Extradition for people-trafficking suspect

A woman accused of trying to smuggle hundreds of illegal immigrants into the United States is to be extradited from Hong Kong to face charges in New York.

The woman, Cheng Chui-ping, is alleged to have masterminded the shipment of about 300 Chinese immigrants to the US in 1993 on board the freighter, the Golden Venture.

A number of those on board died when they tried to swim ashore off the coast of New York.

Ms Cheng is also accused of organising several other people-smuggling operations from her former base in New York.

She was arrested last year; the Hong Kong chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, signed the extradition order after she lost a lengthy legal battle to stay in the territory.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service