Crowds in major Chinese city Guangzhou clash with riot police in hazmat suits over zero-COVID policy

Published

1 year ago

November 30, 2022

admin

Crowds in a major Chinese city have clashed with white hazmat-suited riot police, footage on social media shows, as the biggest anti-government protests in decades continue over stringent zero-COVID policies.

The clashes took place in Guangzhou on Tuesday night, according to posts online.

In one video posted on Twitter, objects can be seen flying at dozens of riot police in all-white pandemic gear, holding shields over their heads, as they advance in formation over what appears to be torn-down lockdown barriers.

Police are later seen escorting a group of people in handcuffs to an unknown location.

Another clip shows people throwing objects at the police, while a third shows a tear gas canister landing in the middle of a small crowd on a narrow street, with people running to escape the fumes.

Reuters news agency verified the videos were filmed in Guangzhou’s Haizhu district, the scene of violent COVID-related unrest two weeks ago, but it is unclear when the clips were recorded.

The protests follow a wave of demonstrations in the commercial hub of Shanghai, the capital Beijing and other cities over the weekend.

In rare scenes of open dissent in China, protests have flared across the country in response to COVID lockdowns and restrictions.

Daily coronavirus infections have hit record highs in recent weeks, but the country’s caseload has remained small by global standards.

Some believe the strict restrictions are holding back the economy and are increasingly out of sync with the rest of the world.

Millions of residents have been confined to their homes, subject to mass testing programmes and enduring sudden lockdowns in areas where positive coronavirus cases or their close contacts have been detected.

Guangzhou, home to many migrant factory workers, is a sprawling port city north of Hong Kong in Guangdong province, where officials announced late last night they would allow close contacts of COVID cases to quarantine at home instead of being forced to go to shelters.

In the central city of Zhengzhou, where there have been clashes at a huge Foxconn factory making iPhones, and an exodus of workers from the site frustrated by COVID curbs, officials announced the “orderly” resumption of businesses, including supermarkets, gyms and restaurants.

However, they also published a long list of buildings that would remain under lockdown.

The country’s top security body called for a crackdown on “hostile forces” in a statement that did not refer to the protests.

The Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission also said “illegal and criminal acts that disrupt social order” would not be tolerated.

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

National health officials said on Tuesday that China would respond to “urgent concerns” raised by the public and that COVID rules should be implemented more flexibly, according to the severity of outbreaks in each region.

Although the easing of some measures appears to be an attempt to appease the public, the authorities have also started to seek out protesters.

“Police came to my front door to ask me about it all and get me to complete a written record,” a Beijing resident, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters on Wednesday.

Another said some friends who posted videos of protests on social media were taken to a police station and asked to sign a pledge they “would not do that again”.

World

Oleksandr Usyk defeats Tyson Fury to become heavyweight champion of the world

Published

3 hours ago

May 19, 2024

admin

Oleksandr Usyk defeats Tyson Fury to become heavyweight champion of the world

Oleksandr Usyk has become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world after defeating British boxing star Tyson Fury.

The Ukrainian won on a split decision following the match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Usyk had 115-112 and 114-113 on two cards, while Fury took the other 114-113.

Follow the match as it happened

Fury disputed his loss after the match, saying: “I believe I won that fight. I think he won a few rounds but I won the majority of them.

“His country is at war, so people are siding with the country at war. Make no mistake, I won that fight in my opinion.

In response Usyk said he was “ready for rematch,” but later added: “I don’t think about rematch now, I want to rest.”

Fury came under early pressure, with Usyk taking the centre of the ring with an aggressive offensive from the start.

At one point Fury was pushed against the ropes and started laughing as Usyk applied pressure.

The “Gypsy King” looked relaxed as he moved around the ring in the early rounds and picked his shots.

But after Usyk landed a right hook in the ninth round it looked as if Fury was in serious trouble.

The Ukrainian followed up by unloading freely but somehow the bookmakers’ favourite stayed on his feet and was given a standing 10-second count saved by the bell.

It left Fury struggling through the final three rounds as Usyk chased him around the ring.

The 37-year-old Ukrainian became the first boxer to hold all four major heavyweight belts at the same time and the first undisputed champion in 24 years.

He’s the best fighter of a generation, there’s nothing left

Jacquie Beltrao

Sports presenter

There’s something very special about Oleksandr Usyk and it’s something all brilliant sports people have: the ability to find that extra bit of grit, to dig a bit deeper, when the battle is slipping away.

