http://www.thestandard.com.hk Latest headlines from The Standard Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +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=122706&sid=36480103&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 doShares of Ports Design (0589) slumped by a record 38 percent yesterday, a day after the fashion retailer said it had breached listing rules and that chairman Edward Tan Han-kiat quit on May 18. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=122705&sid=36482919&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 A former executive director of Capital VC (2324) will be barred from investing in Hong Kong securities for the next 18 months after breaching the Code on Takeover and Mergers last year. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=122701&sid=36483104&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Banks in Hong Kong will from now on be allowed to set their own net open position on yuan holdings, the territory's de facto central bank announced. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=122707&sid=36483218&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (0388) is one step closer to buying London Metal Exchange as another strong bidder of the British platform was eliminated yesterday. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=122708&sid=36483558&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Mongolia-based iron-ore miner Altain Khuder is reportedly seeking to raise as much as HK$7.8 billion via an initial public offering in Hong Kong this year. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=122703&sid=36484098&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 China Life Insurance Company (2628) got a new chairman for the second time in 12 months following the resignation of Yuan Li yesterday. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=5&art_id=122702&sid=36482943&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Global stock markets took a breather yesterday as sentiment improved slightly. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=5&art_id=122704&sid=36485744&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 World shares gained for a second day yesterday amid speculation of fresh action by European leaders to tackle the region's debt crisis, even as the euro fell on doubts that much would come of this week's meeting. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=10&art_id=122676&sid=36479089&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 More than a million Chinese counterfeit electronic parts are estimated to be in use in US military aircraft, according to a Senate report, saying the discovery jeopardizes safety and national security. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=10&art_id=122678&sid=36482350&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Beijing has criticized a vote by American lawmakers requiring the United States to sell 66 new fighter jets to Taiwan, describing the measure as interference by Washington. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=10&art_id=122677&sid=36482351&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Beijing is investigating the seizure of 28 fishermen by armed North Koreans, giving its clearest indication yet that state forces may have played a role in the May 8 incident. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=122713&sid=36465041&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Asia will ride out the financial uncertainty and slowing mainland economy to become the world's largest casino market for years to come, according to a US gambling industry group executive. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=122709&sid=36478276&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Vegetable samples taken from a mainland farm that supplies two leading supermarket outlets showed traces of harmful pesticide, a Greenpeace official claimed yesterday. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=122710&sid=36479359&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Nearly one in six Hongkongers suffers from anxiety and depression, an interim report sponsored by the Food and Health Bureau shows. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=122711&sid=36480741&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 The opening up of Sha Tau Kok may deprive butterflies of their natural habitats, according to a green group. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=122684&sid=36481481&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Some people say Hong Kong lacks history and heritage. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=122685&sid=36481842&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 The Housing Authority has endorsed a 10 percent increase in public housing rents despite opposition from tenants. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=122712&sid=36482025&con_type=3&d_str=20120523 A construction worker arrested at the Chinese University of Hong Kong is believed to be linked to 13 cases of theft and voyeurism at the Ma Liu Shui campus. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=122686&sid=36483723&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Home affairs undersecretary Florence Hui Hiu-fai has defended herself against claims she does not have the expertise to become the territory's first cultural minister. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=15&art_id=122672&sid=36460258&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Today, boys and girls, we start with an important life lesson. NEVER be the child of a detective, or even a writer of detective novels. You'll never get away with anything. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=15&art_id=122671&sid=36465703&con_type=3&d_str=20120523 The change of chief executives in Hong Kong has always served as inspiration for local authors to produce new works. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=122688&sid=36479125&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was hit with criminal charges in Kuala Lumpur yesterday for his part in an election reform rally. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=122687&sid=36482635&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 At least 25 people were killed and 45 injured yesterday when a passenger train slammed into a stationary freight train in southern India. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=122689&sid=36482652&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Opening a new era in private space flight, the US company SpaceX yesterday became the first commercial outfit to launch its own craft toward the International Space Station. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=122690&sid=36482761&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 The Philippines' top judge denied he was a crook as he testified then dramatically walked out at his own trial yesterday, denouncing his impeachment as a vendetta by President Benigno Aquino. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=18&art_id=122673&sid=36482441&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Medical drama House bowed out after eight years on television with a funeral, a friendship and multiple devious plot twists. