Beijing

Prosecutors approve arrest of journalist

Prosecutors approved a police application to arrest Liu Hu, a journalist suspected of fabricating rumors online, Beijing News reported on Thursday. But prosecutors did not announce what crime Liu is charged with, the report said. Zhou Ze, Liu's lawyer, said on his micro blog that Liu was arrested for defamation, according to the report. Before Liu's detention in August, Liu, working for a newspaper in Guangdong province, used his real-name Sina micro blog to make corruption allegations against Ma Qizheng, deputy director of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.

Official stands trial for accepting bribes

A former deputy governor of Jilin province stood trial in Beijing on Thursday on charges of accepting bribes. Tian Xueren, former Party chief and board chairman of the Bank of Jilin, was accused of taking bribes worth more than 19.19 million yuan ($3.14 million) from 1995 to 2011, according to the Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court. Tian was expelled from the Communist Party of China and dismissed from all his posts for "severe disciplinary and law violations" in July 2012. His alleged illegal gains have been confiscated.

Blitz on illegal medical practices

China will launch a year-long crackdown on illegal medical practices, including unlicensed practitioners and beauty salons offering cosmetic surgery, a health official said on Thursday. The campaign will also target unlicensed clinics, fake doctors and unauthorized pharmacies offering medical services, He Xiang, an official with the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said at a news conference.

Agency denies using pirated software

The State Intellectual Property Office said on Thursday that it is conducting investigations into claims that it used pirated software, but stressed that staff members in its offices all use properly licensed software. Recent online allegations claim that the office was using pirated Microsoft PowerPoint software made by Tomato Garden, a company that previously sold illegal versions of Windows XP. A netizen with the username Chaoji Zhenxinren posted a screen capture on his Sina micro blog showing that the author of a PowerPoint document being downloaded from the website of the State Intellectual Property Office was "Tomato Garden".

Bureau disputes pollution claim

Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau has challenged a municipal government official's claim that residents' cooking contributes a large share of the city's PM2.5 pollution. Beijing Youth Daily reported on Thursday that a bureau spokesman said smoke from residents' kitchens accounts for only a small proportion of the pollution. The comments follow those of Zhao Huimin, director of the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office, who urged residents to take part in the city's air pollution control plan, saying smoke from their kitchens adds to the problem.

Shanxi

Ancient pagoda closed on safety grounds

China's tallest ancient brick pagoda has been closed to the public as it has begun to lean dangerously, the local cultural relics bureau said on Thursday. The 85-meter-tall Wenfeng Pagoda in Fenyang was constructed more than 400 years ago. It is the highest existing brick pagoda of its kind in the country.

Shanghai

Revealing photos hit the Internet

Police are looking for the source of a series of revealing photographs of a woman taken in downtown areas and posted online. Several photos of the young woman taken at night appeared on the Internet during the National Day holiday and on Wednesday. A netizen, who identified himself as the photographer, apologized for the leak of the photos in his micro blog, explaining that he is a fan of nude portrait photography.

Henan

Quality standard for stewed noodles

Authorities in are considering drafting a standard for local stewed noodles, a media report said on Thursday. In response to a proposal by a member of the provincial people's political consultative conference, officials are considering the introduction of a standard for the preparation of Henan-style stewed noodles and will come up with a regulation "at the right time", Dahe Daily reported.

China Daily-Xinhua

(China Daily USA 10/11/2013 page2)