Monday is Memorial Day in the United States – a day set aside to honor the hundreds of thousands of U.S. servicemen and women who sacrificed their lives for their country. The holiday is also the unofficial start of the summer vacation season in the U.S., and like so much in 2020, the usual will be unusual. The flags that are flying at half-staff across the country to honor those service members will, under President Donald Trump’s orders, also be flying for the nearly 100,000 Americans who have lost their lives to the coronavirus, the world’s highest death toll from the disease by far. They include more than 1,000 veterans who the Department of Veterans Affairs says have died from COVID-19. Trump plans to place a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery and then spend part of the rest of his Memorial Day at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, where a historic battle in the War of 1812 was fought.To kick off the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, ships from around the world sailed past Fort McHenry and exchanged canon fire with re-enactors on land, but it was all for show. (S. Logue/VOA)But Baltimore Mayor Jack Young pleaded with the president not to come, saying it sends the wrong message when the mayor has urged Baltimoreans not to travel. Trump has refused to wear masks in public, and Young says Trump’s visit is not essential. Health experts and local authorities are urging people heading to the beaches and holiday picnics and cookouts to practice social distancing. White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Deborah Birx says she is “very concerned” by the pictures and video she has been seeing all weekend of people crowded together at swimming pools and other recreation sites without masks. “We know being outside does help, we know the sun does help in killing the virus, but that doesn’t change the fact that people need to be responsible and maintain that distance,” she told Fox News Sunday. “I was hoping to convey this very clear message to the American people across the country: There is a virus out there.” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Sunday his state is “decidedly in the reopening phase.” New York has been the hardest-hit state in the U.S. But Cuomo said overall, the numbers in New York are heading in the right direction. Among the reopenings in New York state this week are campgrounds, veterinarian offices, and professional sports training camps. With the city’s two major league baseball teams – the Mets and the Yankees — idle, Cuomo said having sports back is like “a return to normalcy.” But it is still unclear when Major League Baseball – one of summertime’s great traditions – will be playing again or if fans will be allowed to go to the games. France will start lifting border restrictions Monday to allow in migrant workers and tourists from other European countries. Italian beaches remain restricted to those who live in the region where the beach is located. And in Britain officials are urging people who don’t live in their community to stay away from their beaches. One sign in Brighton says, “Wish you were here — but not just yet.”
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Month: May 2020
Uighurs in US Say China Using Detained Family Members in Forced Interviews
Uighur community members in the United States are expressing skepticism after the Chinese government media in a series of separate videos showed their families in Xinjiang allegedly denouncing their detention as propaganda.
Those Uighurs say their family members, after disappearing for years, are now reaching out to them via Chinese social media platforms to discourage them from speaking out against the crackdown in Xinjiang region.
One of the Uighurs residing in the U.S., Samira Imin, told VOA that China Daily earlier this month showed her father, Iminjan Seydin, in a video on its Twitter account after he had gone missing in a Chinese detention camp for more than two years. Seydin also contacted Imin via WeChat, rejecting his detention and telling his daughter that she was “deceived by anti-China forces.””In our first online conversation on WeChat, after (nearly) three years, he is demanding me to delete my posts in the past and not publish anything on social media apps such as Twitter,” Imin, a 27-year-old medical worker in Boston, told VOA. She said she is convinced that her father has been coerced by Chinese authorities to ask her halt pro-Uighur activism.
“The Chinese government’s attempt to control my actions and thoughts through my father is not acceptable,” she said, adding “I want my father to be free from all types of state surveillance. I want to have normal conversations with him.”
‘Inciting extremism’Before his arrest in mid-2017, Seydin was a full-time professor of Chinese history at the Xinjiang Islamic Institute in the region’s capital Urumqi. At the same time, he owned a publishing organization called the Imin Publishing House, which since its inception in 2012, had printed nearly 50 books on topics such as language, education, technology and psychology.
