Institute gets WHO designation

A Chinese institute has been designated a World Health Organization Collaborating Center for the standardization and evaluation of biological products, the State Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday. The Institute for Biological Product Control affiliated to the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control became the first WHO Collaborating Center for such a purpose in a developing country, and it is the seventh in the world, the administration said.

NGOs urged to fight poverty

Non-governmental organizations should play a bigger role in reducing poverty, an NGO president said on Friday. Charity organizations should solve poverty-related problems in a direct and efficient way, said Duan Yingbi, president of the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, a major NGO specializing in poverty reduction.

505 arrested in telecom scam

The last 23 suspects from the Chinese mainland arrived in Beijing in custody on Thursday via a flight from Cambodia, marking the downfall of a transnational telecom fraud ring. According to a statement released by the Ministry of Public Security, mainland and Taiwan police, with the help of police from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka, detained a total of 505 suspects believed to have a connection with the ring.

Ship with Chinese crew catches fire

The Chinese consulate-general in Fukuoka, Japan, confirmed on Friday that a South Korean ship caught fire near China's Diaoyu Islands, leaving four dead and another four missing. All nine crew members, including seven South Korean nationals and two Chinese nationals, jumped into sea when the ship caught fire at around 3 am on Friday. The South Korean coast guard has rescued five people, but only a Chinese national survived. He remains hospitalized.

Hebei

11 injured in blast at fireworks store

Eleven people were injured in an explosion at a fireworks store in Hebei province on Friday morning, local authorities said. The blast took place at 10:22 am in the village of Yangcun in Xingtang county, resulting in the collapse of a two-story home, according to the county publicity department.

Henan

Foxconn workers confirm casualties

Most of the casualties in a fatal bus collision in Henan province on Thursday have been confirmed as employees of Foxconn, the world's largest electronics contractor. The accident happened at 8:22 am, when two passenger buses collided in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan, killing seven people and injuring at least 20 others, according to sources with the Zhengzhou public security bureau.

Teacher fired for abusing child

A preschool teacher in Henan province who held a child upside down by the legs and exposed him to the cold weather was fired after the child's mother posted the incident online, Dahe Daily reported on Friday. Wang Hui, head of the kindergarten in Kaifeng, admitted that a teacher called Chen Ru had behaved rudely to the child and apologized.

Anhui

Police officer on trial over fake ID

A public security officer in Anhui province was brought to trial for accepting 150,000 yuan ($24,000) in bribes and forging an identity card, which he used to conceal his illegal earnings, Anhui-based Star News reported on Friday. Tao Yong, former director of the public security bureau of Fengyang county, pleaded guilty to the charges. The verdict will be announced at a later date.

Shanghai

Disabled children services improved

Children with disabilities in Shanghai will have their own personal health files starting this year, the Liberation Daily reported on Thursday. The files will aim to ensure the children enjoy comprehensive services with checkups, rehabilitation and education, according to education authorities.

Not so lucky day for marriage

Three of the 7,299 couples in Shanghai who tied the knot on Jan 4, a date considered lucky for marriage, had got divorced as of Tuesday, local media reported on Friday. The Chinese pronunciation of Jan 4, 2013, resembles "love you for a lifetime", making it one of the most auspicious and romantic days for marriage.

Tianjin

Hotel-like nursing home opens

A nursing home in Tianjin has opened offering what the owners are describing as facilities on a par with a five-star hotel. The home has 150 beds with single rooms, double rooms and suites, as well as nursing care, medical services, meal delivery and all-day attendance, according to a local information portal, enorth.com.cn.

Shandong

Students turn to Confucius

Many students at Qingdao-based Ocean University of China are dedicating fruit and candy to a statue of Confucius on campus, in the hope of passing their exams, the Qilu Evening News reported. The statue has been surrounded by oranges, cookies, drinks, coins and burning cigarettes. The practice began ahead of final exams, from Jan 14 to 25, the report said.

China Daily-Xinhua