Beijing

Doctors' payreviewed

The health and reform office under the State Council released a guideline on Wednesday on the new system that forbids hospitals from linking doctors' incomes with their patients' medicine and medical exam expenses. Some hospitals link doctors' pay with revenues earned through medication sales and examination fees, in some cases placing a greater economic burden on patients.

Crackdown to affect 5,000 mines

China's safety watchdog said on Wednesday it will suspend or shut down operations in over 5,000 non-coal mines that do not meet safety standards this year. The government will take steps to reduce accidents in non-coal mines and keep the death toll below 900 this year, according to a document released Wednesday by the State Administration of Work Safety.

Wining and dining declines: ministry

A slew of high-end restaurants and luxury wine brands have reported drastic sales declines amid a government frugality campaign that has swept across the country, the Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday. Extravagant dining has been reduced since the central authority promoted a package of rules calling for officials to be more frugal, ministry spokesman Shen Danyang said.

Free schooling for vocational students

China will beef up its support for secondary vocational education by expanding the coverage of free schooling to all students, authorities said on Wednesday. The Ministry of Education said it is an "unavoidable trend" to offer free schooling to all students at secondary vocational schools. The ministry said the policy exempting students at secondary vocational schools from tuition fees has been adopted in nine provincial-level regions, including the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Shanxi.

Shaanxi

Official suspected of embezzlement

A finance official in Ansai county, Shaanxi province, was detained on Monday on suspicion of embezzling more than 2 million yuan ($320,230) over two years, Xi'an Evening News reported on Wednesday. The official, named Zhang, was director of the county's Jianhua town finance office. He was reported to have misappropriated public funds for gambling on Feb 9.

Anhui

Ex-officer faces graft probe

A deputy police chief in a county in Anhui province has been removed from his job after an online post claimed he had an extramarital affair. Xu Beihuai, 50, deputy head of Sixian county's public security bureau, was placed under investigation by anti-corruption authorities on Tuesday, Xinhua News Agency reported. An online post claimed that Xu had promised to divorce his wife and marry his mistress.

Henan

Tombs rebuilt after being demolished

At least half of the 2 million tombs that a local government in Henan province ordered demolished last year have been rebuilt. The government of Zhoukou ordered rural residents in March 2012 to move their families' tombs from farmland to cemeteries. The government claimed its goal was to save farmland.

Shanghai

New-energy buses to hit the road

Shanghai will introduce 200 new-energy buses in a bid to cut emissions and reduce noise, Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday. The vehicles, which are electrically powered, can run for nearly 10 hours, or 150 kilometers, according to an industry insider.

China Daily-Xinhua

(China Daily 02/21/2013 page2)