Sichuan

21 confirmed dead in bus-truck collision

The death toll from a road accident on Sunday in Sichuan province has reached 21, local authorities said on Monday. The accident occurred at 2 pm in Quxian county when a passenger bus collided with a truck loaded with sand and cobblestones. The bus plunged into a 3-meter-deep riverbed, the county's publicity department said in a statement.

Beijing

Three Gorges Dam security to be hiked

Security measures at the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydropower project, will be tightened, according to a government rule set to take effect on Oct 1. The set of regulations dedicated to the project's security was publicized on Monday after Premier Li Keqiang issued an order for its promulgation.

Drop reported in cases of black lung disease

China reported a total of 24,206 new cases of pneumoconiosis, or black lung disease, in 2012, a drop of 2,195 from the previous year, the health authority said on Monday. Of the newly reported cases in 2012, 12,405 were coal miners and 10,592 were silicosis sufferers, according to figures released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission. Nearly half of all new occupational disease cases were from the coal sector.

Government to boost urban infrastructure

The State Council has issued a guideline to improve urban infrastructure, according to a statement posted on the government's website on Monday. In addition to government investment, nongovernment capital will be encouraged to partly join construction or management of the projects to improve the ecological environment and safety in cities, it added.

Report: 2,022 sister cities tied to country

China has established sister-city relations with 2,022 cities or states in 131 countries worldwide, the overseas edition of People's Daily reported on Monday. "Sister cities have become a major channel for communication and cooperation between Chinese governments and their foreign counterparts," said Li Xiaolin, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

Ningxia

158 contracts signed at China-Arab fair

A total of 158 contracts worth about 260 billion yuan ($42 billion) were signed on Monday at the first China-Arab States Expo in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. The contracts involve cooperation in energy and chemicals, new materials, equipment manufacturing, halal food, infrastructure, logistics, culture and tourism between China and Arabian countries.

Shanghai

Alleged teacher killer surrenders to police

The boy suspected of killing his teacher in Fuzhou, Jiangxi province, surrendered to police in Shanghai on Monday morning and has been handed over to Jiangxi authorities, according to police in Shanghai's Pudong New Area. The 17-year-old student, named Lei, called the police at around 7 am on Monday from Shangnan Road in Pudong and said he stabbed his teacher to death in Linchuan No 2 High School in Fuzhou on Saturday.

City offers senior citizens free shots

Shanghai has started to offer free pneumonia vaccinations to its residents aged 60 and above. The health program aims to help reduce the incidence of streptococcus pneumonia among the elderly, and about 3 million people are expected to benefit, according to the Shanghai Health and Family Planning Commission.

Xinhua-China Daily

(China Daily USA 09/17/2013 page3)