City government considers relocating China's first public zoo

Parts of the 110-year-old Beijing Zoo may be relocated to improve the living conditions of the animals and ease traffic jams for visitors, an official said.

Shortcuts target capital's congestion

All minor roads in Beijing's downtown districts will be connected to major routes within five years as part of efforts to ease traffic congestion, local authorities have said.

Girl beheaded in Taiwan

The death of a 4-year-old girl, who was beheaded on Monday in a knife attack in Taiwan, has sparked widespread public anger on the island and criticism of calls to abolish the death penalty.

City asks public to choose eco-burials

Beijing will promote smaller tombs and ecologically friendly burials as it tries to persuade people to stop renting big tombs for the deceased, officials said.

80% in survey support ban on 'cruel' extraction of bear bile

More than 80 percent of people surveyed by an animal protection organization think the bear bile extraction industry should be banned in China.

Nations unite to fight border crime

China will partner with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to set up a special law enforcement college in Southwest China's Yunnan province in a bid to tackle rampant cross-border crime, according to the Ministry of Public Security on Tuesday.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Science association to get rid of bureaucracy

The China Association for Science and Technology, an association covering more than 70 million researchers, is starting a new round of systematic reform to overcome a bureaucracy that isolates the organization from the masses.

Young scientists get funding boost

With science funding in European countries and the US under pressure in recent years, China's steadily increasing R&D budget has made it a popular destination for researchers.

Hefei ties fortunes to growth in high tech

A new center for national science, another for industrial innovation and a third for advanced medicine will be key elements in the high-tech future of Hefei, Anhui province, according to a senior official.

Drinking water a winner in Tibet

Drinking water has been making a splash in the Tibet autonomous region, providing jobs and boosting the economy.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

China will require its armed forces to open more barracks to the public this year, the flagship newspaper of the People's Liberation Army reported on Monday.