From BBC News: Chinese shoppers continued to spend at record levels in April, a sign that stronger domestic demand may be able to offset a slowdown in exports. Retail sales rose at an annual rate of 22% last month, the

The Guardian tells the heartbreaking stories of parents whose children were killed when their schools collapsed in the Sichuan earthquake: One man showed his raw, filthy hands. He didn't want to give his name but said his 12-year-old son Futian

Mike Nizza, for the New York Times media blog The Lede, takes a look at discontent bubbling within China over the excitement surrounding the Olympic torch relay in light of the tragic earthquake that struck Sichuan Province on Monday: According

Sue Anne Tay writes on the Shanghaiist blog: For those who are looking to contribute to current aid efforts underway, you can now donate money to the Red Cross Society of China which has formed a disaster relief working group

In the past few weeks we succeeded in getting several Extreme Hardship (I-601 Waivers) approvals at the US Consulate in Ciudad Juarez. The amazing thing is that many of these cases got approved the same day. Here is a detailed

The UAE will become an exporter of gypsum board next year when three factories producing this key building material are fully functional, GN reported. At present the country imports the entire quantity of gypsum board, used mostly in interior drywalls,

Swedish golfer Annika Sorenstam, 37, announced her retirement from golf Tuesday, two days after winning her 72nd LPGA title Sunday at the Michelob Ultra Open in Williamsburg, Virgina. Sorenstam, who said she will retire at the end of the 2008

1." That film, a scathing critique of President George W. Bush and his decision to go to war in Iraq, grossed $119 million at the US box office to become the most commercially successful political documentary of all time. Rosett