Chinese authorities have ordered a leading pro-Maoist website shut down for one month because of critical essays posted on it, the site’s founder said, amid the country’s worst high-level political crisis in years. The move comes after the firing of a once high-flying official who promoted Mao Zedong-era songs and stories. Han Deqiang, founder of the leftist website Utopia, said police ordered that it be shut down because of content that criticized the Communist Party, its leaders and an upcoming party congress. The shutdown took effect Friday.—AP