Parents unaware of clothing risks

Less than 20 percent of parents in cities are aware of the potential hazards of children's clothing, according to a survey result released by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine on Friday. The survey shows while 98 percent of parents focus on the quality of clothing, only 10 to 18 percent have even a basic knowledge of safety.

Calls for better chemical controls

The Ministry of Education issued a circular on Friday calling for the improved management of dangerous chemicals used in university labs. Education authorities at various levels and universities supervised by the ministry are required to further intensify management of dangerous chemicals for lab use, specify managing responsibilities and intensify supervision and approval on the handling of labs. The measures were released after a poisoning case and an explosion in two of China's universities recently due to mishandling of chemicals,

Health food warning issued

Health food is not a drug or medicine, a watchdog said after a major investigation found companies were adding drugs to their products. The China Food and Drug Administration issued the warning on Friday following investigations in 15 provinces that uncovered a widespread presence of drugs in food. Most of the health food brands claim their products can help stamina and control weight, blood pressure and sugar levels.

Nitrogen oxide standard eyed

China is mulling a tougher national standard on nitrogen oxide, or NOx, emissions from cement factories amid public calls to clear up both air pollution and the sector's excess production capacity. The new standard drafted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection is expected to be issued on July 1, China Securities Journal reported on Friday. The cement industry produces about 11.6 percent of all the NOx emissions across China's industrial sectors.

Henan

Official suspended after club photo

An official was suspended from his post in Henan province after thousands of netizens forwarded a photo of a nightclub using an electronic display to send him a message of welcome. The nightclub in Zhengzhou displayed the message "Boss Zhang and Wang from Zhonghaihuaxue Chemical Holding Group sincerely welcome director Tian from Xiangcheng to Zhengzhou". Investigations by the government of Zhoukou city, which administrates Xiangcheng, confirmed the official is Tian Hongzhi, deputy director of Xiangcheng city industry and commerce bureau.

Guangdong

Man relieved of post for indecency

An official from Shenzhen, Guangdong province, has been relieved of his post after he was accused of acting indecently toward a male hotel attendant in Taiwan. Li Pingshan, director of the comprehensive office of the Longgang neighborhood committee in Longgang district, is now under investigation, said a press release issued by the information office of Longgang government on Thursday night. The news was first reported in a Taiwan television program on Tuesday that he had paid 180,000 Taiwan dollars ($6,016) in compensation to the man to settle out of court.

Center opens in memory of girl

An education center for children of migrant workers, dedicated to the memory of a young girl who died in tragic circumstances, has opened in Guangdong province. The center, located at a bazaar in Foshan, honors the memory of Yue Yue who was run over by vehicles in October 2011 when she was playing. Despite being in obvious distress, at least 18 pedestrians and cyclists passed without stopping to help her. The center offers a safe environment to children of migrant workers, Yangcheng Evening News reported.

Nine killed in auto center blaze

Nine people, including three boys, were killed in a fire in the Nanhai district of Foshan, Guangdong province, on Friday morning, sources with the provincial emergency management office said. The blaze, which occurred at 5:26 am at a 96-square-meter vehicle center in an industrial zone, was put out an hour later. An investigation is underway.

Zhejiang

High-speed railway starts trial run

A new high-speed railway that stretches across East China's Yangtze River Delta began trials on Friday. The Nanjing-Hangzhou-Ningbo high-speed railway, with a top speed of 350 km per hour, will cut travel time between Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, and the port city of Ningbo in Zhejiang province by half to about two hours, sources with the Shanghai Railway Bureau said. The railway is scheduled to go into commercial service at the end of June.

Taiwan

Island's first H7N9 patient recovers

The first person in Taiwan to be infected with H7N9 bird flu, surnamed Lee, has recovered and left the hospital on Friday after 35 days of treatment, a spokesman for Taiwan University Hospital said on Friday. The 53-year-old man from Taiwan, who had briefly stayed in the city of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, showed bird flu symptoms three days after returning to Taiwan via Shanghai on April 9.

Hubei

Driver suspected of using drugs

A bus driver suspected of taking drugs while working is under investigation, said police in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Friday. A micro blog posting, including six photos, claimed that the driver, surnamed Zhang, was under the influence of drugs while driving his bus. China News Service reported that police found the driver at noon in a bus terminal, and a urine analysis showed a positive result.

Xinhua-China Daily