Ships patrol off Diaoyu Islands

Four inspection ships are patrolling waters off the Diaoyu Islands to supervise and record the illegal activities of Japanese vessels, the State Oceanic Administration said on Tuesday. The fleet comprises the Haijian 50, Haijian 15, Haijian 26 and Haijian 27, a statement said, without giving further details.

Sichuan

Cultural events recognize links

A series of cultural events will be held to promote the economic and cultural communication between the mainland and Taiwan next year in Sichuan province. The new cultural festival will highlight the same origin of culture shared by people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, and include events such as displaying local snacks and customs, literature exchanges and mutual visits of young people.

Beijing

Crackdown targets illegal mining

China has vowed to crack down on illegal mining nationwide before 2015 to reduce accidents and pollution. The State Administration of Work Safety posted a notice on its website on Nov 7, asking local authorities to report to the State Council on the crackdown plan before Dec 31. Unlicensed mines and those with equipment and facilities that fail to meet safety or environmental-protection standards will be closed, the notice said.

Sheets' hygiene at budget hotels poor

The hygiene standards of bedsheets and towels supplied in budget hotels are not satisfactory, according to a report issued at a consumer rights conference. The report showed that 84 batches, accounting for 60 percent of the samples, didn't reach satisfactory hygiene standards.

Guangdong

Overseas Chinese donate 47b yuan

Overseas Chinese, including those from Hong Kong and Macao, have contributed more than 47 billion yuan ($7.5 billion) in charity donations to Guangdong province over the past three decades, sources with the Guangdong Overseas Chinese Affairs Office said. The sources said this represents about 60 percent of the nation's overseas donations.

Foreign exhibitors at high-tech fair

Foreign high-tech companies are expecting cooperation from the 14th China High-Tech Fair held in Shenzhen from Nov 16 to 21. The German city of Nuremberg sent a delegation including the leaders of the local chamber of commerce and industry and its university president to introduce cooperation opportunities in the fields of clean energy, new materials, automobiles and logistics.

Three arrested for making fake drives

Three brothers who produced fake Intel solid-state drives were detained in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, sources with the Guangzhou bureau of public security said on Tuesday. The three brothers - surnamed Xiao and aged 28, 25 and 23 - were found to have produced 320 fake Intel large-capacity solid-state drives, illegally earning more than 1.6 million yuan ($255,000) before they were detained late last week.

Tianjin

Reward offeredfor information

A reward of 50,000 yuan ($8,000) has been offered for information leading to the people who poisoned rare birds on Monday in a wildlife reserve in Tianjin. The reserve's management committee said that some people intentionally spread pesticides containing organophosphates - which can attack the nervous system of birds - killing 20 Oriental white storks and injuring 13 since Nov 11.

Zhejiang

Views soughton development

Zhejiang province plans to hold a public hearing on Dec 6 to solicit public opinion on the country's first draft provincial-level regulation on uninhabited island development and management. According to the released draft, island developers can use the islands for up to 50 years for the purpose of development with plans released to the public after assessment by experts.

Yunnan

Chinese-language competition opens

The Fifth Chinese Bridge Competition, a Chinese proficiency contest for foreign secondary school students, has begun in Kunming, Yunnan province, and will continue until Nov 26. More than 100 contestants from 45 countries will compete in areas such as writing in Chinese, preparing speeches, performing in talent shows, knowing basic facts about China and learning tasks in ethnic villages.

Liaoning

Fishermen refuse to abandon boat

Three fishermen were still missing on Tuesday after their boat sank on Nov 16 in the Bohai Sea near Dalian, Liaoning province. Sources from the Maritime Search and Rescue Center of Liaoning said the tragedy could have been prevented if the five fishermen onboard had agreed to abandon their boat in time.

New therapy gives patients 'new life'

A special psychotherapy service that lets people experience death is gaining popularity in Shenyang, Liaoning province. More than 1,000 people have tried this special service - being brought back from "death" to life - the Shenyang Evening News reported on Tuesday. People who suffer from psychological problems or heavy pressure can be "reborn" by simulating death with the help of psychologists.

China Daily