The death toll from a road accident in northwest China's Gansu province has risen to 23 after two more people died in hospital.

A vehicle, carrying railway construction workers, overturned in a mountain tunnel this morning in the Manwa township in Lintao county of Dingxi city.

The tunnel was still under construction as part of a railway. 

Twenty one workers were killed instantly.

An initial investigation shows that a brake failure was to blame for the accident.

 

China's top legislature adopts law amendment for better placement of demobilized soldiers 

China's top legislature has adopted an amendment to the Military Service Law, promising better placement for demobilized soldiers.

The amendment provides that demobilized soldiers who register for a civil servant examination or apply for a position in government institutions will be given preference. 

It says military service will be regarded as community-level work experience, which is a requirement for civil service hopefuls eyeing central and provincial level posts. 

The amendment also requires local governments to organize free vocational education and technical training for demobilized soldiers and issue certificates to trainees.

 

China revises law to better protect personal information in ID cards 

China's top legislature has adopted an amendment to the Resident Identity Card Law in a bid to better protect residents' personal information in identity cards.

The NPC approved lawmakers' suggestion of having Chinese citizens' fingerprints recorded when they apply for or change ID cards. 

Lawmakers held that including fingerprints in ID cards would help identify people in a faster and more precise manner and would effectively curb the counterfeiting and altering of the cards. 

The amendment also increased punishment to those found guilty of leaking citizens' personal information.

 

Senior Chinese leader calls for enhanced public opinion supervision 

Senior Chinese leader Li Changchun has called for more efforts in strengthening supervision of, and environment for public opinion.

He made the remarks at the first meeting of the eighth council of the All-China Journalists Association (ACJA), which was attended by over 490 representatives. 

Li Changchun said the press should hold a high sense of responsibility in their work, which should aim to build a favorable media atmosphere for economic and cultural reforms.

 

China call for further tapping women's potential in maintaining world peace, security 

A Chinese diplomat says women could make unique contributions to maintaining world peace and stability, therefore their potential needs to be further tapped.

Li Baodong, Chinese permanent representative to the UN said this when addressing an open debate of the Security Council on women and peace and security in New York.

He noted that women are vulnerable in armed conflicts and need special attention. 

Li Baodong said to avoid and reduce harm suffered by women in armed conflicts, the primary task is to prevent war and reduce conflicts.

 

China to donate 1 mln U.S. dollars to quake-hit Turkey: FM spokeswoman 

China says it will donate one million U.S. dollars to quake-hit Turkey.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu says China has paid great attention to the situation since a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey a week ago. 

The Red Cross Society of China has also donated 50,000 U.S. dollars, and China will continue to offer emergency relief aid to Turkey.

According to the Turkish government, 570 people were dead and more than two thousand injured after the powerful earthquake struck the province of Van in eastern Turkey on Sunday.

 

Afghan soldier kills 3 NATO troopers and interpreter

An Afghan soldier has opened fired and killed four people including three NATO soldiers and their local interpreter in Uruzgan province 370 km south of capital city Kabul.

A local military official says five more people including an Afghan soldier sustained injuries in the firing.

The official says an investigation has been initiated into the case.

 

China's icebreaker gears up for new Antarctic expedition 

The Chinese research vessel and icebreaker Xuelong, or "Snow Dragon," left Shanghai for Tianjin today, where it will soon set sail for a six-month Antarctic expedition

Xuelong, an A2-class icebreaker capable of breaking ice 1.2 meters thick, will leave the northern port of Tianjin on November 3 for the vessel's 28th voyage since 1984. 

Its crew of 220 will work on 31 scientific research assignments.

 

China introduces first national plan on groundwater pollution control 

China has introduced the country's first national plan on groundwater pollution control, urging a combination of legal, economic, technological and administrative measures for groundwater protection.

The ministries of environmental protection, land and resources, and water resources have announced at a press conference that the State Council, or China's Cabinet, has already approved the national plan on groundwater pollution control for 2011-2020. 

China will invest a total of over 34 billion yuan (over 5 billion U.S. dollars) on the prevention and treatment of pollution in the country's groundwater in 2011-2020, according to the plan.