China Scene: South

More men victimized in HK domestic cases

Women are increasingly the aggressors in domestic violence cases, according to a Hong Kong group called Harmony House.

In the cases Harmony House handled last year, the ratio of male victims rose to 12 percent compared with 2005's 8 percent. What's more, 847 of the 981 calls to Harmony House's hotline for men are made by abused husbands.

Social workers said that a new phenomenon in domestic violence is for a couple to attack each other. They warned that women who retaliate with force are at greater danger, though, "because men's fists are bigger".

(Singtao Daily)

Mah-jong parlor exploits HK smoking exemption

While smokers in Hong Kong seek their havens from the smoking ban, a businessman tried to take advantage of a gray area in the law.

The operator of K C City, a mah-jong parlour that has obtained an exemption from the smoking ban, advertised lunch sets with the promise of "smoking allowed".

However, a spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said that the parlor's exemption would be revoked if the business method has changed toward that of a restaurant and that K C City could face a HK$50,000 ($6,415) fine.

(Ming Pao)

Oldest koala cub to meet public in Guangzhou

The oldest cub of four koalas, including a pair of twins, will meet the public in two weeks, officials at Guangzhou Xiangjiang Safari Park say.

The park imported three male and three female koalas from Australia on April 28 last year, and a mother named Tao Tao gave birth to a pair of cubs in November. Local experts said the chance of a female koala's delivering twins is a little less than one in 1,000.

The park has established a special task force consisting of experts and animal doctors to help look after the infant koalas.

Guangzhou is the first city to have koalas in China.

(Information Time)

(China Daily 01/10/2007 page6)