China angry at US over proposed road name

BEIJING • China slammed the US Senate for moving to rename a stretch of road after a jailed dissident and Nobel laureate - potentially changing its Washington embassy's address to 1 Liu Xiaobo Plaza.

Mr Liu was a co-author of Charter 08, a petition calling for political reform in China, and was jailed for 11 years in 2009 for subversion.

The Senate passed the measure - introduced by Republican senator Ted Cruz, currently vying to be his party's presidential nominee - on Friday. The move "violated the basic norms of international relations", China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Graft ruling: HK tycoon, Rafael Hui lose appeals

HONG KONG • Hong Kong property tycoon Thomas Kwok and ex-deputy leader Rafael Hui saw their appeal bids against graft convictions rejected yesterday as they faced serving out their jail time. The pair were found guilty of corruption in 2014 after a blockbuster trial over a cash for favours scandal.

Former chief secretary Hui, 68, was the highest-ranking official in Hong Kong's history to be found guilty of taking bribes.

The trial centred on a total of HK$34 million (S$6.1 million) in handouts, which were allegedly made to Hui by Kwok and his billionaire brother Raymond to be their "eyes and ears" in government.

The case shocked the city and deepened anger over ties between officialdom and big business.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Menstrual leave offered in Chinese province

BEIJING • China's Anhui province introduced new regulations on Sunday allowing female workers who suffer severe menstrual pain to take up to two days off every month after presenting a doctor's certificate, reported CNN and Chinese media.

Anhui is not the first Chinese province to introduce paid menstrual leave as it is already provided in Shanxi and Hubei provincesin China.

While menstrual leave is not common, several Asian countries such as Japan and Indonesia have implemented the policy.