IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Beijing

116 delivery firms lose permits

Chinese postal authorities said the permits of 116 express delivery companies were canceled in 2012 and urged greater supervision amid a series of reports on problems with the booming sector. "Some media have reported losses of mail, barbaric sorting and disparate clauses among some express delivery companies," according to a statement on the State Post Bureau's website. More investigations should be carried out in response to media reports and consumers' complaints, the statement said.