Battery thief loses his way in life

A man who was walking around a village in the early morning hours on Sunday was arrested and detained in custody, suspected of theft.

Police in Laishan, Shandong Province, first noticed the man in his car turning into a lane leading to the village. Later they caught him walking around the village, apparently lost.

The man, surnamed Lu, had five batteries in his car and claimed he repaired batteries for a living but was unable to establish his credentials or give the addresses of any of his supposed clients.

(Yantai Evening News)

Woman makes ATM smash and grab for cartoons

A woman smashed two automated teller machines (ATM) with bricks on Sunday, in Jinan, Shandong Province, claiming she was looking for cartoon characters.

The woman, surnamed Zhou, said she saw cartoon characters on the ATM screen demonstrating how to operate the cash machine and claimed to be disappointed there were no cartoon characters inside.

She was on her way to find a third ATM when police detained her. Zhou caused more than 90,000 yuan ($12,000) of damage.

(Qilu Evening News)

Sad story has a good neighbor ending

A couple in Qingdao, Shandong Province, has looked after their neighbor's severely disabled family for the past 18 years.

Liu Yuanwen had a wife and son who had learning difficulties but was paralyzed by an accident in 1982.

The couple, Qing Zhengzhi and Lin Lihua, took it upon themselves to take care of the unfortunate family and their son has promised to do so as well.

(Qingdao Morning Post)

Woman escapes rescue mission to save her

An all-night search and rescue mission for a woman feared drowned ended with the woman turning up the next day alive and well.

The 80-something woman from Fuzhou, Fujian Province, was spotted wandering along a river bank and witnesses called emergency services, suspecting she was about to commit suicide. Fire fighters hastened to the scene but the woman, who was a crab catcher, was frightened by the commotion and hid in a drain.

Under cover of darkness she later camped out in a nearby forest and at daybreak returned to the riverbank where she was confronted by the exhausted rescue teams. She was escorted home by police.

(The Straits Metropolitan News)

(China Daily 10/19/2007 page4)