Shanghai noodle machines wait for licensing to resume service

Three vending machines in Shanghai that make bowls of hot noodles in less than a minute will be taking a break until the operator gets all the necessary licenses.

Delicate beads found at dig site

Ostrich eggshell beads with holes as small as 1.2 millimeters in diameter have been unearthed at the Gezishan archaeological site in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region in northwest China.

Ministry: More days polluted in region

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei province region saw air pollution worsen in the first three quarters of the year, with concentrations of major pollutants rising and fewer days with blue skies, according to data from the Ministry of Environmental Protection released on Saturday.

UNESCO recognizes Chinese astronaut

PARIS - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has awarded the UNESCO Medal on Space Science to the first Chinese national sent to space, Yang Liwei, along with three other prominent international space pioneers, on Friday evening at the organization's headquarters in Paris.

Matchmakers work for love, not money

Lan Yuyun, 83, and her husband, Chen Yilun, 85, have offered free matchmaking services for more than 60 years, drawing accolades as "super matchmakers".

Inclusive education faces headwinds

The government's plan for inclusive education aims to have 95 percent of children with disabilities enrolled in mainstream schools by 2020. But the drive faces headwinds, including a lack of individual training plans and a teacher-evaluation system that doesn't adjust for lower student performance on average, which could hurt a teacher's chances of getting a pay raise.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

A new way to save heritage houses

Old houses in Huangshan, Anhui province, offer a unique insight into the centuries-old architecture of the Ming and Qing dynasties, but a lack of funding is making protection a challenge.

Parents spend extra to give kids an edge

China's extracurricular education sector for primary school students has developed rapidly, especially in large cities. Piano, painting, chess, skating and other lessons have sprung up in major shopping districts. Expensive summer camps claiming to broaden children's horizons are also popular. Spending on children's education is rising each year.

Foreign experts applaud China's new goals

1. The 19th CPC National Congress introduced "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" for China's long-term development. How do you think it will guide the country's future?

New survey on finless porpoise to begin

The Ministry of Agriculture will kick off another survey on finless porpoises along the middle and lower stretches of the Yangtze River and its two connecting lakes on Nov 10.

Village gives elderly a helping hand

Li Xiuying celebrated her 96th birthday on Oct 10 with her family. As she reached 96, the "old age premium" - a sum she had been receiving on her birthday since 2002 from the Caoqiao village committee - more than doubled from 40,000 yuan ($6,010) to 100,000 yuan.