in China, former Beijing vice mayor Liu Zhihua lodged...

in China, former Beijing vice mayor Liu Zhihua lodged an appeal against his death sentence with a two-year reprieve after being convicted on corruption charges. It was done one-day before the appeal deadline, his lawyer Mo Shaoping said. Liu, 59, was convicted and sentenced at Hengshui Intermediate People's Court, in Hebei Province neighboring Beijing, on October 18 and he lodged his appeal at the same court. In his appeal statement, Liu claimed that as the former construction director of the 2008 Olympic projects, his useful advice on their planning and construction was a "contribution" to the Olympics, and thus grounds for leniency. He claimed the confiscation of all his personal assets, including a bank account with 200,000 yuan and his apartment, was improper as they were lawfully earned.