Trending across China

The mainland drops two places in world competitiveness rankings, a young man is skateboarding 60-70 miles a day on tour across China, and a woman wrongly sent to a mental hospital finally gets justice.

China slips in world competitiveness rankings

The Chinese mainland dropped two places to be ranked 23rd, and Hong Kong slipped one notch to 4th place, the first time in nine years that the region fell out of top three, in the 2014 World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), a business and management schools based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The report, released on Thursday, said China fell partly owing to concerns about its business environment. And most big, emerging markets slide in the rankings as economic growth and foreign investment slow and infrastructure remains inadequate.

Long treks on skate decks

A 24-year-old man embarked on his trek across China on a skateboard on May 8, and after 13 days he has arrived at Central China's Henan province, hundreds of kilometers away from his departure in Beijing, Henan-based newspaper Dahe Daily reported Wednesday.

The man said he travelled 15 kilometers per hour, and averaged 60 or 70 miles per day, using the special skateboard, capable of long distance travel.

During the rest of his scheduled four-month journey, he will head south to reach China's southernmost province Hainan, and then move west to southwest china's Yunnan province, before heading north to Tibet autonomous region.

Sky-high fine not sealed for video software

Reports that Shenzhen Qvod Technology Co, the owner of video software Qvod Player received a fine of 260 million yuan ($41.6 million) for copyright infringement is premature, and the final punishment order will be issued after procedures, including hearings and administrative reviews, nbd.com.cn reported.

If the company can provide evidence favorable to itself, the fine can be reduced, said an official from Shenzhen Market Supervisory Administration, which is in charge of the case.

Man sues business over stray golf balls

A man in Shunyi district of Beijing is suing a golf course, accusing it of not protecting his home from stray golf balls from its driving range. The man, surnamed Wang, said golf balls from the range have flown into and on his house for six years, breaking roof tiles and once injuring a family member, Beijing Times reported on Wednesday. Wang's house is about 200 meters from the driving range. In 2009, Wang and the golf course reached a settlement in which the business promised to prevent stray balls from reaching Wang's house. But golf balls are continuing to land on his property, Wang said.

Man buys treadmill for his pet dog

A dog owner from Nanning in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region bought a treadmill for his dog, Guangxi News reported on Wednesday. The owner, surnamed Lyu, said he spent 2,000 yuan ($321) on the treadmill in February. After three months' exercise, the dog can run on the treadmill expertly. Lyu said he is so busy at work, he has no time to walk the dog.

Couple seeks divorce hours after marriage

The day May 20, which fell on Tuesday, was widely considered an auspicious day to marry because the number 520 is texting shorthand for "I love you," triggering long lines for marriage registration in Chongqing on Tuesday. But the date wasn't so magical for one couple, who registered for marriage in the morning but applied for divorce in the afternoon after they had an argument.

Women wrongly sent to mental hospital gets justice

Wu Chunxia, a woman who was forcefully sent to a mental hospital and stayed there for 132 days in 2008 due to persistent petitioning, finally received justice on Wednesday, Beijing Times reported.

Henan provincial High People's Court delivered a final verdict on Wednesday that Zhoukou Public Security Bureau's acts of sending Wu to the mental hospital without medical identification were illegal.

Wu petitioned local authorities in Zhoukou city of Henan province regarding a family dispute and village affairs, and thus was seen as someone disturbing local social stability. She was taken away from court by Zhoukou Public Security Bureau officers during her divorce trial with her former husband on July 16, 2008, and was put into Henan provincial mental hospital on July 26 and released on Dec 5.

Wu said hospital staff members tortured her by using a steel needle to pierce her head, and sometimes the needles were electrified.

She won a lawsuit on June 15, 2012 against the mental hospital and community officers who helped police send her to the mental hospital. She received 145,226 yuan ($ 23,250) in compensation from the hospital and the community officers.