Free Republic

Air pollution in Beijing reached its highest level on Tuesday as a sandstorm from the north shrouded the capital in dust, choking pedestrians and delaying flights, the government and reports said. Air pollution measured between levels four and five at monitoring stations throughout the capital, according to the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau's website. Level five represents the worst air quality under the bureau's monitoring system and automatically triggers warnings for people to stay indoors and refrain from outdoor activities. "Preparations must be made to guard against the sandstorms, close doors and windows, wear face masks and carry tissue to avoid...

Shrouded 5000-year-old child unearthed in southeastern Iran TEHRAN, Dec. 19 (MNA) -- The skeleton of a 5000-year-old child wrapped in a winding sheet was discovered at the foot of a wall in the Taleb Khan Mound, which is located near the Burnt City in Sistan-Baluchestan Province. “The skeleton was discovered in a room of a house, while remnants of a white cloth were found around it. The cloth shows that the child had been shrouded before burial,” Mehdi Miri, the director of the archaeological team working at the site, said on Tuesday. “It was common for children to be buried...