2020年8月10日星期一

Yahoo! News: India Top Stories - Reuters

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: India Top Stories - Reuters


'Unconstitutional slop': Democrats blast Trump's executive actions on coronavirus relief

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 08:58 AM PDT

'Unconstitutional slop': Democrats blast Trump's executive actions on coronavirus reliefHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the "kindest thing I could say" after looking at President Trump's executive orders was that he "doesn't know what he's talking about."


Biden teases VP pick: 'Are you ready?'

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 05:03 AM PDT

Biden teases VP pick: 'Are you ready?'Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden is expected to announce his running mate this week, teasing a reporter on Sunday by asking, "Are you ready?"Biden has said he will choose a woman as his vice presidential pick, with Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and former National Security Adviser Susan Rice having emerged as frontrunners. Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and California Rep. Karen Bass have also been floated by analysts as potential picks."[Biden] has a very difficult decision to make … but it's almost an embarrassment of riches," Howard University political science professor Niambi Carter told USA Today, while others have worried that Biden's delay has made his choice "messier than it should be" and pitted "women, especially Black women, against one another." Check out the seven candidates The Week's Matthew Walther believes have the best chance here.More stories from theweek.com Donald Trump's impotent tyranny California judge orders Uber and Lyft to classify drivers as employees QAnon goes mainstream


Police searched a United Airlines jet after a reportedly hallucinating passenger claimed there was a bomb on board

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 03:01 PM PDT

Police searched a United Airlines jet after a reportedly hallucinating passenger claimed there was a bomb on boardPolice officers searched the plane with passengers still on board and offloaded each piece of luggage on the plane to be checked by canine units.


Man says he wasn’t allowed into an Arkansas casino because ‘men do not carry purses’

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 09:39 AM PDT

Man says he wasn't allowed into an Arkansas casino because 'men do not carry purses'The casino has since apologized.


Fact check: Quarantine 'camps' are real, but COVID-19 camp claim stretches truth

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 10:31 AM PDT

Fact check: Quarantine 'camps' are real, but COVID-19 camp claim stretches truthAn Instagram post is correct about expansion of quarantine sites during the pandemic, but falsely claims personal information will be accessed there.


Hate crime victim arrested at protest won't be prosecuted

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 11:11 PM PDT

Hate crime victim arrested at protest won't be prosecutedA Black woman who became a leading activist in the Black Lives Matter movement after she was assaulted by a white supremacist three years ago won't be charged after her arrest early Monday fueled anger among protest leaders in Portland, Oregon, authorities said. Demetria Hester, 46, was booked on suspicion of disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer during the protest that began Sunday night. The Multnomah County district attorney's office later said Hester would not be prosecuted but offered no further details.


Riot declared as fire burns in Portland police union offices

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 11:05 AM PDT

Riot declared as fire burns in Portland police union officesA fire inside a police union building led authorities in Portland, Ore., to declare a riot and turn protesters away from the offices as demonstrations continue in the city after federal agents withdrew more than a week ago.


Where to Buy Wallpaper Online: 23 Stores With Unique Designs

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 07:21 AM PDT

'You better watch out if Trump is reelected': Critics warn new executive orders will 'defund' Medicare and social security

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 07:19 AM PDT

'You better watch out if Trump is reelected': Critics warn new executive orders will 'defund' Medicare and social securityDonald Trump's new executive orders faced swift backlash from Democrats — and even some Republicans — as lawmakers said the president was attempting to unconstitutionally bypass Congress after coronavirus relief negotiations stalled on Capitol Hill.Critics decried the president latest measures, which he announced on Saturday from his golf club in New Jersey after the US Senate hit an impasse on the negotiations for a new coronavirus relief package.


Mauritius oil spill: Fears vessel may 'break in two' as cracks appear

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 12:37 PM PDT

Mauritius oil spill: Fears vessel may 'break in two' as cracks appearThe MV Wakashio, which ran aground on a coral reef on 25 July, is now leaking oil off the island.


