Seven dead and five missing as typhoon Koppu hits GD 
Guangdong government is taking actions to help areas hit by the devastating typhoon Koppu which killed 7 people in the province. The typhoon has also affected 1.4 million people in 8 prefecture-level cities, causing a direct economic loss of 1.7 billion yuan. The government will allocate 3 million yuan to Maoming, Yangjiang and Yunfu cities to help will disaster-relief efforts. Teams have arrived in affected regions to carry out disaster-relief work and help local people return to a normal life as soon as possible.

Hospital to offer free booking service
Patients in Guangdong will soon be able to book an appointment with their doctors in advance and for free, instead of paying for a special booking service or going to the hospital in person and waiting in line. The province plans to introduce a hospital registration and booking system by the end of this year in 3A level hospitals. Citizens will be able to book appointment either by calling the hospital, sending a SMS, or logging on to a dedicated internet site.

China picks astronaut candidates, 15 female
A preliminary selection of candidates to become China's second batch of astronauts has been completed. The 45 candidates are all air force pilots and include 30 men and 15 women. The authorities said today (September 16) that out of the 45 candidates, five men and two women will be chosen to join the space program. This is the first time China has allowed women to take part in the selection.

Guangdong Ranks No.1 on E-commerce in China
Statistics from the 2009 China International E-Commerce Conference held yesterday (September 16) show that Guangdong, and especially the Pearl River Delta, ranks first throughout the country on E-commerce. Deputy Director of the Guangdong Information Industry Office, Zhou Sheng, said that Guangdong's netizens have increased to 45 million, and amongst which, over 11 millions make online transactions. Guangdong is the only province in China to see the number of people buying online exceed 10 million. With annual revenue at over 300 billion yuan, Guangzhou was honored as a model city on E-commerce. The next goal for the city is to achieve a full internet coverage before the Asian Games commence.