Do Chinese characters need ‘comestic surgery’?

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has begun soliciting public opinion regarding a new list of simplified Chinese characters. One of its proposals – to alter theform of 44 characters – resurrectd a debate about whether Chinese script should be revised or left alone.

South is short of workers – Trade orders boost demand for pre-holiday migrant labor

Tackling the employment problem is no longer a worry for the politicians alone. Since early this year, factory owners in southern China have shared that headache. But as orders pile up with the approach of the Christmas shopping season in overseas markets, factories in the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta have found themselves awash in orders.

How deep into villages will jobless graduates go?

The national policy that hiring new grads as village officials has been implemented nationwide. But some of the pioneer hires have mixed feelings regarding the career.

Music festivals see setbacks, success

Ten years after its debut performance at the Beijing Midi School of Music, the music festival scene made a landmark achievement with more than 10 festivals this year.

Organ donation system to reduce trafficking

By Han Manman
A new national organ donation system started Wednesday is hoped to shake off the country’s dependence on parts harvested from executed prisoners as the main soure of transplants, and to crack down on organ trafficking.
Ten municipalities and provinces including Shanghai, Guangdong and Tianjin will take part in a pilot program to better manage [...]

China not happy about Dalai Lama in Taiwan

Surprising no one, China’s pretty nonplussed about the Dalai Lama’s visit to Taiwan, letting it be known yesterday that they “resolutely oppose” it “in whatever form and capacity.”

Flow of Myanmar refugees into China dropping

The number of refugees crossing into China to escape fighting in Myanmar fell to a trickle Monday as government forces appeared to have defeated an ethnic militia.

Putin Travels to Poland to Defend Russian Role in World War II

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin travels to Poland today as Russia seeks to defend the role of the Soviet Union in eastern Europe during World War II.

Israel, Iran and Obama

The International Atomic Energy Agency has produced another alarming report on Iran’s nuclear programs, though it hasn’t released it publicly, only to governments that would also rather not disclose more details of Iran’s progress toward becoming a nuclear theocracy.

German Elections Deliver Mixed Messages for Merkel

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives suffered heavy losses in two state legislative elections in Germany on Sunday, but managed to hold on to power comfortably in a third state, according to preliminary results.