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AirAsia jet 'likely at the bottom of sea'

"Based on our coordinates, we expect it is in the sea," the head of Indonesia's search and rescue agency told reporters.

One passenger 'could be from HK'

The Hong Kong Immigration Department said on Monday it was not yet sure as the airline had yet to provide an official list.

Subway China in expiry dates glare

US fast-food chain Subway is investigating media reports in China that workers at an outlet in Beijing doctored food labels.

'RMB exchange rate to be stable'

The Renminbi exchange rate will remain stable in 2015, a macro economic report predicted Monday.

160 still trapped on Greek ferry

One person was killed in the risky rescue operation and two others were injured.

December boost for HK bourse

Thanks to a US$10.8-b rebound in IPO proceeds, HK may become second-largest IPO market glob...

Govt targets 6% trade growth

China foreign trade target for 2015 is 6%, down from about 7.5% in 2014.

Memories rekindled for MH370 kin

News that another airliner was missing on Sunday stirred up sad memories.

Opinion

More must be done in the fight against smoking

The recent news that the city authorities in Beijing will, from next June, ban all smoking within indoor public places and offi...

Private sector should supplement public healthcare

I have reservation for the proposed Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) which is designed to ease the pressure on the publ...

Airlines must work together for safer skies

Evoking memories of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, an AirAsia plane with 155 passengers and seven crew on board lost contact with the ...

Change in local mentality

Will a local government be able to make rules to reduce the number of cars on the road according to license plate numbers?

Shame of AIDS demolition' team

By approving a house demolition team with AIDS/HIV patients formed by a real estate company to take possession of land in Nanyang of Ce...

Nation

China offers to help in AirAsia jet search

China has offered to send aircraft and ships to help in the search for a missing AirAsia passenger jet.

Beijing scaffold collapse kills 10, injures 4

Ten people were killed and four were injured following a scaffold collapse in a Beijing school on Monday morning, local sou...

Deals planned to recover illegal assets from abroad

China will strengthen financial intelligence exchanges with the United States and Australia to track corrupt Chinese officials' illegal as...

China's anti-graft watchdog to launch mobile app in Jan

China's disciplinary watchdog will launch a mobile application on Jan 1, part of its efforts to reach to a broader audience amid China's a...

Enrollment in English recovers

English training classes from K-12 levels seem to have recovered from shrinking numbers last year, following plans to reform the national college entrance exam.

No indoor nails for fewer coffins

Banning smoking in public places will help reduce tobacco-related deaths and illnesses.

Crossing the gender divide

Transsexuality has long been a taboo subject in China, and openly transgender people have been subjected to widespread discrimination. However, attitudes have started to change.

HK

One passenger 'could be from Hong Kong'

The Hong Kong Immigration Department said on Monday it was not yet sure as the airline had yet to provide an official passenger list.

New year, new race

A last-gasp burst has put Hong Kong back on track to take the second spot among global IPO destinations for 2014.Celia Chen reports.

ATV salaries likely in early Jan

Law Pui-king, a news editor at the cash-strapped station, said on ATV executive director Nick Ip Ka-po suggested at a staff meeting that dues for November could be settled by Jan 5, 2015.

HK key share index posts biggest gain since Nov

Hong Kong shares finished higher on Monday, underpinned by a positive outlook on markets in both the mainland and overseas.

Focus HK

Lo Lo rides a high note

A strange illness prompted singer-composer Lowell Lo to lend his name to the cause of environmental protection. Ming Yeung meets the “un-romantic” music star.

Sister Acts

Who would have believed that Dirty Dancing would arguably be considered the most progressive female-centric film to come from the Hollywood machine in going on three decades?

The Perfect Match!

Eating involves all of the senses and it is personal.

Asia

AirAsia jet 'likely at the bottom of sea'

"Based on our coordinates, we expect it is in the sea," the head of Indonesia's search and rescue agency told reporters.

ROK offers talks with DPRK

Top policymaker in charge of inter-Korean relations of ROK said that he has offered to hold a dialogue in January next year with the DPRK about issues of mutual concern.

Differences between MH370 and AirAsia incidents

But while it is still not known what happened to AirAsia Flight 8501, there appear to be no reasons its presumed crash is anything other than a regular - if tragic - aviation disaster.

