9 killed, 28 injured in mine accident

Nine people were killed and 28 others injured in an accident involving carbon monoxide poisoning at a gold mine in Jilin province early on Tuesday morning, local authorities said. Fifty-one miners were working underground when a fire broke out about 4 am at Laojinchang Gold Mine in Huadian, resulting in a high density of carbon monoxide, according to the city's publicity department. Thirteen people escaped or were lifted out of the mine shortly after the accident, and one other was rescued later without injuries.

Guangdong

City probes drug sale commissions

A special task force was sent to Gaozhou in Guangdong province on Tuesday to investigate allegation that doctors at a local hospital are accepting commissions from drug manufacturers and sales representatives. Yao Zhibin, director-general of the Guangdong provincial health department, said the special task force will work closely with the local Party discipline watchdog and police to investigate the case, which has tarnished the image of local medical organizations and staff.

Police crack illegal private bank

Shenzhen police said on Monday that they had discovered an illegal private bank involving 120 million yuan ($19.3 million). The underground bank was hidden in a store in Bao'an district, with a sign indicating it sells grain and cooking oil, according to the economic crime department of the Shenzhen Public Security Bureau. Tipped off by a letter from a whistle-blower August, police launched a months-long investigation that found the store had no grain or oil at all and instead offered illegal money-exchange services.

Multi-homeowning official investigated

An investigation has been launched into the case of a mid-ranking official at the Zhuhai tobacco monopoly administration, who was said to own five houses and have deposits valued at more than 6 million yuan ($965,000). Li Tong, director of the administration's marketing department, was also reported to own several luxury cars and enjoy online gambling, according to an anonymous netizen's online post in December.

HK stars elected as political advisers

Three Hong Kong movie stars, including comedy actor Stephen Chow, have been elected to the 93-member Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Members, known as political advisers, are supposed to submit proposals to the government. The members are people of social influence and represent different professions. According to provincial committee staff, Kent Tong and Ma Dingsheng Ma were also elected as members on Sunday.

Beijing

Liu Yunshan attends graduation

Chinese leader Liu Yunshan, attended a graduation ceremony held by the Party School of the Communist Party of the China Central Committee on Tuesday. Liu, president of the top Party school and a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, awarded certificates to representatives of 604 officials, who completed the school's 2012 autumn semester.

Vehicles to use sirens sparingly

Emergency vehicles must not use their sirens unless they are dealing with emergencies, the Ministry of Public Security said. According to a statement from the ministry on Tuesday, the police will help those vehicles - including ambulances and fire engines - deal with emergencies. Police cars will help clear the way for these vehicles, and special traffic controls will be put into place to ensure roads are clear for emergency vehicles, the statement said.

Former official jailed for corruption

A former railway official has been sentenced to 13 years imprisonment for corruption, according to jcrb.com, the website of Procuratorial Daily in Beijing. Liu Zuoqi, 43, a former division chief of the transport bureau of the Ministry of Railways, was in charge of the production of high-speed trains. He received more than 2.9 million yuan ($466,610) in bribes from factories and companies from 2006 to 2011.

Nation urges aid for vagrants

The Civil Affairs Ministry on Tuesday urged local governments to take the initiative and offer prompt aid to vagrants and beggars to help them survive the winter weather. Dou Yupei, vice-minister of civil affairs, said at a national video meeting that efforts should be made to "ensure vagrants and beggars get prompt assistance and prevent deaths caused by exposure to extreme cold or hunger". More temporary shelters should be built in venues visited by vagrants, beggars or migrant workers, he said.

Country to 'study' tax policies

Premier Wen Jiabao said on Tuesday the country will "carefully study" reforms of the property tax system and tax policies that will optimize income distribution. During an inspection tour of the Ministry of Finance, Wen labeled the two as the country's major tax reforms in the medium and long term. He noted the country's fiscal policies should adapt to changing situations and better support national economic and social development while improving people's livelihoods.

Border officers seize 45,000 guns

Border control officers seized 45,043 guns and 5,064 kg of narcotics in 2012 in an intensified crackdown, the border control department of the Ministry of Public Security announced on Tuesday. Officers also confiscated 244 grenades and 1,857 kg of dynamite throughout the year, the department said in a report. Officers also caught 3,674 suspects in 3,075 drug-related cases last year.

Shanghai

Crackdown targets bank-card crimes

Shanghai police have held more than 100 suspects in a crackdown on bank card related crimes since December. Dai Xinfu, deputy head of the economic crime investigation department of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, said at a news conference on Tuesday that the city has handled more than 80 such cases since December, including fraud using fake cards, malicious overdrafts and illegal withdrawal from credit cards.

Hainan

Boao to build first airport

The coastal town of Boao in Hainan province, which hosts the Boao Forum for Asia, will start constructing an airport this year. A feasibility study for the airport has been approved by the country's top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission. Construction will start in the first half of the year, the study said, adding that the airport is expected to be completed and fully operational by the end of 2015. The airport is being built with a total investment of 1.12 billion yuan ($180 million).

Sichuan

Quake warning system launched

A township devastated by the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan province launched a quake warning system on Tuesday that is expected to give people 31 seconds to escape, China News Service reported. Beichuan county was among the worst-hit areas when the earthquake struck its neighboring county, Wenchuan, in May 2008, killing more than 69,000 people. The warning system works via the television network to serve the 160,000 residents of Beichuan. It is a joint effort of the county's earthquake disaster relief bureau and a high-tech institute based in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province.

China Daily-Xinhua