Thousands of demonstrators marched through London on Saturday, protesting Israel's military operations in Gaza and urging the British government to stop supplying weapons to Israel.
Some roads in central London have been closed to make way for the demonstrators. Participants waved Palestinian flags and held signs with slogans such as "End the Genocide" and "Sanction Israel."
They demanded that the British government halt arms supplies to Israel, while calling for the liberation of Palestine and an end to the military operations in Gaza.
Some demonstrators stood in a row, wearing panels embroidered with the names of those killed in the Gaza conflict hanging on their chests in hopes that this would help convey the true cruelty of war.
"I'm here today to display this panel that I made, which contains the [names] of 182 people who have been killed in Gaza. The UK government should immediately stop arming Israel. They should apply sanctions according to international law," said Ghislaine, a local protester.
Protests in London call for end to arms supplies to Israel
Beijing's new-home market has been brisk since October, with higher turnover.
In some real estate sales offices, customers intending to buy a new home packed the reception areas.
Some property offices receive 200 to 300 groups of clients a day.
"We've found an 80-square-meter apartment we like and plan to sign a letter of intent to purchase it," said a local resident.
Many new-home developments have seen an increase in inquiries and in-person visits, with visitor numbers at some projects nearly doubling compared with September.
"Recently, some prospective buyers have come to view the development in the morning, shown strong interest, and returned that afternoon to sign preliminary letters of intent to purchase. Others have already reached out to us on WeChat to ask about the project's sales progress. We can feel that the market is heating up," said Xiang Xue, a real estate salesperson.
Latest data show that from October 1 to 8, transactions of newly built commercial housing in Beijing totaled 128,400 square meters, up 163 percent year on year.
"Buyers' enthusiasm has risen noticeably, helping turn more prospective interest into actual home purchases," said Wu Jing, director of Tsinghua University's real estate research center.
New-home sales in Beijing pick up since October
