IN BRIEF (Page 2)

College exam cheats face 7 years in prison

Students taking China's national college entrance examination will this year have to pass through multiple checkpoints, including facial recognition, fingerprint verification and a metal detector, to enter test areas. Education authorities have imposed strict measures to prevent cheating and say those who aid the cheating face up to seven years in prison.

First lady issues appeal for female equality

Peng Liyuan, China's first lady and a UNESCO special envoy for advancing female education, called for the promotion of gender equality in education on June 6 during an awards ceremony in Beijing for the first UNESCO Prize for Girl's and Women's Education. Supported by China, the prize is given annually to two laureates. It consists of an award of $50,000 to further work in women's education.

Loans help province curb air pollution

The World Bank has approved loans totaling $500 million to Hebei province to help reduce air pollution, it announced on June 7. Garo J. Batmanian, the bank's lead environmental specialist, said the loans will help the northern province to achieve its goal of reducing PM2.5 by 25 percent by 2017 compared with 2012 levels. PM2.5 particles, the main cause of smog in Hebei, have an aerodynamic diameter equal to or less than 2.5 microns - 20 to 30 times smaller than the human hair.

City turns old buses into unique hotel

Dozens of disused buses have been renovated into self-contained hotel rooms in a scenic spot in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. The complex opened at the beginning of this year. The buses, which still retain many of their original features - windows, steering wheels and wheels - each have a bedroom, living room and bathroom, with heating, lighting and water.

Target date set for family doctor service

Every citizen in China is to have access to a family doctor service by 2020, according to an official guideline released on June 6. Promoting the service can help to address increasing health challenges posed by an aging population and more cases of chronic diseases, according to a statement by the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

Porn, piracy cases detailed online

China published eight typical cases solved during a campaign to crack down on online piracy and pornography on June 6, according to the National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications. In one case, police in Zhejiang province identified 27 suspects using online chat groups to spread pornography for profit. The groups had more than 600 members.

New Zika case reported in Guangdong

Authorities in Guangdong confirmed a new case of the Zika virus on June 7, bringing the total number in the province to 13. The patient is a 32-year-old Chinese woman who lives in Venezuela. She entered China through Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on May 30 and first experienced a fever on May 31 but only sought medical help on June 3 after developing a rash and suffering backache, the provincial health authority said. The hospital confirmed on June 5 she had Zika.

74 face murder charges for fake disaster scam

Authorities in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region have charged 74 suspects with killing people and using their corpses to make false claims for mining incidents, it was announced on June 6. Prosecutors allege the defendants fabricated disaster claims after murdering 17 people in six provinces and autonomous regions and then asking for compensation.

Reservoir level lowered to prevent flooding

Water behind the Three Gorges Dam in Yichang, Hubei province, will be drained to a historic low before June 10 as part of a plan to minimize the risk of flooding in the Yangtze River during the coming wet season. Three Gorges Corp said on June 7 that the depth of water at the reservoir will be reduced to about 145 meters. The water was reduced to about 146 meters on June 5 from a high of 175 meters.

Picasso's works walk into Chinese life

Picasso Walks into China, the largest exhibition of Spanish painter Pablo Picasso's work ever held in the country, has opened at the Riverside Museum in Beijing. About 1,000 people visited on opening day on May 28. More than 80 works are on show, provided by eight collectors in five countries. The exhibition will last until early August and is co-chaired by the Riverside Museum and Italy's Metamorfosi Culture and Art Center.

Spanish diplomats win football tournament

The football team of the Spanish consulate general won the final of a friendly tournament 1-0 against the British consulate in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on June 5. In partnership with nine European consulates, the French consulate general and Guangzhou R&F Football Club organized the tournament to celebrate the 2016 UEFA European Championships in France, which starts on June 10.

Exports rise, imports rebound in May

China's export growth in yuan-denominated terms slowed to 1.2 percent year-on-year last month from 4.1 percent in April, figures from the General Administration of Customs showed on June 8. Imports grew 5.1 percent, significantly rebounding from a 5.7 percent decline in April. The trade surplus was 324.8 billion yuan ($49.4 billion; 43.5 billion euros), up from 298 billion yuan a month earlier, while foreign trade increased 2.8 percent year-on-year to about 2 trillion yuan.

Four crew members killed in aircraft crash

All four crew members on a China marine surveillance aircraft died when the plane crashed in a mountainous area of Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, on June 7, the State Oceanic Administration said. The aircraft took off from Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport at 11:30 pm and crashed on its return trip.

Party planning new liability regulation

The Communist Party of China's graft watchdog has solicited opinions from officials for the formulation of a new intraparty liability regulation. Wang Qishan, secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, has chaired two separate consultation meetings in Beijing and Shenyang, the watchdog said on June 7 without specifying when the meetings took place. Formulating the regulation will release a strong signal that the Party is serious about holding officials accountable for dereliction of duty, Wang said at the meetings.

Menezes quits Luneng over personal issues

Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneng announced that its head coach, Mano Menezes, resigned on June 7. The club said directors had decided to accept the Brazilian's resignation due to personal reasons after friendly negotiations. Former China international Li Xiaopeng will take over on a temporary basis, the club said.

More Chinese women make Forbes' power list

A record nine Chinese women feature on this year's list of the world's 100 most powerful women, released by Forbes, the US business magazine, on June 6. The women who make up the list are from the fields of politics, business, technology, NGOs and philanthropy, and include 32 CEOs, 12 world leaders and 11 billionaires. The nine Chinese women include Lucy Peng, a senior executive of e-commerce giant Alibaba, who was the highest-ranking Chinese woman in 35th position. World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan, ranked 38, is the second-highest ranking Chinese woman on this list. Peng Liyuan, China's first lady, ranked 58. Kingston Securities CEO Pollyanna Chu, Lens Technology founder Zhou Qunfei, Gree Electric Appliances chairman and president Dong Mingzhu, Great Wall Motor CEO Wang Fengying, Cofounder of Horizons Ventures Solina Chau, and Granite Global Ventures Capital Managing Partner Jenny Lee are also on the list.

China, US eye green cooperation

Senior Chinese and US officials are eyeing more cooperation on low-carbon development after the opening of a high-level meeting on June 7. Green growth is high on China's development agenda, said State Councilor Yang Jiechi at the second US-China Climate-Smart/Low-Carbon Cities Summit, which was attended by senior representatives from more than 50 Chinese and US cities. Yang called for more concrete cooperation between Chinese and US cities, the key practitioners of low-carbon growth, to benefit both countries and the rest of the world.

(China Daily European Weekly 06/10/2016 page2)