Imin said she did not know the whereabouts of her father for months until 2019 when her contacts in Beijing said he was put in a so-called “re-education camp.” She was told Seydin was sentenced to 15 years in prison for “inciting extremism” in a secret trial.FILE – Security cameras are seen above the perimeter fence of what is officially known as a vocational skills education center in Dabancheng, in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China, Sept. 4, 2018. Critics call these centers “re-education camps.Imin has since garnered the power of social media to raise awareness about the Uighur plight and demand her father’s release who she says was arrested for publishing an Arabic grammar book.
Imin is not the only Uighur abroad who has found her family on Chinese media after being missing for years.
Kuzzat Altay, 36, found his father, Memet Kadir, in a video by China’s state media Global Times in January. The 68-year-old had been missing for about two years.
“For up to two years, I just didn’t know if he was alive or not. All of a sudden, I see my father denouncing me on Chinese state TV saying that I should stop my activism or he would sever his blood relation with me,” Altay said, adding that his father looked half paralyzed and his statements were staged.
The young Uighur activist fled Xinjiang in 2005 and moved to McLean, Virginia where he heads the Uighur American Association. He started his activism after his father, in a voice message in February 2018, told him that the Chinese police were taking him to an internment camp in Xinjiang’s capital Urumqi.
‘My father did need skills’
“My father was a healthy retired businessman and he didn’t need any skills training to find a job as China claims what the camps are for. He was capable of creating jobs, not in need of a job. But they took him in anyway,” Altay told VOA.
Confident that his father has been compelled to appear on the Chinese media, he said, “I ask China to let my father come to the U.S. and testify as he did in Global Times video.”
Rights organizations say China since late 2016 has started a systematic campaign of massive surveillance and arbitrary detention of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the northwest region of Xinjiang. The U.N. earlier this year demanded ‘unfettered access’ to the region where as many as a million people could be held.FILE – Uighur activists and their supporters rally in defense of Uighur rights in China, in front of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, in New York City, Feb. 5, 2019.The Chinese government, however, is rejecting the accusations saying it is running a “transformation-through-education centers” campaign in Xinjiang. Chinese officials have called the camps “vocational training” facilities for people who were exposed to “ideas of extremism and terrorism.” In other occasions, the officials have said the camps teach the people skills needed to undertake new jobs.
Francisco Bencosme, the Asia Pacific Advocacy Manager at Amnesty International USA, told VOA that the growing number of videos coming out of Xinjiang are the latest “harassment” effort by Beijing against vocal Uighurs abroad who are lobbying for their people in Xinjiang. He said his organization has documented many such cases which are “really chilling and extremely concerning.”
“They are just a part of a larger pattern where China has used forced confessions and coercion of family members to silence activists,” said Bencosme.
Online harassment
According to Louisa Greve, a global advocacy director for the Uyghur Human Rights Project, the attempt to undermine Uighur voices abroad is already taking a toll on the activists. She said they are “secondary survivors of this total persecution” and many of them are suffering from trauma.
“They are always being put in a dilemma of fear and guilt of whether they are causing more suffering to their family in China by speaking out. It is despicable,” said Greve.
Among the Uighurs who remained quiet for a while after she lost contact with her mother in September 2018 is Ziba Murat. She told VOA that she initially thought inaction was the best she could do for her mother. Her relatives in Xinjiang told her that her online activism could prove more harmful to their cause.
“Staying silent became unbearable,” said the Tampa, Florida-based 34-year-old corporate analyst and mother of a toddler. She said her family has yet to hear about her mother, Gulshan Abbas, who was a retired dermatologist from a hospital in Urumqi before suddenly disappearing in late 2018.
“There is still that fear inside me that I might put somebody back home in jeopardy. But If I don’t speak out then who will speak out for my mom…I will speak out more and more until they release her,” she told VOA.
