GUANGDONG

Blaze breaks out in petrochemical plant

A fire broke out in a petrochemical enterprise in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, on Tuesday, according to local authorities. The blaze occurred after a blast at the company at about 1:40 pm, according to a statement from the city's emergency management office. About 40 fire trucks and 200 firefighters were sent to the site. The fire was brought under control by 6 pm and no casualties were reported, the statement said, adding that environmental monitoring showed no immediate abnormalities.

HEILONGJIANG

Gold smuggling leads to arrest of 7 suspects

Chinese customs have arrested seven suspects for smuggling 82 kilograms of gold worth about 25 million yuan ($3.6 million) since December last year, according to local authorities. The customs in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, received a tip in early December that a gang based in Qingdao, Shandong province, had been smuggling gold beyond the border from Harbin. In a joint operation, customs in both cities launched two separate raids to capture the suspects, with 22 kg of gold seized on the site.

ANHUI

Crop 'armor' against herbicides developed

Chinese scientists have developed a protective agent that can reduce the effects of herbicide on crops, according to the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The agent can adjust the hydrophilic and hydrophobic state of the crops' leaves under the exposure of infrared and ultraviolet light, said Wu Zhengyan, who led the research in the institute. Under the hydrophobic state, the adhesion of herbicides on plants is reduced, thus protecting the crops. Under the hydrophilic state, the leaves can achieve efficient absorption of fertilizers, he said. The findings have been published by the American Chemical Society's journal Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering.