BBC News reports: "Schools in Beijing are to close and outdoor construction to stop after the Chinese capital issued its first "red alert" over smog levels. The red alert is the highest possible, and has not been used in the city before, the state-run Xinhua news agency says. Authorities expect more than three consecutive days of severe smog. Cars with odd and even number plates will be banned from driving on alternate days. The alert comes as China, the world's largest polluter, takes part in talks on carbon emissions in Paris."
Reuters reports: "Chinese police have arrested four 'terrorists' in a northern province for planning attacks, a state-run newspaper said on Monday, carrying pictures of some of the suspects who appeared to be from the northwestern region of Xinjiang.The China Youth Daily said posters had appeared around Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province, warning people to be on their guard against attacks by the four. One of the posters, shown on the newspaper's website, had pictures of three people with names that appeared to be Uighur, a mainly Muslim minority group that calls Xinjiang home."
Bloomberg News reports: "As China takes the reins of the Group of 20 for the coming year, the first indications are emerging of its agenda. Among the priorities: making the global system more resilient to shocks and, perhaps, less reliant on the U.S. dollar. China is setting up a working group led by South Korea and France to develop proposals, including on ways to strengthen the role of the International Monetary Fund's reserve-currency unit, which is set to incorporate China's yuan as a component next year. China also wants a discussion around whether some commodities should be priced in the IMF's reserve currency, known as Special Drawing Right or SDR, according to a European official involved in the G-20 talks."