Drilling deep for answers: Crew members aboard the US research vessel Resolution prepare to drill to a depth of 3,000 to 4,000 meters for seabed samples in the northern part of the South China Sea on Feb 14. The drilling was part of the International Ocean Discovery Program. Scientists from China, the United States, France and other countries joined the expedition. Zhang Jiansong / Xinhua

Top officials to head pollution inspections

Starting on Feb 15, Minister of Environmental Protection Chen Jining and four deputy ministers will be participating in a month-long environmental inspection program "to urge policymakers in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and neighboring provinces to fulfill their duty of tackling air pollution, and to ensure the quality of inspections", according to a statement issued by the ministry.

Private financing hits record high in January

Total private financing, the central bank's indicator measuring credit and liquidity in the economy, registered a record high 3.74 trillion yuan ($544.8 billion; 514.8 billion euros; 436.9 billion) in January, up from 1.63 trillion yuan the previous month, data from the People's Bank of China showed on Feb 14. Chinese banks issued 2.03 trillion yuan in new yuan loans in January, compared with 2.5 trillion yuan in the same period last year. It reflected Beijing's intention to maintain prudent monetary policy, with little likelihood of further easing, to better fend off financial risks, analysts say.

Restrictions spur defaulters into action

Nearly a million individuals and companies blacklisted for ignoring civil court rulings, including paying fines, have resolved their cases in the face of travel and business restrictions, the top court said on Feb 14. The Supreme People's Court has been naming and shaming those who repeatedly fail to adhere to a verdict since mid-2013. It also has blocked purchases of flight or high-speed rail tickets and applications for loans. The measures have played a big role in getting defaulters to carry out court rulings, according to Meng Xiang, director of enforcement for the Supreme People's Court.

Soldiers punished for breaking alcohol ban

The People's Liberation Army Air Force has punished more than 100 of its members for violating an alcohol ban or failing to prevent subordinates from drinking. Since 2014, 15 Air Force members who drank at their workplaces or during work hours, and 87 others who failed to make sure their subordinates followed the ban, have been punished, according to a report by People's Daily. The report said the punishments included demotion, disqualification from promotion and administrative warnings. It noted that many restaurants near military installations in Beijing observed that customers from the PLA had no longer been ordering alcohol.

'Ecological red line' plans announced

Shanghai plans to put more than 40 percent of its landmass and 1,000 square kilometers of surrounding waters into an ecological protection zone, according to a government draft on Feb 14. The entire area - amounting to 4,364 sq km, including a 1,189 sq km core area where no construction is allowed -will be placed inside an "ecological red line".

WHO calls for 'culture of patient safety'

The World Health Organization has urged China to cultivate a culture of patient safety in healthcare delivery after the country reported medical malpractice that led to five HIV infections. At least five people were infected with HIV after a technician at Zhejiang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital reused pipettes on separate patients, the provincial health commission said on Feb 9. Media reported the results of an investigation into the improper handling of medical equipment in Qingdao, Shandong province, which led to patients being infected with hepatitis B.

Public able to tip offpolice via new app

The Beijing police launched a whistleblower app for members of the public to provide tips about crimes and help maintain public security. The app went viral on Feb 13. It is named after the mysterious whistleblowers who have been repeatedly described by the police authorities in the capital as Chaoyang Qunzhong, which means "the public in Chaoyang district". Chaoyang Qunzhong has jokingly been referred to by netizens as the fifth-largest intelligence agency in the world, in addition to well-known agencies such as the FBI in the United States and the British intelligence service MI6.

Remote village to be tourism destination

A tourism development company in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, has signed an agreement with the Zhaojue county government to turn a formerly inaccessible village into a tourist destination. The company plans to invest 300 million yuan ($44 million; 41.6 million euros; 35.3 million) to tap rich tourism resources such as a canyon, karst caves, hot springs and virgin forests in Atuleer and its two neighboring villages, according to Jin Wenming, an official from the Zhaojue county government in Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture. The three villages are inhabited by ethnic Yi people and will be of great appeal to tourists, Jin says.

Fireworks sales drop for festival

Beijing saw a 30.5 percent drop in fireworks sales during Spring Festival compared with last year, mainly due to concerns over pollution, municipal authorities said on Feb 12. It is the sixth consecutive annual decline since 2012, according to the city's fireworks office. Fires and injuries related to fireworks also dropped in the capital. Beijing resumed its fireworks ban within the fifth ring road on Feb 12. Nationwide, 444 cities have banned fireworks.

3.4 million poor to be relocated

China plans to relocate 3.4 million people from poor communities to more developed areas this year as part of its drive to reduce poverty, according to government sources. The National Development and Reform Commission, the country's economic planner, says 2.49 million people living in poverty were relocated last year, meeting the target for the year. China has vowed to lift all of its poor out of poverty by 2020. Relocation is one aspect of the strategy. By the end of last year there were 45 million people living in poverty, many of them in areas without roads, clean drinking water or electrical power.

Silk Road Ensemble grabs a Grammy

Sing Me Home, the sixth album by the multinational group Silk Road Ensemble, was given the Best World Music Album award on Feb 12 at the 59th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. A documentary by Oscar- and Emmy-winning director Morgan Neville that tells the story of the ensemble, The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, received a Grammy nomination for best music film. They were just the latest of the plaudits given to the ensemble, which was set up by French-born Chinese-American cellist Yo-Yo Ma to advance multicultural understanding by bringing together musicians from different nations.

Dubai to use Chinese passenger drone

Guangzhou-based drone manufacturer Ehang Inc has announced a partnership with Dubai's government to use its Ehang 184 passenger-carrying drone in Dubai's smart transportation system. Dubai's Roads and Transportation Authority says the drone will begin "regular operations" around the futuristic city in July. Dubai officials say they have conducted their first test flight. The company says it expects eventual large-scale commercial applications of the drone.

H7N9 bird flu season now 'past its peak'

China's worst H7N9 bird flu season appears to have passed its peak but is still expected to last into late April, according to the latest information from epidemiologists. Ni Daxin, deputy director of emergency response for the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Feb 15 that the H7N9 epidemic appears to have been contained because fewer new cases are being reported daily. He called for strengthening measures to control the virus, in particular shutting down additional live poultry markets.

Hebei's former chief gets 15 years for graft

Zhou Benshun, the former Party chief of Hebei province, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Feb 15 for accepting bribes. Personal assets worth 2 million yuan ($291,000; 274,064 euros; 233,385) and his illicit gains will be confiscated and turned over to the state, according to Xiamen Intermediate People's Court in Fujian province, which heard his case. The court heard that Zhou had made 40 million yuan from bribes. The corrupt conduct made him so wealthy that he had a maid whose sole duty was to care for his pets, according to a documentary aired on China Central Television.

World's largest seaplane undergoing final tests