Bird flu kills nine people in China

BEIJING • Nine people have died of bird flu in China this year, state media reported yesterday, after the World Health Organisation urged all countries to promptly report human infections.

Disease control centres in three provinces, including northern Henan, central Hunan and southern Guangdong, have reported at least nine deaths from the virus.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Controversial history books to be removed

SEOUL • Right-wing history books which triggered a tourism boycott from China will be removed from the hotel rooms of South Korean athletes participating in next month's Asian Winter Games, according to the event's organising committee.

The books, which are placed in every room of hotels belonging to APA Group, denied that the Nanjing Massacre ever took place. It is not clear if the books will be removed from the guest rooms of Chinese athletes.

XINHUA

3 officials lose posts after fireworks blaze

CHANGSHA • Three officials were removed from their posts after a fire in a fireworks shop killed six people in central China's Hunan province.

One of the officials, Mr Ning Lingchun, was in charge of work safety in the development and reform bureau of the economic development zone in Yueyang city, where the incident occurred.

XINHUA