Beijing

New food safety regulation issued

A new regulation on assessing foodstuffs was released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission on Monday. Foodstuffs covered in the regulation include animals, plants and microorganisms that are not in the country's traditional recipes, and components extracted from them. If the safety of a licensed foodstuff does not meet scientific and technological updates or if there is evidence the food is unsafe, the commission must reassess its safety. If it fails the re-examination, the commission will revoke the license.

Apple to probe iPhone death

Apple is investigating an accident in which a Chinese woman died while answering a call on her charging iPhone, the US technology company said on Monday. On Thursday, Ma Ailun, 23, from Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, was electrocuted when she took a call on her cellphone while it was charging, Xinhua News Agency quoted police as saying on Sunday. "We will fully investigate and cooperate with authorities in this matter," Apple said in an e-mail, in which it offered its condolences to the Ma family.

Fewer dangerous driving cases seen

Dangerous driving cases have dropped significantly since the crime was written into Chinese Criminal Law in 2011, Beijing Haidian District People's Court said on Monday. From January to June, the court heard 27 such cases, about a fourth of the figure from the previous year, according to the statistics provided by the court. In 2011, legislators lengthened the punishment for driving dangerously, such as speeding or drunken driving, from 15 days to up to six months in detention, in an effort to avoid traffic tragedies, the court said.

Gansu

China launches orbiter into space

China successfully sent an experimental orbiter into space on Monday, the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center said. The SJ-11-05 orbiter was launched from the center at 5:27 pm on Monday and went into scheduled orbit, according to the center, which is located in Northwest China's Gobi desert. The orbiter was carried by a Long March 2C rocket. It will be used to conduct scientific and technological experiments.

Henan

8 suspected of selling toxic food

Eight suspects in the growing and selling of 560 metric tons of toxic bean sprouts were arrested in Sanmenxia, Henan province. The toxic products had been sold to canteens at schools, factories and hotels, as well as to families, since September 2011. Zhang Minzhao, He Shuaiwei and Fan Guoxing, who allegedly used illegal additives such as growth hormones in the production and sold the bean sprouts without any certification, were arrested, as was Yang Qianli, who allegedly provided the additives.

Zhejiang

Drug suspect arrested

An alleged drug smuggler was apprehended at the frontier inspection station in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, according to Youth Times, a local newspaper. An African suspect was detained, and 409 grams of heroin was seized, the paper said. The case is the biggest of its kind at the Hangzhou checkpoint since 1979. The suspect got off a plane from Ethiopia on July 9. Airport duty officers found with him a box with a bag of white powder, later confirmed to be heroin.

Shaanxi

Landslide causes oil to leak in river

A landslide after heavy rainfall in Shaanxi province damaged an underground oil pipeline on Monday morning, causing oil to leak into a nearby river. The landslide cracked the pipeline operated by Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Co at about 4 am. Oil leaked through the crack into a nearby river that flows into the Yellow River. Rescue teams have built six protective dams, with three more planned, to stop the oil spill from flowing downstream.

Jiangsu

Nanjing gears up for luxury cabs

Nanjing plans to have 1,600 "luxury" taxis on the road before the Asian Youth Games kick off in the city in mid-August. However, reports that the new cabs will charge higher fares have not gone down well with residents, the Oriental Morning Post in Shanghai reported. For those traveling less than 3 km, the fare will be 3 yuan (50 cents) more, Nanjing's price bureau said. Those traveling greater distances can expect to pay about 20 percent more.

Guangdong

Tax official suspended

A national tax official has been suspended from his job after allegations surfaced that he owns 173 business complexes in Dongguan, Guangdong province, according to the city's top anti-graft body. The Dongguan Party Commission of Discipline Inspection has launched an investigation into Luo Shaoqiang, who residents call the "uncle of business complexes", Huang Guixin, a publicity official from the anti-graft body, said over the weekend. Huang said a team was sent to investigate the allegations.

China Daily-Xinhua-Agencies

(China Daily USA 07/16/2013 page3)