China Scene: Central

Robber surrenders after police send 16 texts

An 18-year-old man who robbed a woman surrendered after he was deeply moved by 16 text messages from police in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, on Thursday.

Li Qing together with another suspect robbed a local village woman and her daughter in the city's Huiji district earlier last week.

Police persuaded Li to surrender by focusing on his young age and likelihood of successful rehabilitation.

The warm messages reduced the remorseful teen to tears and prompted him to turn himself at a local police station the next day.

(Dongfang Jinbao News)

Pet and air-conditioner owners lose welfare

The Changsha municipal government has issued a new regulation to deny social welfare to families and individuals with pets and air-conditioners.

The new regulation came into effect in Hunan's capital last month.

Changsha was the first Hunan city to pass such a regulation, which aims to ensure social welfare is distributed only to the needy.

Wu Renhua, deputy director of Changsha municipal bureau of civil affairs, said the new regulation was introduced following careful discussions in recent months.

(Legal Daily)

Robbed, homesick teen tries to walk cross-country

A 17-year-old boy who attempted to walk home from Hunan province in central China to northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region was rescued by police after he was found exhausted on a Hunan highway.

The lad surnamed Wei had grown terribly weak when he was discovered sound asleep on the roadside by traffic police. He was immediately taken to a local hotel for food and rest.

Employed in Guangzhou, Wei was train hopping home during the May holidays until all his money was stolen in Changsha. At this point, the determined young man decided to walk the thousands of kilometers remaining.

After police contacted Wei's parents, they bought him a railway ticket and some food for the remainder of the journey.

(Changsha Evening News)

(China Daily 06/03/2008 page6)