Party chief, 47 others punished for explosion

The Party chief and mayor of Panjin, Liaoning province, are among 48 government officials who have received Party disciplinary and administrative punishments after a chemical company explosion that killed 13 people and injured 35 others on Jan 15 last year, according to an investigation report released on Monday. The punishments vary from educational talks to demotions and firings. The incident that happened at Panjin Haoye Chemical caused a direct economic loss of 87.99 million yuan ($12.34 million).An investigation by experts and the police has determined that the incident was caused by a major safety accident in production and not by deliberate sabotage or natural disaster. Local authorities have given a combined fine of 59.57 million yuan ($8.35 million) to three involved enterprises and 11 people. The fines have been paid in full. In addition, 14 people were found criminally liable.

Pyramid schemes lead to indictments of 4,627

Chinese authorities indicted 4,627 people from January to September for running pyramid schemes online, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate. After stricter regulations started targeting pyramid schemes, more fraudsters migrated their operations online, where they exploit the anonymity the internet provides to target potential victims. Prosecutors are urging the public to remain cautious about the risks involved in accepting "get-rich-quick" online opportunities that offer high-return investment promises. Authorities warn that these schemes are difficult to detect and can lead to significant financial losses for unsuspecting investors.

3 kids among 5 people injured in knife attack

A man suspected of stabbing five pedestrians, including three children, with a knife in Beijing's Haidian district on Monday afternoon has been taken into custody by police for further investigation. The 50-year-old suspect, surnamed Tang, allegedly stabbed the five at 3:20 pm near the intersection of Wanquanzhuang Road and Wanliu Middle Road in the district. He was put under control at the scene, according to an official statement posted by the district's public security department. The victims were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, the statement said, adding that further investigation of the case is underway.

Xinhua - China Daily