China junks party excesses

Local authorities in China have been told to tone down the partying over the country's New Year in a crackdown on corruption.

Expensive banquets, sightseeing trips and gift-giving using government money have been banned, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

It said the appeal was made in a circular from the Communist Party’s discipline and inspection division, which said officials should live a frugal life. The Lunar New Year, China’s most important holiday, starts on January 26 but the holiday period extends more than a week on both sides of that date.