Briefly

SHAANXI

3 road accidents leave at least 3 dead, 6 hurt

At least three people were killed and six injured after three road accidents left more than 10 vehicles ablaze on a foggy Tuesday morning in Shaanxi province, authorities said. Multiple vehicles crashed successively around 7 am on an expressway bridge in the city of Tongchuan, according to the city's publicity department. More than 10 vehicles caught fire. The flames have been extinguished, and rescuers are searching for any remaining victims.

BEIJING

Spending on culture, entertainment rises

Beijing residents' per capita spending on education, culture and entertainment rose to 4,311 yuan ($655) last year, up 7.8 percent year-on-year, according to a report published on Tuesday. The per capita spending was around 72 percent higher than the national average, reflecting Beijing residents' strong desire for cultural consumption and spending power, said the report on Beijing's cultural industry development. The report was jointly launched by the Beijing State-owned Cultural Assets Management Center together with the School of Cultural Industries Management under the Communication University of China.

HENAN

Supercomputing hub gets official approval

A new national supercomputing center has recently passed official appraisal in Zhengzhou, Henan province, serving as a new driver for the country's innovation, local authorities said on Tuesday. It is China's seventh national supercomputing center, according to the Henan Provincial Department of Science and Technology.

SHANXI

Robots to take over dangerous jobs

China's coal-rich Shanxi province is encouraging its mining companies to use robots as a replacement for human workers in dangerous jobs, local authorities said on Tuesday. After decades of intensive mining, the major coal-producing province has seen the depth of its coal mines increase with more complex mining conditions, raising the urgency to use more intelligent equipment to reduce safety risks and improve efficiency. Shanxi has issued a guideline on modernizing its coal mining sector and piloted the use of robots and automated equipment in some coal mines.

Xinhua