China DIGEST

ChongqingMurder suspect foundA mother reported to the police that her son is the main suspect in a murder case that is 17 years old, the Chongqing E vening News reports.儲存 Her son, now 42, had been hiding in a rural county in Hunan province under a different name and was married with two children, the report said. The suspect's wife had no idea he had allegedly killed a person in 1996. His mother only recently discovered where he had been hiding.Cab driver 'killer' caughtPolice in Chongqing have arrested a suspect who allegedly robbed and killed a taxi driver 13 years ago, Xinhua reports. The suspect has been on the run and did not attend his parents' funerals or his daughter's wedding. The police caught the suspect at a construction site in the city working as a cook.FujianMan rescued from riverA man in Fuzhou jumped into a river on Sunday afternoon after having a quarrel with a friend and then refused to get out, Fjsen.com reports. He even pushed away rescuers who tried to help him and began to lose strength. He was finally pulled out of the river by rescuers, the report said.Attack suspect detainedFujian police have arrested one of two suspects who allegedly raped and killed a girl in Sanming nine years ago, the Southeastern Morning Post reports. The victim of the attack jumped into a river trying to escape when the two suspects robbed her, but she was pulled out by the pair who then allegedly beat and raped her. The girl died of severe head injuries. The police are still searching for the other suspect, the report said.GuangdongOil tank safety fearsPeople in Shenzhen are worried about the safety of an oil storage tank in the city's downtown area after a deadly oil-pipeline blast last week in Qingdao , the Southern Metropolis Daily reports. More than 10,000 people live within one kilometre of the oil tank and more than 100,000 within five kilometres. The government promised to move the oil tank 13 years ago, but has not done so, the report said.Officials 'went on junkets'A village in Renhua county near Shaoguan has allegedly sent its village committee officials and their relatives on trips to Beijing, Tianjin and even Malaysia and Thailand using public funds, the Nanfang Nongcun Daily reports. The newspaper said the village committee spent more than 1 million yuan to cover the travel expenses. The money was part of a compensation fund for local villagers who were asked to relocate for a planned landfill site, the article said.GuangxiRifle used in clashesThe publicity office in Beihai said a gun used by urban management officials during scuffles with villagers was an air rifle, the Southern Metropolis Daily reports. The statement said the officials had found the firearm during an earlier inspection. In a scuffle with 50 villagers on Thursday, the officials used the gun to damage a van owned by two villagers suspected of stealing sand, the report said.Teenaged gang arrestedNanning police have arrested eight teenagers in connection with several robberies in the area, the Nanguo Morning Post reports. The eight boys, all aged between 16 and 17, were part of a gang. Three others are still at la迷你倉ge. They allegedly used knives to threaten victims and stole electric motorbikes.HebeiWorker killed at quarryA worker has died in an accident at an illegal sand quarry in Xingtai , the online China Economic Net reports. Nearby villagers helped with rescue efforts after part of the quarry workings collapsed. The business was near local government offices, but had not been told to close down, the report said.Pollution charge leviedAnguo near Baoding started charging households a 100 yuan (HK$125) "air pollution fee" for the winter, Hebnews.cn reports. Some residents said they were asked to pay the money on top of their usual heating charges. The authorities said the charge was used to clean up air pollution, the report said. Baoding is one of the most polluted cities on the mainland.JiangsuFilm director 'wanted'The Oriental Guardian newspaper has published a mock "wanted poster'' on its front page asking for information to trace film director Zhang Yimou, Xinhua reports. The government in Wuxi has said it was unable to get in touch with Zhang, who allegedly violated the country's one-child policy by having seven children with several women. Zhang has not responded to the online accusation since it went viral in May. Zhang's work includes Red Sorghum, Raise the Red Lantern and the box-office smash Hero. He also oversaw the production of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.Hospital worker fraudA hospital worker in Xuzhou has been sentenced to life in prison for embezzling 6.87 million yuan from a medical insurance fund, Modern Express reports. Along with two others, Bu Li faked invoices to steal the money. The three then invested the money in property and the stock market, according to the article.JiangxiAward ceremony criticisedThe organisers of the Poyang Lake cycling race made foreign winners wear Qing dynasty costumes at the ceremony on Sunday, Xinhua reports. Traditional Chinese music was also played at the event. Officials in Jingdezhen said they wanted to show traditional culture to their foreign guests. The move was criticised by some internet users who described the ceremony as a farce.Disputed home razedA Ganzhou resident set up a stone tablet to declare ownership of his house in an attempt to ward off developers, the Southern Metropolis Daily reports. The local authorities ignored the stone inscription and demolished the home, the report said.Shaanxi1 killed in high-rise blastAn explosion at a high-rise building in downtown Xian early on Monday morning killed one person and injured another seven, the Huashang Daily reports. The authorities are investigating, but suspect the blast was caused by a gas leak.Luxury car abandonedA 1.3-million yuan luxury car has been abandoned on the roadside in Yulin for more than four months, the Huasheng Daily reports. Nearly all its removable parts, including tyres, rear-view mirrors and lights have been stolen. The car's windows were also smashed and the seats damaged and covered with rubbish. Residents said the car, a Maserati, had been parked there since August. They suspected it had been smuggled into China illegally.self storage