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US Muslims Balance Eid Rituals With Coronavirus Concerns
With no congregational prayers or family gatherings, Salsabiel Mujovic has been worried that this year’s Eid al-Fitr celebration will pale. Still, she’s determined to bring home holiday cheer amid the coronavirus gloom. Her family can’t go to the mosque, but the 29-year-old New Jersey resident bought new outfits for herself and her daughters. They are praying at home and having a family photo session. The kids are decorating cookies in a virtual gathering and popping balloons with money or candy inside — a twist on a tradition of giving children cash gifts for the occasion.”We’re used to, just like, easily going and seeing family, but now it’s just like there’s so much fear and anxiety,” she said. “Growing up, I always loved Eid. … It’s like a Christmas for a Muslim.”Like Mujovic, many Muslims in America are navigating balancing religious and social rituals with concerns over the virus as they look for ways to capture the Eid spirit this weekend. Eid al-Fitr — the feast of breaking the fast — marks the end of Ramadan, when Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. Just like they did during Ramadan, many are resorting to at-home worship and relying on technology for online gatherings, sermons and, now, Eid entertainment. This year, some Muslim-majority countries have tightened restrictions for the holiday which traditionally means family visits, group outings and worshippers flooding mosques or filling public spaces. The Eid prayer normally attracts particularly large crowds. The Fiqh Council of North America, a body of Islamic scholars, encouraged Muslims to perform the Eid prayer at home. “We don’t want to have gatherings and congregations,” Sheikh Yasir Qadhi, who prepared the council’s fatwa, or religious edict, said in an interview. “We should try to keep the spirit of Eid alive, even if it’s just in our houses, even if we just decorate our houses and wear our finest for each other.”Qadhi, resident scholar at East Plano Islamic Center in Texas, has been dreading delivering an Eid sermon broadcast online with no worshippers.”It’s going to be very strange to dress up in my Eid clothes and to walk to an empty place and to deliver a sermon to an empty facility,” he said before the start of the holiday. “It’s going to be very, very disheartening.”But, he said, it’s the wise decision. Even as restrictions have eased, the mosque is still closed to worshippers, he said. Like a few others, it is holding a drive-by Eid ceremony to safely distribute thousands of bags of sweets and goodies to children in cars. While some are eager for mosques to reopen, Qadhi said, “We don’t want to be a conduit for the situation exacerbating. We need to think rationally and not emotionally.”A woman accept treats during a drive-through Eid al-Fitr celebration outside a closed mosque in Plano, Texas, May 24, 2020.The North Texas Imams Council, of which he is a member, has recommended mosques remain closed. He said he expected the majority of mosques to stay closed to the public, though he worries about smaller mosques re-opening.In Florida, the Islamic Center of Osceola County, Masjid Taqwa is holding the Eid prayer outdoors in the parking lot with social distancing rules in place. Guidelines posted online include worshippers bringing their own prayer rugs, wearing mandatory masks and praying next to their cars while staying at least six feet apart. Participants are told not to hug or shake hands and to listen to the sermon from their cars. “Eid is important but more important is the health of the people,” said Maulana Abdulrahman Patel, the imam. “We’ve been taking a lot of precautions,” and not acting on “sentiments or emotional feelings,” he said, adding they have been consulting with health and other officials. Major Jacob Ruiz, the major of administration at Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, said he and the sheriff met with Patel before the celebration. “They wanted to have something, and they felt it was important, but they wanted to do it with pretty much the blessing and the guidance of the sheriff’s office and the sheriff,” he said. “Everybody was in agreement that it’s going to be something that’s gonna be successful for them.” The Muslim community in the county “has been very receptive and proactive in ensuring that they keep safety guidelines,” he said.The Masjid Taqwa prayer is for men only, the mosque said, citing “constraints.” Plans for men-only prayers announced by at least one other mosque prompted objections by some about excluding women. For Masjid Taqwa, the decision to include just men was taken because having families together would make crowd control more difficult, Patel said.In Michigan, the Michigan Muslim Community Council is organizing a televised Eid ceremony. It will include the Eid sermon, greetings from local elected officials and members of Muslim communities. “People will be at home seeing each other instead of gathering in large numbers,” said council chairman Mahmoud Al-Hadidi.”It’s just to keep people connected,” he said, adding that “we’re trying to avoid any spread of the coronavirus.”Normally, Eid is an all-day celebration with large gatherings over meals and a carnival for kids, he said. “Eid is a huge thing here.”Back in New Jersey on the holiday’s eve, Mujovic and two of her daughters joined friends and others online to decorate cookies. Squeezing icing out and spreading it on cookies shaped like Ramadan lanterns or spelling out the word “EID,” the girls stopped to lick their fingers or munch on the treats.As children waved, squealed and showed off their creations, it started to feel like Eid for Mujovic. “It was nice seeing happy faces,” she said.
