Ex-army officials in China told to return houses

BEIJING: China has told retired military officers to return nonessential public housing after an investigation found “irregularities”, state media said on Saturday, as Beijing steps up efforts to stamp out official corruption and excess. Abnormalities were revealed in an inspection into “housing and infrastructure construction” that began last year as part of a wider crackdown into corruption in the Chinese military, Xinhua news agency said.

return home without being prosecuted to avoid them making secret journeys in rickety boats after several fatal accidents ahead of the Eid al-Fitr festival, officials said on Saturday. At least four boats have sunk since last month as Indonesians, drawn to the relatively affluent Southeast Asian country for work, sought to go home for Eid al-Fitr,

Islam’s biggest festival, which starts in Malaysia on Monday. The sinkings killed dozens and have left scores more missing.