Six In The Morning Tuesday 11 July 2023

Family of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law taken in for questioning by police

Updated 10:39 AM EDT, Tue July 11, 2023
 

Hong Kong police searched the family home of exiled pro-democracy activist Nathan Law on Tuesday morning, taking relatives away for questioning, the city’s public broadcaster RTHK reported, citing sources.

It came just a week after police placed HK$1 million bounties on information leading to the arrest of Law and seven other prominent activists in self-imposed exile, in a move strongly condemned by rights groups and Western governments.

National security police visited the Tung Chung housing estate where Law’s family live, and took away his parents and elder brother for questioning to find out whether they provided financial assistance to Law, RTHK reported, citing police sources.

They were later released, according to RTHK.

‘Pure magic’: snow falls on Johannesburg for first time in 11 years

Residents of the South African city delight in rare snow day caused by a surge in humidity and cold temperatures

Residents of South Africa’s biggest city, Johannesburg, were stunned by the first snowfall in over a decade on Monday, with some children seeing snow for the first time.

While parts of South Africa regularly receive snow over the southern hemisphere winter months of June to August, Johannesburg last had snow in August 2012.

After getting her picture taken on Nelson Mandela Square in the financial district, Jennifer Banda told the Reuters news agency that she was pregnant the last time it snowed.

Israel: Protesters rally after judicial reform vote

Israelis opposed to an overhaul of the legal system have launched nationwide protests after the latest legislative move on the package.

Protests erupted across Israel hours after the country’s parliament approved the first reading of a controversial legal reform bill early on Tuesday morning.

Demonstrators took to the streets and blocked highways leading to Jerusalem, Haifa, and Tel Aviv as part of protests against the planned judicial overhaul. Police said at least 40 people have been arrested.

Protest leaders had announced a day of action in anticipation of the parliamentary vote, with dozens of rallies expected nationwide. 

The reform, proposed by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would remove ability of the Supreme Court to rule on the “reasonability” of government policies.

Thousands mourn Srebrenica victims as tensions in Bosnia mount

The remains of 30 victims of the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia were laid to rest Tuesday, as thousands commemorated the atrocity’s 28th anniversary against a backdrop of surging tension, with the landmark peace deal that ended the war under pressure.

Bosnian Serb forces captured the ill-fated eastern town — then a UN-protected enclave — on July 11, 1995 and in the following days summarily killed some 8,000 Muslim men and boys, in an act labelled as a genocide by two international courts.

The remains of most of the victims were later found in mass graves in eastern Bosnia, where the perpetrators moved them from original burial sites to cover up the crime.

Many of the 30 victims buried on Tuesday were identified in previous years, but the families chose to wait until more of their remains were recovered.

“Now we know where his bones are… we know where we will go to pray,” said former Srebrenica resident Nedzad Mehinovic, whose father Idriz’s remains were among those buried on Tuesday.

Hong Kong will ban more products from Japan if treated wastewater is discharged, its leader says

By KANIS LEUNG

Hong Kong’s leader warned Tuesday that the city will ban marine products from “a large number prefectures” if Japan discharges treated radioactive wastewater into the sea.

Chief Executive John Lee said in a press briefing that his government would err on the side of caution because the planned release of wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean is an unprecedented exercise.

He said he has to take the issue seriously because it affects not only the current population of Hong Kong but also the next generation.

“The action we will take, if the exercise really starts, is that we will be banning a large number (of) prefectures’ sea products,” he said. But he did not name which prefectures and what products will be affected.

Israel expels Sub Labans from their home in Jerusalem’s Old City

The family fought settler attempts to take their home for about 45 years. On Monday night, security forces evicted them.

Israeli forces and settlers have expelled a Palestinian family from their home in the occupied Old City of Jerusalem based on an Israeli court order.

The order said the family, who have lived in their home for 70 years, should be removed so settlers could take over.

When Israel occupied the eastern part of Jerusalem in 1967, the state assumed control over the property before it was transferred to a private Jewish settler organisation, Galetzia Trust, which reportedly has ties to the infamous Ateret Cohanim group.