9 sentenced The leader of a Chinese fentanyl* trafficking gang targeting international clients, including those from the United States and Canada, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve by a court in North China’s Hebei Province on Thursday. Eight other key members of the gang received life sentences and fixed-term sentences from six months to 10 years at the Xingtai Intermediate People’s Court in Hebei for dealing in illegal narcotics*, including fentanyl, alprazolam* (a tranquilizer) and cathinone* (a stimulant). E-cigarette smokers About 10 million Chinese aged 15 or above are using electronic cigarettes, according to Xiao Lin, a researcher at the Tobacco Control Office at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The vaping rate among young people was higher than other age groups, with those aged 15 to 24 the highest, said Xiao at an online discussion panel on the website of China’s National Health Commission. Around 45.4 percent of e-cigarettes were bought online, Xiao added. Woman in cockpit A woman photographed in the cockpit* of an Air Guilin plane during a flight has been identified as a student of a local university, and the police are mulling taking action against her for endangering aviation safety, Beijing News reported. A staff member from the Guilin Tourism University in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region confirmed to the newspaper that the woman was a student majoring in air service at the university. The captain who allowed her in the cockpit during the flight has been suspended for life and may lose his license, according to Air Guilin. Single-use items Zhejiang Province has issued a regulation to restrain single-use items in hotels, restaurants and government organizations, amid efforts to reduce waste and pursue green development. According to the regulation, which will take effect from Dec. 31, 2019, four-star hotels and above are encouraged to stop offering disposable items unless customers ask. The rule will gradually cover more hotels, homestays and rural family inns in the province. (SD-Agencies) | 