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He Huifeng

Guangdong
Building collapse kills four
Four people died and five others were injured on Saturday when a two-storey building under construction collapsed in Guangzhou, the Southern Metropolis New reports. Sixteen people were working at the site when the building toppled in Haizhu district just after noon. Seven people, including three seriously injured, were buried under the rubble. Police are investigating the incident, and detained the site manager for questioning.
Preschool angers parents
More than 200 parents protested outside a privately run kindergarten in after it doubled its monthly fees, the Southern Metropolis News reports. The angry parents tried to block a section of a road in front of the school, in Longhua New Zone, at about 5pm. The school principal insisted that the higher charges were due to soaring rents and labour costs. The Education Ministry said on Thursday that all private kindergartens should report fee increases to local education authorities, and promised to curb the cost of pre-school education.
Hainan
Festival molesters held
Police have detained six men in Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County for allegedly molesting and sexually assaulting several women during a water carnival on Thursday, the China News Services reports. Online pictures showed dozens of men surrounding a young girl whose garments were torn off, as she stood crying and holding onto her boyfriend. Local police admitted that an incident of a sexual nature had taken place but did not confirm the number of victims.
Civil servant aids poor
A 59-year-old man helped sponsor college study for more than 1,800 poor students over the past 16 years, hinews.cn reports. Hainan native Qiu Binliang used his salary as a civil servant in Guangzhou to support people in need.
Hunan
Official jailed for 12 years
The deputy director of the Shaoyang Public Security Bureau has been sentenced to 12 years in jail for accepting more than two million yuan (HK$2.45 million) in bribes since 1997, the Qianjiang Evening News reports. Cai Yabin was also unable to account for more than six million yuan worth of family assets at the People's Court of Beita district.
Plan to set up paper hub
Authorities will invest 800 million yuan in a paper-trading market in Changsha by 2014 that could make the city a hub in the centre and south.
Jiangxi
Call to save famous lakes
International delegates signed a joint statement on the conservation of 12 famous lakes yesterday in Gongqingcheng, Xinhua reports. They included Baikal in Russia, Balaton in Hungary, Biwa in Japan, Taupo in New Zealand, and China's Qinghai and Dongting lakes. The four-day seminar on the use and exploration of lake resources also aimed to establish an international association.
Erosion threatens crops
More than 20 per cent of the province suffers soil erosion that has affected agricultural productivity, Xinhua reports. More than 8 million tonnes of soil and sand are washed into Poyang Lake each year. Officials will be punished if they fail to help prevent erosion under a regulation taking effect next month. It also forbids quarrying in landslide-prone areas, with a maximum fine of 200,000 yuan.
Qinghai
Tremor jolts ghost county
A 4.8-magnitude earthquake jolted remote Zhiduo county yesterday, Xinhua reports. There was no word of casualties in the sparsely populated region.
Funds for heritage experts
Provincial authorities will offer subsidies of 5,000 yuan each to 199 heritage custodians who have the knowledge and skills to protect customs, traditions and other cultural practices, the Qinghai Daily reports.
Shaanxi
Thousands wed on Qixi day
More than 2,100 couples rushed to get married in Xian on Thursday's Qixi Festival, Chinese Valentine's Day, held each year on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, xiancn.com reports. The number was about four times the usual figure. Mainland media have promoted the festival in an effort to better protect cultural heritage.
Schools high in protein
More than 2.2 million schoolchildren have benefited from a protein project implemented by provincial authorities since 2009, Xinhua reports. It ensures each rural child receives a free carton of milk and an egg every day. The scheme costs the government three yuan per student per day.
Shandong
Blast at chemical plant
One person was killed and seven others were injured in a blast at a chemical plant on Saturday in Zibo city, Xinhua reports. The blast occurred at 6pm at a factory belonging to Shandong Guojin Chemical. Two others were missing. The cause of the blast is under investigation.
Under-32s flock to cities
More than 13 million young Shandong natives born after 1980 left their hometowns to become migrant workers in cities, Dazhong Daily reports. Only 14 per cent of them earn 2,500 yuan or more, while 40 per cent have never paid contributions for social security insurance.
Shanghai
Effort to cut bird strikes
Airport authorities in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou are to co-operate on ways to reduce potentially dangerous bird strikes, following a series of recent incidents, caacnews.com reports. New methods being developed include releasing a special repellent odour that birds are unable to stand and splashing insecticide near runways to kill the insects on which they feed. Bird strikes can damage cockpit windscreens, jet engines and other aircraft components. There have been regular bird strikes at Shanghai's Pudong airport since July, forcing planes to change schedules and causing delays. A United Airlines to San Francisco flight was cancelled on Tuesday after a bird strike.
Foreign students sought
Shanghai plans to attract 70,000 foreign students to local universities by 2015, an increase of 45 per cent over this year's 47,700-strong intake, the Xinmin Evening News reports. Authorities hope that within three years, 70 per cent of overseas students in the city would have enrolled for long-term degree programmes.
Zhejiang
Bribery inquiry launched
A deputy director of the Quzhou Public Security Bureau has been placed under investigation for severe "violations of discipline", the Beijing News reports. The term usually refers to corruption. Rumours have spread online that Cai Jianming had been involved in billions of yuan in bribes and fund-raising. Authorities have not released any details about Cai's case.
Charity pays commission
A local charity foundation in Jinhua has been paying employees commissions of up to 15 per cent for donation they manage to raise, the China Youth Daily reports. Twelve employees of the Shilehui foundation have raised funds totalling more than 23 million yuan over the past four years.


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