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=18&art_id=122674&sid=36482443&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Katherine Jenkins couldn't have performed any better during the Dancing With the Stars finals: She earned a perfect score of 60 for her two dances on the penultimate episode of the ABC television show. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=18&art_id=122675&sid=36482444&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Brazil children's television host Xuxa has revealed the late Michael Jackson wanted to marry her. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=122681&sid=36478920&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Olympic champion Usain Bolt hopes to clock 9.7 seconds in the 100 meters at the Golden Spike meeting in the Czech Republic this weekend as he continues to prepare for the London Games. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=122683&sid=36479313&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Lam Chih Bing kept a cool head in testing conditions, firing a one-under-par 71 to take a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Ageas Hong Kong PGA Championship. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=122680&sid=36479333&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Jeremy Lin, pictured, is not assured of returning to the New York Knicks next season. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=122679&sid=36479853&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Former England captain Steve Borthwick will lead a powerful Saracens team to play the BGC Asia-Pacific Barbarians in the Chartis Cup in Hong Kong on June 9. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=122682&sid=36482508&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Jockey Club Youth Football Development Program have teamed up with the local Football Association to find and nurture future talent to represent the SAR. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=122696&sid=36482561&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 It's not my usual style to dwell on the same subject for two consecutive days, but the Lychee Valley drama is so intriguing, I felt compelled to make an exception. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=122697&sid=36482562&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Talk about post-nuptial blues. And the wedding had nothing to do with it. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=122698&sid=36482563&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 YouTube celebrated its seventh birthday hitting fresh milestones. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=122699&sid=36482564&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 South Korean flight attendants are naturally aghast at discovering sexy waitresses dressed in skimpy copies of their uniforms. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=122700&sid=36482565&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Hong Kong's military garrison has a treat in store for us next month in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the handover. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=122695&sid=36479164&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Government workers, protected by Police Tactical Unit officers, demolished illegal structures, including the archway entrance, built on government land at a private park in Yuen Long. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=122692&sid=36479175&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 A further nine suspects, one of them female, have been arrested in connection with the brutal chopping of a suspected gangster in Cheung Sha Wan two weeks ago. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=122691&sid=36481302&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 The largest civil servants' union wants an across-the-board pay rise of 5.8 percent. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=122714&sid=36483113&con_type=3&d_str=20120523 A 51-year-old man has been arrested after netizens, incensed at videos showing him caning dogs, demanded swift action. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=122715&sid=36483114&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 I-Cable Communications, one of three applicants for new free-to-air television licenses, has called for a fresh round of public consultation on the opening up of the sector. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=122694&sid=36483150&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Property agents could lose their licenses and face fines of up to HK$300,000 if they fail to provide prospective buyers with accurate measures of net salable area of secondary homes. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=31&art_id=122693&sid=36481438&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 A state television presenter's call to kick out "foreign trash" plus two well-publicized recent incidents of visitors behaving badly have sparked a heated debate on foreigners in the mainland. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=122666&sid=36480814&con_type=3&d_str=20120523 Now drivers and passengers can enjoy an entirely new level of carefree pleasure and comfort on the road. An all-new Lexus series comprises a host of superb models, including RX270, RX350 and RX450h. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=122667&sid=36480815&con_type=3&d_str=20120523 The crush of people inches past the tables of slow-brewed coffee, truffle-flavored charcuterie, and homemade ice-cream rippled with fennel pollen and peach swirls. The former Cape Town biscuit factory, reworked into a shabby-chic urban setting, is just one of the gourmet markets that have popped up in South Africa for foodies seeking handcrafted goods over mass-produced products. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=122668&sid=36480818&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Beat the heat at CotaiExpo hall F, where Ice World 2012 is being held until September 16. Said Edward Tracy, president and chief executive of Sands China: "Last year's exhibition was a great success, with close to a quarter of a million visitors enjoying this unique summer activity." Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=122669&sid=36480821&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 Fans of author Mary Higgins Clark will get a treat as the bestselling novelist will be a guest speaker aboard Silver Whisper's world cruise next year. The 115-day journey from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale leaves on January 5 and will sail to 52 destinations in 28 countries. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=122670&sid=36480822&con_type=1&d_str=20120523 You get two for the price of one trip at the Jakarta Fashion & Food Festival. From now till June 3, there will be fashion shows, food exhibitions, and entertainment to highlight the fashion and culinary industry. Wed, 23 May 2012 12:16:28 +0800