Metro train THE first made-in-China metro train in the European Union (EU) was put into commercial operation in Porto, Portugal, on Wednesday. Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa took a ride during the first day of its operation and inaugurated the service, emphasizing the government’s substantial investment of nearly 50 million euros (US$54 million) from the EU recovery fund, promising extensive benefits for residents and tourists alike. Portugal’s Minister of Environment and Climate Action Duarte Cordeiro highlighted that the newly launched metro train fulfills the public’s expectations for comfortable and secure travel, significantly elevating the efficiency of Porto’s metro network. Urban development CHINA will conduct a check-up campaign in prefecture-level cities and above to evaluate and improve the living environment of urban dwellers, according to a new ministry guideline released Wednesday. The campaign is expected to help optimize urban structure, improve urban functions and lift the quality of urban life, so as to build livable, resilient and smart cities, said the guideline from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. Rumormongering cases CHINA’S internet watchdog has punished 1,660 online accounts for recent rumormongering violations, according to the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission on Wednesday. The office pledged enhanced efforts to monitor relevant violations and serious punishment for the violators. It also warned internet users to be more alert to online disinformation. | 