Briefly

Restaurant fire kills 4, injures 4 in Hohhot

Four people were killed and four others injured in a fire at a restaurant in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, on Monday, according to local authorities. A preliminary investigation indicated the fire was caused by the combustion of decorations and furniture. A local fire rescue team rushed to the scene and extinguished the blaze. The four injured people are receiving treatment. Further investigation is underway.

Vice-chairman of Xizang under probe

Wang Yong, vice-chairman of the Xizang autonomous region government, is under disciplinary and supervisory investigation, according to an official statement on Monday. Wang is being investigated by the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision for suspected serious violations of Party discipline and laws.

Police solve over 1,070 cultural relics crimes

Chinese police solved over 1,070 cases involving illegal excavation, theft and sales of cultural relics in the first 11 months of 2023, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Public Security on Monday. Police have worked with cultural heritage authorities in cracking down on such crimes, leading to the arrest of over 2,400 suspects during this period and the retrieval of more than 13,000 cultural relics, the statement said. Chinese police have focused their efforts on combating crimes including illegal excavation of ancient cultural sites and tombs, thefts from cave temples, stone carvings and underwater cultural relics, as well as vandalism of revolutionary relics, the ministry said, adding that it has supervised the investigation of seven major cases related to cultural relics crimes. The authorities have also intensified efforts to hunt down fugitives involved in such activities.

Xinhua