Work safety campaign for migrant workers
中国加大民工安全保护措施

The national trade union federation has launched a nationwide campaign of inspections to improve work safety and minimize death and injuries among migrant workers. The campaign, to be completed in September, aims to improve safety awareness among employees and employers in mining, construction, and processing and manufacturing, three sectors which provide millions of low paid jobs for the country's farmers-turned-workers. The campaign is a joint effort by All-China Federation of Trade Unions and State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS), the government's safety watchdog. Most accidents happen in these three sectors, and the majority of the victims are migrant workers who suffer from three related problems: low pay, poor work safety conditions and insufficient social security. 

 

 

NORTH

Beijing controls animal disease
北京成立动物疾病控制中心
The China Animal Disease Control Center (CADC) was opened in Beijing on June 16. It will spearhead efforts to improve scientific research into animal disease control. The center is capable of diagnosing 64 kinds of animal disease, including foot-and-mouth. About 645,000 epidemic observers across China have registered with the CADC to provide the center with real time reports from all corners of the country.

Cheaper hotel rooms for Olympics
北京承诺奥运"廉价"宾馆
Olympic guests checking into Beijing hotels for the 2008 Games will pay much less than at Athens in 2004. Organisers on June 16 promised that the city's large number of hotels meant room prices would be kept at a reasonable level. In Athens hotel prices rocketed during the 2004 Games, putting off many sports fans. Beijing expects 500,000 to 550,000 overseas tourists and spectators during the 2008 Games.

"Russian Business Day" in Harbin
俄罗斯商务日在哈市开幕
Russian Business Day kicked off on June 15 in Harbin, attracting more than 5,500 government officials and company representatives from Russia. A total of USD 2.48 billion (RMB 19.8bn) worth of business contracts were signed on the first day of the five-day event, covering the electro mechanical industry, forestry, real estate, minerals exploration and energy resources. Chinese and Russian officials and businessmen also held forums to explore opportunities for cooperation in many other areas.

 

 

WEST

Garbage express on Qinghai-Tibet railway
青藏铁路将设垃圾专列
A special train will collect garbage along the Qinghai-Tibet railway everyweek to protect the plateau environment. Waste disposal facilities have been built at 15 sites along the railway to treat waste water using bio-chemical, electrochemical and oxidation methods. The carriages of the special service will be equipped with garbage collecting systems which can compact refuse, and all the garbage collected in train cars will be carried to Golmud or Lhasa for disposal.

Tourism queens brave Chongqing hotpot
国际旅游佳丽勇尝重庆火锅
85 participants in the Miss Tourism Queen International 2006 Competition arrived at Chongqing on June 18 to compete in the finals. These beautiful young ladies come from a total of 85 countries. While preparing themselves for the coming competition, they certainly knew better than to miss the chance to try the famous Chongqing hotpot.

 

 

MIDDLE

Three Gorges ready for floods
三峡预备抗洪
The mammoth Three Gorges Reservoir is now ready to cope with any level of high floodwaters. The reservoir behind the dam will hit 150m deep in the coming rainy season. It will then prevent flooding which previously affected 15 million people in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze. Completed on May 20, the 185-meter-high main dam, comprising 23 sluices and 14 bottom floodgates, is able to handle a peak flow of up to 88,400 cubic meters per second.

 

 

SOUTH

HK ups bird flu alert
香港严防禽流感
The Hong Kong government on June 14 said it will step up precautionary measures to guard against avian influenza. This follows the emergence of a suspected human case of H5N1 in Shenzhen. If the human case is officially confirmed, Hongkong will suspend the supply of live poultry and pet birds from Guangdong Province for 21 days.



Embarrassing English signs to go
深圳"改良"英语路标
Shenzhen is determined to do something to fix an embarrassing problem: awkward English road signs. Poor or puzzling translations aside, there are some instances of street signs having two different English versions on the same road. Shennan Road, the city's most important artery, has different English names on its signs, including "Shennan BLVD." and "Shennan Dadao."

 

 

EAST

Shanghai on "summit holiday"
上海市民享受"峰会假期"
More than half a million residents took a trip during the five-day holiday that came with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit last week. However, the break was somewhat marred by busy trains and crowded tourist spots. According to local railway authorities, about 570,000 Shanghai people traveled by train during the holiday, which started on June 15.

Hangzhou gasping for water
杭州严重缺水
Water shortages in Hangzhou are being predicted during the coming weeks. Water chiefs in Hangzhou said supplies could also be threatened by an expected salt tide later in the summer. The city's water supplies will be at full stretch because of the expected hot weather over the next few days, with peak daily water consumption set to reach 1.4 million tons.

Zhejiang Link opens
"连线浙江"再度开幕
More than 50 foreign China experts and foreign media gathered in Hangzhou on June 16 for Zhejiang Link 2006. This year is the seventh time the exhibition has been held to introduce this thriving province to the world. During the seven-day event, foreign and Chinese media and scholars will gain a better overall understanding of the urban and rural areas of Zhejiang.

Vocabulary
spearhead 加强
precautionary 预防的
carriage 车厢
watchdog 监管机构