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Beijing has declared that only "patriots" should rule Hong Kong - and unveiled plans to change the city's electoral system to ensure just that. Candidates for election to the Legislative Council - Hong Kong 's parliament - will be vetted, according to the proposed changes. And elections scheduled for 2020, already postponed for a year, will be pushed back to 2022. "The rioting and turbulence that occurred in the Hong Kong society reveals that the existing electoral system in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has clear loopholes and deficiencies," said Wang Chen, vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, according to state media. The NPC, China 's annual parliament, is meeting in Beijing this week. The changes to Hong Kong's electoral system are only a proposal but will almost certainly be approved given the rubber stamp nature of the NPC. "Loopholes" is one of Beijing's favourite terms for describing aspects of … [Read more...] about Beijing declares only ‘patriots’ should rule Hong Kong as elections delayed again

What would you do if everything you thought you knew about your life turned out to be a lie? This is the bizarre situation one woman claims to have found herself in and she's garnered lots of attention on social media after sharing her story. A TikTok user who posts under the name @ayeshadav responded to the prompt by @beckysouthworth which encourages people to "tell me you should have a documentary made about your life, without actually telling me". Ayesha stitches the video and reveals that when she was 18-years-old she discovered her "entire life was a lie" and that she was actually adopted - a secret her family had kept from her. But it gets weirder... She explained: "I don't even have time to explain in 60 seconds, but I'm gonna try as this TikTok was made for me. Basically, when I was 18 I found out my entire life was a lie and I was adopted. "My dad made my mum and sister hide it from me my entire life and I found out that my mum isn't even the woman who … [Read more...] about Woman claims her life should be a documentary after discovering ‘secret adoption’

Can you touch your toes? It's one of those things that we've always thought some people could do and others just couldn't. But according to a yoga instructor, everyone can touch their toes and we've previously been doing it "wrong". In a video on TikTok, Jenna Elsie said: "Did you know that everyone can touch their toes?" She then demonstrated how most people often try to do it and is unable to reach her feet as she does so. "You're doing it wrong," she claimed, before showing the "beginner version" for those unable to touch their toes. "Bend your knees, drop your torso, release your kneck and straighten out your legs. Grab your toes if you like," she explained. More than 500,000 people watched the clip, with over 17,000 liking it and hundreds commenting. Many people admitted they tried it right away. "Not me trying it at 2am," wrote one. Another replied: "I can do that and actually keep my legs straight." A third said: "First thing I tried on TikTok … [Read more...] about Woman claims everyone can touch their toes – and we’ve been doing it ‘wrong’

The women's activist Maria Makrami has been forced into hiding, seeking refuge in a safe house. She is the director of the Afghan Women Network (AWN), a nongovernmental organization that has fought for years to empower women and ensure their equal place in Afghan society. "I know I'm on the death list," she said in an interview with DW. The well-connected activist has received several threatening emails and messages in recent months. "Our situation is frightening. Many women in our networks no longer leave their homes and are completely demoralized. After what happened yesterday in Jalalabad, I’m also completely devastated." On March 2, three women were murdered : Mursal Wahidi, Sadia Sadat and Shahnaz Roafi. They worked as announcers for Enikass, a private television station in the city of Jalalabad. On Tuesday, while walking home in broad daylight they were attacked by two armed men and shot dead in the street. Jalalabad, with a population of about 240,000, is the capital of … [Read more...] about Afghan women journalists and human rights activists are being forced into hiding

A 1% pay rise for NHS workers is "the most" the government can afford due to the economic cost of the COVID crisis, a health minister has told Sky News. The government is facing a furious backlash - led by the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer - after calling for health care staff in England to be restricted to a pay rise of 1%. Live COVID updates from the UK and across the world But Nadine Dorries said it "would be wrong to say a single person in the government does not appreciate the effort" of NHS staff, as she defended the decision not to recommend a larger pay increase. "Of course, we recognise the sacrifice and the commitment and the vocation of nurses and all health workers over the past year," the minister said. Advertisement "We've all been touched by, or personally experienced, help by NHS workers. "But I think it is important to note that the priority of the government has been about protecting people's livelihoods, about … [Read more...] about COVID-19: 1% pay rise for NHS staff ‘the most’ the government can afford, says minister Nadine Dorries