Missing AirAsia plane young, basic

The Airbus A320-200 was delivered to its operator in 2008. It had recorded 23,000 flight hours on 13,600 flights.

Merry time for online retailers

Brick-and-mortar stores face stiffer competition as more consumers shop in cyberspace.

2014: Year in review

Biggest events in the past 12 months range from bitcoin and oil price collapses to a mega IPO and record high for M&A deals.

Asia Weekly

Business

Subway probes reports of doctored expiry dates

US fast-food chain Subway is investigating media reports in China that workers at an outlet in Beijing doctored food labels.

RMB exchange rate to be stable in 2015: CICC

The Renminbi exchange rate will remain stable in 2015, a macro economic report from China International Capital Corporation (CICC) predicted Monday.

Asian stocks up as oil price rebounds

Asian stocks were mostly higher Monday after a report China will change banking rules in an apparent effort to boost lending and economic growth as oil prices rebounded.

Eye on Asia

India slashes health budget

The Indian government has ordered a cut of nearly 20 percent in its 2014/15 healthcare budget due to fiscal strains.

Remembering pain of father who lost all

About 230,000 people were killed in the Indian Ocean tsunami set off by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake on Dec. 26, 2004.

A decade of Western aid in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has new roads, sections of which many deem too dangerous to use. It has a turbine to fill electricity needs that remains in pieces.

Sport

Chelsea, Man City held as Arsenal wins in EPL

Chelsea retained its three-point lead at the midpoint of the Premier League season on Sunday despite being held to a draw by Southampton, thanks to Manchester City collapsing against struggling Burnley.

NZ beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets in 1st test

This was New Zealand's fifth test victory in 2014; the most in a calendar year in team history.

LeBron hailed in return to Miami

LeBron James was running the gamut of emotions on Thursday when he arrived at the arena that he called home for the past four seasons.

Telling the China story

Sinologist draws on his experience as a diplomat, academic and Mandarin speaker to edit monumental work of Chinese biography.

Fostering talents

Indonesian tycoon boosts enterpreneurship at home while steering family conglomerate toward a sustainable future.

Spicing up history

Singaporean professor’s fascination with South Asia gives him deep insight into the wider region’s changing balance of power.

Life Style

Smoking affects nearly 1.1b Chinese

Nearly 1.1 billion Chinese people are either smoking or being exposed to secondhand smoke, an official said Saturday.

In tune with the new year

The China Philharmonic Orchestra and star soloists, including Lang Lang, will embrace the Silk Road in concert next week, Chen Jie reports.

Quirky News

Ceiling collapse exposes panty thief

A Chinese man who stole hundreds of pieces of ladies' underwear had his secret exposed after an emergency exit ceiling where he had been storing his hoard collapsed, state media reported.

Finally, a ride together

A Toronto man who made headlines last month by offering a free round-the-world air ticket to a woman with the same name as his ex-girlfriend has found Ms. Right.

20,000 bras recalled due to injury fears

A Japanese lingerie maker is recalling more than 20,000 brassieres after complaints that underwires suddenly poked out.

Video

Ancestor worshipping

More than 6,000 people from around the world, including religious leaders, government officials, scientists and academics, on Sunday swarmed to the coastal metropolis of Hong Kong to celebrate Winter Solstice, the traditional day for ancestor worship.

Expert calls for protection for retirees

Nelson Chow, who wrote the latest retirement protection report, believes the introduction of a universal pension scheme will improve the government’s popularity, Joseph Li writes

Strike a balance in standard working hours

It is too early to talk about standard working hour legislation, said chairman of the Standard Working Hours Committee Leong Che-hung.

Special

CD Asia Pacific executive director elected SOPA chair

China Daily Asia Pacific Executive Director Raymond Warhola has succeeded four-time Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Chairman David Smith at the helm of the Asia-wide publishing organization.

Roundtable

Just what the doctor ordered

Medical professionals in Hong Kong recommend an increased emphasis on vocational training, employment flexibility, mindset changes, revamping the medical services provision model and increased use of technology as the major drivers to address the thorny issue of staff shortage in the industry.

If you build it, they will come

The importance of Qianhai Cooperation Zone lies not only in its pilot role of spearheading financial innovation, but also in its key role in correcting the misalignment of the country’s economic structure, said Edward Chen Kwan-yiu, president of the Qianhai Institute for Innovative Research.