Indian state TV sacks anchor over China blunder

NIRMALA GEORGE
Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — A news anchor for India’s state TV channel has been fired after she referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as “Eleven” Jingping — apparently mistaking his name for a Roman numeral, a top official at the station said Friday.

Xi left for China on Friday after a three-day visit to India, where he signed more than a dozen agreements to push trade and investment between the two Asian giants.

The anchor for the Doordarshan news channel made the gaffe on Wednesday night while she read a late night news bulletin. She was dismissed after the blunder was discovered, the TV station official said.

The anchor was a “casual” employee, working temporarily, and not a regular staffer, he said.

He asked that his name not be used because he did not want to comment publicly on the matter.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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