IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Weather forecast glitch raises eyebrows in Jinan

Weather is one of things that most concern Chinese as they celebrate the Spring Festival holiday, which almost always involves long trips home to visit relatives and friends.

Festival taking bloom off Valentine flower sales

The approach of Valentine's Day has witnessed a decline of fresh flower sales, which traders attributed to the weather and its proximity this year to the Spring Festival.

No compensation in hitandrun

A court in Hebei province has ruled a defendant need not compensate the family of a man who died after fleeing a traffic accident he was involved in.

Test field to gauge unmanned ships

Construction of a test field for unmanned cargo ships - the first of its kind in Asia - has begun in Zhuhai, a coastal city in Guangdong province.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Bill Gates 'honored' to work with Chinese counterparts

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said it's a great honor for him to be elected into the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and he would take advantage of the opportunity to communicate with Chinese academicians to improve the world.

Home helpers in short supply this holiday

As Spring Festival approaches, many migrant workers have already left Beijing to return to their hometowns for family reunions, and this has left a major shortage in Beijing's domestic helper market.

Xiongan uses new housing system

Xiongan New Area in Hebei province is exploring the establishment of a housing system that handles both rentals and housing price controls and strives to meet the housing needs of all people in the area.

Volunteers assist in Beijing's safety

Beijing residents are playing an increasingly important role in helping police keep the city safe, according to the capital's security authorities.

Nearly 1m to patrol capital during festival

Beijing has launched a high-priority prevention and control management campaign to ensure public security by sending some 900,000 security staff to patrol the capital after a deadly attack over the weekend.

Ecological protection stepped up

China has designated 610,000 square kilometers of land as key ecological zones with a fragile environmental status. The demarcated area covers 15 provincial regions, including Beijing, and is intended to strengthen ecological protection, the Ministry of Environmental Protection announced on Monday.