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Jacinda Ardern Stays Cool as Earthquake Rattles New Zealand Capital
An earthquake struck near New Zealand’s capital Monday morning, shaking many residents including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who continued with a live TV interview at the parliament building.The 5.8 magnitude earthquake was 37 kms deep and the epicenter was 30 km northwest of Levin, a city in New Zealand’s North Island close to the capital Wellington, according to Geonet.Geonet first classified the earthquake as magnitude 5.9. No damage was reported. It lasted for more than 30 seconds and caused panic in Wellington with several people in offices and homes getting under their tables for cover.The tremors started as Ardern was on TV from the parliament building, called the beehive.”Quite a decent shake here … if you see things moving behind me. The beehive moves a little more than most,” she joked on the AM Show on Newshub.Ardern assured the host that she was safe, and the interview resumed.”I’m not under any hanging lights and I look like I am in a structurally strong place,” she added.When updated later on the earthquake she said it was “not an unreasonable shake.”New Zealand lies on the seismically active “Ring of Fire,” a 40,000-km arc of volcanoes and ocean trenches girdling much of the Pacific Ocean.The city of Christchurch is still recovering from a 6.3 magnitude quake in 2011 that killed 185 people.In 2016, a 7.8 magnitude tremor hit the South Island town of Kaikoura, killing two and causing billions in damage, including in Wellington.The shaking was felt by about 37,000 people on Geonet’s app.Emergency services in Wellington City said there were no immediate reports of damage. All trains in Wellington were suspended while engineers assessed the impact, the city’s Metlink service said on Twitter.The earthquake on Monday was followed by a number of aftershocks in the area.
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Hong Kong Ex-Governor Dubs New Security Law a ‘Wake-Up Call’
Britain and other Western countries have been naive in thinking they can tame China’s Communist leaders by “cozying up” to them, says Britain’s last governor of Hong Kong. As protests rage in Hong Kong over a new security law, Christopher Patten says successive governments have fallen for a myth about China “that somehow at the end of all the kowtowing there’s this great pot of gold waiting for us.” “We keep on kidding ourselves that unless we do everything that China wants we will somehow miss out on great trading opportunities. It’s drivel,” he told Britain’s The Times newspaper on Saturday. In an excoriating interview, focused mainly on Hong Kong and the Chinese government’s decision this week to sidestep the island’s legislature and to force through a new draconian national security law that would allow Beijing to stifle political dissent in the enclave, Patten said,“ What we are seeing is a new Chinese dictatorship.” Patten, who served in the Cabinets of British prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, and is now chancellor of Oxford University, oversaw Britain’s handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. He was Britain’s lead negotiator in the talks that led to the Joint Declaration, an international treaty meant to guarantee political and economic freedoms in Hong Kong until 2047. The declaration established the principle of “one nation-two systems.” His intervention came as clamor mounted in Britain’s parliament for a review of the country’s relationship with China. British lawmakers accuse China of using the coronavirus pandemic, which they say spread globally as a result of Beijing’s efforts to cover up the initial outbreak, to extend its global reach. A newly-formed Conservative group in the House of Commons called the China Research Group, is urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to take a robust line with China’s communist leaders, saying that Beijing’s move to stamp out political opposition in Hong Kong should serve as a “final wake-up call.” Hong Kong Police Use Force to Disperse Rally Against Beijing Security LawChina reveals plans to bypass Hong Kong’s legislature to impose a new national security law to prevent and punish acts of ‘secession, subversion or terrorism activities’Last week British newspapers reported that Johnson had instructed officials to draft plans to end Britain’s reliance on China for vital medical supplies and other strategic imports in light of the coronavirus crisis. According to a recent think tank report, Britain is strategically dependent on China for 71 critical goods categories. These include pharmaceutical ingredients and consumer electronics including mobile phones and laptops, according to trade data analyzed by the Henry Jackson Society, a foreign policy think tank based in London. Prime Minister Johnson is also reportedly considering reversing a previous decision and to reduce the role of Chinese tech giant Huawei in