4 officials sacked

    Four Shanghai officials have been sacked* over a New Year’s Eve crush on the waterfront* Bund* that killed 36 people, the city government announced on January 21.

    New Year revelers*, many of them young women, were trampled* after flocking to the Bund.

    Four district officials in Huangpu, where the accident took place, have been relieved of their Party and government posts, Shanghai officials told a news conference.

    ‘Jihadi migration’

    Violence in the name of jihad* has emerged as a major threat along China’s southwestern border, prompting a crackdown* on illegal immigration since last May.

    Just two days ago, Chinese police shot dead two illegal immigrants who attacked them with knives in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, which borders Vietnam.

    Police found five illegal immigrants a week ago in Pingxiang City, but they resisted capture. Two were shot dead and two others were apprehended at the scene. The other fled but was captured on January 19.

    ‘Unhealthy images’ re-edited

    A senior official from China’s television regulator on January 21 said “unhealthy images” are the reason that a TV drama about the country’s only known empress, Wu Zetian, was edited.

    “We received many complaints from viewers after the TV series began airing, saying there were some unhealthy images for minors*, among other problems,” said the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

    The broadcaster and producer were ordered to re-edit the drama before bringing it back to TV.

    Three die in Vietnam

    Three Chinese workers died and one other was injured while working at a hydropower project in northern Vietnam earlier on January 20.

    Tran Quy Duc, vice chairman of Ha Giang Provincial People’s Committee, said that water was discharged* into a conduit* while four workers were working inside. Tragically the torrent swept them away.(SD-Agencies)