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NEWS ABOUT: Beijing

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Bird Flu Spreads to Beijing

It was expected to, says WHO chief; still no human-to-human transmissions

(Newser) - Beijing has reported its first case of the H7N9 bird flu , as two new cases in a neighboring province were confirmed today, marking the official spread of the virus from the country's east. But the development was anticipated, says the head of the WHO office in Beijing. "We'... More »

Xi Jinping Officially Named China's President

Became head of Communist Party, military in November

(AP) - China's new leader Xi Jinping capped his rise yesterday by adding the largely ceremonial title of president, though he will need cautious maneuvering to consolidate his power and build support from a public that is increasingly clamoring for change. The elevation of Xi to the presidency by the rubber-stamp... More »

Beijing Pollution Off the Charts—Again

On scale that goes to 500, it registers 526

(Newser) - Once again , air pollution in Beijing is literally off the charts. It's gotten so bad that airlines have had to cancel flights as locals wear face masks for protection, and state news says it's difficult to see beyond 100 yards in sections of eastern China. Airborne particulate... More »

Beijing's Air Quality: On Scale of 500, It's 755

Pollution index sails way past 'hazardous'

(Newser) - If experiencing Tehran's dismal air pollution is "suicidal," Beijing residents might want to dig a bunker and stay there. The Chinese capital, which wrinkled noses a couple of years ago when it managed to break the very index meant to measure its air quality, yesterday blew right... More »

Happy New Year, World

It's 2013 somewhere

(Newser) - It's already 2013 somewhere! Australia of course rang in the New Year first, with a typically brilliant firework display over Sydney Harbour at around 8am East Coast time. Since then, revelers have rung in 2013 across Asia, with notable celebrations in Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, Kuala Lampur, and more.... More »

China Rolls Out World's Longest Bullet Train Route

Trains running at 187mph between Beijing, Guangzhou

(Newser) - China has chosen December 26—Mao Zedong's birthday—to officially open the world's longest high-speed rail route, the BBC reports. The 1,428-mile line between Guangzhou and Beijing will cut the travel time between the two cities from 22 hours to eight, with bullet trains traveling at 187mph.... More »

China to Protesters: Please Keep It 'Orderly'

Anti-Japan protests are entirely too polite

(Newser) - Anti-Japan protests over the disputed East China Sea islands continued for a fourth day today in China, and Christian Science Monitor Beijing Bureau Chief Peter Ford describes the almost amusing orderliness of them. "The Beijing Public Security Bureau reminds you to please express your patriotism in a rational and... More »

NY-Bound Jet Returns to Beijing After Threat

Warning came from US authorities, says state media

(Newser) - A security threat yesterday prompted an Air China jet seven hours into its flight to New York to return to Beijing, officials revealed. "Due to threatening information received about flight CA 981, to ensure the safety of passengers, this flight has returned to Beijing Capital International Airport," the... More »

China Censors Flood Coverage

Beijing's disaster response sparks criticism

(Newser) - China did a marvelous job dealing with the floods that have killed at least 37 people in Beijing—at least, according to anything you're likely to read in China. The city's propaganda chief has ordered the media to report exclusively "achievements worthy of praise and tears,"... More »

How Olympics Hurt Host Cities More Than Help

3 reasons cities should avoid Games: Andrew Zimbalist

(Newser) - Cities go nuts trying to bring the Olympics home—and they may not be doing themselves any favors. Sure, if everything runs smoothly, the Games might offer a "small windfall." But the economic reality is far more complicated, writes Andrew Zimbalist at the Atlantic :
  • Private companies, not cities,
... More »

Tough Questions Surface After Deadly Beijing Rains

Citizens say city unprepared, neglects infrastructure

(Newser) - The death toll in the torrential rains and flooding that hit Beijing over the weekend has risen to 37, with 57,000 evacuated from neighborhoods swamped by rising waters, and $1.6 billion in damage, reports the New York Times . With more than six inches of rain falling over the... More »

Beijing's Biggest Rains in 60 Years Kill 10

Some regions received as much as 18 inches of rain since yesterday

(Newser) - Beijing was hit by the worst torrential rains in 60 years yesterday, killing at least 10 people and trapping cars and buses in deep water around the capital, reports Sky News . Two people were killed when the roof of their home caved in, another by a downed power line, while... More »

China Demands US Stop Tweeting About Its Air

They complain US standards unfair, and data may not be 'rigorous'

(AP) - China isn't just happy censoring its own tweets anymore. China told foreign embassies today to stop publishing their own reports on air quality in the country, escalating its objections to a popular US Embassy Twitter feed that tracks pollution in smoggy Beijing. Only the Chinese government is authorized to... More »

China Slams US Call to Free Tiananmen Prisoners

Record turnout at Hong Kong vigil

(Newser) - The US marked the anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown yesterday by urging China to free political prisoners still jailed 23 years later, prompting China to express its "strong dissatisfaction" with US interference. The US is "making baseless accusations against the Chinese government and arbitrarily interfering with China's... More »

New Rule for Beijing Public Toilets: Only 2 Flies

China's capital seeks to clean up bathrooms

(Newser) - The Chinese government is implementing new rules to spruce up its capital city's notoriously dirty public bathrooms. The weirdest of the bunch: a toilet in Beijing can be home to a maximum of two flies, reports the BBC . It's not clear how rigidly the measures will be enforced,... More »

China Slams US as Dissident Leaves Embassy

Chen Guangcheng taken to Beijing hospital

(Newser) - Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng has left the US Embassy in Beijing "of his own volition" after taking refuge there for six days, according to state media. Chen—who escaped from house arrest last month —traveled with US Ambassador Gary Locke to a Beijing hospital, reports the Washington ... More »

US, China in Talks Over Blind Activist: Rights Group

Chen Guangcheng may be hiding in US embassy in Beijing

(Newser) - The US is in "high-level talks" with China over the blind human rights activist who recently fled Chinese authorities , according to a group based in Texas. Chen Guangcheng "is under US protection and high-level talks are currently under way between US and Chinese officials regarding Chen's status,... More »

US-North Korea Nuke Talks Return 'Bit of Progress'

But no breakthroughs, says US negotiator Glyn Davies

(Newser) - The US and North Korea came to the table to talk about nukes, and the negotiations ended today with a "little bit of progress," said the chief US negotiator. The two-day meeting in Beijing was the first official contact between the two countries since the death of Kim... More »

China's Air Quality Data Suspiciously Sunny

Expert calls new data 'surprising'

(Newser) - The Chinese government, under fire from its citizens about its unbelievably upbeat pollution reports , has started to release more detailed data about smog in Beijing, reports the AP . For the first time, Beijing's official weather website yesterday included readings about PM2.5, or particulate matter less than 2.5... More »

Beijing Apple Store Egged After Botched iPhone Launch

Angry crowd is told 4S sale canceled

(Newser) - If notorious perfectionist Steve Jobs was still alive, today's bungled launch of the iPhone 4S in Beijing might have given him a heart attack. Would-be customers who waited all night in freezing temperatures became furious when Apple's flagship Beijing store abruptly announced that the phone would not go... More »

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