Top Asian News 8:54 a.m. GMT

Chinese scientist who first published COVID sequence protests after being locked out of his lab

SHANGHAI (AP) — The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China was staging a sit-in protest after authorities locked him out of his lab. Virologist Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post Monday that he and his team had been suddenly notified they were being evicted from their lab, the latest in a series of setbacks, demotions and ousters since Zhang published the sequence in January 2020 without state approval. The move shows how the Chinese state continues to pressure and control scientists conducting research on the coronavirus. News of Zhang’s protest spread widely on Chinese social media, attracting public attention.