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“Very draconian” – human rights concerns over Shanghai lockdown

Published

4 years ago

April 27, 2022

As Shanghai deals with a “draconian lockdown” with Beijing looking like its next in line, Human Rights Watch representative says people are suffering more from the lockdown than they are from Covid

China’s biggest city and financial hub, Shanghai enters its fifth week of strict lockdown as authorities try to cut Covid transmission and get the cases to zero across the country.

Citizens are restricted to their homes, only allowed to leave homes to get tested. This has put the city in food shortages with people relying on the city to be fed.

The country has also been evacuating cities and relocating residents to quarantine facilities.

This comes as the country has begun mass testing of Beijing with many residents already stocking up on supplies, preparing for a Shanghai style lockdown.

Human Rights Watch representative, Yaqiu Wang agrees that China’s Covid policy has gone too far and is now instilling fear in the population.

“If you look at Shanghai, given this tariff – very draconian lockdown – a lot of people have died, not from Covid but from not being able to access medical care for their non Covid related illnesses,” Wang says.

“People couldn’t go to hospital to have their kidney dialysis because they can’t leave their compound.”

Is the Chinese Government too stubborn to change its #covid strategy?

@Yaqiu Senior China researcher for @hrw explains #Lockdowns #China #Shanghai #Beijing pic.twitter.com/pCciM7tJAb
— TICKER NEWS (@tickerNEWSco) April 27, 2022

She says people are suffering “tremendously” because of the lockdown.

In recent updates, authorities have begun putting up fences outside residential buildings.

This has sparked outrage with many questioning the well being of Shanghai residents but Wang says that we’re still not seeing the full picture.

“Let’s talk about the people who don’t have a huge following on social media, who don’t use social media, who don’t even have a cell phone- we have no idea about their stories,” she says.

Shanghai has recorded 190 deaths from Covid in the current outbreak. However, most of them were elderly un-vaccinated residents.

In a country that’s made PCR and quarantining mandatory, why is vaccination for the elderly not mandatory?

Wang says that China’s Covid zero policy was so successful that President Xi Jinping made it a political move to show that his governance model was better than the democratic chaotic US where Covid was “raging”.

“When it becomes a political issue it’s very hard to walk back,” she says

While US’s suffering triggered an urgency to get vaccinated, Wang says people in China were living a normal life with zero cases.

“In China, when the vaccination campaign started there was no Covid so older people didn’t have the incentive to get vaccinated.”

Rijul Baath contributed to this report

News

NASA’s Artemis II launch: Argentina joins first crewed moon mission in 50 years

NASA’s Artemis II rocket is ready for its first crewed Moon mission in over 50 years, featuring Argentina’s ATENEA microsatellite.

Published

16 hours ago

January 19, 2026

Harvey Vargas

NASA’s Artemis II rocket is ready for its first crewed Moon mission in over 50 years, featuring Argentina’s ATENEA microsatellite.

NASA’s Artemis II rocket has arrived at Kennedy Space Center, marking the first crewed Moon mission in more than five decades.

The mission will carry a crew of four astronauts on a ten-day journey around the Moon, with a wet dress rehearsal scheduled for February 2 to test all systems.

In a historic moment for Latin America, Argentina’s ATENEA microsatellite will join the Artemis II mission as secondary cargo. Developed through a collaboration of Argentine institutions, ATENEA will collect crucial data on radiation and communications systems in space, making Argentina the only Latin American country contributing to this milestone mission.

The Artemis II mission will also validate life support and spacecraft systems ahead of Artemis III, NASA’s planned crewed lunar landing in 2027. With the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft now on Launch Pad 39B, excitement is building for this next giant leap in space exploration.

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#ArtemisII #MoonMission #NASA #ATENEA #SpaceExploration #ArgentinaInSpace #SLSRocket #OrionSpacecraft

News

Iran warns U.S. retaliation as protest death toll soars — executions feared, nationwide unrest

Iran warns of severe retaliation against U.S. strikes, amid escalating tensions and internal unrest.

Published

17 hours ago

January 19, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Iran warns of severe retaliation against U.S. strikes, amid escalating tensions and internal unrest.

Iran has issued a stark warning of a severe response to any U.S. military strike, with leaders stressing that military action would be treated as an act of war.

President Masoud Pezeshkian cautioned that attacks on strategic sites or leadership figures could trigger retaliation against U.S. and allied forces in the region — including potential targets in Israel and American bases. These warnings come as tensions between Tehran and Washington escalate amid sustained unrest across Iran.

The backdrop for this diplomatic brinkmanship is a bitter standoff between Tehran and the U.S., with U.S. President Donald Trump publicly debating options for intervention and criticising Iran’s leadership.

Tehran, for its part, has blamed external forces for stoking internal dissent and insists it will fiercely defend its sovereignty.

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#IranProtests #IranUSConflict #MiddleEastTensions #HumanRights #IranDeathToll #ProtestCrackdown #GlobalNews

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EU condemns Trump’s Greenland tariff threats: Trade tensions escalate

Major EU nations criticize Trump’s Greenland tariffs as “blackmail,” risking trade agreements and raising tensions across the Atlantic.

Published

17 hours ago

January 19, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Major EU nations criticize Trump’s Greenland tariffs as “blackmail,” risking trade agreements and raising tensions across the Atlantic.

Major EU nations are pushing back against President Trump’s tariff threats over Greenland, calling them “blackmail” and raising tensions across the Atlantic. Germany and France are reportedly considering economic countermeasures to respond to the U.S. stance.

Trade agreements with the UK and the EU could be at risk, as these threats put key negotiations in jeopardy. The European Parliament is also expected to pause discussions on the EU-U.S. trade deal, signaling a growing rift.

Meanwhile, British officials insist their position on Greenland is non-negotiable, adding complexity to an already tense situation.

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#TrumpTariffs #Greenland #EUTensions #TradeWars #USPolitics #GlobalEconomy #EUTrade #NationalSecurity