Around China

Beijing

More than 900get green cards

Beijing has granted permanent Chinese residency to 911 foreigners, the city's Municipal Public Security Bureau said on Thursday. The release of the figure comes after Tuesday's announcement that 25 ministerial-level departments have established a regulation calling for permanent foreign residents to be largely granted the same rights as Chinese citizens.

City to renovate drainage system

The Beijing municipal government said on Friday it will renovate the city's drainage system after heavy rain in July resulted in the deaths of 79 people. Underground reservoirs, sewage drains and pipelines for 20 overpasses will be built or renovated and water pumps will be installed to help disperse floodwater, according to a statement from the Beijing Water Authority.

Shaky homes to be demolished

The Dongcheng district government is about to demolish rows of shaky residential buildings surrounding a 13th-century landmark in the heart of historic Beijing, officials announced on Thursday. They said the overhaul will restore the beauty of Beijing's Drum and Bell Towers, which acted as timepieces for three dynasties.

Drugmakers strive to hit deadline

About 17 percent of China's producers of axenic drugs - which include blood products, vaccines and injections - may fail to meet a deadline under the country's new Good Manufacturing Practices for drugs, according to an official survey published on Thursday. The State Food and Drug Administration survey said there are 4,462 production lines of axenic drugs at 1,319 enterprises in China. Of those, only 23 percent intend to adapt to the new standard this month and 60 percent by the end of next year, which is the legal deadline.

Xinhua president honored with prize

The United Nations Environment Programme presented its first award for "Excellence and Leadership in Media and Environment" on Friday to Li Congjun, president of Xinhua News Agency. Achim Steiner, UN undersecretary-general and UNEP executive director, attended the award ceremony and presented a diploma and trophy to Li.

On-air institute celebrates 5 years

China's first on-air Confucius Institute, the Confucius Institute of China Radio International, has taught more than 12,000 students around the world since its establishment in 2007, CRI said on Friday. A ceremony was held in Beijing to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the on-air institute.

Yunnan

Former governor stands trial

A former prefecture governor stood trial in Yunnan province on Thursday on charges of bribery and abuse of power. Yang Hongwei, 49, former governor of Chuxiong Yi autonomous prefecture of Yunnan, and his wife were accused of taking bribes worth more than 10 million yuan ($1.65 million) from 2003 to 2011.

Henan

7 detained over road accident

Seven people have been detained in connection with a road accident that killed 12 people in Henan province on Sunday, local authorities announced on Friday. The managers of a local transportation group that operated a bus, as well as the driver of the vehicle, are among those who were detained, the Minquan county government said.

Hong Kong

Human error blamed for crash

A British maritime expert said a deadly ferry crash on Oct 1 was caused by human error. His assessment came at a hearing conducted on Thursday by a commission of inquiry in Hong Kong into the causes of the collision. British Captain Nigel Pryke told investigators that the Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry Sea Smooth was "primarily responsible" for the collision, local media reported.

Hainan

Official dies in fall from building

An official from the People's Congress of the city of Haikou in Hainan province died after falling from a building on Tuesday, the congress confirmed on Friday. Chen Qiongbo, deputy director of the standing committee of the congress, died after falling from his apartment in the evening, the congress' media office said.

Hubei

Large cross-border gambling bust

International police have busted a large international online gambling ring, Hubei province police said on Thursday. Police from China, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar spent more than two years trying to crack the case, which involved more than 500 Chinese and foreigners, according to Jingzhou public security bureau. Police have captured 27 suspects, all of whom are Chinese.

Fire at shopping mall extinguished

A fire that broke out in a shopping mall in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Friday has been extinguished and resulted in no deaths, firefighters said. The blaze broke out around 1 pm at the SOGO Shopping Mall on Jiefang Road and was extinguished by 2:20 pm. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Guangdong

Wealthy couple to pay steep fine

A wealthy couple in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, will have to pay a fine of up to 10 million yuan ($1.61 million) for violating the family planning policy. The couple, who were originally from Zhaoqing, was found to have octuplets, using test-tube technology and surrogate mothers.

China Daily-Xinhua

(China Daily 12/15/2012 page2)