HONG KONG: Democracy-friendly Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow was released from prison on Saturday after serving nearly seven months for her role in an unsanctioned gathering during anti-government protests in the city in 2019.
The 24-year-old activist and her long-time activist colleague Joshua Wong were convicted of participating in an illegal rally near the police headquarters in the Chinese-ruled city.
Wong remains in prison and the reason for Chow’s early release after being sentenced to 10 months in prison was not clear.
Some of their supporters wore black t-shirts and yellow masks and one was holding a yellow umbrella, a symbol of the protests in the former British colony since 2014.
Chow, along with Wong and Nathan Law, who has now been granted asylum in the UK, came to prominence as a teenage activist during the 2014 protests demanding universal suffrage.
• Agnes Chow was also arrested last year on suspicion of “cooperating with foreign armed forces” under the Security Act, but was not charged in this connection.
• Chow is fluent in Japanese, has a large following in Japan, especially on social media, and had traveled the country extensively prior to her arrest.
The three founded the democracy group Demosisto in 2016, which broke up hours after a controversial national security law for the city of Beijing was passed last year on fears that it could be attacked under the legislation.
The law stifled the pro-democracy movement and raised concerns about the prospect of the one country, two systems autonomy that Hong Kong was promised when it was handed over to China in 1997.
Chow was also arrested last year on suspicion of « cooperating with foreign armed forces » under the Security Act, but was not charged in this connection.
Chow is fluent in Japanese, has a sizable following in Japan, particularly on social media, and had traveled the country extensively prior to her arrest. She has often posted on Twitter in Japanese.
LONDON: Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside Downing Street in the UK capital of London on Saturday to call on the UK government to impose sanctions on Israel for last month’s bombing of Gaza.
The demonstration takes place two days before parliament will debate a petition to impose sanctions on Israel after it received more than 380,000 signatures above the 100,000 mark required for consideration.
The protest, which is also taking place on the eve of a G7 meeting of world leaders in Cornwall, is part of the Resist G7 Day of Action for International Justice organized by a coalition of groups representing the G7 countries Call for « all military security cooperation with Israel and impose targeted sanctions until Israel complies with international law, » said the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC).
Organizers said more than 8,000 people attended the protest and 185,000 people contacted MPs directly to « pressure the British government to hold Israel accountable for repeated violations of international law by sanctioning them » .
In addition, 10,000 people requested a meeting with their MPs on Wednesday to ask them to participate in the parliamentary debate on Monday and to speak out in favor of sanctions against Israel as part of a national lobby of the British NGO Friends of Al-Asqa (FOA.)).
« Over a period of 10 days, 185,000 people sent a letter we posted through our website on the back of Shiekh Jarrah and What Happened in Al-Aqsa Mosque, demanding a call for sanctions, » said Shamiul Joarder of the FOA opposite Arab News.
Israel’s 11-day campaign in Gaza followed heightened tensions in the West Bank after Israeli security forces stormed Al-Aqsa mosque several times during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, wounding hundreds of believers, while in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Jerusalem dozens of Palestinian Jerusalem are evacuated from theirs Houses evicted.
“Israel violates over 40 UN resolutions; The sanctions campaign will continue until Israel is held accountable for failure to comply with international law, ”Joarder said.
He added that over the years they have found that more people are becoming politically conscious, smart, educated and better understanding the political dynamics in the region.
And that’s a wrap
Thanks to everyone who came today. We will see you soon. #FreePalestine #Palestine #Gaza #EndTheSiege #SaveSheikhJarrah #Israelicrimes #Savesilwan #HandsOffAlAqsa #StopArmingIsrael #SanctionsOnIsrael pic.twitter.com/IO4OeX5igV
“Social media really helped see what’s happening on the ground to see apartheid in Palestine on your phone and that really made it possible for people to mobilize and understand that we are not the solution here, money to give, we need to “get politically active,” he said.
“Although the bombing in Gaza has stopped, the occupation remains and it is really welcome and a blessing that so many people are still involved, which is a little different from 2008 and 2014. I feel like people really understand just because, “There is a truce, it doesn’t mean the occupation has stopped, it doesn’t mean apartheid is over, or the settlements are over, or the colonial project is over. People understand that the occupation remains and they have to continue their campaign. »
The FOA and PSC organized the protest together with the Stop the War Coalition, the Palestinian Forum in Great Britain and the Muslim Association of Britain.
KARACHI: Pakistani authorities have closed six illegally operated Iranian schools in southwestern Balochistan Province, officials said on Saturday.
All six schools, which closed on Friday, were run by Iranian nationals in Quetta, the capital of the province bordering Iran.
« We sealed six schools that were illegally run by Iranian nationals and that taught a foreign curriculum in violation of national law, » Quetta deputy commissioner Muhammad Zuhaib-ul-Haq told Arab News.
Shabbir Ahmed, director of monitoring and evaluation for the provincial government’s Balochistan Education Foundation, said four more schools are being studied to teach a foreign curriculum.
« It is likely that the remaining four schools will also be sealed because they do not meet the requirements, » said Ahmed. « Foreign-funded schools with a foreign faculty and foreign curriculum are unacceptable. »
Both the administration and faculty of the schools were made up of Iranian nationals, he added.
