World Expo ticket sales start

SHANGHAI: Organizers of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo launched ticket sales for the event on Friday, kicking off the 400-day countdown to the global event scheduled on May 1 next year.

It is the first round of ticket sales, targeted only at group visitors who can book seats through appointed agencies. Individuals cannot book tickets until July 1, organizers said.

The first batch of official ticket distributors include four domestic agencies - China Mobile, China Telecom, Bank of Communications and China Post - as well as nine overseas agencies.