Courts told to enforce judgments

Chinese courts must improve their handling of financial defaults and individual debtors in the face of a skyrocketing case load over the past three years, an official of the top court said on Wednesday.

Expert proposes lower age limit for marriage

The legal age for marriage in China should be changed to allow people to have children at an earlier age, a population and family planning expert said.

Public-interest lawsuit plan tested

Prosecuting departments have filed five public-interest lawsuits involving environmental pollution with the courts since July as part of a national pilot program aimed at protecting public resources.

Website to reconnect missing persons

The Ministry of Civil Affairs has launched a website to help long-term missing persons return home.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Firms offer fewer jobs for winter

The demand for seasonal winter workers has dropped this year by more than 50 percent in Dongguan, a major production base in Guangdong province, and one of the reasons may be the increasing use of robots, according to an employment professional.

Catalyst helps convert waste CO2 into fuel

There's a basic contradiction between modern lifestyles and environmental protection: The more we consume, the more we produce and the more damage we cause to the environment.

Gay men ask court for right to marry

A court in Central China's Hunan province has accepted a case of two homosexuals who sued the government agency for not allowing them to register their marriage.

Employers interfere with choice of pregnancy

Liu Qian, a 31-year-old bank teller, is eligible to have a second child, but she has to wait because of the unwritten rules of her employer.

Survey shows 2-child preference

Nearly seven out of 10 unmarried people in a recent online survey by a large dating website said they want two children.

Xinjiang keen to showcase high ambitions

Boasting ideal natural conditions and a welter of preparations, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is gearing up to host the 13th National Winter Games, and help to promote winter sports across the country.

Freezing, but fun

Winter can be tough in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. For some people, the freezing temperatures and heavy snowfalls mean it's just a time to be endured, but for those flocking to sports venues across the region, child-ren especially, winter isn't long enough.