Sturgeon sorry for exams fiasco and admits student outrage a 'bigger problem' than grade inflation

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 11:22 AM PDT

Sturgeon sorry for exams fiasco and admits student outrage a 'bigger problem' than grade inflationNicola Sturgeon has issued an apology to teenagers hit by this year's results day fiasco and promised to fix the "unfair" system. After spending much of last week defending the arbitrary downgrading of 124,000 qualifications, under a "moderation" process put in place following the cancellation of this year's exams, the First Minister on Monday confirmed a government u-turn over results. Opposition parties said the First Minister's apology did not go far enough, and claimed the reversal was motivated by a desire to keep her under-fire Education Secretary and deputy, John Swinney, in his job. The furious row over school qualifications threatened to overshadow the reopening of Scottish schools, for the first time in almost five months, from Tuesday. Many are welcoming pupils back on a "phased" basis over the coming days ahead of a full-time return next week. The EIS, the country's largest teaching union, said a major survey of almost 30,000 members showed that only one in five were confident that schools are currently safe, with two thirds believing face coverings should be made mandatory among older pupils. However, on school qualifications, Ms Sturgeon admitted: "We did not get this right and I'm sorry for that." Details of an overhauled system will be unveiled on Tuesday at Holyrood. It is likely that many, if not all, of the 124,000 downgrades will now be reversed. Ms Sturgeon said she had come to the conclusion that the injustice and disillusionment felt by teenagers was a "bigger problem" that the impact widespread grade inflation would have on the credibility of this year's results.


Women who use marijuana during pregnancy are 1.5 times more likely to have a child with autism, according to the largest study of its kind

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 09:39 AM PDT

Women who use marijuana during pregnancy are 1.5 times more likely to have a child with autism, according to the largest study of its kindIn the largest study of its kind, marijuana use in pregnancy was linked to a 50% higher risk of having a child with autism.


Want to keep spoiling your pets during the coronavirus pandemic? Here’s the latest in 'pet tech'

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 12:00 PM PDT

Want to keep spoiling your pets during the coronavirus pandemic? Here's the latest in 'pet tech'During the COVID-19 crisis, pets get plenty of attention. Some pet tech can help you keep spoiling your cat or dog when you are with them or away.


‘He better pick a Black woman’: Biden faces Whitmer backlash

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 02:36 PM PDT

'He better pick a Black woman': Biden faces Whitmer backlashAfrican American activists and operatives say Biden would pay a steep price if he chooses a white woman for the ticket.


Appeals of Nazi camp guard conviction in Germany dropped

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 08:14 AM PDT

Appeals of Nazi camp guard conviction in Germany droppedAll appeals against the conviction of a 93-year-old Nazi concentration camp guard have been dropped, a Hamburg court said Monday, making the decision legally binding and easing the way for possible future prosecutions. Bruno Dey was convicted last month of 5,232 counts of accessory to murder in Hamburg state court — equal to the number of people believed to have been killed at Stutthof during his service there in 1944 and 1945. Because he was 17 and 18 at the time of his alleged crimes, Dey's case was heard in juvenile court and he was given a two-year suspended sentence.


Washington, D.C., police union moves to block release of body cam footage

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 01:17 PM PDT

Washington, D.C., police union moves to block release of body cam footageThe Washington, D.C., police union said on Monday it asked a court to block the mandatory release of body camera footage and names of police officers involved in shootings. The federal district passed a police reform law in July after weeks of protests in the nation's capital and across the globe against systemic racism and police brutality, sparked by the killing of African-American George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.


Senate cafeteria workers reportedly face layoffs if Congressional stalemate continues

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 01:46 PM PDT

Senate cafeteria workers reportedly face layoffs if Congressional stalemate continuesUp to 80 people who are part of the Senate cafeteria staff in the capitol could face layoffs by October if Congress can't emerge from its coronavirus relief deadlock, CNN reports.The company that employs the workers, Restaurant Associates, did not confirm the number, but did not deny issuing warnings of potential layoffs, which are the result of having to close some of its restaurants because of the pandemic.Senators told CNN they believe they will pass a bill that will fund the Architect of the Capitol — the federal agency that oversees the day-to-day function of the Capitol and has a private contract with Restaurant Associates — in time, allowing employees to continue to receive their paychecks, like the CARES Act did.Lawmakers said they were committed to protecting the workers' jobs, although Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) blamed Restaurant Associates, which he said "has been a problem to deal with," rather than his colleagues for the layoffs threat. As Murphy sees it, the company is simply trying "get more money out of the Architect of the Capitol," which he said could mean it's "time to find a vendor that's not going to use the threats of layoffs as a cajole to try to get more money." Read more at CNN.More stories from theweek.com Donald Trump's impotent tyranny California judge orders Uber and Lyft to classify drivers as employees QAnon goes mainstream


