Beijing

Ex-vice-minister under probe

Liu Tienan, former vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, has been placed under judicial investigation on suspicion of taking bribes, authorities said on Sunday. Liu, 59, who was also former head of the National Energy Administration, is being investigated by the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Guide dogs plan gains support

A public call to allow guide dogs on public vehicles, including buses and the subway, has won a lot of support, Beijing News reported on Sunday. The suggestion is one of the opinions collected by the Beijing government's legal affairs office. An official from the legal affairs office said it will communicate with other departments to try to solve the problem before the draft is submitted for approval.

Hebei

Workers to keep it cool in the heat

The urban management committee of Shijiazhuang sent out notifications demanding sanitation departments adjust their hours to prevent people working in high temperatures, Shijiazhuang Daily reported on Sunday. According to the notification, cleaning work would not be done between 11 am to 3 pm if the temperature exceeds 35 C.

Anhui

Lightning kills one, injures three

One person was killed and three others injured by lightning strikes on Saturday afternoon on Huangshan Mountain, a famous scenic spot in Anhui province. Three tourists from Zhejiang province were hit by lightning at about 4:40 pm and were taken to a hospital with injuries that weren't life-threatening. However, another tourist was found at 7 pm near a cliff and confirmed dead.

Commute accident now work-related

The Anhui government has revised a regulation to consider commuting accidents to be work-related accidents, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday. According to the new regulation, workers who have suffered injuries on the way to work and while returning from work can file for occupational injuries benefits. The regulation will take effect on Sept 1.

Zhejiang

Mahjong leads to tennis elbow

Nine out of 10 tennis elbow sufferers in China are addicted mahjong players instead of tennis fans, according to Morning Express. Tennis elbow, medically known as lateral epicondylitis, is a condition in which the lateral side of the elbow becomes sore because of overuse mostly in sports like tennis. But in China, most of the cases are a result of mahjong playing, said doctor Bi Qing from the Sports Medicine Center of the Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital.

Tibet

No deaths reported in quake

No deaths have been reported in the Aug 12 earthquake that jolted the border region of Zogang and Markam counties in Qamdo prefecture. According to the local government, after the magnitude-6.1 quake, more than 1,500 soldiers, police, and firefighters participated in relief efforts. Around 12,000 rescuers in Qamdo prefecture and 259 medical workers also took part.

Guangdong

Economic district to open this year

Hengqin New Area, a special economic district in Zhuhai, will be put into operation by the end of this year, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday, citing local authorities. The new district, built on the Heng-qin Island, which connects Macao through a bridge, will enjoy favorable tax policies, such as tax exemptions, and special customs clearance procedures, once it becomes operational.

Shanghai

More parents accept puppy love

More than half of parents in Shanghai can accept that their children fall in love during high school, according to a survey by Shanghai Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Interventions Site. The survey said 54 percent of the parents polled think high school love is "fair and sensible", and 14 percent expect their kids to "bring their friend over for a dinner or a chat".

Sichuan

Stature helps women's careers

For every 1 kg a woman gains, she is likely to have a salary cut of 0.4 percent. And for every 1 cm she grows, there will be a 2.2 percent income increase, according to a management student's research. The doctoral dissertation by Jiang Qiuchuan, a student of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, drew the conclusion from 1,300 people, 552 of which are female.

Hunan

Mom discovers kung fu deception

A 22-year-old man told his mother he was studying abroad for three years but actually spent the time at the Wudang Mountains practicing kung fu. The man's mother became suspicious after he asked her for 400,000 yuan ($65,400) for tuition in Britain. She discovered that he was browsing the Internet near the mountains and found him.

Xinhua - China Daily

(China Daily USA 08/19/2013 page3)