Indian state TV sacks news anchor for China blunder

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NEW DELHI-

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.