The Week May 20, 2011

Exploding watermelons

The big news in China this week is exploding watermelons. CCTV reports that about 20 farmers in eastern China might have applied too much of an agricultural chemical on the watermelons, causing them to blow up. If you're headed to a watermelon patch, be careful where you sit!

Stinky flower

What stinks at Beijing's beautiful botanical garden this week? The Titan Arum is an exotic flower that smell likes a rotting corpse when it blooms. That's why it's sometimes called the corpse flower. How bad is the smell? Let's go to our senior correspondent on all things that smell like dead bodies, Chris Clark.

Don't mess with women in business

Four thieves in Zhejiang province learned it's not smart to mess with women in business. When the men stole money from her store, owner He Dexian leaped onto the hood of their getaway car and wouldn't let go. They tried to force her off the car. They tried to give the money back. She would not let go until police caught up and arrested them.

Don't scratch that itch

Summer's almost here. That means picnics by lakes, and long walks outside. That can also mean mosquitoes and itchy mosquito bites. Doctors tell us not to scratch a mosquito bite, because it can become infected. But some people just can't help it.

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About the broadcaster:

Renee Haines is an editor and broadcaster at China Daily. Renee has more than 15 years of experience as a newspaper editor, radio station anchor and news director, news-wire service reporter and bureau chief, magazine writer, book editor and website consultant.