AOC slams New York Governor Cuomo over reopening schools in autumn

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 11:58 AM PDT

AOC slams New York Governor Cuomo over reopening schools in autumnCongresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has taken a swipe at New York Governor Andrew Cuomo over his decision to allow schools to open this fall, a rare case of Democrat-on-Democrat sparring during the pandemic."If it's not safe enough for indoor dining, what makes it safe enough for indoor schooling?" Ocasio-Cortez asked in a tweet. "And restaurants actually have soap in the bathrooms."


Kudlow said he 'spoke out of turn' when saying unemployment benefits can only be extended by Congress

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 09:30 AM PDT

Kudlow said he 'spoke out of turn' when saying unemployment benefits can only be extended by CongressDays before Trump signed four executive orders to bypass Congress, Larry Kudlow said he thought extending the benefits "required an act of Congress."


Xi or Tsai? Taiwan opposition jumps on US envoy's 'vocal slip'

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 12:30 AM PDT

Xi or Tsai? Taiwan opposition jumps on US envoy's 'vocal slip'Taiwan's opposition party demanded a clarification Monday after a US envoy who is visiting appeared to mispronounce the name of the island's president for her arch rival in China. Health chief Alex Azar met with President Tsai Ing-wen earlier Monday in the highest level visit to Taiwan since the United States switched diplomatic recognition to China. In his opening statement he fluffed the name of President Tsai -- pronounced "ts-eye" -- and instead said something closer to "shee".


The Georgia school that punished students for posting photos of a packed hallway says it will close for 2 days after multiple students and staff got COVID-19

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 03:04 AM PDT

The Georgia school that punished students for posting photos of a packed hallway says it will close for 2 days after multiple students and staff got COVID-19North Paulding High School superintendent Brian Otott told parents Sunday that the school would shut on Monday and Tuesday for deep cleaning.


Susan Rice on the Biden ticket would be dangerous for America, Rep. Waltz warns

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 05:32 AM PDT

Susan Rice on the Biden ticket would be dangerous for America, Rep. Waltz warnsRepublican Rep. Michael Waltz says Obama's former national security adviser as vice president would be a 'total debacle' and 'slap in the face' to the U.S. military.


Jimmy Lai: Hong Kong media tycoon held amid sweep of arrests

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 07:21 AM PDT

Jimmy Lai: Hong Kong media tycoon held amid sweep of arrestsThe arrests of Jimmy Lai and other prominent pro-democracy activists raise fears of a broad crackdown.


Coronavirus: Brazil becomes second country to pass 100,000 deaths after US

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 09:38 AM PDT

Coronavirus: Brazil becomes second country to pass 100,000 deaths after USBrazil's coronavirus death toll has surpassed 100,000, with the country's affliction showing no signs of abating as most cities reopen shops and restaurants.The nation became the second in the world to reach the grim milestone by official counts, 10 weeks after the United States.


'We have to reach an agreement': Dems, White House open to deal on COVID-19 relief despite Trump's orders

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 04:51 PM PDT

'We have to reach an agreement': Dems, White House open to deal on COVID-19 relief despite Trump's ordersPelosi said Trump's executive orders failed to accomplish the administration's own stated goals.


