Google back on line in China

Google appeared to be functioning normally in China this weekend after it was briefly blocked by the government, PC News said. The 12-hour interruption came as China held its 18th Party Congress and appointed a new leadership slate; however the exact cause of the blockage was not known. It was the first time the Chinese government had blocked Google since 2010; however Beijing targeted the U.S. newspaper The New York Times two weeks ago after the U.S. newspaper published an investigative story about the huge fortune amassed by the family of Premier Wen Jiabao. PC News said China occasionally limits the Internet during periods considered to be politically sensitive. E-mail and social media are increasingly used worldwide to quickly organize protest marches and rallies.