Society

 Chinese central authorities have stressed the promotion of honesty and uprightness among the public, especially government officials, in enhancing clean governance and anti-corruption drive.

It is imperative to foster and carry forward the merit of honesty and uprightness, and officials should have the awareness of using power justly and pursue clean-fingered work style, according to suggestions on clean governance put forward by six central government departments.

The six departments also urged to strengthen education on the public about the value of honesty and cleanness combining social morality, professional ethics, family virtues and personal moral character.

Huang Songyou, former vice president of China's Supreme People's Court (SPC), will stand trial in the near future on charges of accepting an approximate 4-million-yuan ($586,000) bribe, the newspaper China Business reports.

Huang will be the highest-ranking judicial official to be tried for graft since 1949 when the country was founded. Procurators have accused Huang of abusing his power to seek profit for concerned people for a "huge amount" of bribes in return and leading a "corrupt and lavish" life.

People visit an ice sculpture for the upcoming 26th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 3, 2010. The festival will kick off on January 5, 2010, local media reported.

Tourists walk on icy stairs at an ice sculpture for the upcoming 26th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 3, 2010.

A vendor selling tanghulu, a type of candied fruit, waits for customers in his stall in front of a snow sculpture for the upcoming 26th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 3, 2010.

Updated on 2010.01.06

Visitors look at ice sculptures during the 26th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 5, 2010.

A couple embraces in front of an ice sculpture as fireworks light up the sky during the 26th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 5, 2010.

Visitors look at an ice sculpture, as fireworks are lit in the background, during the 26th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 5, 2010.

Visitors look at ice sculptures during the 26th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 5, 2010.

A college girl was allegedly killed by her fellow classmate in a Beijing hotel in the morning of January 2, the Beijing Times reported today.

They were both in their sophomore year at Beijing University of Science and Technology, according to the report. The suspect turned herself in to the police, the report said.

They were also reported to be close friends.

The hotel, where the murder took place, is one of the 7 Days Inn chain hotels and is not far from the campus.

Police declined to release more details, saying the case is still under investigation.

Updates:

University starts offering mental help to students after alleged killing in hotel

A second-year university student surrendered to Haidian police on Saturday morning with claims she had murdered a female classmate in a hotel.