Shandong

Sect members detained after murder

Six suspects detained for intentional homicide are members of a "heretical sect", police announced on Saturday. The victim, surnamed Wu, was beaten to death on Wednesday evening at a McDonald's outlet in Zhaoyuan after refusing to give her telephone number to the suspects, who were allegedly attempting to recruit new members for their sect, according to a statement from the local police. All six suspects are members of the Quannengshen sect, which means "Almighty God", according to the police statement. Books and other material relating to the sect were been found at the suspects' residence.

Beijing

Rail traffic surges as holiday begins

China's railways saw an increase in passenger traffic as the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday kicked off, according to data released on Saturday by the railway authorities. Some 7.6 million passenger trips were made on Friday, an increase of 15.9 percent from a year earlier, and 8.7 million trips were expected on Saturday, said the China Railway Corporation.

More than 2,000 mines to close by next year

China plans to shut more than 2,000 small coal mines by 2015 in an effort to eliminate outdated capacity and improve work safety, according to the State Administration of Work Safety. The mines targeted for closure are in the provinces of Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou, as well as Chongqing municipality, the administration said.

Xinjiang

Region offers rewards for handing in guns

Police in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region have offered cash rewards to people who hand in guns and explosives, or provide tips on illegal weapons. The authorities will award residents 500 yuan ($80) for each military rifle handed in, 300 yuan for each gun for civilian use, and 5 yuan for each bullet, said a document issued by the region's Public Security Department.

Xinhua-China Daily

(China Daily 06/01/2014 page2)