Around Shanghai: Guilt-torn rapists, arctic expedition teams and Paris-style bicycle rentals

• This has gotta be one of the most spectacular stories we've read on Shanghai Daily. A 22 year old Zhejiang native has flown back from Italy to Shanghai to turn himself in to the police for a gang rape he was involved in six years ago. Shortly after the incident, the young man emigrated to Italy with his family, but three of his friends were caught and thrown in jail. In May this year, he and his younger brother were involved in an accident on a highway in Italy that took his brother's life and cost him his leg. Convinced that his brother took retribution for his crime and overcome with guilt for the rape, he flew back with his father to turn himself in.
• The 167-metre long icebreaker Xuelong, or "Snow Dragon," carrying China's third arctic expeidition team of 122 scientists and staff, has ended its 75 day journey and returned to the Shanghai port.
• As part of Shanghai's preparations to host the 2010 World Expo, whose slogan is "Better City, Better Life", Shanghai has begun a Paris-style rental programme to encourage people to ditch the car/taxi and get back on their bikes. The programme was launched on Monday to coincide with World Car Free Day (which we suspect nobody in Shanghai had a clue was happening).

Photo from Lomogirl.