China has raised the air pollution alert level to its second-highest for the capital city of Beijing, calling on residents to stay indoors. Authorities issued an “orange level” alert in Beijing on Sunday after pollution readings reached 17 times the level deemed safe by the World Health Organization. The declaration of the orange level will mandate air polluting factories and industrial plants... 

Beijing raised its four-tiered smog alert system to ‘orange’ for the first time on Friday as heavy smog was forecast to roll into the city for the next three days. Officials have urged people to stay indoors and use public transport. When Beijing’s Air Quality Index (AQI) readings went above 300 micrograms per cubic meter on Friday – more than ten times the level considered safe by...