Beijing, Dec. 10: There were red faces on the editorial board of one of Germany''s top scientific institutions, the Max Planck Institute, when it ended up with a racy flyer extolling the lusty details of stripping housewives in a brothel.

The respected research institute, according to a report in The Independent, wanted Chinese classical texts to adorn its journal, something beautiful and elegant, to illustrate a special report on China. Instead, it got the text of a handbill for a Macau strip club on the front page of its latest journal.

Beijing - China's monthly exports dropped for the first time in seven years as a result of the global economic crisis, a newspaper report said Tuesday.

According to a report by the 21st Century Business Herald, exports dropped to a little more than 100 billion dollars, while imports dropped by a double-digit percentage point.

China's customs authorities are expected to release the official figures on Wednesday.

The slump has alarmed China's leaders, who asked the customs office to provide daily reports on the latest numbers, which they previously only reported every 10 days, the paper said.

Beijing - Envoys from North Korea and five other nations began a new rou

Beijing, Dec. 8 : Western representatives who will attend negotiations starting today on North Korea''s nuclear programme, are reportedly pessimistic about any progress being made.

According to The Telegraph, the six nations involved in the talks – North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan, the United States and Russia -- have battled on and off for more than five years to implement a lasting plan to end Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.

Beijing  - China's stockmarkets sur

Beijing, Dec. 8: China has announced plans to construct its first inland nuclear plant in the central province of Hubei.

The cost of the first two phases of the project, with an installed capacity of 4 million kilowatt is estimated at 50 billion Yuan (7.3 billion dollars). The third phase could cost 45 billion Yuan, the official news agency Xinhua reports.

The construction of the plant is expected to start after an environmental assessment report is approved.

The China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGNPG) and the Hubei provincial government agreed in March to jointly build the plant. CGNPG and Hubei Energy Group established a joint venture, known as Hubei Nuclear Power Ltd. Co., in June to develop nuclear power in the province.