A 29-year-old man had three sewing needles in his brain taken out in Guangzhou recently, ending the pain he has been suffering ever since he was a baby, reports Yangcheng Evening News.

Guo had been feeling dizzy occasionally and the three needles in his brain were revealed by an X-ray taken 10 years ago, although nobody knew how they got there. He had trouble finding a hospital that would agree to perform the surgery, because of the complexity of the operation.

Only recently did he find a doctor who would do the operation. The doctor said later that the needles must have been thrust in Guo's brain deliberately when he was a baby.

** US$30,000 cellphone on sale in Nanjing

A cellphone on sale in Nanjing of Jiangsu Province is priced at 240,000 yuan (US$30,000), arguably the most expensive handset in the world, reports Xinhuanet.com.

Vertu, the handmade phone is decorated with 18 gems and is reputed to be the "Rolls-Royce" among its peers. It also boasts "personalized services" as the user can, by pressing a certain button, instantly access 24-hour VIP services such as hotel accommodation provided by the manufacturer.

Sales staff revealed that two businessmen from Zhejiang Province had ordered the top-end handsets.

** Roommate sued for sexual assault

A college student in Chongqing Municipality is demanding compensation from his male roommate for alleged sexual assault, reports China West Metropolis News.

It is claimed that one night in July, Wang was jolted awake after He put his hand on his groin.

It is alleged that He repeatedly explained that he was just playing a joke on Wang, but the latter took the matter to court two months later, claiming he was suffering emotional trauma.

** Lioness and dog refuse to part

After five years together in the same enclosure, a lioness and a female dog in Wuhan Zoo of Hubei Province refuse to part with each other even though it's time for them to find mates, Chutian Jinbao reports.

The lion cub was transferred to the zoo after its birth in 1999; and the puppy was the only company the zoo could find for her.

But after five years, animal keepers realize they are in heat because they keep "flirting" with other males around and are trying to arrange "dates."

** Election of owners' panel escalates into fight

An election for a property owners' committee at a housing development in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, ended up in a fight on Sunday, and the poll was declared null, reports Southern Metropolis News.

The fight started when a property owner said the ballot book had been replaced with one prepared beforehand; five people were injured and some taken to the police station.

Some said there were two sides in the election, with one siding with the property management firm and the other guarding property owners' interests.

An official from the city's construction bureau, who was aware of the long-standing dispute between the two sides, declared the election void; and another would be held later.

(China Daily  March 11, 2004)