President meets Saudi guest

President Xi Jinping met on Tuesday with Khalid Sultan, deputy defense minister of Saudi Arabia. Xi, also chairman of the Central Military Commission, reviewed the smooth growth of China's ties with Saudi Arabia since the two countries forged diplomatic relations in 1990. Khalid underlined the solid friendship between the two countries and their bilateral efforts to safeguard world and regional peace and stability.

Ruling ends dispute over demolition

The Supreme People's Court said on Tuesday that courts should not accept government applications that ask judges to approve forced home demolitions, since "laws have entitled administrative authorities with the right of enforcement". The court's decision ends the dispute over who is responsible for approving the demolition of illegal construction, which has sometimes led to violent conflicts between authorities and the public.

Website will honor martyrs

The Ministry of Civil Affairs on Tuesday launched a website to honor revolutionary martyrs and those who die from noble causes, and appealed to the public to learn from their spirit. The site includes information on 1.86 million martyrs, 4,151 martyr cemeteries and the "heroic acts" of more than 3,000 famous martyrs, the ministry said.

Capital to continue easing congestion

Beijing authorities said the capital will continue to limit the number of cars during rush hour using license plate numbers to ease congestion. The growing number of vehicles on the capital's roads has led to frequent traffic jams. The restriction, which bans cars based on odd and even license plate numbers, is aimed at improving air quality and reducing traffic.

Nation to improve associations

China will improve the nation's industry associations in an effort to streamline government agencies and readjust governments' roles, the Ministry of Civil Affairs announced on Tuesday. The ministry is going to further decouple industry associations from government agencies to which they were previously affiliated and bring into full play their roles in market regulation.

Standards on cemetery industry

The Ministry of Civil Affairs issued the country's first service standards on the cemetery industry on Tuesday, requiring cemeteries to provide clear and transparent information to consumers. The standards were made to better regulate the services at commercial cemeteries, the ministry said in a statement on its official website.

Line 10 to be completed in May

The Beijing Subway's second loop route, Line 10, will be completed in May, its construction company announced on Tuesday. After nearly 12 months of construction, the main building of the Fengtai Railway Station is finished and being decorated. Niwa Station is also near completion.

The stations will link the first and second phase of Line 10, which runs 57 km and has 25 stations.

Fujian

4 injured, 3 buried in bridge collapse

Four people were injured and another three remain buried in debris after a bridge that was under construction in East China's Fujian province collapsed on Monday night, the local government said on Tuesday. The accident occurred at 8:30 pm in the city of Longhai. The injured have been sent to a local hospital for treatment. Police officers, firefighters and medics have been sent to the site to rescue the buried workers.

Henan

Economist Xie elected governor

A 59-year-old economist was elected governor of Henan province, one of the country's leading grain-producing regions, on Tuesday. Xie Fuzhan, head of the National Bureau of Statistics from 2006 to 2008, was elected at the second session of the 12th Henan Provincial People's Congress.

Sichuan

Biz school for kids sparks concerns

A business school in Chengdu, Sichuan province, which aims to help nurture entrepreneurial skills in kids, has sparked concerns that it can lead to money worship. The school, which targets children between the ages of 7 and 11, charges 30,000 yuan ($4,830) for yearlong training courses to "cultivate children's ability to manage money", China National Radio reported.

South China Sea

Naval fleet ends drill in Pacific

A People's Liberation Army navy fleet ended a drill in designated training areas of the West Pacific on Tuesday. The Nanhai Fleet returned to the South China Sea through the Bashi Channel, an international waterway linking the South China Sea and the Pacific. During the three-day exercise, the fleet conducted target practice drills using live ammunition.

Hubei

Driver says he was told to kill woman

The driver of a cement truck that crushed a villager to death in Hubei province on Saturday claimed he was following instructions, Beijing News reported on Tuesday. A man surnamed Tan is suspected of driving the cement tanker that crushed Zhang Ruqiong, a 44-year-old female villager who had a compensation dispute with a highway construction company in the Yanduhe township.

Guangxi

Police chief charged in prostitution ring

A police chief in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has been accused of running a prostitution ring, prosecutors said on Tuesday. The public security director, identified only as Lyu, is among three suspects charged by the Yanshan district people's procuratorate in Guilin. The men are accused of forcing a 13-year-old girl to have sex with three men in three hotels between Jan 17 and 19, authorities said.

Guizhou

4 dead in road accident

Four people were killed and one other injured after a truck overturned in Guizhou province on Tuesday, local authorities said. The accident occurred around 3:30 pm at a construction site in Nanming district in Guiyang, capital of the province. A truck loaded with soil overturned and crashed into a vehicle, leaving four dead, rescuers said.

China Daily-Xinhua