Briefly

BEIJING
Medals for members of 50 years' standing
Events were launched across China on Wednesday to award commemorative medals to Communist Party of China members with five decades or more of party membership. Eligible recipients are CPC members who will have been party members for 50 years or longer by July 1, the centenary of the founding of the Party, and have consistently performed well in their roles. The awarding of such honors, a first for China, is part of celebrations of the CPC's centennial. More than 7.1 million CPC members across the country are expected to receive the medals by July 1, officials said.
HEILONGJIANG
1 killed, 16 injured as tornado, hail strike
One person was killed and 16 others injured as a tornado and hail lashed Northeast China's Heilongjiang province on Tuesday, local authorities said on Wednesday. The extreme weather buffeted the city of Shangzhi for about 30 minutes from 5:30 pm, with four townships being affected, city authorities said. As of 6 am Wednesday, it was reported that the tornado had damaged or toppled 148 houses and ravaged farmland. More than 240 villagers have been evacuated and a preliminary estimate put economic losses at 5.12 million yuan ($795,400). One seriously injured person is receiving treatment, while the others suffered only minor injuries, local authorities said.
Xinhua