Hi-tech toilet

A 3-D printed public toilet block, covering an area of 200 square meters, is drawing attention in Suzhou, East China’s Jiangsu Province.

Located in Sun Mountain National Forest Park, the green-and-wood-colored toilet block has been named “little box in forest.” It was made from construction garbage using 3-D printing technology. The eco-friendly toilet block was built without any steel, but is even stronger than those built from concrete, according to park staff.

Belt and Road initiative

China and six other countries along the Belt and Road launched an initiative to strengthen cooperation between their digital economies during the Fourth World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, East China’s Zhejiang Province, on Sunday.

The initiative includes deeper collaboration* to improve broadband access and quality, digital transformation and e-commerce cooperation as well as to enable more support for Internet startups and innovation.

Chastity class

Authorities in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province have ordered the closure of a “chastity* class” in which instructors imparted specific moral discipline to female students.

On Sunday morning, educational authorities in Fushun said that the class “has some problems with social morals*,” confirming it was opened without authorization, and should be stopped immediately. Students should be released as soon as possible, according to the educational bureau. The class recently caused controversy after video footage surfaced on the Internet. In the video, an instructor tells the students that “women should talk less, do more housework and close their mouths.” The instructor continued that “women should not strive to move upwards in society, but should always remain at the bottom level.”

Air pollution

Air pollution has been notably reduced in Beijing, especially during the winter months, and the city is likely to meet its smog control target of the year, a minister said on Saturday.

Minister of Environmental Protection Li Ganjie said Beijing’s levels of PM2.5 dropped about 27 percent year on year in the March-November period this year. (SD-Agencies)