Those Pestiferous Brutes

Fed up with infestations, China plans a cockroach extermination campaign in Beijing. The “Everyone get busy, wipe out cockroaches” campaign announced this week is at the center of a citywide cleanup that also seeks to upgrade the trash collection system. By mid-August, everyone who works in the city is expected to join in spraying two doses of an insecticide in an effort to vanquish roaches. The southern city of Guangzhou has announced a similar campaign, in keeping with a nationwide “spiritual civilization” crusade.