Around the nation: Fourth panda dies of canine distemper in Shaanxi
Also: Kindergartern teachers 'abused pupils with sharp objects'; Former husband jailed for arson attack that injured his own children
PUBLISHED : Friday, 06 February, 2015, 10:14pm
UPDATED : Friday, 06 February, 2015, 10:14pm
A panda looks out of his cage at Beijing zoo. A fourth panda has died of canine distemper at a wildlife breeding centre in Shaanxi. Photo: EPA
SHAANXI
Another panda dies
A fourth giant panda has died from canine distemper at the province's endangered wildlife research centre, Shaanxi Television reports. Seven-year-old Fengfeng was diagnosed with the disease in late December and lapsed into a coma early last month. The disease affects many species of animals and is a leading cause of death in dogs.
Luxury goods hit
Sales of luxury goods in the province have slumped over the past year due to the central government's anti-graft campaign, the Huashang Daily reports. Managers of luxury shops said the number of visitors at some boutiques had fallen by half as fewer people bought luxury gifts. Another factor was the reduced spending power in the wealthy north of the province, the major source of consumers of such goods in past years, industry insiders said.
ANHUI
Dumped baby recovering
A newborn baby is recovering in hospital in Suzhou after she was dumped in a toilet by her 19-year-old single mother who gave birth in a car, the Anhui Business News reports. The mother, who is now under house arrest, told police that she had the baby on the way to the hospital, and abandoned it in the washroom at her mother's workplace.
Bribed official jailed
An official with the real estate bureau of Hefei has been jailed for 10 years for taking more 250,000 yuan (HK$315,000) in bribes, the Anhui Business News reports. The man, 51, abused his power to favour several property projects in exchange for bribes from developers and agents during his decade-long service at the bureau.
BEIJING
Names preserved, at least
Municipal authorities have drafted regulations that would ban new roads, bridges, squares and other public places being named after Chinese leaders or foreigners, but would let existing names to stay if they were not offensive, the Beijing Morning Post reports. The rules set standards for preserving ancient place names. For example, the names of hutongs, the narrow alleyways between the city's iconic courtyard houses, must be retained in the names of newly built roads nearby.
Driver on trial
A motorist is standing trial over the death of a pedestrian who was run over by three vehicles on a major road in Fangshan district in October, the Beijing Times reports. The first car hit the victim, in his 60s, at a crossroad, and the driver pulled over to phone for help but forgot to activate his hazard lights, the Fangshan district court heard. Two other cars then ran over the man, who was dead by the time an ambulance arrived. The court will deliver its judgment later.
GUANGDONG
Old-folks town
Xuwen county in Zhanjiang has named itself "China's town of longevity" as the percentage of its residents aged 100 or more is five times the central government's standard for the honour, the China News Service reports. The standard states that a location with more than three centenarians per 100,000 residents can be considered a place of extraordinary longevity. Xuwen, with a population of 730,000, boasts 112 residents who have celebrated their 100th birthday.
Minivan crash kills 11
Eleven people died and two are in critical condition after their minivan crashed in roadside ditch in Xingning county on Wednesday, the Southern Daily reports. The driver, a villager from neighbouring Longchuan county, was carrying relatives to a wedding in Meizhou when the vehicle, which could seat 11, rolled during a sharp turn.
HUNAN
Train stops in time
A train travelling from Huaihua to Loudi was barely able to stop in time to avoid hitting three boys playing on the tracks in Lianyuan , Rednet.cn reports. The driver applied the brake 300 metres from the boys after seeing them moving on the tracks on Wednesday. The train, which was travelling 80km/h came to a halt in front of the children, who climbed to the roadside after hearing the whistle.
Acid attacker arrested
A man in Leiyang who poured half a litre of sulphuric acid over his mistress in 2012, then later paid compensation, is to stand trial after being formally arrested for the offence, the Sanxiang Metropolis Daily reports. The man, 42, started an affair with the married woman in 2008 and attacked her in June 2012 after she wanted to break up. He later paid more 270,000 yuan in compensation and 100,000 yuan for medical fees to the victim, who had severe scars over her body and face.
SHANDONG
Abuse claims investigated
Police in Liaocheng have detained two kindergarten teachers who allegedly abused pupils with sharp objects, the Qilu Evening News reports. About 20 children at a kindergarten in the city have been pricked and pinched by two young women teachers with pencils, toothpicks and ear studs as punishment for disobeying the teachers, local authorities said. Parents weren't aware of the problem until a child told his mother about it, according to the report.
Animal waster clogs river
A river in a town in Liaocheng has been clogged with hundreds of bags containing animal waste, Iqilu.com reports. A villager said the bags, weighing several tonnes, were filled with animal parts such as chicken bones and butchered scraps. It is not known where they came from or who dumped them. The local environment bureau is removing the waste.
SHANGHAI
Airport traffic improved
Aircraft can now land or take off simultaneously at Pudong International Airport's parallel runways, the Oriental Morning Post reports. The new flying mode, introduced on Thursday, is expected to cut long waiting times and flight delays, an air traffic controller at the airport was quoted as saying. Previously, aircraft had to keep a distance of at least 2km on the runways.
Navigation system tested
Shanghai's maritime authority has launched a trial of China's own Beidou navigation system to guide ships in poor visibility, Eastday.com reports. The Yangshan Deep-Water Port was forced to delay the operations of large ships for more than 50 days last year because of poor visibility, mostly due to smog, an authority spokesman said.
SICHUAN
Sweets meet bitter end
Over 10 tonnes of sweets have been dumped at a waste recycling company in Chengdu after they were used to form a colourful candy carpet in front of the city's International Financial Square a week ago, the West China City News reports. The 2.7 million sweets were laid on the ground to form a 185-metre by seven-metre wide "carpet" as part of the tower's first anniversary celebration. The organiser promised to give away the sweets after the exhibition, but unexpected rain turned them to mush.
Husband jailed for arson
A man has been jailed for eight years for setting fire to his former wife's home, injuring their two children and the woman's mother, the West China City News reports. The man, who divorced the woman in 2013, had asked for to remarriage but was refused. Infuriated, he threw two bottles of petrol into a bedroom of the woman's home, where the grandmother and his own children were taking a nap, in March last year.
