“Terrorists” Butcher More Than Two Dozen In 3-1 Kunming Railway Attack

Kunming Railway attack 1
At least 10 men wielding long knives began indiscriminately attacking pedestrians in the waiting hall of Kunming Railway Station yesterday around 9:20 pm. The initial death and injury count vary, but the latest from Xinhua places the number at 29 dead and more than 130 injured. (Others put the number as high as 33.) Official reports say Xinjiang separatist forces are responsible for this "3-1 terrorist attack."

Friday Links: Gary Locke leaves China, arson on Guiyang bus kills 6, and preparing for the Two Sessions

Shanghai Tower climb Chinese people
Reminder: Tomorrow is the deadline for Poetry Night in Beijing, so get those poems in. Also: our friends at the Bookworm would like you to know they've added a Beijing Literary Festival warm-up event for Sunday at 7:30 pm: He Jiahong, "one of China’s top experts in criminal evidence, evidential investigation and criminal procedure," will be by to talk about the mysterious case of She Xianglin, presumed murdered until she reappeared 11 years later. Click here for more info.

Astrill Down, PornHub Down [UPDATE]

Astrill down
We're still awaiting word from Astrill support, but in case you're wondering, yes, the popular VPN service is down -- both the website and service itself. We don't know if it has anything to do with China, but probably not -- "technical problem," says Astrill.com. Look at that emoticon - that is the sorriest goddamn sad-face I've ever seen.