School stampede kills 4

    A school stampede* caused the death of four students in Hubei Province on February 27.

    At 6:15 a.m. last Wednesday, hundreds of boarding* students were crowded at an entrance gate of a dormitory building of Qinji Primary School in Xueji Township in Laohekou City.

    Two teachers who were on duty failed to open the gate on time. When it did open, the students rushed in simultaneously*. It triggered* a stampede. After the incident, 11 students were rushed to hospital and four were killed.

    Sandstorms strike N. China

    Beijing is facing its first sandstorm* of the year and its air quality reached a “dangerous” level on Thursday morning.

    The haze* will be compounded by the dust storm in northern China, which had affected parts of Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Shanxi and Hebei.

    According to data from the center, readings for PM 2.5 had reached 500 micrograms per cubic meter in many districts of the city by 11 a.m. on Thursday.

    20% tax on home sales

    In one of its sternest* measures to stem* the rising tide of housing prices in major cities, the State Council ordered on Friday that a 20-percent individual income tax be levied* on capital gains by home sellers.

    It’s the latest regulation to follow the Cabinet’s February 20 meeting about the country’s urban residential housing markets.

    Top advisers meet

    The National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC*), the country’s top political advisory body, convened* its annual session in Beijing on Sunday.

    About 2,200 CPPCC members will discuss major issues concerning the country’s development during the session, which is scheduled to conclude March 12.

    In regards to its future work, CPPCC National Committee Chairman Jia Qinglin said the CPPCC should better play its role as an important channel for promoting consultative democracy. (SD-Agencies)