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Chinas former deputy planning chief brokered deals and helped approve projects in return for cars, furniture and a phantom job for his son, prosecutors said at a corruption trial yesterday that detailed a culture of back-room dealings in the worlds second-largest economy.

Liu Tienan, the former deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, confessed to taking advantage of his position to seek benefits, according to a running transcript posted to the official microblog of the Langfang City Intermediate Peoples Court, south of Beijing, where the trial took place. Liu, 59, and his son Liu Decheng took 35.6 million yuan ($5.8 million) worth of bribes including cash, homes and cars in the decade to 2012, the microblog transcript said.

Prosecutors said that, among other crimes, Liu allegedly took bribes to help set up a dealership for a Chinese carmakers joint venture with Toyota Motor Corp.; used his relationship with the president of Chinas biggest aluminum producer to secure a deal for a company that was paying him; and helped win approval for a chemical plant in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo, according to the microblog transcript. While Liu confessed to receiving bribes, his defense lawyer disputed some facts and amounts, the microblog said.

Liu Tienan, former deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission. Close

Liu Tienan, former deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission.

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Liu Tienan, former deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Liu is one of the highest level officials to go on trial since he was netted in President Xi Jinpings anti-corruption campaign that targets Communist Party cadres from the top to bottom ranks and in all the countrys provinces. Last year, former Politburo member Bo Xilai was convicted of bribery and abuse of power and sentenced to life behind bars, while a graft probe was announced against the countrys former security chief, Zhou Yongkang, in July.

What we are seeing here is a typical Chinese procedure, where there is a media trial, where they say that hes a bad guy, his son is a bad guy, that he took this bribe and that car, said Bo Zhiyue, senior research fellow at the National University of Singapores East Asian Institute. You dont see anything in his defense coming out.

The account of the proceedings was released throughout the day on the courts Weibo microblog, a service similar to Twitter. The court will announce its verdict and sentencing at a later date. There was no mention of proceedings against Lius son or any of the executives referred to in the accusations.

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China Trial of Economic Planner Sheds Light on Bribery

MILAN Melindo could earn another world title shot sooner than later in his return to the 108-pound division.

Following a failed world title bid at flyweight, Melindo dropped to the light flyweight division and could be fighting for an International Boxing Federation (IBF) light flyweight title eliminator on Nov. 15 in Pinoy Pride 28History in the Making at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino.

It may be for an eliminator for the IBF No. 1, ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer told Sun.Star Cebu. We just got notice from the IBF (for an eliminator) yesterday so we are looking at the possibility to do it on Nov. 15. It will depend on the negotiations.

The 26-year-old Melindo got his biggest break last year and fought for the World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) flyweight crowns of Juan Francisco Estrada.

Outclassed

Melindo, however, got outclassed by Estrada and lost by a one-sided unanimous verdict.

Melindo fought two more at flyweight and beat Mexicans Jose Alfredo Rodriguez and Martin Tecuapetla. He then decided to move back down to 108, a division in which he last fought at in 2009.

One of the opponents that are being mentioned by Aldeguer is Saul Juarez, who was one of the frontrunners as WBO light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes.

Nietes is defending his title in the main event of Pinoy Pride 28 against Mexican Carlos Velarde, who is rated No. 10 in the WBO.

We are still waiting for the contract. Hopefully this week or early next week, said Aldeguer, who has already sent contracts to both Velarde and Juarez.

More here:
Melindo sheds weight to get IBF title break

OWASCO | A proposed third sewer district would improve Owasco Lake water quality by transitioning homeowners from septic to a sewer system, said Town of Owasco Supervisor Ed Wagner.

A third sewer district is proposed from south of Burtis Point to Koenig Point and would affect approximately 200 residents, several across the border in Niles.

Property owners in this area currently operate on-site subsurface wastewater treatment systems, or septic systems.

This technology, Wagner said, is limited.

"Septic is useful for solid waste," he said, but becomes problematic when it comes to liquids.

Septic infrastructure is typically complemented by a leaching system of holding tanks, dry wells or leach fields.

"Some are just not built to today's standards," Wagner said.

The supervisor estimates septic replacement costs to reach $15,000, or more if an aerobic digester is needed.

Periodic septic system monitoring by the Cayuga County Department of Health investigate complaints of septic failures. Liquid waste, which is not unlike cow manure, runs the risk of eventually finding its way into the lake, a drinking water source for as many as 50,000 people, Wagner said.

"Liquids leach out to ground water," he said. "Kind of like what we're complaining about with cows (manure) in the watershed.

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Proposed Owasco sewer district could improve lake water quality

Higher Open Tipped For Thai Stock Market

RTT News - Thursday 25th September, 2014

The Thai stock market has tracked higher now in six straight sessions, collecting nearly 30 points or 1.9 percent in that span. The Stock Exchange of Thailand settled just above the 1,590-point ...

Asia News Network - Thursday 25th September, 2014

One thousand children turned up at Bangkok University recently, taking turns to dance their fingers over an iPad as they competed to be the smartest kindergarten child in Thailand. They had come ...

