Baby’s murder stirs anger

    Thousands of Jilin Province residents braved the freezing cold to attend a candlelight vigil* in Changchun on March 5 to mourn the death of a 2-month-old baby.

    A two-day manhunt* for the baby boy, Xu Haobo, and the man who kidnapped him ended in tragedy on March 5 after the suspect, 48-year-old Jilin native Zhou Xijun, turned himself in and admitted choking the baby to death, Jilin police said.

    Tenor’s son arrested

    Beijing judicial authorities* formally approved on March 14 the arrests of suspects involved in a gang rape, including the son of a famous Chinese singer.

    The Beijing People’s Procuratorate* did not release detailed information on the suspects, nor the full name of the singer’s son, surnamed Li, because he is a minor*.

    Police insiders said Li is the son of Li Shuangjiang, dean of the music department at the People’s Liberation Army Academy of Arts.

    Water safety probe

    China has begun studying the condition of underground water to determine the extent of* pollution in the country’s aquifers*.

    “Based on the results we’ve collected so far, the safety of underground water is generally guaranteed, particularly the safety of drinking water from underground,” said Du Ying, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

    Du said the State Council is working with local governments to send out teams to investigate the pollution reports.

    China reshuffles ministries

    China announced plans on March 10 to reshuffle* government ministries which aims to boost efficiency.

    Among the changes, the Ministry of Railways will be split, with its regulatory responsibilities going to the Transport Ministry and its operations to a commercial entity*. The food and drug agency will see a boost in authority to try to end the safety scandals that have been a source of public anger, and two media regulators, one for broadcasters and one for print media, will be merged. (SD-Agencies)