Processing of patents speeds up

China's intellectual property authority is making an effort to shorten the review time for patent applications, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Suspect charged in gruesome killings

Prosecutors in Gansu province have charged a suspected serial killer with multiple counts of murder, rape and mutilating corpses.

Ministry to oversee cleanup of dump sites in Hebei, Tianjin

The Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Tuesday that it will supervise the treatment and restoration of polluted dump sites in Langfang, Hebei province, and Tianjin's Jinghai district.

Speech rehab center fires 3 teachers accused of abusing children with disabilities

A rehabilitation center in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, that was accused of abusing children with disabilities has been suspended, a local association for people with disabilities said on Monday.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Beloved trees have messy habit

Nanjing, Jiangsu province, has developed an online platform to forecast the amount of annoying dry fruits, or achenes, that will fall off plane trees. The trees are beloved by the city's 8 million people, except from April to June, when they create a mess.

25 Beijing underpasses undergo renovations

Beijing will finish restoring 25 pedestrian underpasses this year along Chang'an Avenue, the capital's central thoroughfare, to upgrade their function and appearance.

Pilot jury program may be extended

A pilot program for jurors in Chinese courtrooms may continue for an additional year.

Highlights

DailyStandardization Law

Further ecological oversight launched

China launched another round of monthlong environmental inspections in seven provincial regions on Monday to push the provincial and city governments to reduce pollution, according to the nation's top environmental authority.

First geographical mapping survey results to be shared

The Chinese government will actively seek to share, promote and apply its first set of national mapping information data through institutions and companies to better serve the public, Kurex Mexsut, deputy head of the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation, said on Monday.

Submersible Jiaolong tested for South China Sea deep dive

The Jiaolong, China's manned submersible, completed a practice dive in Sanya, Hainan province, on Saturday to prepare for a deep descent in the South China Sea. The submersible stayed underwater for 18 minutes in Saturday's drill before returning to the Xiangyanghong 09, the mother ship, after the crew-training exercise.