Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was granted a six-month visa to the U.K. on Friday after Home Secretary Theresa May overruled officials in her department who had limited his stay in Britain to three weeks. Ai’s access to the U.K. was originally restricted after he was accused of trying to cover up a criminal conviction in China, according to a letter from the Home Office posted on the artist’s Instagram account. Ai said he had never been charged or convicted and the U.K. authorities had refused to listen to his protests. May “has reviewed the case and has now instructed Home Office officials to issue a full six-month visa,” her department said in an e-mailed statement. “We have written to Mr. Ai apologizing for the inconvenience caused.” The artist plans to visit Britain for the opening of a solo exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, which is scheduled to start on Sept. 19. He was recently given freedom to travel by the Chinese government after spending four years without a passport.
Authorities to close Beijing’s airports during military parade
Chinese authorities have announced they will close Beijing’s two airports during a military parade next month to mark the anniversary of victory over Japan in World War II. Flights will be banned or diverted for three hours from 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 3. to enable the victory parade to pass off smoothly and ensure flights safety, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said in a statement Saturday. They affect Beijing Capital International Airport, the world’s second-busiest by passenger traffic, and Nanyuan airport, a former military airfield. The lavish military parade is to feature aerial displays and China’s latest weaponry. The display of armed might has put off some invited countries from attending given ongoing tensions between China and Japan over wartime history and competing claims to islands in the East China Sea. China’s fast growing air travel market is the world’s second biggest, but the heavy air traffic and tight control of airspace by the military have given it the world’s worst record for flight delays.
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