It’s exactly the character he showed, coming back at Fury in the 7th and 8th rounds, with some impressive shots, to take the sting out of any Fury resurgence and to swing momentum back his way. And enabling him to go for the kill in that brilliant 9th round. Fury looked stung, he looked confused and he was lucky the referee didn’t stop the fight there and then.

It was amazing that Fury made it to the end. That took courage. But it’s hard to see how he’s going to recover from this. It’s going to hurt. He says he wants to invoke the rematch clause and go again, but will he really want to?

Will Usyk want to? He’s the best fighter of a generation, there’s nothing left to prove. No fighter has ever won the undisputed cruiserweight championship of the world and followed that with the undisputed heavyweight crown. He can take four belts back to Kyiv safe in the knowledge that it’s unlikely anyone will be able to match that achievement anytime soon.

Last night, Fury weighed in at 262lbs (18st 10lbs) – nearly three stone heavier than Usyk, who clocked in at a career heaviest of 223lbs (15st 13lbs).

Fury refused to look at his opponent during a news conference on Thursday, but did not back down at the weigh-in last night, where the pair almost came to blows before being separated by their entourages.

Usyk arrived into the ring first, dressed as a Cossack warrior.

Fury entered to songs by Barry White and Bonnie Tyler, with the “Gypsy King” spending several minutes dancing on stage before the song changed to Holding Out For A Hero.

Anthony Joshua watched from the ringside, knowing he could meet the winner early next year.

World

Fury v Usyk: The fight of the century – as it happened

Published

3 hours ago

May 19, 2024

admin

World

Benny Gantz: Israeli war cabinet member threatens to resign if Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t adopt new plan for Gaza

Published

3 hours ago

May 19, 2024

admin

Benny Gantz: Israeli war cabinet member threatens to resign if Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't adopt new plan for Gaza

A member of Israel’s three-man war cabinet has threatened to resign from the government if it does not adopt a new plan for the war in Gaza.

The move by Benny Gantz escalates a divide within Israel’s leadership more than seven months into the war.

Israel is yet to accomplish its stated goals of dismantling Hamas and returning scores of hostages abducted during the attack on 7 October.

Mr Gantz, a long-time political rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has now set out a six-point plan that includes the return of hostages, ending Hamas’ rule, demilitarising Gaza and establishing an international administration of civilian affairs.

Mr Gantz’s plan also supports efforts to normalise relations with Saudi Arabia.

He said if it is not adopted by 8 June he will quit the government.

His departure would leave Mr Netanyahu even more beholden to far-right allies who have taken a hard line on negotiations over a ceasefire and the release of hostages, and who believe Israel should occupy Gaza and rebuild Jewish settlements there.

“If you choose the path of fanatics and lead the entire nation to the abyss – we will be forced to quit the government,” Mr Gantz has said.

The centrist politician joined Mr Netanyahu’s coalition and the war cabinet in the early days of the conflict.

Mr Gantz’s six-point plan comes days after Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, the third member of the war cabinet, openly said he has repeatedly pleaded with the other two members to decide on a post-war vision for Gaza.

Mr Gallant said this should involve the creation of a new Palestinian civilian leadership.

It comes as Mr Netanyahu is under growing pressure on multiple fronts.

Hardliners in his government want the military offensive on Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah to press ahead with the goal of crushing Hamas.

However, Israel’s most important ally, the US, and others have warned against the offensive on a city where more than half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million had sheltered.

Hundreds of thousands have now fled Rafah and Israel’s allies have threatened to scale back support over the humanitarian crisis.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan will be in Saudi Arabia and Israel this weekend to discuss the war and is scheduled on Sunday to meet with Mr Netanyahu, who has declared that Israel would “stand alone” if needed.

Meanwhile, many Israelis are accusing Mr Netanyahu of putting political interests ahead of all else. They also want him to agree a deal to free the hostages and stop the fighting.

There was fresh frustration Friday when the military said its troops in Gaza found the bodies of three hostages killed by Hamas in the 7 October attack.

The discovery of the body of a fourth hostage was announced Saturday.

The latest talks in pursuit of a ceasefire, mediated by Qatar, the United States and Egypt, have brought little progression.

A vision for Gaza beyond the war is also uncertain.

The conflict started after Hamas militants carried out an attack on Israel on 7 October – killing 1,200 people and capturing around 250 hostages.

Israel says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of around 30 more.

The Israeli offensive has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to its Hamas-run health ministry, while hundreds more have been killed in the occupied West Bank.