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McClatchy Newspapers
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A defiant gray pall hung over Beijing on Thursday, one day ahead of the official start of the Summer Olympic Games, and the city's air-pollution index continued to inch up, as it has all week, despite a series of dramatic measures intended to cut pollution.Chinese officials, the head of the International Olympic Committee and some athletes tried to play down concerns about air pollution. But the city's air-pollution index stood at levels that were more than six times what the World Health Organization recommends for long-term exposure. In many parts of the capital, one could barely see three or four city blocks Thursday. Relief, in the form of rain, wasn't likely before Monday or Tuesday.The air-pollution index reached 95 on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection's Web site. On Wednesday, the reading was 85. That's considered moderate. Anything over 100 is harmful to groups such as children and the elderly.
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