IN BRIEF

Qinghai

Snowfall disrupts life in NW China

Persistent snowfall has disrupted the lives of more than 2,200 farmers and nomads in Northwest China's Qinghai province, blocking traffic and starving livestock, local authorities said on Wednesday. Eight townships in three counties, including Xunhua county, have been worst hit by lingering snow in the region since Friday, according to the provincial civil affairs department. In Xunhua's Gangca township, 2,085 residents experienced traffic problems, while more than 62,000 sheep and cattle have been unable to graze, as snow has covered roads, pastures and livestock folds. Local government workers are cleaning roads and distributing relief goods such as fodder and warm clothes to affected residents.

Beijing

Natural disasters affect 1.1m people

Natural disasters affected 1.15 million people in China in February, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Tuesday. Natural disasters led to economic losses of 480 million yuan ($69.4 million) and more than 100 people were relocated, the ministry said. Natural disasters included freezing weather, snowstorms and drought, as well as earthquakes, landslides and forest fires. More than 2,000 houses were damaged and 76,300 hectares of crops were affected.

Rules for online catering to tighten

Beijing has pledged to strengthen regulation of online catering platforms to ensure food safety, the Beijing Municipal Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday. Supervision of platforms will include checking business licenses and health certificates, as well as the quality of ingredients and health condition of chefs at the restaurants on the platforms, the administration said. Thirty-four restaurants have been ordered to withdraw from waimai.meituan.com, one of the most popular platforms in China, for selling cold dishes without a license, said Li Jiang, head of the administration's food market regulation office. The administration plans to launch spot-checks on food safety at the restaurants and will order them to post pictures of their kitchens and cooking processes on the platforms, according to Li.