Danwei reader Comrade N scanned the newspapers from yesterday evening and today, and wrote the following summary:
From the Mirror:
Mute gang of thieves
Beijing police uncovered a gang of thieves comprised of six mute people who robbed drivers in cars stopped at traffic lights. The group had training courses, a clear division of work, regulated five working days a week, regular payment and profit sharing, and even three days of vacation for May Day holidays etc.
Sexual harassment on buses and subway
June, July and August are the peak months for sexual harassment on buses and on the subway. In the past year, 55% of the sexual harassment cases reported to police were by housewives; 35% were from blue-collar females; only 10% of the cases were reported by white-collar females.
From the Beijing Times:
Undergraduate divorce avoided because of pregnancy
China’s first divorce case between two undergraduates in college ended in reconciliation because the wife is three months pregnant. The students got married in February this year, their third year of college. The husband started beating the wife after they married, nearly ending their short-lived union until they found out about the bun in the oven.
Coal mine explosion — 21 dead
Am explosion occurred in a coal mine in Loudi, Hunan on the morning of June 8. 21 mine workers were killed, 24 were injured and 4 were missing.
From Beijing Youth Daily:
China Aviation Oil corruption scandal
According to Singapore legal authorities, the former president of China Aviation Oil with other several executives were arrested on 15 different charges.
Stock market shenanigans
China’s stock markets yesterday achieved their highest daily increase in three years. Turnover at both Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses was nearly three times more than their daily average. China stock market regulators issued a draft circular on Tuesday allowing listed firms to buy back their shares from traders. (Danwei editorial note: this comes after Shanghai’s stock market being at record lows over the past few months.)
From Beijing Daily Messenger
Wombs for rent
A website in Suzhou has been promoting its business on Internet forums and chatrooms, offering women who are able to get pregnant to act as surrogate mothers for sterile women. The charges are between 40 and 100 thousand yuan depending on the service provider’s educational background and looks etc. The Public Security Bureau and the Industry and Commerce Bureau both said they are not able to judge if this website is illegal or not according to relevant laws.
From The Beijing News
Lewd professors
A female graduate from Northern Jiaotong University reported with evidence that before the entrance examination of her master’s degree in 2005, she obtained two sets of examination papers and the relevant answers from the professor who was in charge. She paid in kind by having sex with him. The professor denied the allegations; the university is investigating.
From Southern Weekend
Young teenage girls get hysterectomies
On April 14, a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year old girl from Nantong Children Welfare School in Jiangsu had hysterectomy operations. The girls had infections apparently caused by not knowing how to take care of themselves during menstruation. The operations have caused a legal and ethical contraversies.