Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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                 Thick Smog Blankets Chinese City for Third Day

   A thick layer of smog hovered over the northeastern Chinese city of
   Harbin for a third day, forcing the cancellation of many flights and
   even the closure of some main highways.
   Though the situation in the city of 10 million has improved slightly
   since Monday, the pollution level is still about 15 times higher than
   the amount deemed safe by the World Health Organization.
   On Tuesday, many schools and offices remained closed. Most flights were
   either delayed or canceled. State media said the pollution was so thick
   early Tuesday that all of the city`s highways were forced to close.
   The official Xinhua news agency blamed the emergency on the first day
   of the public heating system being turned on in the city as winter
   approaches. State broadcaster CCTV says the smog is expected to lift
   later Tuesday.
   Pollution from rapid development and heavy coal use plagues wide areas
   of China, prompting pledges from the country`s leadership to make
   improvements. The government has promised for years to tackle the
   pollution problem, but has made little progress.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/thick-smog-blankets-chinese-city-for-
   third-day/1774307.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/thick-smog-blankets-chinese-city-for-third-day/1774307.html