It remains unclear when the schools were founded. All schools had issued « no objection » certificates in 1992, Ahmed said, but that was insufficient to operate because they had not registered with the provincial home and education authorities.
The schools caught the attention of local authorities five months ago and were asked to register properly.
« They were given a form to register, but registration was denied after failing to meet the requirements, » said Ahmed.
« If you teach in Pakistan, a sovereign state, you have to teach the Pakistani curriculum, » he added. « It is not possible to teach a foreign curriculum in a sovereign state. »
KABUL: Separate bombs hit two minivans in a predominantly Shiite neighborhood in the Afghan capital on Saturday, killing at least seven people and injuring six others, the Interior Ministry said.
The attacks were aimed at minivans on the same street in a neighborhood in west Kabul that were about 2 kilometers apart, Interior Ministry deputy spokesman Ahmad Zia Zia said.
It was not immediately clear what type of bombs were being used and no one immediately confessed to the attacks. Daesh carried out similar bombings in the area, including four attacks on four minivans earlier this month that killed at least 18 people.
The first explosion killed six people and injured two and the second explosion outside the Muhammad Ali Jinnah Hospital, which houses the majority of COVID-19 patients, killed one and wounded four.
The area where the explosions occurred is largely populated by the Hazara ethnic minority, who are mainly Shiite Muslims. Shiites are a minority in predominantly Sunni Afghanistan, and local Daesh membership has declared war on them.
Hundreds of Afghans are killed or injured each month in violence related to the country’s ongoing war. But Hazaras, who make up about 9 percent of the population of 36 million people, are left alone when deliberately attacked for their ethnicity and religion.
Violence and chaos continue to escalate in Afghanistan as the US and NATO continue to withdraw the remaining 2,500 to 3,500 American soldiers and 7,000 Allied forces. The last troops will have withdrawn by September 11th at the latest.
LONDON: Fresh from charming guides at the Summit of the Group of Seven, Queen Elizabeth II was back at her Windsor Castle residence on Saturday to watch a military parade on her official birthday.
The 95-year-old monarch sat on a podium to watch the ceremony, which despite ongoing social distancing restrictions on the state frontage did not disappoint. It was not revealed whether she was tired after meeting G-7 leaders, including US President Joe Biden, on Friday evening.
The ceremony is a gift from the Household Division of the Army Regiments, which is closely associated with the monarch. It featured soldiers who played a vital role in the COVID-19 response, as well as those who served in military operations. She could be seen beaming from ear to ear as the nine planes of the Royal Air Force Red Arrows flew by in formation, releasing their red, white and blue smoke.
The traditional Trooping the Color ceremony usually takes place in London and involves hundreds of soldiers and soldiers and thousands of spectators. However, that was not possible for the second year in a row and it was a stripped-down affair on the grounds of Windsor Castle, which is about 44 kilometers west of the capital.
It was known as Mini Trooping the Color and featured soldiers in ceremonial scarlet coats and bearskin hats. Nearly 275 soldiers and women with 70 horses were in attendance at the parade, compared to 85 soldiers who attended the ceremony last summer. A small handful of seated guests lined part of the square – a change from last year when only the military was present.
The ceremony arose from traditional preparations for battle. The colors – or flags – were worn « troops » or along the lines of soldiers so that they could be seen and recognized in battle.
Lt. Col. Guy Stone, who planned the Queen’s official birthday celebrations in the Windsor Castle Quadrangle, said he wanted to create a « memorable and uplifting day » for the monarch.
The ceremony took place a few months after the death of her 99-year-old husband Prince Philip, whose funeral also took place at Windsor Castle.
Despite mourning the loss of her 73-year-old husband, the Queen has continued to fulfill her duties, including a government-written speech at the new parliamentary session.
On Friday, she starred at a reception with the G-7 leaders and their spouses at the Eden Project, a futuristic domed botanical garden that is home to the largest indoor rainforest in the world.
She elicited laughter from her guests when she reprimanded them during a group photo: « Are you supposed to look like you’re having fun? »
Though the Queen’s real birthday is April 26th, she celebrates another in June, when British weather is hoped to be more conducive to outdoor celebrations. It’s a royal tradition that dates back to 1748 and the reign of King George II, whose actual birthday was in November.
One of the most important parts of the Queen’s official birthday is honoring those who have made a positive contribution to society.
This year’s list of honors has celebrated those who have been at the forefront of the rapid rollout of coronavirus vaccines in the UK over the past few months, credited with turning the country’s pandemic response around.
Sarah Gilbert, the professor of vaccinology at Oxford University who was instrumental in developing the vaccine for pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, and Kate Bingham, the former head of the UK’s Vaccines Taskforce, credited with the country’s successful procurement program, have both with Damehoods recognized.
Although the UK has had the highest number of virus-related deaths in Europe, with nearly 128,000 people lost, its vaccination program is considered one of the fastest and most coherent in the world.
AUSTIN, TEXAS: At least nine people were injured after a Saturday morning shooting in downtown Austin, according to officials in Texas.
The police said in a tweet that several victims had been injured. Austin-Travis County’s EMS reported in a series of tweets that at least 12 patients had been treated or transported to local hospitals.
It was not known how many of the injured could be gunshot wounds.
It was unclear what started the shooting. The police have not disclosed any suspects or arrests.
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