BEIJING Begging to be arrested A young man who was detained in Choayang district last week was found to have hired a woman to pose as his mother and help him beg for money, Beijing Youth Daily reports. Urban management officers found the man crying about his tragic life, claiming that his father was missing and his mother had liver cancer. But when officers approached, he ran off, and the woman chased after him to collect the 30 yuan (HK$37) he promised to pay her. 10,000 sign for army About 10,000 young Beijing natives signed up to join the military during the army's annual winter recruitment, which began on Thursday, the Beijing Times reports. The application deadline for people without bachelor's degrees, was yesterday, but university graduates may apply until Saturday. More than 60 per cent of applicants had at least a bachelor's degree. CHONGQING Boost for 'love ladder' The public has raised concerns over a district government plan in Chongqing to invest 2.6 billion yuan to develop a tourism area around the city's well-known "love ladder", which is a set of more than 6,000 steps carved into the side of a cliff by a man for his lover, Chongqing Times reports. The love story is about a couple running off to live together in the mountains. An annual love-themed festival has been held since 2008, but many residents think the investment is excessive. Rail work to finish early Construction on the 308-kilometre Chengdu-Chongqing Intercity Railway may be completed several months ahead of schedule - in March 2015 instead of late that year, as originally proposed, West China City Daily reports. No reason was given for the earlier completion. The high-speed line will cut travel time between the cities from 130 to 75 minutes. GUANGDONG Drive to cut truck crashes In an attempt to reduce truck accidents in Shenzhen, authorities plan to lower the speed limit to 40km/h and install GPS devices in dump trucks, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reports. The safety measures were announced after a series of local dump-truck accidents that killed or injured at least 10 people since October 17. Mobile signals halt trains Passengers' mobile Wi-fi devices were blamed for service disruptions on a main subway line in Shenzhen last week, the New Express reports. Several metro trains abruptly halted on the Shekou Line on Thursday morning, and many passengers were forced to change to other trains, while others were stuck at stations. The Shenzhen Metro Co said unidentified signals set off safety measures, stopping the trains. Early investigation showed some mobile Wi-fi devices sent signals on frequencies the metro used. HEBEI Gay prostitute ring busted Police have busted a homosexual prostitution ring in Baoding that had been using a website since May to attract clients, Yanzhao Metropolis Daily reports. A total of 11 homosexual men were caught at a flat last week. Fonterra develops dairies New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra announced plans on Friday to increase its milk production on the mainland, after signing a deal to develop two more large farms in Yutian county, Tangshan , Sina.com.cn reports. The expansion would bring Fonterra's farm total to five in the province, and they would each house about 3,350 cows. The combined operations would likely produce up to 65 million litres of milk annually, after they are all fully operational by October next year. HEILONGJIANG Two hurt on rail bridge One worker died and two others were injured while trying to erect a bridge during construction of the Harbin-Qiqihar high-speed railway in Songbei district of Harbin on Sunday, China News Service reports. The two injured were in stable condition. Driver saves bus, but dies A bus driver who suffered a stroke in Harbin on Thursday morning managed to pull over the bus to the side of the road, ensuring the safety of more than 20 passengers, before slumping over the wheel and later dying at hospital, Xinhua reports, citing municipal transport authorities. HUBEI 'Grave robbers' caught Provincial police are still searching for dozens of suspects believed to have been involved in a massive grave-robbery operation that resulted in at least 100 million yuan worth of historical relics being stolen in a suburb of Suizhou , Changjiang Daily reports. About 20 people have been detained in connection with the thefts, but authorities said the operation involved more than 70 people. Police began investigating the robberies in August last year. So far, 198 relics and more than 12 million yuan in cash have been seized from the suspects. Degrees don't cut it More than half of Hubei natives who obtained university degrees overseas returned home single, and 40 per cent earned considerably smaller salaries than the national average at their first job back home, Changjiang Business News reports. A study on the employment status of Chinese who return from studying abroad found that the average annual salary for those from Hubei is 35,000 yuan, or 5,000 less than the national average. LIAONING Ticket to a fortune tossed Three men in Shenyang may miss out on an 800,000-yuan prize because they discarded a meal receipt that featured the winning lucky-draw number, the Shenyang Evening News reports. Liaoning tax authorities have held the lottery since April 1, offering prizes for different numbers. The trio had no idea they had possessed the winning ticket until footage was aired on local television of them, dining at a hot pot restaurant on September 4. Stranded sailors rescued All 16 Filipino crew members aboard a freighter were rescued hours after the ship lost control in strong winds after its main engine failed early on Sunday morning in the sea near Dalian , in the northeast province of Liaoning, Xinhua reports. At 2.25am, provincial maritime rescue authorities reported that the Panama-registered freighter was in trouble about 8 kilometres off Dalian. Another ship was sent to tow the vessel to Dalian Port. SHANGHAI Hairy crabs a bit small Hairy crabs, a seasonal delicacy, are about 20 per cent smaller on average this year compared with past seasons, and experts said it was likely due to poor weather conditions in the spring and summer, Shanghai Daily reports. Nearly 1,000 hairy crabs from across the country were presented at the sixth-annual hairy crab contest in Shanghai on Sunday. A 617.4-gram crab from Anhui province was the largest. Decomposed body found The body of a 51-year-old man who died months ago was found in his apartment in Hongkou district at the weekend, Jschina.com.cn reports. The body was extremely decomposed, and it was believed he died in July, which was when nearby residents started noticing a bad smell in the hallway. The cause of death was not given, but police ruled out foul play.