Ship death toll hits 434

    More than 500 officials and rescuers bowed in mourning* towards the battered* cruise ship that capsized* during a storm on the Yangtze River last week. The death toll from the disaster reached 434, with eight still missing as of yesterday.

    Only 14 survivors, one of them the captain, have been found since the 2,200-ton ship carrying 456 people overturned in a freak tornado* in Jianli in Hubei Province. Most of the passengers were elderly tourists.

    The four-story ship was righted and raised on June 5, allowing rescuers onto it to clear away debris, break down cabin doors and look for the missing.

    Private car services illegal

    Beijing transport authorities have reiterated* the illegality of unlicensed taxis after grilling* executives of the Uber-like taxi-hailing app Didi Dache at a meeting on June 2.

    Didi Dache’s services “Didi Express” and “Didi Zhuanche,” which allow private car owners to charge fares* for driving passengers around, violate existing laws and regulations. Only cars officially designated* as taxis may pick up paying passengers.

    Cooperation in cyberspace

    China is ready to cooperate with other countries to achieve a safe, cooperative, open and peaceful cyberspace*, a Chinese official said on Saturday.

    Meanwhile, China respects sovereignty and opposes hegemony* in cyberspace.

    9.42 million sit gaokao

    About 9.42 million Chinese high school graduates, slightly less than the population of Sweden, sit for the National College Entrance Examination, or gaokao, which kicked off June 7.

    The number marks a tiny increase from 2014, which stood at 9.39 million. The Chinese Government has motivated staff nationwide to facilitate the exam. Police were sent to roads and exam sites for student security and drivers have been told not to honk* while passing schools and should give way to cars transporting examinees or test papers.

    (SD-Agencies)