The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) did the first flag-raising ceremony of 2018 on Monday at Tiananmen Square, Beijing at 7:36 am.
This is the first time the PLA has overseen the mission of guarding China's national flag and conducting the gun salute. The ceremony used to be carried out by the armed police but will be carried out by the PLA from now on.
At 7:32 am, bugles were sounded on the Tiananmen Rostrum. Beneath it, 96 soldiers guarding a giant five-star red flag began marching toward the square.
More than 90,000 visitors braved the cold winter morning, gathered at Tiananmen Square and waited for hours just to be part of the ceremony. Together they saw the national flag be hoisted in the heart of Beijing on the first day of 2018.
LONDON (AP) — A man was arrested early Sunday after he climbed the Big Ben tower at the Palace of Westminster in central London while barefoot and holding a Palestinian flag.
The man, who appeared to be staging a protest on a ledge several meters (yards) up Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben, stepped off the building after midnight and onto a cherry picker following a long conversation with negotiators. He got into a waiting ambulance.
Traffic around the Palace of Westminster in London had come to a standstill for much of Saturday as emergency crews tried to reach the man. Negotiators were lifted up on a fire brigade ladder platform several times before eventually talking him down.
Westminster Bridge and a nearby street were closed for much of the day and several emergency services vehicles were at the scene as crowds looked on. Police also blocked off all pedestrian access to Parliament Square. A small group of supporters shouted “Free Palestine” from behind a police cordon nearby.
Officials said tours of the Houses of Parliament were canceled because of the incident.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the man has now been arrested.
“This has been a protracted incident due to the specifics of where the man was located and the need to ensure the safety of our officers, the individual and the wider public,” it said in a statement.
A man holds a Palestinian flag after he climbed up Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben at the Palace of Westminster in London, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Jeff Moore/PA via AP)
A man with a Palestinian flag after he climbed up Elizabeth Tower, at the Palace of Westminster in London, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Jeff Moore/PA via AP)
A man with a Palestine flag after he climbed up Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben at the Palace of Westminster in London. Saturday, March 8, 2025. (James Manning/PA via AP)
A man with a Palestine flag after he climbed up Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben at the Palace of Westminster in London. Saturday, March 8, 2025. (James Manning/PA via AP)
Emergency services at the Palace of Westminster in London after man with a Palestine flag climbed up Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben,Saturday, March 8, 2025. (James Manning/PA via AP)
A view of a man with a Palestine flag after he climbed up Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben, at the Palace of Westminster, in London, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (James Manning/PA via AP)
A man holds a Palestinian flag after he climbed up Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben at the Palace of Westminster in London, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Jeff Moore/PA via AP)
A man with a Palestinian flag clings to the structure after he climbed up Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben at the Palace of Westminster in London. Saturday, March 8, 2025. (James Manning/PA via AP)
Emergency servies talk to a man with a Palestinian flag after he climbed up Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben at the Palace of Westminster in London. Saturday, March 8, 2025. (James Manning/PA via AP)
Emergency workers talk to a man after he climbed up Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben, at the Palace of Westminster in London, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Jeff Moore/PA via AP)
