Briefly

Optical telescope to be installed on Pamirs

China will install a new optical telescope on the Pamirs, which will be the third largest in the country, according to Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The telescope will be placed at the Muztagh observatory in southern Xinjiang's Aketao county. The observatory is at an altitude of 4,520 meters. Wang Na, director of Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, noted that the excellent optical observation conditions at Muztagh are quite rare in the country and can be compared with world-class optical observatories. The 1.9-meter optical telescope is currently the third-largest universal optical telescope in China and is planned to be put into operation in June 2024.

Former telecom boss indicted for bribery

Li Guohua, former general manager of telecom giant China Unicom, has been indicted for taking bribes and abusing his power. Qingdao People's Procuratorate in Shandong province initiated a public prosecution against Li at the Intermediate People's Court of Qingdao after the National Commission of Supervision concluded its probe into Li's case. He was accused of taking advantage of his former positions, including as head of the provincial post bureau of Jiangxi and deputy head of China's State Post Bureau, to help others on issues such as project contracting, enterprise organization and personnel promotion, and taking an especially huge amount of money and valuables in return. Prosecutors had informed the defendant of his litigation rights, interrogated him and listened to lawyers' opinions.

160 organized crime groups busted in 2022

Chinese police dismantled more than 160 organized crime groups and 1,520 criminal gangs in 2022, amid ongoing efforts to combat organized crime, the Ministry of Public Security said on Monday. More than 20,000 criminal cases were concluded last year, the ministry said, noting that these efforts consolidated the achievements of a three-year nationwide campaign against organized crime, which was launched in January 2018.The police took down 28 organized crime groups and 229 gangs active in rural areas, the ministry said.

China Daily - Xinhua