Beijing

Freed man accused of witness attack

An ex-convict named Zhang is accused of beating in August a witness who had testified against him, Jinghua Times reported on Wednesday. Zhang, who has been detained and is awaiting a court hearing, allegedly said the witness had committed perjury to help convict him in 2011 of causing trouble.

Genome decoding initiative launched

China has launched a genome decoding initiative, which researchers hope will identify new methods of preventing and treating major endemic diseases. The project targets developing devices and technologies needed in proteome research as well as charting human proteome biological and pathological profiles, according to the project's official statement. Proteome is the entire complement of proteins that can be produced by an organism.

Burglar caught after messaging victim

A man appeared in court on Tuesday charged with entering the house of a woman and taking note of the instant messaging contact number on her computer, Jinghua Times reported on Wednesday. Guan Tinghui, 24, allegedly followed the woman to her rented house on March 17 to rob her, but instead remembered her QQ number. He later contacted her with the number and was caught by police. Guan stood trial on Tuesday, and a judgment will be announced later.

Shanghai

Woman compensated after invasive photos

A disabled woman has been given 22,000 yuan ($3,500) by a hospital in Zhabei district after interns photographed her private parts without her permission during surgery, Shanghai Law Journal reported on Wednesday. The interns, who are close to the age of the woman's children, took the photos while observing the surgery. The photos have been deleted and the hospital has apologized.

Liaoning

Blind man to work for doctorate in California

A man born in 1974 and who lost his sight at age 15 will go to the University of Southern California on June 28 with his family to study medicine, Southern Metropolis Daily reported on Wednesday. Yang Yang will be the first blind man from the Chinese mainland to enter a US university's doctoral program after passing that country's Test of English as a Foreign Language. He already has a college diploma in acupuncture and massage.

Guangxi

92 hospitalized due to food poisoning

Ninety-two students and one staff member at a boarding school in the region were hospitalized with suspected food poisoning on Sunday, authorities said. After eating dinner at the cafeteria in Gangnan No 1 School in Guigang, several students began vomiting and complaining of headaches. The school sent 92 students and one member of the cafeteria staff to a hospital for treatment, a statement from Gangnan district's education bureau said.

Hebei

Boy rescued after 7-hour ordeal in well

A 3-year-old boy in Baoding was rescued seven hours after he fell into an abandoned well, CCTV reported on Wednesday. The well, which is on farmland, is more than 50 meters deep with a diameter of only 30 cm. The boy, trapped about 15 meters underground, was rescued by firefighters.

Hunan

Recent graduate found dead in dormitory

A former student at Hunan University of Science and Technology in Xiangtan was found dead in his dormitory after a farewell dinner, rednet.cn reported on Wednesday. The student, surnamed Yang, had just graduated and had dinner with his classmates and teachers on June 8 during which he drank some beer. He was found dead in bed next morning.

Alleged attack by grandfather probed

Authorities are investigating a Changsha man's complaint that he was attacked, Sanxiang Metropolis Daily reported on Wednesday. Sheng Li said he was having dinner with his family on Friday when he saw a boy urinating on his front door. After he gave the 7-year-old a "friendly warning" to stop, he said, the boy's grandfather, who had a knife, attacked and injured him.

Jiangsu

Urban officers punished after beating vendor

Four temporary urban patrol officers in Nanjing were fired or suspended after a video went viral that showed them beating a middle-aged vendor, Modern Express reported. While the officers were trying to stop the woman from occupying the street at noon on Sunday, she climbed onto their vehicle and the three officers beat her before officers managed to loosen her grip.

Zhejiang

3 held for spreading false murder rumor

Three people in Wenling were detained for two to three days for spreading a rumor online that a rich man was murdered. On June 6, an 80-year-old resident of Jin'ao village took his own life in his home. But the three people said he was a rich man beheaded in a murder case.

Runaway groom gets half his dowry back

A Ningbo man was awarded half the 90,000 yuan ($14,500) dowry he gave his ex-fiancee's family before he called off the engagement because he is gay, China Youth International reported on Wednesday. According to the woman, the couple had no intimate moments except for holding hands. The man said he tried but failed to change his sexual orientation after the engagement. A court mediated the settlement.

Sichuan

1 killed, 5 hurt when ambulance, car collide

An ambulance collided with a car and overturned early Tuesday morning in a suburb of Chengdu. The 23-year-old ambulance driver from the Xindu district hospital died at the scene, and five people in the ambulance, including a patient, were injured. The car's driver was allegedly under the influence of alcohol, Chengdu Economic Daily reported.

School official serves as food taster for students

Yu Chengjie, deputy headmaster of Yong'an Junior High School in Neijiang, tastes every dish 30 minutes before the cafeteria opens to students for lunch. This is because the Neijiang municipal government in 2013 began asking officials in the city's schools to take turns eating before students to ensure food safety, West China Metropolis Daily reported.

Jilin

Drug gang busted for manufacturing, dealing

Members of a gang have been apprehended for manufacturing and dealing drugs, local police announced on Wednesday. Police in Da'an said they have detained 20 suspects, and confiscated more than 700 kg of processed marijuana and one vehicle. The gang leader, surnamed Li, was taken into custody while transporting the drugs. The gang has sold more than 2,000 kg of marijuana since it began operating in 2013.

Guizhou

Gas leak in coal mine kills 10 at night

Ten people have been confirmed dead after a gas leak occurred in a coal mine on Wednesday morning. Authorities in Liupanshui said that 130 miners were working underground at the Xinhua Coal Mine when the gas leak occurred minutes after midnight. Of them, 120 managed to escape. By 5:20 am, rescuers had retrieved all of the victims' bodies from the mine.

Xinhua - China Daily

(China Daily 06/12/2014 page2)