Sandstorm expected to hit south

At least one death is attributed to strong winds, others injured

45 convicted for deadly landslide

Forty-five people were convicted on Friday by three courts in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, for their involvement in a deadly landslide that killed 73 people.

Social think tanks earn recognition

Think tanks run by domestic nongovernment organizations, officially named "social think tanks", which were once marginalized if not ignored, have finally earned recognition and strong support from the Chinese government.

3 killed, 2 injured in hiking calamity

Three hikers have been killed and two others were frostbitten after they traveled along one of the most dangerous hiking routes in northwest China's Shaanxi province and encountered a terrible snowstorm, a regional rescue team was quoted as saying by West China Metropolis Daily.

Party lessons aid foreign workers

Dongfeng Renault, a Sino-French joint auto venture in Wuhan, Hubei province, has offered a lecture on the Communist Party of China to its 10 new foreign employees, a move to facilitate collaboration between its Chinese staff members and foreign nationals.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Schools to get added help for protecting students

Schools will work closely with public security authorities to ensure the safety of students at kindergartens, primary schools and middle schools, under a guideline released recently by the State Council.

Big library idea comes from small children

Construction of the world's first panda-themed library is expected to start early next year at a primary school in Chengdu, Sichuan province, with the facility expected to open about six months later.

Cable across gorge gives village a new lifeline

CHENGDU - Resting in a level spot between precipitous cliffs, and hundreds of meters above the roaring Dadu River in Sichuan province, Gulu village has existed in isolation and poverty for hundreds of years.

Jaywalkers in Jinan get high-tech slap in face

It is common in China to see a crowd of pedestrians or nonmotorized vehicles crossing a street even when the light is red. Now the authorities will know who they are.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

PLA Air Force making exercises more realistic

The People's Liberation Army Air Force is strengthening the intensity and difficulty of its combat exercises to improve pilot capabilities.