Performers prepare to go on stage in a village in Haixing county, Hebei province, on Feb 8. The event featuring Xilu Bangzi, a local opera style in Hebei, was held to mark the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb 11. The opera was included on the list of national intangible cultural heritage in 2011. Mou Yu / Xinhua

Progress on transplants puts nation in spotlight

Huang Jiefu, a former vice-minister of health and now director of the National Human Organ Donation and Transplant Committee, was invited by the Vatican's Pontifical Academy of Science to speak about the "China model" of organ donation and transplant management at the two-day Summit on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism that opened on Feb 7. This is the first time that China has been invited to a summit on organ transplanting held by an authoritative international organization, according to Huang.

More second-child assistance sought

Cui Li, vice-minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said on Feb 7 that several departments need to introduce measures to help resolve issues that have arisen with the introduction of the second-child policy in January 2016. Families will need help from other government departments to handle some problems, including increased expenses, maternity leave and a shortage of kindergartens. Cui said 18.7 million babies were born in China last year, up by 11 percent from 2015, with 45 percent born to women who already had a child.

Beijing and Canberra to diversify trade

China and Australia agreed on Feb 7 to upgrade economic cooperation and diversify trade amid the turmoil and fears raised by growing protectionist sentiment, especially in the United States and European Union. In a meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Feb 7 in Australia's capital of Canberra, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull assured Wang that, as a country that has benefited from free trade, Australia will work with China to resolutely oppose protectionism.

Live poultry trade halted over disease

The sale of live poultry has been suspended at several markets in Hunan over bird flu concerns. The province has reported 20 cases of human H7N9 infections, including five fatalities, since the beginning of this year, the provincial center for disease control and prevention said on Feb 7. The center expects more cases to emerge in the following months and, thus, decided to close several markets, including those in Changsha and Yueyang.

Underprivileged to get more funding

China plans to set up county-level coordination for ensuring basic living standards for people in difficulty, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Feb 7. A circular issued by the State Council has called for authorities at the county level - including civil affairs, reform, finance, social security, housing and health agencies - to work together to address the needs of people living with difficulty. Such groups include those in poverty, the disabled, left-behind children, orphans and the homeless.

Rare ibis spotted in wetlands

A group of rare ibis once thought extinct in China have been spotted in the Dianchi Lake wetlands in Kunming, Yunnan province. Ten glossy ibis were first captured by a photographer in late January. The flock has remained there for more than two weeks. The glossy ibis, a close relative of the endangered crested ibis, is under second-class State protection in China. Zoologists used to believe the birds had become extinct in China in the 20th century before a glossy ibis was found in Yunnan in 2012.

Judges to receive better protection

China's top court issued a guideline on Feb 7 aimed at severely punishing those who disturb judicial work or take revenge on legal officers after a judge was killed by one of his litigants at the end of last month. The guideline stipulates that those found guilty of interfering in judicial affairs, including threatening, insulting or harming judges, will face severe punishment, to ensure justice is served and to protect the safety of judges.

Beijing, Tianjin plan monthly train pass

Beijing and Tianjin are planning to issue a monthly pass for high-speed intercity trains linking the cities, as well as canceling expressway toll fees between the two cities, the mayor of Tianjin said on Feb 6. The move will facilitate the integrated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province, following an outline given in 2015 to improve transportation links in the area, while also moving some of Beijing's low-end industries to neighboring areas.

Ecological zones prioritized

China has issued a guideline calling for an "ecological red line" around areas where development is prohibited, with the nationwide initiative expected to be completed by 2020, the central government said in a statement on Feb 7. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and provinces along the Yangtze River will take the lead in drawing the red line to protect the environment by the end of this year.

China to invest 1b yuan in national park

Construction of the Sanjiangyuan National Park to protect the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang (Mekong) rivers will start this year with the construction of roads and installation of surveillance cameras to assist in protection work. The park's administrative bureau said on Feb 6 that it would have a budget of 1 billion yuan ($145 million; 135.5 million; 115.8 million) this year for infrastructure construction.

Pangolin dinner prompts calls for protection

Conservation groups have called for governments to increase protection of the Chinese pangolin after a social media post triggered public concern over this critically endangered wild mammal. The Chinese pangolin, one of the eight species of pangolins, has been heavily hunted and trafficked for its meat and scales, which are believed to have medicinal qualities.

Confucius Museum to be opened in Shandong

The Confucius Museum in Qufu, Shandong province - the birthplace of China's most famous sage - will be opened in the second half of this year, a local official said on Feb 8, describing it as the country's first comprehensive museum focusing on Confucius (551-479 BC) and his ideology. The museum complex, with a total investment of 700 million yuan ($102 million), consists of an exhibition center and six subordinate halls, covering a total of 57,000 square meters. The museum is a cultural project showcasing Confucian teachings and relics collected by generations of Confucian scholars, as well as a place to learn about traditional culture, said Yang Jinquan, deputy head of the Qufu bureau of cultural relics.

Birth by surrogacy to remain prohibited

Surrogacy will continue to be banned in China, and violations will be punished, China's top health authority announced on Feb 8. The announcement follows recent discussions on whether to allow surrogacy in China to facilitate the second-child policy. Surrogacy has been a topic of public discussion since China adopted the second-child policy at the start of 2016.

Teen applauded with her victory in poetry contest