Shanghai

Chinese import of crabs nixed

A group-buying website, which has received orders for 300,000 mitten crabs from Germany, said on Tuesday it has dropped its sales plan because of quarantine restrictions. "We are the first to try to import crabs from Germany, and we underestimated the complicated imports process," juhuasuan.com said on its micro blog. Quality inspection and quarantine authorities said last month the crabs are not qualified for import because they don't have risk assessment and quarantine reports from the German authorities.

Police solve fake kidnapping case

A debt-ridden man allegedly faked his own kidnapping to extort money from his employer, say police. A manager at an investment firm reported to police on Aug 6 that he had received text messages asking him to transfer 37,000 yuan ($6,046) to a bank account to prevent the murder of an employee, surnamed Shi, who had gone missing. However, police claim that Shi, who had been a gambler for years, had orchestrated his own kidnapping in order to obtain the ransom.

Zhejiang

Murder suspect kills himself

The suspect of a murder case in Ningbo has committed suicide, police said on Tuesday. The suspect, surnamed Jiang, killed a man and injured a woman in broad daylight on the street on Monday. Police said it was an intentional homicide sparked by a love triangle. Jiang is the former boyfriend of the injured woman, whose surname is Liu. He is alleged to have driven into Liu and her new boyfriend, surnamed Peng, before fatally stabbing Peng three times. Police found Jiang's body on Tuesday at a cemetery, where he hanged himself.

Shanxi

Rehabilitation gadget gets patent

A man in Jiaocheng county, who has taken care of his wife for 10 years after she was paralyzed by gas poisoning, has obtained a national patent for a rehabilitation machine he made by himself, xinhuanet.com reported on Tuesday. Xia Zhanhai's machine, which he constructed in March 2012, works like a treadmill, but can keep his wife in a sitting position. She can "walk" on two pedals to regain the strength of her legs, while the rhythm of the pedal's movement is controlled by a button. He says his wife's condition has improved greatly since she started using the device.

Sichuan

Man stole money to save dying wife

A young man in Wangcang county has been arrested for cheating a local tea company out of 100,000 yuan ($15,873) to pay for medical treatment for his 23-year-old wife, who has leukemia, Chengdu Economic Daily reported on Tuesday. Deng Dichang spent all of his money on his wife's medical treatment, and when she suffered a relapse in April, he was unable to pay for her treatment. Police say he forged receipts on 16 occasions to cheat money from the cashier at his work.

Hubei

Police break up dating scam gang

Police in Shiyan have busted a gang that used women to scam men, Legal Daily reported on Tuesday. Through instant messaging apps, gang members pretended to be women seeking one-night stands. After the men showed interest, they would arrange for women to take them out on a date. Red wines were served at much higher prices than their actual cost. Within two months, the gang made 600,000 yuan ($98,000) and scammed more than 1,000 men.

Liaoning

Beijing rugby team throws final game

The Beijing women's rugby team threw its match with Shandong on Tuesday, losing 71-0 at the 12th National Games in Shenyang. The team gave up defending, after falling behind 15-0 in the latter half, to express their anger after two players were fouled out. The match was broadcast live by China Central Television.

Hebei

Special restroom for the disabled

A special restroom for disabled people has been built in Baiyangdian scenic area, Yanzhao Metropolis Daily reported on Tuesday. The restroom serves disabled people, who have to be accompanied by their family members and friends, regardless of their gender.

China Daily-Xinhua

(China Daily USA 09/04/2013 page5)