IN BRIEF

Beijing

Big solar drone reaches near space

China's Caihong solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle, the country's first near-space solar drone, has successfully flown at an altitude of 20 kilometers. The project team of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp announced on Tuesday that the CH UAV, with a wingspan of 45 meters, flew smoothly in near space for more than 15 hours under control, completing its planned path before landing securely.

Railways brace for travel peak

China's railway network has started to prepare for rising passenger traffic, as some 598 million trips are expected during the upcoming summer travel peak. On average, 9.65 million trips are expected on trains every day during the peak period, which starts on July 1 and ends on Aug 31, according to China Railway Corp. The volume marked a year-on-year increase of 9.1 percent.

Shandong

City offers women gene sequencing

Women of childbearing age in a new area of Qingdao are being offered free gene-sequencing tests to lower the risk of birth defects. The examinations are available to all 260,000 female residents in the West Coast New Area who are pregnant or plan on getting pregnant, including migrant workers, the city government said on Wednesday.