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The article focuses on the construction boom in Beijing, China, in advance of the 2008 Olympic Games. The author discusses the preparations that the city is making for the Olympics. There are over 10,000 building sites in the city as of December, 2006, according to the article. The author discusses the overtime hours that construction workers are putting into completing Olympics-related building projects. The article also discusses the rate of industrial accidents related to the construction boom.

This article reports on the move of police in China to detain 12 people in connection with the fire that gutted a 44-story building in Beijing, China. Among the people detained is the construction chief for the compound where the building is located and three other employees of the China Central Television. The other eight people are employees of the fireworks company hired for the firework show. The fire occurred during the Lunar New Year celebration when people light firecrackers.

The article reports that China Central Television accepted blame for fire that heavily damaged a 44-story building next to its iconic new headquarters in Beijing, China. According to the state broadcaster, an unauthorized fireworks display organized by one of its employees set off a blaze that damaged the building. It is noted that the admission of culpability is an embarrassment for the state broadcaster.

This article reports on the destruction by fire of a 44-storey tower located in the central business district of Beijing, China. According to the city government of Beijing the fire was caused by fireworks from the Lunar New Year celebrations. The brand new tower was supposed to house the flagship hotel in China of Mandarin Orioental International Ltd. The details on the plan for the building are presented.

The article focuses on a plan to achieve universal health care unveiled by the government of Beijing, China in October 2008. The plan's overall goal is to provide health insurance coverage to 90 percent of the population within two years and achieve universal health care by 2020. The plan suggests funneling all revenue raised by public hospitals to state coffers. Critics are pointing out the failure of the plan to address how the government would pay for its nationalization program if hospitals are restrained from earning more.

The article reports on the increasing number of female Olympians. According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), of the 10,500 Olympians competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 42 percent are female, up from 34.2 percent at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Under the direction of its president, Jacques Rogge, the IOC has made increasing the numbers of women one of its primary goals, mandating that each national Olympic committee come up with a plan to increase female participation.

This article presents information on the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics held in Beijing, China. The host city opened the event with a mix of traditional performance and technological wizardry that shows the country's transition into an economic powerhouse. A display of fireworks began the ceremony. The event proceeded with performances in front of the estimated 91,000 spectators, athletes and world leaders.

The article reports on the plans of authorities in China to reduce the number of automobiles in the roads of Beijing by almost half in a two-month period beginning July 20, 2008. Automobiles will be permitted to run on roads on alternating basis based on even and odd number license plates until September 20. Environmental Protection Bureau spokesman Du Shaozhong stated that the measure would guarantee good air quality in time for the Olympic Games. The air quality in the country was rated at Level 3 or slightly polluted on June 20.

The article reports on how the Olympic torch relay was perceived inside and outside of China. According to observers, the torch relay was a public-relations disaster because of protests, especially on China's policy on its Tibetan population. However, torch relay reportedly received favorably in mainland China when it arrived on May 4, 2008. Views by communications consultants and Beijing Olympic corporate sponsors are offered.

The article reports that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) sent letters to all national Olympic organizing committees stating that athletes should avoid clothes, gestures or actions that demonstrate political, religious or racial propaganda at the various locations of Olympic games in Beijing, China. The letter represents the most explicit pronouncements of IOC as of May 2008, explaining a prohibition on the use of the Olympic Games as a political venue. The move is reportedly an attempt to prevent protests in the most controversial Games.

The article reports on the attempt of Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee in China to resume selling tickets on May 5, 2008. Ticketing center director Zhu Yan cited that organizers have no option but to try selling tickets again on first-come, first-served basis. The demand to watch the Olympics is anticipated to be stronger compared to previous games despite recent controversy over human-rights record of the country. The joint venture Gehua Ticketmaster developed a ticketing platform for the games.

The article reports on the reaction of Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), to protests at the relay of the Olympic torch across the continents. Rogge condemned anti-China protesters and insisted the Beijing Olympics will not be derailed, saying that politics invited itself in sports. He reiterated the neutrality of the IOC on debates about China and hinted the possible modification of an international torch relay in the future.

The article reports on the increasing tensions over Tibet, China as activists stage demonstrations ahead of the start of the Olympic torch relay in March 2008. The Chinese government is augmenting its security measures in the province and prohibiting access to Mount Everest as it seeks to prevent disruption of the symbolic event and of the Beijing Olympic Games in August. The torch relay also caused controversy after organizers wanted it to pass through Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory.

The article reports on the opening of a $3 billion airport terminal in Beijing, China on February 29, 2008, which marks one of the milestone in the transformation of the city prior to the Olympic Games. It predicts that the Beijing airport will be able to handle about 90 million passengers annually by 2012 with the new terminal. It attributes the growth of air travel in the country to rising prosperity, easing of travel restrictions and growing interest in leisure travel. British architect Norman Foster designed the terminal.

The article reports that closures of pollutant-generating factories in China will continue as the government struggles to ensure good air quality for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. More than 40 factories are set to be closed in addition to 47 others that closed down in 2007 according to the Xinhua news agency. Officials are reportedly reluctant to release details as it may dampen economic investment. Chinese official Du Shaozhong said that other anti-pollution measures will be taken in time for the opening of the games on August 8, 2008.

The article reports on the crackdown on workplace accidents announced by Chinese officials. Beijing announced that it would be halving the number of cars on the roads during the Olympic Games. According to China's senior safety inspector, Li Zhong, he was ordering an investigation into reports that workers may have been killed in building the Beijing National Stadium.

The article reports on a deal to be announced by Dell Inc. that will sell its personal computers (PC) through Gome Group of Beijing, China. It says that the deal will allow Dell to utilize the retail network of Gome which include nearly 1,000 stores to sell the computers in China. It is anticipated that the PC market of China will sustain an annual growth of 25% in three to five years.

The article reports on the crackdown of foreign visas in Beijing, China. According to the author, such move is an apparent sign of the Chinese government's increasing anxiety about the 2008 Olympics. The article states that this action looks for foreigners working in the city under expired or misused visas and has involved police spot checks at houses and hotels.

The article reports on the success of a test run of traffic restrictions in reducing severe traffic congestion in Beijing, China as part of the preparation for the Olympic Games in 2008. About 1.3 million vehicles were removed form the roads each day as a result of the traffic limits. It mentions the low visible impact of the effort on air quality. According to Chinese experts, the traffic experiment scheme could reduce exhaust emissions by 40%.

The article reports that the Beijing, China Olympic Organizing Committee was taking corrective measures after an investigation found that four factories making Olympic merchandise were guilty of labor violations. There is a rising pressure for China's government to improve its human rights record under increased international scrutiny in the run up to the 2008 Games.

The article deals with a report by an international alliance of trade unions and nongovernmental organizations called Playfair 2008, which claims that some merchandise for the Olympic Games in 2008 are being produced by underpaid and underage workers. The reports covered several alleged abuse issues, such as forced overtime and poor safety conditions. The companies involved in the alleged abuses cited in the report include Le Kit Stationery Co. and Mainland Headwear Holdings Ltd.