Retired US police officer tracks down man who shot him and escaped jail after 50 years on the hunt

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 10:20 AM PDT

Retired US police officer tracks down man who shot him and escaped jail after 50 years on the huntA retired US police officer has revealed how he finally managed to track down a man who escaped jail after shooting him almost five decades ago. Officer Daril Cinquanta first encountered Luis Archuleta in Colorado in 1971, when the notorious criminal shot him in the stomach. Archuleta was jailed over the shooting, but managed to escape from prison three years later after feigning an illness to secure a hospital visit. "It was an escape from a Hollywood script," Mr Cinquanta said, complete with "a hostage, a getaway car, an accomplice with guns." When Mr Cinquanta learned of his attacker's escape, he made it his mission to track him down. Years of calling contacts for potential leads led Mr Cinquanta to San Jose, California in the 1980s, but the trail appeared to run cold. Undeterred, Mr Cinquanta continued his search for his attacker and was rewarded with a tip off this June, 47 years after Archuleta went on the run. The tip came from an anonymous caller who suggested Archuleta was now living under the alias Ramon Montoya at an address in Española, New Mexico. Mr Cinquanta's research revealed that Mr Montoya had been charged with drunk driving in 2011 and a search of the police database showed that his mug shot matched Archuleta. "I couldn't believe it," Mr Cinquanta told CBS Denver. "I've been chasing the guy all of this time, and dead end after dead end after dead end." Mr Cinquanta, who is now retired, alerted the local police force and the FBI, who tracked down Archuleta, now 77, and arrested him on August 5.


5.1-magnitude quake hits North Carolina, causes minor damage

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 06:15 AM PDT

5.1-magnitude quake hits North Carolina, causes minor damageThe most powerful earthquake to hit North Carolina in more than 100 years shook much of the state early Sunday, rattling homes, businesses and residents. The National Weather Service in Greenville said the 5.1-magnitude temblor struck at 8:07 a.m., following a much smaller quake several hours earlier. There were no reports of serious injuries, but some minor structural damage was reported in Sparta, as well as cracks in roads.


Injured cruise ship worker ‘forgotten’ after seven months in South Florida hotels

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 04:00 AM PDT

Injured cruise ship worker 'forgotten' after seven months in South Florida hotelsFrom behind the locked window of his 10th-floor hotel room, Paúl Córdova watches dozens of airplanes take off and land each day at Miami International Airport.


Mexico's coronavirus outbreak is now the third worst in the world

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 08:31 AM PDT

Mexico's coronavirus outbreak is now the third worst in the worldThe U.S., by a wide margin, leads the globe in COVID-19 cases. But its neighbor to the south has its own alarming spike, making it the third worst outbreak in the world.Mexico has had 52,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths, The New York Times reported Monday. A widespread distrust of hospitals has made the pandemic even deadlier, as Mexicans are reportedly frequently refusing to seek treatment until their COVID-19 symptoms have worsened past the point of possible recovery, or not at all. Additionally, the tendency to avoid hospitals has made it difficult to confirm the true number of coronavirus deaths — those who die at home often aren't tested, so their deaths aren't counted as part of the official death toll. Mexico's government says there were 71,000 excess deaths this spring, deaths that aren't officially COVID-19-related but likely point to an even deadlier outbreak.Last month, nearly 70 percent of Mexicans said they would feel unsafe taking their loved ones to a hospital for coronavirus treatment, writes the Times. The fear, of course, isn't unfounded. Almost 40 percent of those hospitalized with COVID-19 end up dying, data shows, compared to less than 25 percent in New York City at the peak of the outbreak. Deaths in hospitals also happen quicker in Mexico, though doctors say that's partly because patients wait so long before arriving for treatment.The vicious cycle has many fearing that medical workers are even deliberately infecting patients or allowing them to die, though no evidence suggests that's the case. Read more at The New York Times.More stories from theweek.com Donald Trump's impotent tyranny California judge orders Uber and Lyft to classify drivers as employees QAnon goes mainstream


Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai predicted that he would be arrested under China's new national security law, but said he would still stay and fight

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 06:37 AM PDT

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai predicted that he would be arrested under China's new national security law, but said he would still stay and fightLai predicted his arrest in May, when Beijing first outlined Hong Kong's draconian new law. He is the most high-profile arrest under this law so far.


Nigerian singer sentenced to death for blasphemy in Kano state

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 12:38 PM PDT

Nigerian singer sentenced to death for blasphemy in Kano stateMusician Yahaya Sharif-Aminu broadcast a song about Prophet Muhammad in March.


