China-Products made from the skins of cats and dogs

China - Thousands of products made from the skins of cats and dogs are being offered on China’s largest retail website Taobao, sparking outrage among animal lovers, state media reported. Search results and sales records from Taobao showed the most popular items were trousers and hats made from dog fur, which is touted for its ability to ward off the cold....More

Miss Universe Alicia Machado confuses Korea with China

Venezuela - Venezuela’s former Miss Universe Alicia Machado closed her Twitter account after being mocked for confusing the Koreas with China. Concerned by North Korea’s artillery attack on a South Korean island, the 1996 beauty queen winner got muddled when tweeting for world peace. “Tonight I want to ask you to join me in a prayer for peace, that these attacks between the Chinas do not make our situation worse,” she wrote...More

160 escaped cobras causes fear in town

Odd News China - Residents of a township in southwest China have been running scared after more than 160 cobras escaped from an illegal breeding laboratory. People in Shijiao township in the huge Chongqing municipality have found the deadly snakes in outdoor toilets, kitchens and on the streets since they escaped. Zhang Erfen had just gone into the toilet when we heard a loud scream and she came running out while trying to hike up her pants after coming face-to-face with a cobra.More

Warner Bros blacks out "Dark Knight" from China

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Warner Bros studio said on Wednesday it has canceled plans to release its blockbuster Batman movie "The Dark Knight" in China, citing "cultural sensitivities" surrounding the film.

The studio, a unit of Time Warner Inc, did not specify what Chinese audiences or censors might find objectionable about the movie.

"Based on a number of pre-release conditions that are being attached to 'The Dark Knight,' as well as cultural sensitivities to some elements of the film, we have opted to forego a theatrical release of the film in China," Warner Bros said in a statement.

The film includes a sequence in which Batman, the movie's comic book superhero played by Christian Bale, penetrates a criminal mastermind's skyscraper redoubt in the Chinese territory of Hong Kong.

"The Dark Knight," which was released in July, is the top-grossing film of the year with more than $996 million in worldwide ticket sales, including over $7.5 million in Hong Kong, according to the website Box Office Mojo.

The film also has earned the late Australian actor Heath Ledger a Golden Globe nomination for his final role as Batman's maniacally evil foe, the Joker.