'Urgent and necessary' court reforms suggested

A series of judicial reforms, including the further establishment of intellectual property courts and orders preventing interference in cases by governmental departments, have been added to a draft amendment of the Organic Law of People's Courts for consideration by China's top legislature.

Road closure for exercisers creates friction in Qingdao

Traffic police in Qingdao, Shandong province, have been closing a local road every night to give people a place to exercise and jog safely.

Report: Tougher copyright protection needed

China's top legislature called upon governments at all levels on Monday to strengthen copyright protection by creating an information-sharing system for administrations and judicial authorities, along with a blacklist of violators.

Advisers to play role in BRICS' worldwide influence

Think tanks will work to play a positive role in deepening cooperation among BRICS members in strengthening global governance and meeting universal challenges, according to a commerce official and a think tank organizer.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Sex offenders barred from jobs near kids

A city district in Shanghai will permanently bar people convicted of sex-related offenses from entering professions that have close contact with juveniles. It's the latest effort to better protect minors from potential sexual assault.

Qixi Festival: A day for long-distance lovers

For 24-year-old Liu Feicheng, the Qixi Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine's Day, was a good reason to reunite with his girlfriend Mao Yuxin, who lives more than 2,000 kilometers away from him.

Flowers, mainly roses, serve as tokens of love

Sales of flowers, especially red roses, increase rapidly near Qixi Festival as couples celebrate what's otherwise known as Chinese Valentine's Day.

Doctors train to treat hypertension

A center to train doctors in how to intervene in cases of hypertension has opened in Guizhou province.

Profit growth slows in major industries

China's major industries registered slower profit growth in July, but a senior official at the National Bureau of Statistics said on Sunday that overall data show the country's supply-side structural reform has continued to make progress.

Beijing looking for restaurants with unhygienic kitchens

Beijing's food safety watchdog has begun a two-week sanitation inspection of the city's restaurants, following news reports that two Beijing branches of a popular hotpot chain were unhygienic.

Reform schools can dent juvenile crime, experts say

Authorities should encourage parents to send children who have broken the law to reform schools to stamp out criminal behavior at an early age, according to prosecutors and child protection experts.