Zhalong, situated south of Qiqihar, a city in western Heilongjiang Province, is on the flight route of migratory birds, exposing the reserve to the possibility of a bird flu outbreak, said Wang Wenfeng, deputy head of Administration for Zhalong State-Level Nature Reserve.

Hit and run ships

TWO fishing boats capsized off the coast of Zhejiang Province after being rammed by unidentified ships in two separate incidents, leaving 14 sailors missing, the local maritime authorities said yesterday. "Zhedingyu No. 14413," registered in Zhoushan City, was hit by a foreign ship and sank near Shengsi County early yesterday. In the second incident, a fishing boat, registered in the same city, sank at 6:50pm on Monday. The striking boats disappeared after both incidents.

Network music

THE Chinese Ministry of Culture has issued guidelines on development and management of "network music," saying that all the imported network music products distributed in China must be approved and registered by the ministry. The term "network music" refers to music products distributed by wired or wireless means. It is mainly online music played or downloaded from the Internet, and mobile music provided by mobile phone servers.

Fatal hotel fire

FOUR people died and nine were injured in a hotel fire in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region yesterday morning, said the local fire department. A waitress from the Ejin Banner Hotel, of the Alxa League, and three guests died. Five of the nine injured have left hospital after treatment.