US foes delight in criticizing US as protests flare

With US cities in flames over outrage about police brutality, nations that are usually on the receiving end of Washington's criticism on human rights are gleefully turning the tables. Condemnation of the US record on race came from China, which days earlier faced US counter-measures for tightening controls on Hong Kong, as well as Iran, where officials have been slapped with US sanctions for suppressing protests in November. The United States is experiencing some of its worst riots in 50 years with dozens of cities under curfews following the killing in Minneapolis of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man who pleaded "I can't breathe" as a white police officer pinned him under his knee for nearly nine minutes.