Surgery cures woman of her sweat problem

An accountant in Sichuan Province, who was not able to hold her lover's hands for nine years because of excess sweating, has won a reprieve after surgery last week, reports Tianfu Morning Post.

It was so bad that if Jia Min waved her hands, "raindrops" would fall.

But the problem had at least one advantage, as Jia did not have to moisten her hands when counting bank notes.

Doctors said a nerve, which regulates sweating of the hands and feet, was the problem.

Restaurant pays for slippery floor

A woman has received compensation of about 30,000 yuan (US$3,600) from a restaurant in Nanbu County of Sichuan Province after falling onto the floor and breaking her leg, reports China West Metropolis News.

Xian took the restaurant's boss to court as there was no sign warning of a slippery floor. She had asked for restitution of 60,000 yuan (US$7,000).

But the owner argued that the woman herself split oil and water on the floor, which caused the accident.

The court said the restaurant should take 70 per cent of the responsibility.

Vengeful passengers puncture bus tyres

Two passengers asked friends to puncture the tyres of a bus because its driver refused to comply with their request to stop en route, reports China West Metropolis News.

A couple asked a bus driver to stop as it was passing a zoo in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, on Wednesday. The driver refused to stop because the bus has no stop there.

The couple then called nearby friends and they punctured the tyres. A fight between the bus driver and the two passengers then took place until police came.

Man walks around with knife in windpipe

A man has had a knife removed from his trachea after living with it for eight months, reports Tianfu Morning Post.

The 36-year-old, Mao Qiang, swallowed an 8-centimetre long, 1.6-centimetre wide knife to evade police checks when he was found taking drugs while being detained at a police station in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

Doctors who removed the knife said it could have killed Mao at anytime.

Unlawful clearing reported to authorities

A handful of big trees in a residential area of Urumqi in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were felled secretly at night last week, reports Xinjiang Metropolis News.

Residents reported that five of the eight trees in front of their building were cut down by an unknown group of people without permission from authorities.

Some locals claimed that it was done by workers from a nearby construction company. Authorities said that relocating or felling trees required approval.

The matter is still being investigated.

(China Daily 05/18/2004 page4)