Groomsmen and bridesmaids for hire

Being a groomsman or bridesmaid has become a hot part-time job during holidays and weekends for university students in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province.

More than 500 university students acted at least once as groomsmen or bridesmaids during the three-day May Day holidays in the southern metropolis.

A student can earn between 100 yuan ($14.29) and more than 1,000 yuan if he or she acts as a member of the wedding party.

Those with good looks and who are thin and tall are said to be able to earn even more.

(Yangcheng Evening News)

Man gets 18 months for lending phone to thieves

Xu Chenguang was recently sentenced to 18 months in jail after lending his mobile phone to friends for use during a robbery they committed in Zhongshan, Guangdong province.

Xu was also fined a total of 20,000 yuan ($2,857).

Zhongshan Intermediate People's Court said Xu should be punished because he was an accessory to the crime: even though he was not involve in the robbery, his mobile phone had become the tool for a crime.

Last August, Xu lent his mobile phone to the suspects despite knowing they intended to carry out the robbery, which netted 138,373 yuan.

(Guangzhou Daily)

(China Daily 05/10/2008 page3)