Around China

Yunnan

Debtor tries to steal back seized car

A man in Kunming with suspected debts of more than 300,000 yuan ($43,700) was detained on May 16 after allegedly hiring five men to steal back a luxury car that a court had seized from him. According to reports, the men managed to drive off in the car, which was parked outside the city's Panlong District People's Court, but were stopped by police soon after. An investigation found that the debtor, surnamed Li, was the leader of the gang who attempted the theft, police said.

Huanqiu.com

Drunken teenager brandishes sword

Two off-duty police officers in Xinping county managed to successfully subdue a drunken teenager who was threatening passers-by with a sword on May 12. The 19-year-old, surnamed Liu, was in a rage after fighting with his girlfriend, according to reports. The officers, Wu Chuanling and Zhao Jinghua, spotted the teenager brandishing the sword and immediately restrained him, sustaining minor injuries in the process. Liu was later put in a detention house for eight days as punishment.

Chinanews.com.cn

Jiangsu

Hotel guest flies to collect invoice

A man, surnamed Lei, who refused to pay a 10 yuan ($1.50) postage charge for being sent a hotel invoice, spent more than 1,000 yuan on flying to Nantong on May 16 to pick up the invoice. Lei, a resident of Sichuan province, said the hotel in Beijing refused to give him the invoice when he checked out. Lei, 42, who booked the hotel through an online booking agent, was told to ask the agent for his invoice. But the agent in Nantong asked Lei to pay a 10 yuan postage fee if he wanted his invoice to be mailed to him. Lei refused out of principle and flew to collect the invoice instead.

Chengdu Business Daily

Decorating ends in accidental death

A man in his 30s, surnamed Jiang, who was found dead at his home in Lianshui county on May 15, is suspected to have accidentally killed himself when using an electric saw. Police arrived at the scene after someone reported finding Jiang lying on the ground under an electric saw, covered in blood. Doctors said Jiang died after his windpipe and a major artery were severed by the electric saw while he was undertaking an interior decoration task.

Yangtze Evening News

Family exits window to escape fire

A family of seven escaped a fire after jumping out of a window to safety in Yangzhong on May 14. A female family member, who was sleeping in the living room, woke her parents when she found a fire had broken out in their second-story apartment at about 2 am. Her father, surnamed Ren, broke a burglar mesh outside the window when he found the fire was blocking access to the main door. The fire was brought under control in 30 minutes after three fire engines carrying 15 firefighters arrived at the scene.

Yangtze Evening News

Shanghai

Man sets alight, urinates on ATM

A man, surnamed Li, was detained in Pudong New Area shortly after setting an ATM alight on May 6. The bank's video surveillance footage showed Li using a cigarette lighter to ignite the fire and then attempting to put the fire out by urinating on it. He admitted to the crime after being detained. Li, who was recently fired by his employer, said he did not want others to withdraw money from the ATM because he had no money, and he attempted to put out the fire as he was worried it would get out of control.

Shanghai Morning Post

Hubei

Fisherman catches 50-kg black carp

A man, surnamed Wu, caught a black carp weighing more than 50 kilograms and measuring 1.5 meters in length in Yidu on May 11. The angler, who was fishing in the rain, said he spent two hours attempting to remove the fish from the reservoir, and required the help of three other people. Wu, 45, said he has been fishing for more than a decade and his secret to catching fish is using bait made from sorghum.

Chongqing Morning Post