Calls for precaution ahead of cold spell

China's national observatory on Monday forecast sharp temperature drops, strong winds and snow in parts of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Northeast China provinces over the next 10 days, calling for precautionary measures to mitigate potential adverse effects on local agriculture and livestock. The National Meteorological Center said during the period, temperatures in identified areas are expected to be 2 to 5 C lower than the average level in previous years, driven by frequent waves of cold air. The center also forecast sandy weather in Inner Mongolia and Gansu province over the course of the coming week, necessitating preventative measures against wind, cold and sandstorms.

2 firms fined 23m yuan for deadly Jiangxi fire

Two companies have been fined a combined 23 million yuan ($3.3 million) for their role in a 2024 fire that killed 39 people in Xinyu, Jiangxi province, according to penalty decisions released by the provincial emergency management authority. Xinyu Ningshuang Refrigeration Equipment was fined 12 million yuan, and Xinyu Boyi Education Consulting was fined 11 million yuan, the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Emergency Management said on Monday. The penalties relate to a fire that occurred at 3:22 pm on Jan 24,2024, at a street-front commercial and residential complex in Jialeyuan community, Yushui district. The blaze left nine people injured and resulted in direct economic losses totaling 43.53 million yuan.

Man sentenced for killing ex-girlfriend

A court in Anqing, Anhui province, has sentenced a man to death for the murder of his former girlfriend, a 22-year-old university student, according to media reports. The Anqing Intermediate People's Court delivered the first-instance verdict on Tuesday, finding the defendant, surnamed Lin, guilty of intentional homicide. Court documents show that the victim, surnamed Li, met Lin online in 2018. The two entered into a romantic relationship in late 2022 but broke up at the end of August 2024 following disputes. Prosecutors said Lin believed Li had been unfaithful and decided to kill her and anyone he suspected of having an intimate relationship with her. On Nov 1, 2024, he strangled Li to death in a rented apartment in Anqing. After the killing, Lin hid the body under a bed and turned the air conditioner to cooling mode at 16 C, according to media reports. Lin fled the scene at around 11 pm and was arrested in Qianshan, Anhui province, on Nov 3, 2024.

China Daily - Xinhua