BEIJING (AP) — Beijing is banning the possession of drones within city limits in new rules announced Sunday that further tighten its regulations on drones, which already include a May ban on sales of the devices. The ban on possession will come into effect in mid-November.
Beijing has barred unauthorized drone flights, citing security reasons, and has designated the city’s administrative area as restricted airspace.
The latest revised rules come after a fatal accident in late June when a small aircraft crashed into a Beijing skyscraper, killing the pilot and injuring 13 others.
Under regulations approved in March and which came into effect May 1, existing drone owners in Beijing had to register their devices with their real names and identities, but owners have been allowed to keep their registered drones under strict requirements.
However, according to the revised regulations approved this month, which will be effective from Nov. 15, the possession or storage of drones or key components within Beijing's city limits will also be banned. The revised rules were released Sunday by authorities.
Authorities can confiscate the drones of those who do not comply and can impose fines on individuals and companies.
Beijing authorities will be offering subsidies for existing drone owners to sell their devices at designated buyback locations, according to the state-owned newspaper Beijing Daily. Drone owners can also consider scrapping and recycling their drones with a small subsidy provided, or shipping them outside of Beijing before the new rules come into effect.
Drone users can still fly drones outdoors in other parts of the country, but real name registrations are required. Beijing, the Chinese capital, often has more stringent security rules than other parts of China.
Bringing drones into Beijing from outside the city, including by tourists, is already prohibited.
Performers rest near a "No Drone Zone" sign in Beijing, on May 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
A performer rests near a "No Drone Zone" sign in Beijing, on May 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday warned that rising geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions and climate crises are increasingly affecting people worldwide and called for strengthened cooperation and support across the Global South.
Addressing the BRICS summit of leading developing nations on its second day in New Delhi, Modi also warned that the “weaponization of technology and critical minerals” could hinder global development and shared prosperity.
Founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, BRICS has expanded to 11 members representing about half the world’s population and a significant share of global economic output. It has sought greater representation for developing countries in global institutions and promoted alternatives to Western-dominated financial systems.
“The number of conflicts and tensions in the world is continuously increasing, and this is having an increasingly negative and far-reaching impact on the lives of ordinary people,” Modi said, alongside bloc leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
“Pandemics, climate disasters and supply-chain disruptions have shown that in today’s interconnected world, no crisis remains confined to a single region,” Modi said, while announcing that the bloc agreed to establish an integrated early warning system for infectious diseases, aimed at boosting preparedness and response to future outbreaks.
The group in a joint declaration Saturday had expressed concern over escalating tensions in the Middle East and Sudan, and called for disputes to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
The bloc reiterated support for a multipolar world order and reforms to the United Nations, including its Security Council, as well as global financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
The leaders opposed unilateral sanctions and coercive economic measures and criticized sanctions not authorized by the U.N. They also criticized rising tariffs and nontariff barriers, saying they undermine global trade and supply chains.
The bloc backed greater use of local currencies in trade and stronger cross-border payment systems, while calling for cooperation on food security, energy, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and climate action.
The declaration was a significant breakthrough, as forging consensus among Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — which hold competing positions on key regional and geopolitical issues — posed a complex diplomatic challenge amid ongoing conflicts and heightened tensions.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a session of the BRICS Plus Outreach format in New Delhi, India, on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a session of the BRICS Plus Outreach format in New Delhi, India, on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
An illuminated Bharat Mandapam, the main venue of the BRICS summit is seen in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)
Participants of the BRICS Plus Outreach format pose for a photo in New Delhi, India, on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends a session of the BRICS Plus Outreach format in New Delhi, India, on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
