Billionaire smashes car

It was meant to inspire interest in an environmental campaign, but eccentric tycoon Chen Guangbiao's destruction of his Mercedes Benz last week sparked an online backlash* from the country's growing pool of motorists.

Chen, the billionaire-philanthropist head of Jiangsu Huangpu Recycling Resources, took the controls of a heavy duty excavator on Friday and, after a moment's hesitation, took aim at his black 2004 Mercedes S600 saloon.

Posting of 'rumors'

Sina, the operator of China's massively popular microblogging service, Weibo, may introduce a "credibility system" in which users who post rumors would be "penalized" and their influence "removed."

Pollution protest

A high-tech company in Zhejiang Province has been ordered to shut down in Haining City by local production safety inspection authorities following angry protests by villagers, according to a Haining government press release.

The government said environmental authorities have taken action to prevent further pollution from the solar panel producer.

Drunken drivers

Police had arrested 190 drunken drivers since May 1, after the National People's Congress Standing Committee passed an amendment making driving under the influence of alcohol a criminal offense. In 21 separate Tiger Hunt campaigns over the past four months, another 335 motorists were also punished for driving under the influence. All the drunken drivers had been charged with dangerous driving.