China Fires Official—Over Piggyback Ride

A Chinese official has been fired for getting a piggyback ride over floodwaters, state Xinhua news agency reports. The local authority, referred to by his surname, Wang, was visiting flood victims in the city of Yuyao, Zhejiang province. He was wearing fancy shoes, and when he prepared to take them off for wading purposes, a villager lifted him up instead. Wang, Xinhua says, tried to "insist" on walking barefoot, but the damage was apparently done: A photo of the piggyback went viral on social media, prompting outrage. He was fired, though he hadn't violated any official rules, notes Quartz, which has the image. (More China stories.)