Man killed in balloon crash

    A hot air balloon fell in the popular tourist region of Cappadocia in Turkey on December 17, killing a Chinese tourist and injuring nine other passengers, the region’s governor said.

    Chinese and Malaysian nationals were on board when a sudden gust of wind* caused the balloon to fall heavily to earth as it was trying to land.

    Governor Mehmet Ceylan said a sudden change of wind direction appeared to have caused the balloon, which took off from Goreme, to make a rough landing.

    Chinese New Year’s Eve resumed as holiday

    Chinese people will be able to start their week of New Year celebrations — Spring Festival — from lunar New Year’s Eve again, a date excluded* from the holiday last year.

    Chinese New Year’s Eve has been an official holiday since 2007, but was designated* a working day in 2014.

    Lunar New Year falls on February 19, 2015, and the weeklong holiday starts officially February 18, according to the State Council General Office.

    China smooths Macao water

    The Central Government has decided to demarcate* the maritime zones* of Macao, President Xi Jinping said during a meeting with the SAR’s Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai-on on December 19.

    An academic said the decision will give Macao more choices as it strives to diversify its over-reliance on gaming, with this year set to mark the first yearly decline in gaming revenue at the world’s top gambling destination.

    Officials prevented from taking MBA courses

    More than 3,000 officials have been stopped from studying for MBAs and other expensive courses as part of the authorities’ crackdown* on corruption and wasteful government spending.

    Officials had been barred from* taking expensive courses, including those for executive MBA programs, Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday.

    Executive MBAs and similar courses can cost about 600,000 yuan (US$95,000) a year. (SD-Agencies)