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Toilet Paper Shortage Rumors Spark Panic in Hong Kong

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  • Rumors of an impending shortage of toilet paper and other goods spread across Hong Kong, prompting residents to panic-buy products and clear the shelves of their local stores. 
  • The government assured residents that there was no shortage and called the false claims a “malicious act” from “rumor mongers with evil intentions.”
  • Despite the government’s statement and several grocery store restocks, locals are still lining up to stockpile on items.

Rumors Spread

Rumors of a possible toilet paper shortage in Hong Kong sent residents into a panic this week, causing shoppers to clear rolls from stores across the city by Wednesday night.

Despite little evidence of supplies running low, WhatsApp users spread a post posing as an internal update from the local supermarket chain Wellcome. According to the New York Times, the message said that suspended manufacturing in mainland China would cause most brands of toilet paper and other products to run out soon.

Residents in the city, who are already on edge over fears of the coronavirus, have been wearing surgical masks in public to protect themselves. That, in turn, has caused an actual city-wide shortage of masks– so for many, the toilet paper rumors didn’t seem too far fetched. Fears of the virus, paired with widespread distrust of the government’s ability to respond to a crisis, sent shoppers into a frenzy.

Videos posted on social media show people lining up to purchase as many rolls of toilet paper as they can. In several clips and photos, shelves are completely bare. Other popular items residents are targetting include rice, pasta, canned foods, and hygiene products.

Government Condemns Rumors 

After seeing the panic spread quickly Wednesday, the government issued a statement that evening squashing the rumors. The government said it “expresses regret over the malicious act of spreading rumors when the city is fighting against the disease, and condemns those rumor mongers with evil intentions.”

It also stressed that its steps to contain the coronavirus would not affect the movement of freight services across the border. “Besides, the Government has confirmed with the major suppliers that the supply of food products remains normal and there is no shortage of food. There are sufficient stocks of staple food including rice and pastas. There is no need for the public to worry,” the statement continued. 

Stores Restocking 

The supermarket Wellcome addressed concerns, saying the rumors were false but that it was “working closely with our suppliers to provide sufficient and diversified choices of products to our customers.” 

Some toilet paper manufacturers also confirmed that customs clearances had no effect on their freight services. Both stores and manufacturers said they are actively working to improve stock, which will become more abundant as mainland workers return from their Lunar New Year Holiday breaks. 

Still, the messages did little to alleviate fears of a shortage. Local reports said that on Thursday morning, shoppers were still waiting in long lines to stockpile products. RTHK News reported that toilet paper and rice at one supermarket in the district of Wan Chai — which had been fully restocked overnight — were cleared within 30 minutes of the store opening.

See what others are saying: (Bloomberg) (The New York Times) (Hong Kong Free Press

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95-Year-Old Woman Dies After Police Tases Her in Nursing Home

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The officer involved was suspended with pay and charged with assault.


A 95-year-old Australian woman whom police tasered in a nursing home last week has reportedly died from her injuries.

Clare Nowland, who had dementia and required a walking frame to stand up and move, was living at the Yallambee Lodge in Cooma in southeastern Australia.

At about 4:15 a.m. on May 17, police and paramedics responded to a report of a woman standing outside her room with a steak knife.

They encountered Nowland, then reportedly tried to negotiate with her for several minutes, but she didn’t drop the knife.

The five-foot-two, 95-pound woman walked toward the two officers “at a slow pace,” police said at a news conference, so one of them tasered her.

She fell to the floor and reportedly suffered a fractured skull and a severe brain bleed, causing her to be hospitalized in critical condition.

Nowland passed away in a hospital surrounded by her family, the New South Wales police confirmed in a statement today.

After a week-long investigation, the police force also said that the senior constable involved would appear in court next week to face charges of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault.

NSW police procedure states that tasers should not be used against elderly or disabled people absent exceptional circumstances.

Following the incident, community members, activists, and disability rights advocates expressed bewilderment and anger at what they called an unnecessary use of force, and some are now questioning why law enforcement took so long to prosecute the officer involved.

See what others are saying: (Reuters) (The New York Times) (CNN)

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U.K. Police Face Backlash After Arresting Anti-Monarchy Protesters

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London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that some of the arrests “raise questions” and “investigations are ongoing.”


The Public Order Act

A controversial protest crackdown law in the U.K. is facing criticism after dozens of anti-monarchy protesters were arrested during the coronation ceremony in London over the weekend.

The law, dubbed the “Public Order Act” was passed roughly a week ahead of the coronation for King Charles III. It gives police more power to restrict protesters and limits the tactics protesters can use in public spaces. It was condemned by human rights groups upon its passing, and is facing a new round of heat after 52 people were arrested over coronation protests on Saturday.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said protesters were arrested for public order offenses, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. The group said it gave advance warning that its “tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low and that we would deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining the celebration.”

It is currently unclear how many of those arrested were detained specifically for violating the Public Order Act, however, some of those arrested believe the new law was used against them.

“Make no mistake. There is no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK,” Graham Smith, the CEO of anti-monarchy group Republic tweeted after getting arrested. “I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name.”

An Attempt to “Diminish” Protests

During a BBC Radio interview, Smith also said he believes the dozens of arrests were premeditated. 

“There was nothing that we did do that could possibly justify even being detained and arrested and held,” Smith claimed. 

“The whole thing was a deliberate attempt to disrupt and diminish our protest.”

Yasmine Ahmed, the U.K. Director of Human Rights Watch, also tweeted that the arrests were “disgraceful.”

“These are scenes you’d expect to see in Russia not the UK,” she wrote. 

When asked about the controversy, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters officers should  do “what they think is best” in an apparent show of support for the Metropolitan Police. 

For his part, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he is looking into the matter.

“Some of the arrests made by police as part of the Coronation event raise questions and whilst investigations are ongoing, I’ve sought urgent clarity from Met leaders on the action taken,” Khan tweeted.

See what others are saying: (The Guardian) (CNN) (The Washington Post)

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Foreign Nationals Make Mad Dash out of Sudan as Conflict Rages

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The conflict’s death toll has surpassed 420, with nearly 4,000 people wounded.


As the 10-day-long power struggle between rival generals tore Sudan apart, foreign governments with citizens in the country scrambled to evacuate them over the weekend.

On Sunday, U.S. special forces landed in the capital Khartoum and carried out nearly 100 American diplomats along with their families and some foreign nationals on helicopters.

An estimated 16,000 Americans, however, remain in the country and U.S. officials said in a statement that a broader evacuation mission would be too dangerous.

Christopher Maier, the assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity warfare, said in a statement that the Pentagon may assist U.S. citizens find safe routes out of Sudan.

“[The Defense Department] is at present considering actions that may include use of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to be able to observe routes and detect threats,” he said.

Germany and France also reportedly pulled around 700 people out of the country.

More countries followed with similar efforts, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Canada, China, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Indonesia.

Yesterday, a convoy carrying some 700 United Nations, NGO, and embassy staff drove to Port Sudan, a popular extraction point now that the airport in Khartoum has closed due to fighting.

Reports of gunmen prowling the capital streets and robbing people trying to escape, as well as looters breaking into abandoned homes and shops, have persuaded most residents to stay indoors.

Heavy gunfire, airstrikes, and artillery shelling have terrorized the city despite several proposed ceasefires.

Over the weekend, the reported death toll topped 420, with nearly 4,000 people injured, though both numbers are likely to be undercounted.

See what others are saying: (The Guardian) (The New York Times) (The Washington Post)

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