Straits Times - Thursday 25th September, 2014

THAILAND - A Singaporean navy officer cadet had to be evacuated by the Royal Thai Navy on Sunday after he exhibited stroke-like symptoms while sailing off the waters of Phuket, reported Thai news ...

The Nation - Thursday 25th September, 2014

Puttharaksa Negree and Rojjana Raklao claimed their second bronze medal together in the Incheon Asian Games after they finished third in the women's lightweight doubles ...

The Nation - Thursday 25th September, 2014

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Newest addition to Accors Phuket network opens in October

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The city of Owensboro is ready to tackle another construction project, all part of the city's downtown revitalization plan.

Bill Hughes has watched downtown Owensboro change and grow from his restaurant located a few blocks from Smothers Park.

He says the city has done a great job expanding the sidewalks.

"It's been great for all the businesses and I think they've done a super job with the design and the implementation," said Hughes, owner of Bill's Restaurant.

Construction will be moving away from the river and up Frederica Street near Hughes' Restaurant.

The city will be working on the intersections of third, fourth, and fifth street along Frederica Street after the barbeque festival.

It's all part of the city's downtown revitalization plan.

The city plans to replace asphalt at the intersections with brick pavers and replace traffic signal poles to match the ones on west second street.

Bryant Engineering is designing the plan and the city expects to advertise the bid next spring.

Hughes says construction should have some impact on the business, but doesn't expect it to be too bad.

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Construction coming to downtown Owensboro

Could famed power dining spot the Four Seasons be moving to a new Park Avenue home?

Eagle-eyed sources on Tuesday spotted restaurant co-owners Julian Niccolini and Alex von Bidder in hard hats at the construction site of 432 Park Ave., which has been billed as the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere.

The building, rising 1,396 feet in the air, will reportedly include a restaurant on a lower floor. The condo tower is being developed by California-based CIM Group and New York real estate powerhouse Harry Macklowe.

Niccolini and von Bidder told us of their 432 Park tour in a statement: Harry is a lifelong friend of the Four Seasons. When he offered us a tour, we jumped at the chance to take selfies for Facebook.

The Four Seasons has been in the Seagram Building on Park Avenue since 1959, but its lease expires in July 2016.

Niccolini and von Bidder are in negotiations with landlord Aby Rosen, but many have speculated the restaurant would move out of the landmarked space once its lease is up.

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Could the Four Seasons be moving to 432 Park Avenue?

by WHAS11

WHAS11.com

Posted on September 24, 2014 at 5:52 PM

Updated yesterday at 5:57 PM

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- It's no secret that going in, around, or out of downtown Louisville these days is a challenge. Blockades, detours and orange barrels litter the city. Now a NuLu restaurant, Taco Punk, claims the bridge construction is a big reason they have to close their doors.

"Once the bridges project started our income over last year dropped about 30 percent," explained the restaurant owner Gabe Sowder.

Sowder said last summer the restaurant was hopping, but a tough winter and then the bridge construction limiting lunchtime-goers easy access to the neighborhood, forced Gabe to make a hard decision. He chose to not put off the inevitable and close Taco Punk.

"Mostly we just depend so much on the free flow of traffic from downtown to here that people just can't make a timely circuit," he said.

Sowder admits that Taco Punk may not be in the best location in NuLu since it's on one of the blocks farther away from downtown. Restaurants closer to downtown, like Harvest, shared that they havent seen any deterrence due to the bridge construction.

"Our business has been very solid, kind of right on projection is what we are looking at," Harvest manager Tim Quinland said.

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Owner of Taco Punk says bridge construction hindered business

By Donna Jones

djones@santacruzsentinel.com @DonnaJonesSCS on Twitter

WATSONVILLE >> Not so fast.

Opponents plan to urge the Watsonville City Council to rescind its OK for a downtown 24-hour drive-through McDonald's.

The council approved construction of the fast food restaurant at Main Street near Riverside Drive on a 6-0 vote Tuesday. But the project requires changes to an ordinance governing drive-through restaurants. The council is scheduled to take a second vote on that provision Oct. 14.

Wednesday morning, DigitalNest founder Jacob Martinez launched a Facebook campaign aimed at getting opponents to the Oct. 14 meeting. By afternoon, more than three dozen people had signed on.

"There are many people in this community that have been working to make Watsonville a cultural hub along the Central Coast," Martinez said. "We need downtown Watsonville to be a cultural center, which will draw in visitors and support our economy. Fast food is not going to bring visitors into Watsonville. What McDonald's will be is a message that we support unhealthy food and lifestyles."

In giving the restaurant the go-ahead, council members said replacing long vacant and neglected buildings with a McDonald's wasn't their first choice, but the only option available after a Walgreens proposal fell through last year and no one else emerged to invest in the property.

"We have someone from our community willing to make that commitment and the reputation to make it successful," said Councilwoman Trina Coffman-Gomez.

Tila Guerrero and son Martin, who own McDonald's restaurants on Main Street near Target and on Freedom Boulevard, proposed the third location.

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Watsonville council urged to flip McDonald's OK

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