IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Beijing

Pollution fines top 100m yuan

Beijing collected more than 100 million yuan ($15.7 million) in fines from polluters in the first nine months of the year, almost double the sum in the same period last year, the city's Environmental Protection Bureau said on Tuesday. From the start of January to the end of September, it launched investigations into 2,492 cases, mostly concerning air and water pollution and construction projects failing to meet standards. The bureau said it had stepped up law enforcement since the beginning of the year, inspecting about 11,620 companies and organizations.