May Day spending spree looks in the offing
INTERNATIONAL Labour Day will be celebrated with a week's holiday from May 1 to 7.
Visit strengthens ties with Haifa
MAYOR Xu Kuangdi expressed his desire for furthering mutual ties while meeting with Amram Mitzna, mayor of Haifa, one of Shanghai's sister cities.
Urban air slightly polluted
SHANGHAI's air quality deteriorated last week from the previous week, according to a report from the Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Centre.
US movie star Arnie back for fund-raising
ARNOLD Schwarzenegger, an international film star as well as the spokesperson for Special Olympics International, will lead a delegation to visit China in May to help raise money for and awareness of the Special Olympics China.
Singapore's leader hails Pudong's development
MUNICIPAL Party Secretary Huang Ju and Mayor Xu Kuangdi met with visiting Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong over the weekend.
Sheraton returns after two years
TWO years after its withdrawal from Shanghai's hotel market, the Sheraton Hotel Group has returned to Shanghai with the declaration of an agreement on Friday with two partners to establish a "Four Points Hotel" in Pudong.
Innovation contest kicked off at Jinmao
ORIGINAL ideas, innovations and inventions are invited for a "555 Inspirations" contest in search of progressive plans for social contribution. Five winners will be selected in July when the competition ends.
Ex-husband sets fire to marital home
A MAN was recently arrested for starting a fire in his ex-wife's house to vent his spite after she refused to let him stay the night, according to the Zhabei District Procuratorate.
Beware of thieves posing as friends
INGRATITUDE of several persons shown towards the kindness of their relatives or friends will result in their punishment.
Man gets 10 yrs for stabbing prostitute
A LOCAL farmer was recently sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment by Minhang District Court for stabbing a prostitute.
May Day, May Day calling all shoppers
MAY days will be soon upon us. And it is May days or May daze. The annual May Day (May 1) holiday is to be celebrated, not by just one day of rest, but as I am told, by a sybaritic seven days off in Shanghai. I still struggle to get my Western mind around the East's system of awarding holidays and how one day can become, like loaves and fishes, seven. Maybe, it is coming from crabby cultures where the day off was fought for tooth and nail over years of union militancy. All this will be of vicarious interest
Fengshui fears foil telegraph
IN the present Internet and information age, it is interesting to look back to the time of the telegraph before modern com-munications.
Competition too hot in the ice cream market
ICE cream makers face a market meltdown in the coming summer.
Hi-tech mover
PUDONG New Area today will usher in Shanghai's first major international conference this year with United Nations officials and foreign scholars attending to discuss business incubation and technology innovation.
Policy benefits aliens
By Bao Dao
A NEW policy adopted since early March this year regarding granting residence status to overseas Chinese and foreigners is benefiting a growing number of people. "The new policy was adopted in response to growing demand from expatriates living in Shanghai and to demands of Shanghai's economic development directions," according to a spokesperson from the Shanghai Aliens Exit-Entry Control Administration. Under this policy, foreigners who had been living in Shanghai for five years or those who had been awarded Magnolia prizes (for contributions by foreigners to community projects) are entitled to residence for two years or more in Shanghai. Those foreigners who had married Chinese citizens and have lived in Shanghai for five years are entitled to apply for permanent resident status in Shanghai. In addition, overseas Chinese above 60 years of age who have a steady income and had bought houses allocated for overseas buyers can also have their L visa extended indefinitely. "Many elderly overseas Chinese prefer to settle down in China in their old age. In addition, the relevant stipulation could guarantee that these people will not become a burden in China's employment market," the spokesperson said. Since the policy was first reported on April 12, the administration had already handled over 20 applications from elderly overseas Chinese and foreigners who had married Chinese citizens. Nearly 30 foreigners have been granted long-term residence in Shanghai for two years or more. According to another policy adopted since October last year, foreigners who have residence cards for one year can be granted multiple visas for one year. Previously, these people could only obtain a visa for six months. A similar policy was adopted on the national level. These policies will go a long way towards promoting Shanghai's economic development by attracting more foreigners to Shanghai, according to the spokesperson.
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