Maritime patrol vessel returns

Haixun 31, a maritime patrol vessel of the Maritime Safety Administration, returned to Zhuhai, Guangdong province, on Thursday from the United States.

The vessel, one of China's biggest maritime patrol ships, left Shanghai on Aug 25 and arrived in Hawaii on Sept 4. It was the first visit to the US by a Chinese maritime vessel.

During its five-day visit to Hawaii, Haixun 31 worked with the US Coast Guard on a series of maritime cooperation exercises, including a field test of joint search-and-rescue drills.

Beijing

Tax refund for destroyed cars

The Beijing Local Taxation Bureau said it will refund part of the vehicle tax to owners of cars that were destroyed by floods that hit the capital on July 21, local media reported on Thursday.

Owners of destroyed cars who had paid the tax for the whole year can request a damage certificate from traffic management authorities and then claim a refund, the Beijing Times reported.

The July 21 rainstorm in Beijing and the ensuing floods, the most serious in 61 years, killed 79 people.

Township head guilty of corruption

A township official in Beijing was sentenced to death, with a two-year reprieve, for corruption, taking bribes and misappropriating public funds.

Li Bingchun, former chief of the Liqiao township government in Shunyi district, was found guilty of receiving more than 38 million yuan ($6.03 million) from a demolition compensation fund set up for the construction projects of two highways from 2006 to 2007, according to the Beijing Second Intermediate People's Court.

He was also found to have lent more than 178 million yuan of public money to several property developers in 2006 and 2007, the court said.

Jiangsu

Nanjing Massacre video progressing

A collection of video material about the Nanjing Massacre is progressing and is expected to be completed by the end of the year, according to Zhu Chengshan, director of the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese Invaders.

According to Zhu, only about 200 survivors of the massacre are still alive, and many of them are more than 80 years old.

The Nanjing Massacre took place on Dec 13, 1937, when Japanese troops occupied the then-capital of China. More than 300,000 Chinese civilians and disarmed soldiers were killed.

Inner Mongolia

First equestrian event kicks off

The inaugural Chinese Equestrian Event kicked off on Thursday at Ejin Horo Banner in Erdos in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The event has attracted 109 riders making up 35 teams from across the country.

The six-day event features dressage, cross-country, show jumping and speed races.

Some related activities, such as models show and a horse auction, are also planned.

Guizhou

Four killed in truck-car collision

At least four people were killed after a truck collided with a car in Zunyi, Southwest China's Guizhou province, on Thursday morning.

The accident happened at 7:30 am on the Pingzhuang Avenue in the city.

Traffic police and staff members from the municipal work safety and fire departments were at the site.

Xinhua-China Daily