為 0.5%。另該處資料顯示，今年年中在港旅客近 34萬人。

20090810 Million flee as Morakot slams coast

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn The most devastating typhoon this year hit coastal provinces in East China yesterday, leaving at least one dead, nearly 1 million people relocated, and causing severe flooding as the nation braced for more rain today. The deadly typhoon, which swept across the west Pacific region during the weekend, already claimed at least 23 lives and four lives respectively when it hit the Philippines and Taiwan's Hualien region, causing the worst flooding in the island in half a century. The typhoon caused a six-storey hot spring resort to collapse and flipped over sections of a bridge near Hualien on Saturday. At least 31 people were reported missing. Floods and landslides paralyzed traffic in many rural areas. Farmers tried to protect their production facilities against high waves. The supply of vegetables and seafood to markets was severely affected. Local governments issued flood warnings. All the rain and winds have cut off electricity in some places

20090814 Ma: more than 500 feared dead in typhoon

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou estimated on Friday that more than 500 people had died in flooding and mudslides caused by Typhoon Morakot. A man moves past a destroyed bridge along cables slung by rescuers above a destroyed bridge in the village of Xinkai, Kaohsiung of Taiwan, August 12, 2009. The village was hit by debris flow caused by typhoon Morakot and casualties was estimated at at least 32. [CFP] But it was now unlikely that anyone trapped since Monday in the landslide had survived. The typhoon has knocked out 34 bridges and severed 253 segments of road in Taiwan, with repairs expected to take up to three years in the worst spots, the transportation authority said. In Cishan, a storm-ravaged town of 41,000, both road bridges had collapsed, smashing houses and taking down cars. Residents jammed a footbridge which remained standing. Rescuers used earth movers to clear mud from roads as hundreds of people cleaned homes or storefronts, heaving out water-logged possessions.

20090811 Two killed in landslide in typhoon-ravaged E China

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn Houses destroyed by a storm-induced landslide are seen in this picture taken on August 11, 2009 in Pengxi Town of East China's Zhejiang Province. Two people died and four were injured in Monday's landslide. [Xinhua]

20090813 Morakot kills 103, injures 45 in Taiwan

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn TAIPEI:The death toll in Taiwan after typhoon Morakot swept across the island surged to 103 as of 9 p.m. Wednesday after rescuers found 32 bodies in southern Kaohsiung County, local media reported. At least 61 people are missing and another 45 injured after Typhoon Morakot, the worst in the region for half a century, wreaked havoc across the central and southern regions, local disaster-relief authorities said. Typhoon Morakot has caused more than 8.8 billion New Taiwan Dollars (about 267 million U.S. dollars) in agricultural damage, according to local agricultural authorities. Hundreds of roads and bridges on the island have been destroyed by floods, and disaster-relief centers have dispatched helicopters to transport villagers and air-drop goods in those regions. People from a wide range of social sectors including government, enterprises, entertainment and TV stations have donated cash and goods worth millions of New Taiwan Dollars to support the disaster-relief work.