Beijing

Harshest wetland protection rule

The Chinese capital implemented its strictest wetland-protection regulations on Wednesday, threatening violators with a top fine of 500,000 yuan ($81,000). Those who destroy wild plants and gather bird eggs in wetlands will be fined up to 5,000 yuan. Capturing wild animals, destroying wildlife breeding areas and habitats, and dumping toxic and harmful substances will be fined up to 500,000 yuan.

Ming Tombs relics damaged

Some relics of the Ming Tombs in Beijing, a World Heritage site, were damaged, an employee of the scenic spot said on Wednesday. Sidesteps of one of the tombs, which house 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), were damaged and levered, the anonymous employee said. Police are investigating the case, and some media reported that the damage may be the result of a theft attempt.

Guangxi

Manhunt launched for child-killer

Police are hunting for a suspect who killed two 5-year-old children and injured another three people in a village in Chengtuan town, Liuzhou, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, at around 7 pm on Wednesday. A Liuzhou police spokesman said a widespread search has been launched for the suspect, who they warn may be mentally disturbed.

Sichuan

Water supply back in quake-hit areas

Water supply has been resumed in Ya'an, about 10 days after a magnitude-7 earthquake struck the city in Sichuan province, local authorities said on Wednesday. The quake, which rocked the city's Lushan county on April 20, cut water supply to 1 million residents, among whom 848,800 live in rural areas, according to the city's water authority.

Chongqing

Rainstorm kills at least 5

Strong gales and torrential rain in Chongqing have left five people dead and 39 others injured since Sunday, local authorities said. The storms swept across Chongqing from Sunday evening, bringing more than 100 millimeters of rain to some counties, according to the emergency office of the municipal government.

Henan

Two suicides at Foxconn plant

Two suicides took place at the Foxconn Technology Group factory in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on April 24 and April 27, Guangming Daily reported on Tuesday. A 24-year-old male employee, who had worked at the factory for only two days, jumped from a dormitory in the factory compound on April 24. A 23-year-old female employee jumped from a building on April 27. She had worked at the factory for six months, the report said.

Jiangsu

Theft attempt blamed for blast

An explosion that killed one person and injured three others at Nanjing University of Science and Technology in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, on Tuesday has been blamed on workers attempting to steal lab property, a university spokesman said on Wednesday. The incident happened while five workers were using a flame-cutting machine to remove the gate of the lab, said Gong Zaichun, spokesman for the university.

Heilongjiang

Bear forces village evacuations

More than 300 villagers were evacuated on Wednesday after a 2-meter-tall bear was spotted in three separate villages in Heilongjiang province, local authorities said. The animal was first seen in Majiagang village in Mishan city near the China-Russia border at 4 am, causing panic among villagers on their way to work in local fields, said Wang Lei of the border police force. The bear was later seen in two other villages. No casualties have been reported.

China Daily-Xinhua

(China Daily 05/02/2013 page2)