CNN news-Jan   16,2013 Protests have been going on for about a week now in the northern  Irish capital of Belfast. They Started out peacefuily , bus some of them turn violent later on. There is a lot of history behind these protests,and it starts with geography, What's interesting is that Northern Ireland is not part of the republic of Iteland. It,s part of the United Kingdom, and that's what's behind this tension, Nationalists, mostly  Catholic, think Northern Ireland should be part of the Republic of Ireland, Unionists, or Loyalists, mostly Protestants, wanted to stay part of the United Kingdom, The conflict between those two groups led to decades of violence ,and more than3,000 people were killed before a peace deal was signed in 1998,The protests happening now are connected to a decision regarding the British flahg ,In Belfast ,the capital of Northern Ireland ,the flag used to fly over City Halll every day of the year , Last month, local officials decided to limit that to 18 days per year. Unionists weren't happy about that . In some cases protesters have thrown concrete blocks, bricks, even weren't happy about that , In some cases protesters have thrown concrete blocks, bricks, even gasoline bombs at police ,Officers have responded by using water cannons to break up the protests.  Nest up ,we are heading to the capital of China , Beijing, Experts say that city has something in common with Los Angeles; smog This gray haze is hanging in the air, making things hard to see ,Yesterday, the numbers indicating smog levels were off the charts, A uthorities warn people there to stay inside, Last year nearly 700 flights were canceled at Beijing airports because of haze and smog, Officials in China say that the air quality in the capital has gotten better since Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympics, but residents say the pollution levels have gotten worse. The direct cause of the protest going on now is that
Lots of people were killed in decades of violence a peace deal was signed between the two groups the police used violence to break up the protesters British flag won't appear over City Hall every day