Beijing Times
November 14, 2007

The headline of today's Beijing Times announces that China's sex ratio at birth is the highest in the world. The national average is as high as 120:100, says Zhang Weiqing, director of the National Population and Family Planning Commission, while the normal ratio is 103-107:100. By the year 2020, China is expected to have 30 million more men aged 20 to 45 than women of the same age, he also said.

The front page photo shows the first public display of the Special Duty Team of the Beijing Police. This team was set up to combat kidnapping and other serious crimes. Every team member is equipped with advanced weapons, including glare flashlights and blunt-tip Buck knives.

Other headlines:

• The Beijing Government has spent about 10 billion yuan this year on citizens' services, like launching telephone hotlines, building urban parks, and so on;
• Results from spot-checks reveal that space heaters on the Beijing market are all below standard;
• The Consumer Price Index rose 6.5 percent in October from a year earlier, said a statement on the National Bureau of Statistics website.
• A PhD student is suing UME International Cineplex and SARFT after watching the cut version of Lust, Caution. See this post for more details.