IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Inspired to grow peaches, farmers bid poverty adieu

After Shen Jianzhong graduated from college and returned to his hometown in Chongqing's Wulong county, an elderly acquaintance would often tell him: "You shouldn't have come back to grow produce here. There is no money to be made from it."

Fresh mountain air, newfound prosperity

There is an old poem that describes poverty-stricken Wulong county in days gone by. It translates: "In remote mountainous Wulong, people only eat sweet potatoes, corn and potato. Nobody eats egg noodles, except for a woman who has given birth."

Breast milk banks taking deposits

As a nursing mother, Liang Juan must pump and freeze her extra breast milk, as she often has too much for her 7-month-old infant. As the milk can only be stored for up to six months, the second-time mother uses the surplus to make soap or as a fertilizer for flowers.

Carvers make a lifetime's commitment to their art

Walking down an alley off a bustling street in Chongwenmen, downtown Beijing, it's easy to miss a sign next to a small glass door that announces the Beijing Ivory Carving Factory, so very few people enter the simple facade.

Gang put on trial for trafficking

Thirteen suspects are awaiting verdicts on accusations of cross-border human trafficking in Southwest China's Yunnan province.

Beijing to push premarital checkups

Beijing wants to increase the rate of premarital medical checkups to at least 50 percent by 2020 to prevent birth defects and disabilities, according to a new municipal disability prevention action plan.

Illegal container blamed for deadly poisoning

The unlawful use of an ultra-large chlorine container by a rubber plant was responsible for a deadly poisoning incident last week, the work safety watchdog announced on Friday.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Boy gets soccer ball - and then some

An 8-year-old village boy who had been saving up for a soccer ball since winter in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region not only got what he wished for but a lot more. Training gear for his classmates came as an unexpected bonus.

Hangzhou bicycles get electric upgrade

Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, is planning to upgrade its public rental bicycles from strictly pedal power to electric hybrids.

Two jailed for illegally selling vaccines

Two people have been sentenced to jail after being convicted of illegal trading vaccines, Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.