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Amnesty International launches Hong Kong office overseas

Amnesty International launches Hong Kong office overseas

Amnesty International Hong Kong Overseas will be led by Hong Kong activists operating from different countries. Amnesty International has relaunched its Hong Kong office “in exile”, more than three years after the rights group shut its operation in the Chinese financial hub citing risks from sweeping national security legislation. The Chinese government has tightened its grip on Hong Kong after massive and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019, cracking down on political dissent with scores of activists, political opposition and journalists arrested, jailed or forced to flee. Amnesty said in a statement on Tuesday that the new office, Amnesty International Hong Kong Overseas (AIHKO), will be led by Hong Kong activists operating from several countries, including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. The AFP news agency reported that it is registered in Switzerland. Chi-man Luk, the AIHKO’s executive director, hailed the opening of the new office as “a new chapter” in Amnesty’s “commitment to human rights in Hong Kong” and its support for the Hong Kong diaspora. Amnesty had closed its two offices in Hong Kong in 2021, saying at the time that the security law “made it effectively impossible” for rights groups to work freely. Advertisement Chinese and Hong Kong authorities say the national security law – which punishes subversion, collusion with foreign forces and terrorism with up to life in prison – has brought stability to the Chinese-controlled territory since the 2019 protests. Officials also insist the legislation balances security with safeguarding the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents. Amnesty’s secretary-general, Agnes Callamard, said its new section demonstrates “our commitment to defending human rights no matter the challenges we face”. Fernando Cheung, a former Hong Kong lawmaker who joined as a board member, said top priorities include raising awareness on “prisoners of conscience” and transnational repression. “It is clear that Hong Kong’s human rights situation has continued to worsen,” said Cheung, citing the jailing of a social worker last week over a police-protester clash in 2019. As of April, Hong Kong has arrested 322 people and convicted 163 of them under two security laws – one imposed by Beijing, and another homegrown law enacted last year. Police have also issued rewards on 19 overseas pro-democracy activists. On Sunday, members of the city’s Democratic Party voted to dissolve the party that was once the city’s stalwart opposition force. Adblock test (Why?)

Russia’s Putin open to Ukraine peace deal: US envoy

Russia’s Putin open to Ukraine peace deal: US envoy

Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to a “permanent peace” deal with Ukraine, United States special envoy Steve Witkoff has said. President Donald Trump’s envoy made the claim in a TV interview late on Monday, following “compelling” talks with Putin in Saint Petersburg last week. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that agreeing terms on a deal is “not easy”, while Ukraine and its European allies have called on Washington not to be deceived by Moscow’s delay tactics regarding a ceasefire. “I think we might be on the verge of something that would be very, very important for the world at large,” Witkoff told Fox News in an interview following his meeting with the Russian leader on Friday, acknowledging that “it took a while for us to get to this place” but that he saw a deal “emerging” after five hours of talks. He also noted a potential to “reshape” the Russian-United States relationship through “commercial opportunities” that would bring stability to the region. Advertisement Friday’s meeting was the third between Russia and the US since Trump returned to the White House in January, claiming he could solve the conflict within 24 hours. Despite the flurry of diplomacy, there has been little meaningful progress on achieving a ceasefire, despite Ukraine agreeing to US proposals. Russia, however, has offered no key concessions, while continuing to bombard its neighbour. On Sunday, it launched one of the deadliest attacks of the war on the Ukrainian city of Sumy – a move Trump called a “mistake”, without elaborating. Both sides have accused each other of breaching a US-brokered agreement to pause attacks on each other’s energy facilities. Blame game Despite Witkoff’s optimistic report, Lavrov said in an interview with the Kommersant newspaper published on Monday that it is “not easy” to agree on “key components” of a peace deal. He did, however, concede that the Trump administration is trying to understand the “root cause” of the conflict, which he said was triggered by “the actions of Washington and Brussels” in having “brought the current regime to power in Ukraine”. Trump, who has alarmed Ukraine by taking on many points of Russia’s agenda regarding the war, supported that viewpoint on Monday as he told reporters that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former US President Joe Biden were responsible for starting the conflict, alongside Putin, whose forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Trump said there were “millions of people dead because of three people”. Advertisement “Let’s say Putin number one, but let’s say Biden, who had no idea what the hell he was doing, number two, and Zelenskyy,” he said, going on to dismiss the Ukrainian leader’s attempts to defend his country by obtaining missiles. “When you start a war, you got to know that you can win the war,” Trump said. “You don’t start a war against somebody that’s 20 times your size, and then hope that people give you some missiles.” ‘Mocking your goodwill’ Relations between Trump and Zelenskyy have been tense since the US president stunned the world by opening talks with Russia in February – a move critics say gave the Kremlin an edge on terms. Negotiations on a deal that would give the US priority access to lucrative minerals in Ukraine got off to a rocky start after Trump and Zelenskyy had a blazing argument in the Oval Office six weeks ago. Ukraine has been alarmed by its omission from the talks between the US and Russia. “Please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead,” Zelenskyy said in an interview for CBS’s 60 Minutes programme broadcast on Sunday. Meanwhile, Kyiv’s European allies have urged Trump and his team not to be taken in by Russia’s delay tactics in the ceasefire talks. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Monday that he hoped that, following the attack on Sumy, Trump and his administration would see that Putin was “mocking their goodwill”. Adblock test (Why?)

