- Palestinians welcome ICC arrest warrants for Israeli officials
- Senegal ruling party wins parliamentary majority: provisional results
- Fiji's Loganimasi in for banned Radradra against Ireland
- New proposal awaited in Baku on climate finance deal
- Brazil police urge Bolsonaro's indictment for 2022 'coup' plot
- NFL issues security alert to teams about home burglaries
- Common water disinfectant creates potentially toxic byproduct: study
- Chimps are upping their tool game, says study
- US actor Smollett's conviction for staged attack overturned
- Fears rise of gender setbacks in global climate battle
- 'World's best coach' Gatland 'won't leave Wales' - Howley
- Indian PM Modi highlights interest in Guyana's oil
- Israel strikes kill 22 in Lebanon as Hezbollah targets south Israel
- Argentina lead Davis Cup holders Italy
- West Bank city buries three Palestinians killed in Israeli raids
- Fairuz, musical icon of war-torn Lebanon, turns 90
- Jones says Scotland need to beat Australia 'to be taken seriously'
- Stock markets push higher but Ukraine tensions urge caution
- IMF sees 'limited' impact of floods on Spain GDP growth
- Fresh Iran censure looms large over UN nuclear meeting
- Volkswagen workers head towards strikes from December
- 'More cautious' Dupont covers up in heavy Parisian snow before Argentina Test
- UK sanctions Angola's Isabel dos Santos in graft crackdown
- Sales of existing US homes rise in October
- Crunch time: What still needs to be hammered out at COP29?
- Minister among 12 held over Serbia station collapse
- Spurs boss Postecoglou hails 'outstanding' Bentancur despite Son slur
- South Sudan rejects 'malicious' report on Kiir family businesses
- Kyiv claims 'crazy' Russia fired nuke-capable missile
- Australia defeat USA to reach Davis Cup semis
- Spain holds 1st talks with Palestinian govt since recognising state
- Stock markets waver as Nvidia, Ukraine tensions urge caution
- Returning Vonn targets St Moritz World Cup races
- Ramos nears PSG return as Sampaoli makes Rennes bow
- Farrell hands Prendergast first Ireland start for Fiji Test
- Gaza strikes kill dozens as ICC issues Netanyahu arrest warrant
- Famed Berlin theatre says cuts will sink it
- Stuttgart's Undav set to miss rest of year with hamstring injury
- Cane, Perenara to make All Blacks farewells against Italy
- Kenya scraps Adani deals as Ruto attempts to reset presidency
- French YouTuber takes on manga after conquering Everest
- Special reunion in store for France's Flament against 'hot-blooded' Argentina
- 'World of Warcraft' still going strong as it celebrates 20 years
- Fritz pulls USA level with Australia in Davis Cup quarters
- New Iran censure looms large over UN nuclear meeting
- The first 'zoomed-in' image of a star outside our galaxy
- ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, Deif
- Minister among 11 held over Serbia station collapse
- Historic gold regalia returned to Ghana's king
- Kyiv accuses Russia of launching intercontinental ballistic missile attack
China's bubble bullet trains start Winter Olympics venue dash
China on Friday launched a special bullet train service to speed athletes to Winter Olympics venues in a bubble separating them from the rest of the population.
With the Beijing Games starting on February 4, international delegates, media personnel, and some athletes have already begun arriving.
Boasting ski storage, some braille areas for Paralympic athletes, and a live television studio in one carriage for the state broadcaster, the trains will shuttle attendees at speeds of up to 350 kilometres per hour (217 miles per hour).
"The layout of carriages is different from that in ordinary trains," conductor Lu Pan of the China Railway Beijing Group told AFP.
Multiple carriages are within a "closed loop" separated from the others by an empty isolation cabin, she said.
There are also limited seats outside the sealed areas for regular commuters.
China is sticking to a strict zero-Covid policy, to reduce any chance of the coronavirus spreading.
The high-speed trains will ferry participants along a 174-kilometre track between venues in Beijing and Zhangjiakou -- a resort city hosting several events.
The designated services officially run from Friday to March 16, state media reported.
One of the dozens of dedicated train services has a carriage repurposed into a studio, allowing state media to broadcast as it zooms through snowy landscapes -- with help from hundreds of 5G base stations installed along the line.
The line cost about 58.4 billion yuan ($9.2 billion) to build, according to The Beijing News, and started operations in 2019, cutting the usual travel time to Zhangjiakou from around three hours to around 50 minutes.
Tensions are running high ahead of the Games, with local Covid-19 cases reported among the community in Beijing, and authorities cancelling plans to sell tickets to the public, allowing only invitees to view the action.
Unlike last summer's pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games, where for example media were able to leave the bubble after two weeks, nobody will be able to leave the "closed loop" during the Games.
From the moment people arrive at Beijing's airport to the moment they leave they will be shuttled between venues, including on dedicated roads within the capital.
F.Pavlenko--BTB