Briefly

BEIJING

9,537 officials punished for frugality violations

China punished 9,537 officials last month for violating the country's eight-point code on improving Party and government conduct, China's top anti-graft bodies said on Sunday. The officials were involved in 6,504 cases, according to a monthly statement by the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission that was posted on their official website. Among the punished officials, 5,855 received disciplinary or administrative penalties for engaging in bureaucratism, formalities for formalities' sake and hedonism or extravagant practices.

Country sees more fires in first quarter

China witnessed about 176,000 fires in the first three months of the year that led to about 433 deaths, both higher than in the same period last year, the Ministry of Emergency Management said. About 42.2 percent of the fires occurred in rural areas, 30.8 percent in counties and townships and 21.3 percent in urban areas. The fires resulted in direct economic losses of 1.39 billion yuan ($213.5 million).

CHONGQING

Customs seize two fossilized shark teeth

Customs officers in Chongqing have seized two fossilized teeth of a megalodon, a prehistoric species of shark. The fossils, weighing 104.8 grams and 57.6 grams each, were found in a parcel passing through customs checks at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport. The megalodon, meaning "big tooth," was a giant shark that lived roughly 28 million to 150,000 years ago. With a presumed maximum length of 18 meters and a weight of 50 to 70 metric tons, it was one of the largest predators of all time.

Xinhua