The 2008 Summer Olympics kick off next week in Beijing, and China’s Foreign Ministry denied that bars in Beijing had banned blacks.

According to a statement posted on the ministry’s site:

“The report proved to be sheerly groundless as we checked with the Beijing Public Security Bureau. Beijing’s public security departments, including the Sanlitun police station, have never demanded that any bar stop serving customers from any region or country.”

Authorities have, however, imposed mass security measures before the opening ceremony on August 8. Subway station and airport checks have increased, and anti-terrorist forces have been deployed to Olympic sites.

Additionally, some bars have been closed and others have been told they cannot have live music.

Federal prosecutors have dropped their criminal investigation involving the finances of Al Sharpton.

Sharpton said he’d learned a lesson: “I have learned that everybody is not necessarily out to get you. And, I hope [prosecutors] have learned that everybody who questions the system is not trying to beat the system.”

Authorities were looking for tax fraud and probing allegations that Sharpton had extorted donations to his National Action Network from corporate sponsors by threatening to boycott them and their products.

Sharpton said that “was a total fabrication. Some of the companies called me, outraged.”

According to the reports, since the criminal case has ended, it has been turned over to the IRS to pursue civilly. The IRS is still calculating what it believes the organization owes in taxes. “I make money, so I can pay,” Sharpton said.

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