Nagaland Lottery Result TODAY 1pm, 6 PM, 8 PM LIVE UPDATES: Dear Godavari Tuesday 1 pm winners for April 15 DECLARED; check winners list

Nagaland Lottery Result TODAY 1pm, 6 PM, 8 PM LIVE UPDATES: Dear Godavari Tuesday 1 pm winners for April 15 DECLARED; check winners list

Nagaland Lottery Dear Mahanadi Result April 15: Every day at 1 pm, 6 pm, and 8 pm, the Nagaland State Lottery is posted here. Get the most recent winning numbers for the Nagaland state lottery and stay tuned for the draw results on DNA in real time. There is a legal lottery in 13 Indian states. These Legal States are Nagaland, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Mizoram, Kerala, Maharashtra, Goa, Manipur, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Assam. The first prize in all three lotteries of the day is a bumper of Rs 1 crore.

Josh Shapiro barely escapes assassination; why Trump should call him

Josh Shapiro barely escapes assassination; why Trump should call him

Political violence is spiraling out of control. I don’t care which party you identify with. I don’t care if you like or dislike Donald Trump. This has been building for years, and perhaps we’ve become as inured to it as we have with most mass shootings. The most prominent example, of course, is the two assassination attempts against the president. On the shooting in Butler, Pa. that grazed his ear, Trump would not have survived if he hadn’t been turning his head to point to a chart. The second attempt was foiled by the Secret Service. More than 60 years after the death of JFK, a would-be assassin’s bullet nearly changed the course of the 2024 election by taking out the man who would go on to win a second term in the White House. The photo of Trump, with a bloodied face, raising his fist became iconic. PENNSYLVANIA POLICE ARREST SUSPECT AFTER GOVERNOR’S MANSION SET ON FIRE WHILE GOV JOSH SHAPIRO, FAMILY SLEPT It’s rather embarrassing that the press moved on so quickly after a few days. Even more cringe-worthy was the way the media provided scant coverage of the man who was determined to kill Brett Kavanaugh in 2022. He had driven from California and was a block away from the Supreme Court justice’s Maryland home – with a Glock pistol, two magazines of ammunition, a knife, pepper spray and zip ties – when he called police and turned himself in.  The would-be murderer just pleaded guilty last week.  This has been going on since President Clinton tried to blame Rush Limbaugh for the Oklahoma City bombing. And since the New York Times blamed Sarah Palin for a crosshairs map never seen by the shooter who killed six people and wounded Gabby Giffords in Arizona. A retrial of her defamation suit is about to get under way. When a liberal shooter who liked Rachel Maddow opened fire at a Republican baseball practice in Virginia, badly wounding GOP leader Steve Scalise, the finger-pointing began again. Inevitably, each side tries to score political points based on the perceived motive of the shooter. And that brings me to the attempt to kill Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on the first day of Passover. The governor, who is Jewish. His family and friends are lucky to be alive.  JOSH SHAPIRO TELLS MAHER HE’S ‘DAMN PROUD’ OF BEING JEWISH, DODGES WHETHER IT FACTORED INTO VP SNUB IN 2024 It is frightening. It is infuriating. It is the epitome of anti-Semitism. The Harrisburg mansion, where Shapiro, his wife Lori and children live, was set on fire, and the 38-year-old arsonist admitted to police that he set the fires. Imagine being woken up by state police at 2 a.m., with the smell of smoke in the air, and told that you, your family and friends must immediately evacuate. Who wouldn’t feel vulnerable, no matter their title? The only reason they survived is that they were sleeping in another part of the mansion, which the arsonist had no way of knowing. The building remains badly damaged. Shapiro was clearly and justifiably angry when he said: “This type of violence is not okay. I don’t give a damn if it’s from one particular side or another. It’s not okay.”  The governor pointed out that it was the first night of Passover and members of the local Jewish community had been celebrating with him in the state dining room.  “No one will deter me or my family or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly or proudly,” he declared. Ironically, it was Shapiro who led the investigation of the attempted assassination of Trump at Butler, where a man in the crowd was killed. The president has been posting up a storm at Truth Social, including messages on Easter Week and Passover, but hasn’t said a word about Shapiro. I think Trump should call Shapiro as a way of demonstrating that he deplores political violence no matter which party is involved. FBI Director Kash Patel did call, but that’s not at the same level. The Harrisburg man told police he was “harboring hatred” for Shapiro and had he found him, he would have beaten the governor with his hammer.  His mother told the AP he was mentally ill.  PENNSYLVANIA FIRE CHIEF CREDITS CLOSED DOORS FOR SAVING LIVES DURING GOVERNOR’S MANSION ATTACK At the Free Press, Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Penn., a Republican who supports Trump, said: “When Governor Josh Shapiro and I spoke on Saturday afternoon about a potential data center investment in Pennsylvania, he ended the call by noting that he needed to go prepare for an 80-person seder which he was leading. Less than 12 hours later, he and his family were evacuated from the governor’s residence, because an arsonist had set it on fire. “The pictures of the damage to the residence are horrifying. Yet even more frightening is the trend that this attack is a part of. And if left unchecked, this trend — of using political violence to settle our differences — has the potential to destroy our republic.” SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES Now, it must be said the security was awful. This guy scales the fence and the state troopers on duty can’t stop him from reaching the mansion? And then let him get away? As for journalists, we should resist the temptation to say, well, Shapiro wasn’t hurt, let’s move on. A Jewish governor was targeted and nearly assassinated. That’s not a one-day story by any stretch of the imagination.