Cool snakebite victim lives to tell slithery tale

A boy who was bitten by a poisonous snake was rescued after he sucked the poisonous liquid and spat it out in Changsha county, Hunan province, over the weekend.

The incident took place in the Muyun township at night when 11-year-old Tang Tang's leg was bitten by a snake while he was playing outside with other kids.

But Tang refused to panic. Instead, he sat down and sucked at his wound in bid to extract the poison before spitting it out. He later asked other kids to carry him home.

Tang's parents cleaned his wound the next morning before taking him to hospital where doctors applauded him for refusing to walk after being bitten and thereby preventing the poison from spreading through his bloodstream.

Tang is now recovering.

(Changsha Evening News)

Tens of thousands enjoy May Day weddings

More than 20,000 couples got married in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, during the recent three-day May Day holidays.

Local restaurants and photo studios had been fully booked more than a month in advance for wedding banquets and photography sessions.

Local marriage registration officials believe more than 100,000 couples will marry in 2008, compared with around 80,000 couples last year.

The next peak for marriage registration will appear on August 8, the opening day of the Beijing Olympic Games.

(Changjiang Commercial News)

Chef gets stuck in well during failed suicide bid

A 19-year-old man who tried to commit suicide by jumping into a narrow well was rescued after police and fire fighters dug more than six meters to free him in Zhengzhou, Henan province, last Sunday.

Liang Xian , a local cook, jumped into the 40-m deep, 40-cm wide well after a fierce quarrel with colleagues.

But his plunge was blocked by the well walls at a point six meters below the surface.

Police and fire fighters quickly arrived on the scene and used a carry-scraper to help dig him out.

Liang suffered only minor injuries and was freed after about an hour.

(Henan Commercial News)

Tardy officials hit where it hurts in punctuality drive

At least 10 people who were late to meetings have been fined between 200 yuan ($30) and 500 yuan in Shangjie district in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, in past three weeks.

Those fined include the district head and his deputies and district bureau chiefs.

To increase the productivity of local Party and government officials and employees, Shangjie district government has taken the lead in the central metropolis by imposing fines on unpunctual staff.

The special regulation came into effect last month and has already markedly improved workplace punctuality and curbed bad bureaucratic habits.

(Henan Commercial News)

(China Daily 05/10/2008 page3)