CHOPSTICK CANCER

It was bound to happen one day as with all cancer scare stories. But the latest unfounded rumor to flood the net is that overused chopsticks may cause cancer because they may be tainted with aspergillus flavus which can reportedly lead to the disease. It's suggested that chopsticks boiled in boiling water once a week or changed new every half a year. (dahe.cn)

FIERY WIFE

A woman set fire to her husband's factory because he wasn't paying her enough attention in Linhai, Zhejiang province, on Nov 22, 2012. The woman stood trial on Aug 6 at a local court, chinanews.com reported.

GEESE POLICE

Some police stations in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region have employed some fly away tricks to stay alert in the past. Now?geese are being used in police work because their alertness and ability to create a ruckus make them perfect for sentry duty. They are better than dogs, said the police. (QQ Weibo) [Full story]

PLANE CRASH

A sowing plane crashed in Danfeng, Shaanxi province on Tuesday, causing one death and one injury, China's Central TV reported.

FAKE CALLS

Unionpay in Ningbo, Zhejiang province?intended to reward customers with prizes of cars or gold bars but their phone calls were frequently taken as scams. None of the 250 gold bars was sent out, Liaoning TV reported.

CONFESSION

A former red guard's confession dominates the Chinese media. In 1970s during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), Zhang Hongbing reported his mother of "anti-revolution speech" to authorities, leading to her execution.

NAIL-BITING ESCAPE

Chen Xiaolong, 36, held an 18-year-old woman chained inside a makeshift cellar for 11 days where she was repeatedly raped until she escaped using nail clippers, in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, Qianjiang Evening News reported. [Full story]

DIAOYU ISLANDS

A four-ship fleet from the China Coast Guard (CCG) patrolled the country's territorial waters surrounding the Diaoyu Islands on Wednesday, the State Oceanic Administration said.