Motorcycles to get free ride for holiday

Migrant workers in Guangdong province who must travel by motorcycle back to their hometowns in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region for Spring Festival can make a quicker, safer journey this year with special trains for them and their bikes.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Hebei limits use of coal to improve air quality

Hebei province will promote central heating in rural areas as the province with some of the worst air quality in China moves to significantly reduce the use of coal.

Chargers for electric cars to be required

Hebei province will require newly-built residential communities to install electrical charging facilities in parking spaces and encourage older communities to follow suit, in a move to promote the use of new-energy vehicles and cut vehicle emissions.

LGBT tourism services eyed for growth prospects

The spending power and keen interest in travel by those in China's well-heeled LGBT community are attracting growing attention from tourism startups and investors.

The Internet invasion that's threatening China's eco-system

China is the world's biggest e-commerce market, accounting for about 40 percent of the world's online trade. That market is set reach $1 trillion by 2019, according to a report published by Forrester Research, an independent technology monitor.

Setting the boundaries

In October, Kong Xianli, director of the Delivery Inspection Division at the Zhejiang Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, took part in an online question-and-answer session on the bureau's website. During the session, Kong outlined the rationale behind many of the bureau's decisions and explained the damage that invasive, non-native species can cause to the eco-system.

New fonts give Tibetans texting options

The release of brand-new Qomolangma Tibetan fonts by the China Tibetology Research Center means the iPhone is no longer the only mainstream option for Tibetans who want a smartphone that can display their language.

Tibetan smartphone maker applauds new font release

Despite the competition, a former computer science professor who created the first smartphone to support Tibetan text is pleased that the introduction of a bevy of new fonts is giving users more options to express themselves in their own language.

Around China

Heilongjiang

Two plans merge into one health insurance program

Medical insurance programs for China's rural residents and urban unemployed will be merged into a single basic health insurance plan to improve equality and efficiency, according to a notice issued on Tuesday by the State Council, or China's cabinet.

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.