PM2.5 blamed for worst of pollution(3/10)
The average PM2.5 density in Shanghai last year was 55 micrograms per cubic meter, or almost 60 percent above the national standard, an industry expert said yesterday.
PM2.5 and ozone are the most serious pollutants in the city, Fu Qingyan, chief engineer at the Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, said during her lecture at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum.
More than 70 percent of the polluted days recorded last year were due to PM2.5, the fine particles of less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter that pose a major risk to people's respiratory health, Fu said, adding that ozone accounted for about 26 percent of the total.
"Since 2006, Shanghai's annual PM2.5 density has fallen only very slightly. It is at its highest in winter and lowest in summer," she said.
Disney ties with SMG for movies(3/8)
US-based Walt Disney Studios has signed a multi-year partnership agreement with Shanghai Media Group Pictures to produce Disney movies with China elements.
Under the deal, Walt Disney's team of action, adventure, and fantasy writers will cooperate with their Chinese counterparts and filmmakers to make movies blending hallmark Disney features with Chinese culture, Walt Disney said in a statement yesterday.
"For over 90 years, Disney has built a rich legacy of entertaining families with high-quality storytelling and compelling characters," said Alan Bergman, president of Walt Disney Studios. "Disney's collaboration with SMG adds an exciting chapter of new stories for the next generation of global Disney fans."
Su Xiao, CEO of SMG Pictures, said the company's strength in media coverage and understanding of China market will enhance Disney's storytelling.
Existing home sales dip to 24-month low(3/7)
Sales of pre-owned homes in Shanghai fell to the lowest in 24 months in February amid an insufficient supply and a divergent market outlook by buyers and sellers.
The purchases of existing homes totaled 11,612 units across the city last month, a monthly fall of 18.9 percent and a year-on-year drop of 20.4 percent, Shanghai Deovolente Realty Co said in a latest report.
"A sluggish momentum extended for the fifth straight month in Shanghai in February, which is itself a traditional slack season for home sales," said Huang Hetao, deputy director of research at Century 21 China Real Estate.
"The supply of existing homes fell quite notably after an extremely robust 2013 while some individual landlords and homeseekers seemed to have rather different expectations on housing prices."
The average cost of the pre-owned houses fell 4 percent from January to 19,612 yuan (US$3,205) per square meter last month, but this was up 14.5 percent from a year earlier.
The Pudong New Area and districts of Minhang and Baoshan again led others by transaction volume, according to Century 21 research.
Cold, wet weather to return tomorrow(3/6)
A weak, colder air mass won't cause it to rain today but may bring northerly gusts before the return of wet conditions tomorrow.
Temperatures will drop again and stay in the single digits Celsius from tomorrow to the weekend with lingering drizzles. Skies will turn cloudy on Sunday with a slight increase in temperatures.
The mercury today is forecast to fluctuate between 6 and 11 degrees Celsius with a mix of sunshine and clouds.
The high will fall to 7 degrees Celsius tomorrow due to the expansion of cold air with a low of 4. A high of 8 is expected on Friday and Saturday while the low will range between 4 and 6 degrees.
A warmer and dry Sunday is expected to see a high of 10 degrees Celsius and a low of 6.
March is usually the month when winter ends and spring begins, according to the bureau. Warm areas of moisture will be active in March and, when they encounter the remaining cold air, will produce frequent changes in weather including downpours.
The average arrival date of the meteorological spring from 1981 to 2010 is March 17. But whether spring arrives in March of this year depends on the temperatures.
The bureau said that only if the average temperature is not less than 10 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days will the first day of that period be determined to be the day that spring arrived.
Baby clothes defective(3/5)
Several batches of baby clothes sold by H&M and Mothercare were destroyed or recalled last year after failing routine tests, the city's quality watchdog said. Among the items that were destroyed were 15 batches of H&M baby clothes that contained excessive levels of formaldehyde, the Shanghai Exit-Entry Inspection and Quarantine Bureau said.
In high enough doses formaldehyde can cause headaches, dermatitis, respiratory disease, eczema, and even malignant tumors and leukemia. With their sensitive skin and undeveloped immune systems, babies are particularly vulnerable to such things, the bureau said. Other items made by H&M were found to have high pH levels and poor color fastness. Clothing dyes that have a low fastness can be harmful if the color bleeds on to the skin, while a high pH index can cause allergies and increase vulnerability to bacteria, the bureau said.
School security tighter(3/4)
Schools in Shanghai have been told to tighten security in the wake of the terror attack in Kunming.
At the beginning and end of each day, school officials should make every effort to ensure parents and children do not gather in large groups at the school gates, the youth protection committee of the Shanghai Education Commission said yesterday.
At all other times, the school gates must remain closed, it said, adding that on-duty students should not be allowed to stand outside the gates.
Security guards should carry their batons at all times and in the event of any suspicious activity, should contact the police as soon as possible, the committee said.
Visitors to home show angered by entry fee(3/3)
Visitors on the final day of the inaugural Design Shanghai event were outraged yesterday after being asked to pay a 100 yuan (US$16.27) entrance fee.
Entry to the home design event, which began on Thursday at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, was free on all other days.
"We got here at 7am and have been standing for two hours, but no one told us we would have to pay to get in," a visitor said.
At 9am the organizers appeared holding paper signs saying there would be a charge. The tickets went on sale at 10:30am.
"Professional visitors who registered for the exhibition online and those who had VIP tickets can enter for free, but everyone else has to buy a ticket," an official announced to the crowd.
Another visitor said: "The organizers said the event was free to enter. But now they've just changed their minds and want to charge us."
Lee Newton, one of the event's organizers, said the company had stated on its official website that weekend visitors would have to pay to get in, but that it did not apply the charge on Saturday.
"Yesterday we tried to allow as many people as possible to come in, but there were just too many and it became dangerous," Newton told Shanghai Television yesterday.
"But if you go to our website it says you have to pay today," he said.
Design Shanghai 2014 attracted more than 60,000 people, the organizers said.
Tourism center in talks to get yellow duck(3/1)
Shanghai is keen to bring the original giant inflatable yellow rubber duck as part of the autism children care program.
The 16.5-meter-tall duck, a brainchild of Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, has attracted huge crowds while on display in more than 10 cities including London, Hong Kong and Beijing. The Shanghai Industrial Tourism Promotion Center said talks are ongoing to bring the duck to the city. It said a local resident had written to the city government with the proposal of getting the duck to realize the dream of autistic children. Several NGOs will be involved and a corporate partner is being sought.
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