Man sentenced to death in China for setting fire to bus

A "discontent" Chinese man was today sentenced to death for setting a bus on fire in the eastern city of Hangzhou last year that injured over 30 people.
Besides the death sentence, the Intermediate People's Court of Hangzhou also deprived the accused Bao Laixu of his political rights for life.
Bao, 35, has pleaded guilty of arson during his trial last month.
Bao poured a inflammable liquid onto the floor of a bus with 80 people on board on July 5, 2014 in Hangzhou, the provincial capital, and then ignited the liquid, injuring 33 people, 20 of them with severe burn injuries. The youngest victim was aged seven.

The defendant himself sustained extensive burns in the fire and had to have his feet amputated in hospital.
The Hangzhou court said his action stemmed from "discontent" towards society, while the prosecutor called Bao's crime "extreme anti-social behaviour" and pressed for a heavy sentence as his youngest victim was only seven years old.
Bao said his crime was an "expression of revenge" on society and that he wanted to end his own life because of poor treatment of his tuberculosis for years, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Social tensions have been increasing in China in recent years, owing to a widening income gap and abuse of power by high officials, so much so that President Xi Jinping has last year declared establishing the 'rule of law' as one of his top-most priority.