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.

WWF launches International Panda Day

World Wide Fund China designated Oct 27 as International Panda Day on Friday in Shanghai, hailing the global integrated conservation efforts of the bamboo-munching, black-and-white bear as an example to be followed in protecting other wild species.

Roots of traditional medicine may be older than thought

The therapeutic system of traditional Chinese medicine might have taken shape hundreds of years earlier than previously thought, according to researchers from Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sichuan province.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Air quality alerts issued for region

Beijing and Tianjin issued yellow alerts for smog on Thursday afternoon, requiring polluting companies to suspend production to lower emissions. The smog is forecast to linger until around noon on Saturday, the national environmental monitoring authority said.