Chinese eat too much salt

The China National Salt Industry Corporation, the country's biggest salt producer, on Tuesday launched a plan to reduce the nation's salt consumption.

Chinese people eat about three times the amount of salt recommended by the World Health Organization.

The company's general manager, Mao Qingguo, said the company will implement a plan to develop low-sodium salt products and establish a uniform standard for salt substitutes to promote the healthy use of salt.

According to the company, the Chinese population consumes 5.5 million metric tons of salt annually, while the salt output is at about 9 million tons, including about 50,000 tons of low-sodium salt.

Each person consumes on average at least 15 grams of salt every day, compared with the 5 grams recommended by the WHO.

Excessive consumption of salt is believed to be associated with cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and other chronic diseases, which lead to about 85 percent of deaths in China every year, said Zeng Yixin, president of the Peking Union Medical College.

Heavy rains persist in south

China's meteorological authority on Tuesday said heavy rains will continue to batter the country's southern regions over the next three days, while thundershowers are expected for northern areas.

The eastern and southern parts of South China, as well as western and southeastern parts of Southwest China's Yunnan province will see heavy rains from Tuesday to Thursday, according to a statement on the National Meteorological Center's website.

Some of these areas will experience thunderstorms, gales and rainstorms, with precipitation reaching 140 millimeters, the center said.

During the period, thundershowers are expected in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Northeast and North China, and regions along the Yellow and Huaihe rivers, with some areas likely to be hit by rainstorms, gales and hailstorms, the center said.

Capital idea for a photo competition

A storytelling competition open to all foreigners in Beijing kicked off on Monday in the capital.

Foreign tourists can participate in the competition by submitting pictures they take or clips of video they shoot in the city, according to the organizers, Beijing municipal commission of tourism development.

"The competition serves as a platform for foreigners in the capital to further explore the city and promote communication between Beijing and the outside world," said Wang Yue, deputy director of the commission.

Nine participants will be granted a tourism coupon ranging from 1,000 yuan ($157) to 5,000 yuan, while 20 others will be rewarded with a Beijing Park Pass worth 100 yuan.

Participants can upload their works on the commission's website, www.visitbeijing.com.cn.

Police shot dead hostage-taker

Beijing police shot and killed a man who took a woman and child hostage in the city's Chaoyang district on Tuesday afternoon, the city's police said.

The man, armed with a knife, held the two hostages for several hours before being shot at 7 pm following several rounds of failed negotiations, the police said.

The hostages were taken to a hospital for treatment. The cause of the incident is under investigation.

Henan

School bus fire kills 4 children

An overloaded kindergarten school bus caught fire on Monday in Puyang city in Central China's Henan province, killing four children, local authorities said Tuesday.

A total of 13 children were on the eight-seat minibus when the accident happened in Zhangyi village in Puyang. Another child and the driver were severely injured. Two children suffered minor injuries, an official with the Puyang government said.

The minibus belongs to Doucunji Kindergarten, the official said, adding that the cause of the accident is under investigation.

Liaoning

Explosion at depot shatters windows

An oil depot exploded in Northeast China's Liaoning province on Tuesday, local authorities said.

The explosion happened at 4:30 pm in the Yuhong district of the provincial capital of Shenyang, shattering windows at a distance of 200 meters and resulting in a massive cloud of smoke, witnesses said.

Information on the cause of the explosion and the number of casualties were not available at press time.

Shanxi

Forest blaze rages in North China

More than 2,000 people are struggling to put out a fire that has been raging in a forest since late Monday afternoon in North China's Shanxi province, local authorities said on Tuesday.

The fire started at around 6 pm in the forest near Jinzhong city in central Shanxi, a provincial government spokesman said.

Guangdong

Customs seizes frozen foods

Shenzhen Customs in Guangdong province said on Tuesday it caught a ship trying to smuggle frozen goods into the country to avoid duties.

The bust involved more than 1,800 metric tons of frozen goods worth 60 million yuan ($9.4 million).

Five of the 18 crew members were put in detention.

It is the biggest frozen goods smuggling case Shenzhen Customs has busted since its establishment in 1997.

According to Customs, the frozen goods were beef, chicken wings and pork tripe from the United States, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand in 60 containers.

Hebei

Two men held for spreading rumors

Police in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, detained two men for spreading rumors online about Monday's smoggy weather, police authority said.

A rumor said the condition was caused by "leaking chlorine gas" and a "boiler explosion at Wuhan Iron and Steel".

Police tracked down the two men who started the rumor and put them in administrative detention on Monday, according to a statement on Safety Wuhan, the micro blog of Wuhan's public security bureau.

Local authorities said the air conditions were caused by burning straw.

Fujian

Putian to host championships

The Fifth Asian Championships in Artistic Gymnastics will be held from Nov 7 to 15 at the sports center in Putian, a city in East China's Fujian province, senior officials said at a news conference on Tuesday.

The event, organized by Asian Gymnastics Union, the Gymnastics Management Center under the General Administration of Sport and the Putian government, is expected to attract about 140 athletes from 15 to 20 countries and regions across Asia, said Zhang Libing, deputy mayor of Putian.

The championships will feature 14 events, eight for men and six for women.

Putian is a coastal city bordering Fuzhou to the north, Quanzhou to the south, and the Taiwan Straits to the east. The city is known as a hometown of famous Chinese athletes in track and field, martial arts and basketball.

China Daily - Xinhua