Report: Youth still have easy access to tobacco

Despite laws and regulations, young students in Beijing still have easy access to tobacco products and are regularly exposed to tobacco advertising, particularly at retail stores, according to a new report.

Beijing opens paths for international students

International students will have more opportunities for internships, to take part-time jobs and even to start their own businesses in certain regions of Beijing, under a series of new policies released on Tuesday.

Expats take advantage of loosened visa policy

The Shanghai municipal government has handed out significantly more permanent residence permits to expats since loosening its visa policies in July.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Govt braces for slowdown

Government officials and economists are preparing for a further slowdown of economic growth this year, as more challenges are expected to arise with the deepened restructuring reforms.

8 examples of disciplinary violations

Editor's note: Last year, China intensified its clampdown on corruption and increased investigations aimed at violations of the eight-point austerity rules of the Communist Party of China. New phrases by the anti-corruption authorities have sprung up. Following are corruption charges brought by anti-graft bodies, examples of officials being held for investigation on the charges and comments by experts.

Ex-official gets 15-year sentence

China's former vice-minister of public security, Li Dongsheng, was jailed for 15 years for accepting bribes, a court announced on Tuesday.

Waste collectors headed for the scrapheap

At about noon on Jan 1, Xie Peng curled up on a tattered cushion on the ground and ate his meager lunch, a single pancake that cost 5 yuan (75 cents).

Resigned, but hopeful

It was a cold morning. The gray sky and smog that had engulfed the city for days made me feel that it wasn't a good start to the day. It wasn't. When I arrived at Dongxiaokou village, I realized that the garbage collection center I had seen on the Internet no longer existed. Even though plastic and construction waste had been left in the yard, a wooden sign on the gate proclaimed that the building had been converted into a ceramics factory.

Guangxi boosts ASEAN trade

Editor's Note: The Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, which has a long history of contact with Southeast Asia, thanks to its affinity in language, culture and customs, is set to become China's pathway to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, forming a new strategic pivot in Southwest and Central China's opening up. China Daily spoke with Peng Qinghua, the region's Party chief, to find out more.

Inspections to tighten for imported plants, animals

China's gatekeepers will intensify inspections and quarantines of animals and plants for import and export this year to cope with increasing challenges of biological safety brought by increasing international exchanges.

Maternity leave increasing to encourage 2nd children

Mothers in Beijing, Shanghai and Shandong province are expected to have more days off work after giving birth under the new national policy encouraging couples to have a second child.