IN BRIEF

Beijing

Billions targeted at housing renovation

Beijing will spend 30.8 billion yuan ($4.5 billion) on renovating substandard urban houses this year, the government said on Sunday. The budget is 60 percent more than last year. Around 36,000 homes in rundown areas, including four traditional hutong around the Nanluoguxiang tourist site, will be targeted this year. According to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the renovation is part of Beijing's efforts to build a world-class livable city.

Guangdong

Power plant collapse claims nine lives

Nine people died and two were injured when a platform collapsed at a power plant in Guangzhou on Saturday, local authorities said. The accident happened about 8 am at No 7 Thermal Power Plant, said Li Chibin, deputy chief of the work safety administration of Conghua district. He said 10 workers were working on the 40-meter-high platform when it gave way. The power plant, located in Conghua, is still under construction and is expected to begin operations in May.

Henan

11 dead in goldmine accidents

A pair of accidents at two neighboring gold mines in Henan province killed a total of 11 people on Friday, local authorities said on Saturday. Thick smoke engulfed a pit at China National Gold Group's Qinling gold mine in Lingbao at 10:36 am, trapping 18 people, the city government said in a statement. Rescuers had retrieved eight bodies by Saturday afternoon. Of the 10 people who were found and sent to the hospital, one died after medical treatment failed. Two other miners were killed in a similar accident in a neighboring gold mine at 3 pm on Friday, the provincial work safety administration said.

Tibet

Flights revved up for tourism season

Chinese airlines on Sunday prepared to increase flights to the Tibet autonomous region ahead of the annual tourist high season of summer and fall. Tibet is linked to 30 domestic and foreign destinations, including Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Kathmandu, by regular passenger air routes. Flights are suspended or reduced in winter as demand drops along with the plateau's temperature. The airlines will follow the peak-season schedule until Oct 28. More than 23 million tourists visited Tibet in 2016, up 15 percent year-on-year.

Taiwan

Island reports new outbreak of bird flu

Taiwan has confirmed a new outbreak of bird flu at two poultry farms and culled more than 14,000 birds to prevent further infection, according to animal inspection authorities. Ducks at a farm in Pingdong county were confirmed to have the H5N2 virus, and more than 6,000 were culled. A chicken farm in Tainan city also reported an outbreak of an H5-type virus on Saturday, and more than 8,000 chicken were slaughtered. Farms on the island have reported more than 15 avian flu cases this year.