Iran closes down newspaper after expert doubts official coronavirus tolls

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 07:38 AM PDT

Iran closes down newspaper after expert doubts official coronavirus tollsIran shut down a newspaper on Monday after it quoted a former member of the national coronavirus taskforce as saying the country's tolls from the epidemic could be 20 times higher than official figures, state news agency IRNA reported. "The Jahan-e Sanat newspaper was shut down today for publishing an interview on Sunday," the newspaper's editor-in-chief, Mohammadreza Saadi, told IRNA. On Sunday, the newspaper published an interview with Mohammadreza Mahboubfar, in which he said: "The figures announced by the officials on coronavirus cases and deaths account for only 5% of the country's real tolls".


Lebanon government resigns amid explosion fallout

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 03:39 AM PDT

Lebanon government resigns amid explosion falloutLebanon's government resigned during a cabinet meeting on Monday to discuss early elections following last week's catastrophic explosion in Beirut, the country's health minister has said. "The whole government resigned," Hamad Hassan told reporters at the end of the meeting. Prime Minister Hassan Diab was expected to travel to the presidential palace to "hand over the resignation in the name of all the ministers," Mr Hassan said. Pressure has mounted on the government to step down amid growing anger from a public that holds it accountable for the explosion that damaged half the capital last Tuesday. Three ministers had already offered their resignations ahead of the meeting, while Foreign minister Nassif Hitti resigned the day before blast, warning the country was at risk of becoming a failed state and the government seemed incapable of reform. Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni, a key negotiator with the International Monetary Fund over a rescue plan to help Lebanon exit a financial crisis, prepared his resignation letter and brought it with him to a cabinet meeting, a source close to him said.


As fewer students choose to enroll in the wake of coronavirus, some colleges are promising tuition-free semesters

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 09:15 AM PDT

As fewer students choose to enroll in the wake of coronavirus, some colleges are promising tuition-free semestersSome colleges are making "ninth-semester-free" promises to students, as a new survey says many students may not enroll in the fall.


Litman: New York wants to dissolve the NRA; it will probably decapitate it instead

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 03:00 AM PDT

Litman: New York wants to dissolve the NRA; it will probably decapitate it insteadEven if the NRA survives New York's lawsuit, dethroning its CEO and heaping it with humiliation and penalties will be a victory.


At least 97,000 U.S. kids tested positive for coronavirus over last 2 weeks of July

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 08:11 PM PDT

At least 97,000 U.S. kids tested positive for coronavirus over last 2 weeks of JulyDuring the last two weeks of July, at least 97,000 children in the United States tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a new report released Sunday by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association.More than seven out of 10 infections were reported in southern and western states, with the highest percent increase occurring in Missouri, Oklahoma, Alaska, Nevada, Idaho, and Montana. Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 338,000 kids have been infected.The report included data from 49 states, Washington, D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico, but not Texas or any part of New York outside of New York City, meaning the true count is likely higher. The age ranges were not the same in every state; while most considered children to be anyone 17 or younger, Alabama put the age limit at 24, while Utah and Florida put it at 14.In a separate report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), a condition related to COVID-19, disproportionately affects people of color. From early March through late July, 570 young people under 20 met the definition of MIS-C, The New York Times reports. Symptoms include fever, pinkeye, muscle weakness, and confusion, and most of the patients were previously healthy. Roughly 40 percent of patients were Latino or Hispanic, 33 percent were Black, and 13 percent were white; 10 died and about two-thirds were admitted to intensive care units.More stories from theweek.com Donald Trump's impotent tyranny California judge orders Uber and Lyft to classify drivers as employees QAnon goes mainstream


Court record in Colombia reveals Uribe's mounting legal bind

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 09:00 PM PDT

Court record in Colombia reveals Uribe's mounting legal bindThe frantic voice message to an inmate in Colombia's notorious La Picota prison came days before powerful former President Álvaro Uribe was up against a court deadline to submit witness testimony in a potentially damaging case against him. "There's a big man who wants to talk," Carlos Eduardo López, a tireless Uribe devotee, told the former paramilitary serving a four-decade sentence. Juan Guillermo Monsalve asked for details.


