China's drug regulator, the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), ordered the withdrawal of a hemorrhoid medicine over concerns that it might cause liver problems.

The Sichuan-based Vital Pharmaceutical Holdings Ltd. was ordered by the SFDA to stop producing and selling Zhixue capsules and asked to begin a nationwide recall Xinhua news agency reported. The recall came after 21 people around the country developed liver problems and 14 others reported adverse reactions to the medication in recent months, the agency reported.

China has announced that the second lunar probe, named Chang’e 2, will be launched before the end of 2011.

According to an official, this experimental satellite will mark the beginning of the second phase of China’s lunar exploration program.

The State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense stated that Chang’e 2 will carry out several experiments, which will involve five core technologies including orbital adjustments and soft landings.

Hong Kong  - Three Chinese astronauts hailed as national heroes after performing the country's first space walk are to visit Hong Kong and Macau, a news report said Thursday.

Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng, the three astronauts, often called taikonauts, whose space walk in September generated patriotic fervour, are to tour the territories in early December, the South China Morning Post reported.

Berlin - German premium-car rivals BMW and Daimler are mulling plans to combine more of their parts purchasing operations, including industrial buying in China and the United States, a news report said Wednesday.

Together, the two companies can exert heavy pressure on supplier companies to obtain lower prices for components.

In its Thursday issue, the newspaper Handelsblatt was to quote BMW chief purchasing officer Herbert Diess saying, "we are talking about bundling our purchasing activities in certain markets such as China and the United States."

Shanghai - Andy Murray rolled into the semi-finals in his debut week at the Masters Cup, defeating Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-4, 6-2 in a Red group showdown on Wednesday.

The Scot polished his record to a perfect 2-0 as he beat the last player to enter the eight-man field. Simon gained a place at the last minute when world number one Rafael Nadal pulled out with a knee injury which will require a month or more to fully heal.

'Simon obviously is playing the best tennis of his life and he's in the top 10," said Murray.

Shanghai - Andy Murray rolled into the semi-finals in his debut week at the Masters Cup, defeating Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-4, 6-2 in a Red group showdown on Wednesday.

The Scot polished his record to a perfect 2-0 as he beat the last player to enter the eight-man field. Simon gained a place at the last minute when Rafael Nadal pulled out with a knee injury which will require a month or more to fully heal.

Roger Federer was fighting to stay in the chase later as the Swiss holder faced Radek Stepanek after losing an opening match to a Simon comeback effort on Monday.