Chinese weekly ends rare strike

A rare strike by journalists of a state-run Chinese publication ended today after a ruling CPC leader brokered a deal promising to address their concerns regarding censorship, raising hopes of reforms in the media tightly controlled by the Communist party. Journalists of the Southern Weekly, which also publishes a daily newspaper in Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province, agreed to end their strike after the regional CPC head Hu Chunhua mediated a settlement. Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said Hu, 49, successfully mediated the journalists’ standoff with propaganda authorities over interference in editorial operations, which had prompted public demonstrations by the media persons.