Chicago protests: Restrictions imposed after chaotic night of unrest

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 04:10 PM PDT

Chicago protests: Restrictions imposed after chaotic night of unrestChicago officials say over 100 arrests have been made after a night of violence and looting.


North Korea's Red Cross deploys thousands of volunteers to help cope with coronavirus, floods

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 08:32 PM PDT

84 arrests made at Sturgis Rally as governor welcomes 250,000 bikers to district

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 02:31 PM PDT

84 arrests made at Sturgis Rally as governor welcomes 250,000 bikers to districtSturgis Motorcycle Rally kicked off in the western part of South Dakota on Friday, leading to 84 arrests in one day, according to a report.The annual rally, which the city council decided would go ahead in June, has drawn thousands of bikers to the state from all over the country, many without masks or social distancing in mind.


Trump says he is considering the ‘great battlefield’ at Gettysburg for his convention speech

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 02:07 PM PDT

Trump says he is considering the 'great battlefield' at Gettysburg for his convention speechPresident Trump tweeted on Monday that he is choosing between two locations, Gettysburg, Penn. and the White House, for his speech accepting the Republican nomination, scheduled for the night of Aug. 27.


Ron Johnson Subpoenas FBI Director Wray in Probe of Crossfire Hurricane Origins

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 06:14 AM PDT

Ron Johnson Subpoenas FBI Director Wray in Probe of Crossfire Hurricane OriginsSenator Ron Johnson (R., Wisc.) subpoenaed FBI director Christopher Wray last week for documents pertaining to the Russia investigation.Johnson, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee, issued the subpoena as part of the committee's probe into the origins of the Russia investigation, dubbed Crossfire Hurricane by the FBI.The subpoena, obtained by Fox News, demands that Wray make available "all records related to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. This includes, but is not limited to, all records provided or made available to the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice for its review.""The FBI has already been producing documents and information to the Senate Homeland Security Committee, which are directly responsive to this subpoena," the FBI told Fox. "As always, the FBI will continue to cooperate with the Committee's requests, consistent with our law enforcement and national security obligations."Both the Homeland Security committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee are conducting investigations into the origins of the Crossfire Hurricane probe, whose stated aim was to uncover alleged collusion between Russian operatives and 2016 Trump-campaign officials. Intelligence officials have already declassified various documents pertaining to Crossfire Hurricane as part of the Judiciary Committee's investigation.Many of those documents were uncovered by DOJ inspector general Michael Horowitz as part of his own investigation into the FBI's applications for FISA warrants to surveil former Trump-campaign adviser Carter Page. Horowitz found "at least 17 significant errors or omissions in the Carter Page FISA applications."


Britain says arrest of media tycoon in Hong Kong shows China using new law 'to silence opposition'

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 05:31 PM PDT

Britain says arrest of media tycoon in Hong Kong shows China using new law 'to silence opposition'Britain has accused China of using the new Hong Kong national security law as a "pretext to silence opposition" after the arrest of leading media tycoon and protester, Jimmy Lai. Mr Lai's detention for suspected collusion with foreign forces is the highest profile arrest yet under the new law in Hong Kong, widely seen as a crackdown on the semi-autonomous city's freedoms by China. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said Britain was "deeply concerned" by the arrest, which also saw Mr Lai's newspaper's offices raided. "This is further evidence that the national security law is being used as a pretext to silence opposition," he said. "The Hong Kong authorities must uphold the rights and freedoms of its people." Around 10,000 people had earlier tuned in to watch a police raid on the office of Apple Daily, a Hong Kong tabloid published by Mr Lai's media company, Next Digital. Ryan Law, the editor-in-chief of Apple Daily, defied police warnings to stop filming as 200 officers streamed into the newspaper's headquarters, ignoring questions over what legal grounds they had for entering and removing plastic boxes as evidence. Officers demanded the few employees there produce identity documents and register with police. Staff were seen standing by newsroom desks decorated with bright pro-democracy protest posters, including one reading: "Who's afraid of the truth!" Among the others arrested were two of Mr Lai's sons, young pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow and Wilson Li, a former activist who describes himself as a freelance journalist working for Britain's ITV News.


bnzv