Xinjiang Metropolis Daily
December 12, 2007

The front page photo of today's Xinjiang Metropolis Daily shows people carving ice blocks out of the West Mountain Reservoir near Urumqi, Xinjiang Autonomous Region. In one month, more than 3,000 cubic meters of ice have been carried to Urumqi, where it is sold for 90 yuan per cubic meter.

The two small photos at the bottom of the page show the inconveniences caused in Urumqi by a large snowfall five days ago. On the left is a picture of accidents caused by the slippery roadway; on the right is a scene in a hospital. According to several hospitals in Urumqi, more than 700 people hurt themselves by falling down on the ice.

The lead headline announces that a new State Council regulation will allow companies to deduct payroll expenses from their pre-tax profits.

Other headlines:

• China's commercial banks should define a "second home" according to the property owned by the families of mortgage applicants, rather than the applicant alone, say new instructions from the bank regulator;
• A baby boom is expected to start next year. Many of the 100 million children born under the one-child policy are now starting their own families, and regulations permit couples who are both only children to have two kids of their own.