Content about Disaster

Hundreds of dead fish have washed up along the shorelines of a man-made river in Shanghai's Songjiang district since April 3, but the local water authority and environmental protection bureau insist the water is safe.

Well, scientists at Tianjin University of Science and Technology say they have developed a handheld tester that can detect pathogenic bacteria and excessive drug or pesticide residue.

The kit, which contains more than 60 strips of indicator paper - one for almost every contaminant listed by the State - works in a matter of minutes, said Wang Shuo, director of the college's biotech laboratory.

For example, users simply dip the right strip into milk, and if two bars on the paper turn purple, it contains melamine.

Tornado, hail, thunderstorms cause more than $210m in economic losses

At least 24 people have died and four are missing after extreme weather hit five provinces in South China this week, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Thursday.

Starting on Tuesday, tornados, rain and strong winds swept Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong and Guizhou provinces, and about 215,000 people evacuated for their safety, according to a notice released on the ministry's website.

Zhulin village in Jiaxing city, Zhejiang province, is one of China's largest pig-breeding centers. As you drive along the road towards the village, the air reeks of pig feed and the smell of manure becomes overwhelming. The residents joke that if they close their eyes while traveling by train, they never miss their station simply because the smell tells them exactly where they are.

The ochre-colored, two-story houses are scattered across the village, and compared with the noise on the road, the place is quiet, except for the squeals of the pigs.

Since 2008 and the great financial crash in the West, China, a fast-growing emerging country with the world’s largest pool of savings, has been pushed into a central place as a result of the economic weakness of most of the developed or G7 countries.

The fact that in 2012 China overtook the US to become the world’s largest trader of goods underlines that, no matter how much China’s domestic demand expands, China’s economic fortunes remain closely linked to the other major global economies.

Tuesday will mark the 10th anniversary of the start of the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq. A decade ago, along with many other people, I was against this. However, the strong worldwide opposition did not prevent a US-led war being waged in Iraq on the pretext of stopping Saddam Hussein from gaining weapons of mass destruction.

The war in Iraq from 2003 to 2011 was a tragedy, not just for Iraqis but also for Americans; and indeed for the rest of the world as well.

With many Chinese families having only one child, parents give their babies the best they can afford, especially when it comes to milk and food. Liu Zhihua looks at a recent ruckus that caused many mothers to furrow their brows.

When the Hong Kong authorities decided to restrict the amount of baby formula (two cans or about 1.8 kg) that visitors can take out of the city, that regulation sent ripples of indignation throughout the mainland, and many cried foul, and even more said the new rule was merciless.

Rapturous singing and dancing was seen in Kenyan streets and bars till late on Saturday night, as supporters of President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta celebrated his win over major competitor Raila Odinga by 6,173,453 votes.

As the fourth elected and youngest president in this country's history, 51-year-old Kenyatta has pledged to lead his regionally pivotal country to create more stable and sustainable development over the next few years amid a chaotic international financial market.

Global chipmaker AMD Technologies is perhaps one of the best examples of a foreign company that has staved off economic woes in China and tasted manufacturing success.

The US-based company assembles, tests, marks and packages most of its central processor units, graphic processor units and accelerate processor units at its factory in Suzhou Industrial Park.

The ongoing National People's Congress session has seen top officials map out a clearer roadmap for further unleashing the growth potential of the world's second-largest economy.

Zhang Ping, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said on Wednesday that the country will rely on urbanization and domestic consumption to sustain stable growth after 30 years of blisteringly fast expansion.

Pakistan's largest city Karachi shut down on Monday to mourn 45 people killed by a car bomb in a Shiite Muslim neighborhood, the latest in a series of devastating attacks ahead of general elections.

Traffic was minimal as educational institutions, businesses and markets closed after the local government announced one day of mourning and Shiite groups three days of mourning for those killed in Sunday's bombing in Abbas Town.