Times of India

Security services were out in force across China's major cities Tuesday, which for the time being appeared to have quelled nationwide protests calling for political freedoms and an end to Covid lockdowns.The country's leadership faced a weekend of protests not seen in decades as anger over unrelenting lockdowns fuelled deep-rooted frustration with its political system.

Tsinghua University, Xi Jinping’s alma mater, where students protested Sunday, and other schools in Beijing and the southern province of Guangdong said they were protecting students from Covid-19. But dispersing them to far-flung hometowns also reduces the likelihood of more activism following protests at campuses last weekend.

Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces early Tuesday morning in two separate incidents in the Israeli occuppied West Bank, Palestinian officials said.

General Asim Munir, Pakistan's former spymaster, on Tuesday assumed charge as the country's new army chief, replacing Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa who retired after two consecutive three-year terms. He is the first army chief who has headed both powerful intelligence agencies - the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Military Intelligence (MI).

Mauna Loa is spewing sulfur dioxide and other volcanic gases. They form volcanic smog, or vog, when they mix with vapor, oxygen and dust in sunlight. As a result, state health officials are urging people to cut back on outdoor exercise and other activities that cause heavy breathing. Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984.

Delivering a talk Monday night at the Lord Mayor of London's Banquet, British PM Rishi Sunak reflected upon his heritage and committed to promoting British values of "freedom and openness" around the world. He also pledged to "do things differently" when it came to China, which he said poses a "systemic challenge" to British values and interests.

Chinese police were out in force in Beijing and Shanghai on Tuesday to prevent more protests against Covid curbs which have disrupted the lives of millions, damaged the economy and briefly sparked rare calls for President Xi Jinping to step down. At least one person in the city of Hangzhou was arrested late on Monday, according to social media video.

Rishi Sunak, however, stopped short of calling China a threat, disappointing China hawks in his Conservative Party who had until recently expected him to class China as a "threat" to UK security as part of an update of the government's foreign and defense policies. The British PM said the UK would stand up to global competitors like China

The United States initiated a call through the "deconfliction" line to communicate its concerns about Russian military operations near critical infrastructure in Ukraine. However, few details are known surrounding the specific incident that led to the call on the line, which connects the US military's European Command and Russia's National Defense Management Center.

"He's monitoring this. We all are," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday. Discontent has been brewing for months in China over its harsh coronavirus control measures, with relentless testing, localized lockdowns and travel restrictions pushing many to the brink.

The World Health Organization said on Monday it would start using a new preferred term, "mpox", as a synonym for monkeypox and urged others to follow suit after receiving complaints that the current name for the disease was racist and stigmatising. "Both names will be used simultaneously for one year while 'monkeypox' is phased out," the WHO said in a statement.

The total of 599,636 Japanese born in January-September was 4.9% below last year's figure, suggesting the number of births in all of 2022 might fall below last year's record low of 811,000 babies. Japan is the world's third biggest economy but living costs are high and wage increases have been slow. The conservative government has lagged on making society more inclusive for children, women and minorities.

Iran's judiciary reported on November 20 that Ghaziani was among eight celebrities and politicians interrogated for their comments about the protest sparked by the September 16 death in custody of Mahsa Amini, 22. Amini had been arrested for an alleged breach of Iran's strict dress rules for women.

Gunfire was heard on Monday from inside a besieged hotel in the Somali capital that was attacked on the weekend, a nearby resident and a police officer said, while parliament said it had postponed a scheduled session. Special forces units, known as Gaashaan and Haramcad, had taken over operations, said a police officer at the scene who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Barely a month after granting himself new powers as China’s potential leader for life, Xi Jinping is facing a wave of public anger of the kind not seen for decades, sparked by his draconian “zero Covid” program that will soon enter its fourth year. Demonstrators poured into the streets over the weekend in numerous cities including Shanghai and Beijing, chanting slogans and confronting police.

The Pentagon is considering a Boeing proposal to supply Ukraine with cheap, small precision bombs fitted onto abundantly available rockets, allowing Kyiv to strike far behind Russian lines as the West struggles to meet demand for more arms. US and allied military inventories are shrinking, and Ukraine faces an increasing need for more sophisticated weapons as the war drags on.

The plan detailed in a 26-page document said Canada will tighten foreign investment rules to protect intellectual property and prevent Chinese state-owned enterprises from snapping up critical mineral supplies.

Hundreds of people took to the streets in China's major cities on Sunday to protest against the country's zero-Covid policy, in a rare outpouring of public anger against the state.