http://www.thestandard.com.hk Latest headlines from The Standard Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +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=119439&sid=35318798&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Despite a tough operating environment, 37 mainland developers each booked property sales exceeding 10 billion yuan (HK$12.3 billion) last year, compared to 35 companies in 2010, according to the China Real Estate Index System. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=119435&sid=35319302&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 An increasing number of local developers and Chinese energy giants are issuing bonds amid tight liquidity. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=119432&sid=35319657&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Christine International Holdings and Xiwang Special Steel Company commenced book building for their initial public offerings yesterday. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=119430&sid=35319868&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Legislators scrutinizing the 2012-2013 budget of the Securities and Futures Commission demanded yesterday the regulator submit a new budget, while also slamming the multi-billion- dollar surpluses and its lavish spending on new office premises in Central. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=5&art_id=119436&sid=35318708&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 China may launch a junk bond market as early as this month or next, local media said yesterday - a move that could expand access to credit for small, private firms now largely shut out of China's state-dominated financial system. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=5&art_id=119437&sid=35319717&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 The Hang Seng Index did test 21,000 yesterday at the opening, but then came the sell-off. The index fell 306 points from the day's high, ending at 20,709. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=5&art_id=119438&sid=35320448&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Top executives at Glencore (0805) and Xstrata are hammering out the final details of a proposed US$80 billion (HK$622.40 billion) merger, including the premium on offer by the commodities trading giant to secure approval from the miner's shareholders. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=5&art_id=119431&sid=35320463&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 George Stairs of Fidelity Management & Research believes share placement information he was given by the chairman and chief financial officer of Chaoda Modern Agriculture Holdings (0682) was public, a Hong Kong inquiry heard yesterday. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=5&art_id=119440&sid=35322778&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Greece yesterday to make up its mind fast on accepting the painful terms for a new EU/IMF bailout - but the country's political leaders responded by delaying their decision for yet another day. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=10&art_id=119416&sid=35318192&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 The 29 Chinese road workers captured by rebels more than a week ago in southern Sudan will be released soon, a spokesman for the insurgents said yesterday. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=10&art_id=119417&sid=35319894&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Chinese airlines have been ordered to ignore a European Union scheme to impose charges on carbon emissions - a plan being resisted by more than two dozen countries including India, Russia and the United States. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=119422&sid=35317834&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Democracy has not retreated in Hong Kong, says Hollywood actress Michelle Yeoh Choo-Kheng. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=119443&sid=35317914&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Men beware: your partner may be spying on you. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=119441&sid=35317968&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 The condition of a female runner has improved, but a man remains seriously ill a day after they collapsed at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=119429&sid=35318514&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Chief executive hopeful Leung Chun-ying is making a last-ditch bid to win sufficient support from Election Committee members before the nomination period begins a week today. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=119442&sid=35318676&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Former University of Hong Kong head of surgery John Wong Kin-ling testified he felt sorry for a former female colleague, who embezzled HK$3 million from a training center. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=119423&sid=35319136&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Even birds seem to enjoy fun and games, as I was reminded when watching a version of "King of the Castle" being played down on the river. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=119428&sid=35319949&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 The University of Hong Kong centennial celebration was deliberately scheduled to coincide with the visit of Vice Premier Li Keqiang, vice chancellor Tsui Lap-chee admitted. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=15&art_id=119410&sid=35309244&con_type=3&d_str=20120207 I visited Taipei after the Lunar New Year, when results of Taiwan's presidential election were still fresh in people's minds. So naturally, the conversation with the hired driver turned to politics and the life of islanders. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=15&art_id=119411&sid=35309516&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Not long ago, I visited the Aberdeen police headquarters, which had been my home for about a year in 1973 when I was the subdivision inspector. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=119415&sid=35316539&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 The region's richest woman - Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart - has threatened to ax her children's ransom insurance as a bitter legal dispute raged over a family trust. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=119424&sid=35320074&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the central Philippines, killing at least 43 people and causing widespread panic. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=119414&sid=35320146&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 The toll from Europe's killer cold snap continues to climb, with nine more victims in Poland, most of them homeless, and at least three in Bulgaria after a dam burst. