China

Shanghai's Minhang district is to end its free bicycle rental service this month because not enough people were using the service, and people kept stealing the bikes, Shanghai Daily reports. [ more › ]

A fresh scandal in the Maldives is set to make March's Noodle-gate look like some pointless argument over instant foodstuffs. [ more › ]

An activist in Guangdong claims that his disabled 8 year old stepson has been kept imprisoned in a "black jail" for the past four years. However, some netizens are raising doubts about the story, and instead accuse the man of abandoning the child. [ more › ]

Hong Kong has over 18,000 taxis, including 45 new electric cars Hong Kong taxi drivers, love them or hate them (actually, mostly just dislike them). They’re not ALL bad, perhaps 50% are adequate. Here are a few of the reasons why they’re not popular. Feel free to add your own reasons in the comments! 10. They curse non-stop, and complain about where you want to go 9. They don’t help you with your suitcase, or even offer to 8. They drop you off at the wrong place, and then insist that it is correct 7. They always try to keep the change, despite giving you poor service 6. They smell bad, or the interior of the taxi does 5. They take the long way to get to your destination 4. They ransom, or simply just keep your mobile phone if it falls out of your pocket 3. They (illegally) want to know where you’re going before they’ll open the door (Which is why one person recently tried to Gangnam Style dance their way into a taxi… it didn’t work!) 2. They price-gouge, asking you to pay an exorbitant flat fee to get you someplace. It’s illegal, but commonplace in the Lan Kwai Fong nightlife area 1. They keep. Stepping. On. The Accelerator. And Then. Stepping. On. The Break. Which is. SUPER Annoying! Bonus reason: they try to adjust their mirror so that they can look up girls skirts! Ewww! H.K. taxi drivers bad reputation was once the subject of a Hong Kong movie titled “Taxi Hunter“, starring Anthony Wong Chau-Sang!

A New York Times editorial argues that China's rapid economic growth has decreased the employment rate of urban women. It comments that the growth in numbers of women leaving work is also compounded by the 'sheng nü' stereotype which has been intentionally perpetuated by central government since 2007. [ more › ]

Not much information is available about this video, which was recently uploaded to QQ (numerous times). The events depicted probably took place in Anhui, probably in March. What we can say with reasonable certainty is that this man should never have been allowed on a scooter. Watch as he hits multiple cars and other mopeds before ending up in a massive pit. [ more › ]

THE road in front of the gate of Huamao Industrial Park in Shenzhen, Guangzhou Province caved in last night, killing at least three people, local officials announced.The accident occurred at 9:19pm yesterday. The city's emergency management office said three bodies had been found by 9am this morning. Rescuers saved one man from the sunken hole and he is in stable condition.The office said the hole is six to seven meters in diameter and three to four meters in depth. It is still unclear how many people were swallowed by the hole. Some witnesses said they saw four to five people falling into the hole. One of them climbed out on his own.Shenzhen reported a ground subsidence incident in a construction site on March 26. The deep hole killed a security guard.

THE road in front of the gate of Huamao Industrial Park in Shenzhen, Guangzhou Province caved in last night, killing at least three people, local officials announced.The accident occurred at 9:19pm yesterday. The city's emergency management office said three bodies had been found by 9am this morning. Rescuers saved one man from the sunken hole and he is in stable condition.The office said the hole is six to seven meters in diameter and three to four meters in depth. It is still unclear how many people were swallowed by the hole. Some witnesses said they saw four to five people falling into the hole. One of them climbed out on his own.Shenzhen reported a ground subsidence incident in a construction site on March 26. The deep hole killed a security guard.

Date: May 21st 2013 2:04p.m. Contributed by: clairebared

LAW enforcement authorities vowed today to hand down harsher punishments for those found guilty of fabricating threats targeting civilian flights following a series of such hoaxes.The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said in a statement that those who made false bomb threats targeting a number of flights last week have been arrested.The MPS has issued a notice to police in all areas asking them to treat similar cases as criminal cases in the future, as criminal cases bear greater punishment.Five flights operated by China Eastern Airlines, Juneyao Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines were targeted by bomb threats last Wednesday. All flights at the Jiangbei International Airport in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality were disrupted for over one hour following a Friday bomb threat.The threats came in the form of anonymous phone calls placed to airports and airline offices.The MPS said the hoaxes created long delays and severely disrupted civilian flight order.According to China's criminal law and civil aviation law, those who intentionally disrupt flight operations by fabricating threats may receive punishments ranging from detention to a jail term of less than five years, or more than five years for those whose actions have severe consequences.