An elderly woman in Foshan, Guangdong Province, China, cut more than 10 meters from a high-rise worker’s safety rope to use it as a makeshift clothesline, according to local reports. The rope, originally 120 meters long and secured between the 30th and second floors of a building, was discovered to be partially severed by the worker, identified as Liu.

The woman, reportedly in her late 70s, claimed she was unaware that the rope was safety equipment and cut it solely because she needed something to hang clothes. Liu opted not to involve the authorities, citing compassion for the woman’s age, but requested 400 yuan (approximately RM237) in compensation for the damaged rope.

In a separate incident in Bagan Ajam, Penang, Malaysia, a supermarket entrance awning collapsed amid strong winds and heavy rain on Wednesday afternoon. The collapse at 1:37 p.m. damaged three motorcycles parked underneath, but no injuries were reported.

Also in Malaysia, five individuals were arrested following a police investigation into the pawning of counterfeit gold jewellery in Kota Tinggi, Johor. The process began after a pawnshop manager became suspicious of a 23-gram bracelet, which tested as fake. Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of three local men, one local woman, and one foreign woman, all aged between 34 and 62. Authorities believe the arrests could be linked to a wider series of counterfeit jewellery cases in the district. The suspects have been remanded until October 2.