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=119425&sid=35320472&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Queen Elizabeth renewed her vow to serve yesterday as she made a low-key start to five months of diamond jubilee celebrations marking her 60 years on the throne. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=18&art_id=119412&sid=35319570&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Madonna dazzled the Super Bowl crowd with a high-octane half-time show that started with an army of Roman gladiators and ended with a plea for world peace. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=18&art_id=119413&sid=35319571&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Miss Piggy will be one of the hosts at this year's BAFTA film awards, and has promised spiky questions for Hollywood luminaries George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=119419&sid=35315566&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Wes Welker caught 122 passes this season for the Patriots and seven more in the Super Bowl, but the one he dropped late in the title game will haunt him for a long time. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=119420&sid=35315617&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Coach Declan Kidney insists Ireland can rebound from the last-minute 23-21 loss against Wales in their Six Nations opener and beat France in Paris this weekend if they use their heads a bit more. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=119418&sid=35316616&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Eli Manning delivered the New York Giants another last-minute Super Bowl triumph over the New England Patriots with the same cool-under-pressure style that has become his trademark. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=119421&sid=35317639&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Rowan Varty will lead Hong Kong at the Bangkok Sevens this weekend as head coach Dai Rees looks at new combinations before the showpiece Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens next month. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=119427&sid=35317973&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Wayne Rooney believes Manchester United's three-goal comeback against Chelsea could prove decisive in the Premier League title race, even though the champions lost ground on leaders Manchester City after a dramatic 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=119426&sid=35318069&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Fabio Capello was set for talks about his own future with the Football Association after publicly condemning their decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=119445&sid=35318562&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 The Securities and Futures Commission revealed to lawmakers that it has a staggering HK$7.4 billion surplus while asking to increase its budget by 34 percent for the coming year. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=119446&sid=35318563&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Electricity firm CLP Power has been generating a lot of criticism recently with its proposal - since revised - to bump up tariffs by a hefty whack. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=119447&sid=35318564&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Austerity is the watchword in cash- strapped Europe these days but not it seems for Nicolas Sarkozy. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=119448&sid=35318565&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Paint guns, concrete balls and now sludge. Indonesia has come up with another bizarre plan to keep commuters from riding on the roofs of trains - swat them with brooms drenched in putrid sludge. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=119449&sid=35318566&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 How do you celebrate a special birthday? If you're a banknote-issuing bank, you can print loads of cash. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=119434&sid=35316868&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 The problem of pregnant mainland women flocking to give birth in Hong Kong will be solved, visiting Guangdong governor Zhu Xiaodan has assured. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=119433&sid=35318338&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 A cleaning woman has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter charges following allegations she left her badly injured husband to die on a street three years ago. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=119451&sid=35319914&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Homebuyers have gained more confidence in the property market in the absence of any new curbs, according to Cheung Kong (Holdings) (0001) executive director Justin Chiu Kwok-hung. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=119450&sid=35320447&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Owners of new Home Ownership Scheme flats may have to pay only a very low premium if they decide to resell their flats, Housing Authority sources have revealed. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=119444&sid=35321460&con_type=3&d_str=20120207 The dean of Hong Kong Baptist University's School of Communication has stepped down to stop the faculty being "torn apart" by controversy over a public opinion survey. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=119406&sid=35318532&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Third-year university student Saki Fujii flips through a meticulously kept diary of her six-month job hunt and eyes the busy week of interviews ahead - another step on the treadmill for one of Japan's would-be workers. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=119407&sid=35318533&con_type=1&d_str=20120207 Across the pond from the British Isles is Canada and there are reasons to think about attending university there. So, even though asking "Why Canada?" is as cliche as can be, let's answer the question before deciding to submit a form. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=119408&sid=35318534&con_type=5&d_str=20120207 Inspired by Singapore's famous chili crab dish, researchers have created a robot with a pincer and a hook that can remove early-stage stomach cancers without leaving any scars. Mounted on an endoscope, it enters the patient's gut through the mouth. It has a pincer to hold cancerous tissues, and a hook that slices them off and coagulates blood to stop bleeding. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=119409&sid=35318535&con_type=3&d_str=20120207 All of us want to die with dignity. But did you know that one in 10 people face an undignified end - going to their death screaming in pain? Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:54 +0800