the building of Britain’s future 5G phone network. U.S. officials have been urging London for months on security grounds to block Huawei from participating in the development of the network. Patten welcomed the idea of possibly excluding Huawei’s involvement, saying,“ If people argue we should deal with Huawei because they’re just like any other multinational company, that is for the birds: if they come under pressure from the Communist government to do things which are thought to be in Beijing’s interest they will do it.” “We need an urgent rethink of our approach,” says Neil O’Brien, a Conservative lawmaker and co-founder of the China Research Group. He and other like-minded MPs are now calling for the British government to offer political asylum to any citizens of Hong Kong who fear the loss of basic rights such as freedom of speech and to make it easier for Hong Kongers to live and work in Britain. On Friday, Dominic Raab, Britain’s foreign secretary, issued a joint statement with his Canadian and Australian counterparts expressing “deep concern.” The foreign ministers said:“ Making such a law on Hong Kong’s behalf without the direct participation of its people, legislature or judiciary would clearly undermine the principle of ‘one country, two systems ’under which Hong Kong is guaranteed a high degree of autonomy.” Their condemnation was echoed by Mike Pompeo, the U.S. secretary of state. China has defended the new security law for Hong Kong, saying that pro-democracy agitation in Hong Kong poses a security risk to the whole of the country. Analysts say while the world is distracted by the coronavirus pandemic, Beijing is becoming more expansionist. Critics note that last week the National People’s Congress reaffirmed its traditional goal to “reunify” with Taiwan, but for the first time dropped the word “peaceful” in the text outlining the aim. The omission has rattled Taiwan. According to Chinese media reports, a war games exercise is being planned by the People’s Liberation Army in the coming weeks which will involve a simulated large-scale landing on Taiwanese territory. “It’s not just Hong Kong,” says Patten. “We need to have a review across government and get real. China cheats, it tries to screw things in its own favor, and if you ever point this out these ‘wolf warrior ’diplomats try to bully and hector you into submission. It’s got to stop otherwise the world is going to be a much less safe place and liberal democracy around the world is going to be destabilized,” he warned.
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Bomb Blast in Somalia Kills 4 During Eid Celebrations
At least four civilians were killed and more than 15 others were wounded in a bomb blast during Eid al Fitr celebrations outside the Somali town of Baidoa, witnesses said.Two of the dead are children, according to reports from the scene.
The explosion occurred on Sunday afternoon as people performed traditional dances in a field near an internally displaced persons camp north of the town.
Somalia observed Eid al Fitr on Saturday but festivities continue for three days according to Islamic traditions.
A security official who could not be named says celebrations were held in the field Saturday without incident. He said he believes the bomb was planted before celebrations continued for a second day Sunday.
Earlier on Sunday, a police general survived a roadside explosion targeting his vehicle in Mogadishu. General Ali Hersi Barre and his bodyguards escaped unhurt following the explosion.
General Barre is the acting chief of the health department of the national police. He was targeted on May 20 when a similar roadside explosion hit his vehicle. Gen Barre was not in the vehicle, but one of his bodyguards was killed and three other people were wounded.There was no immediate claim responsibility for either attack Sunday, but security officials suspect al-Shabab was behind the blasts.
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US May Impose Sanctions on China Over Hong Kong
Washington may impose sanctions on China over a new proposed law on security in Hong Kong, White House National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said Sunday.
“It looks like, with this national security law, they’re going to basically take over Hong Kong,” O’Brien said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“And if they do … Secretary [of State Mike] Pompeo will likely be unable to certify that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy and if that happens there will be sanctions that will be imposed on Hong Kong and China,” he said.WATCH: What is the U.S. prepared to do if Beijing goes through with moving Hong Kong away from a democracy? #MTP@robertcobrien: “There will be sanctions. It’s hard to see how Hong Kong will remain the Asian financial center … if China takes over.” pic.twitter.com/Bma3Ya5mPq— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) May 24, 2020
China Friday revealed its plan to bypass Hong Kong’s legislature to impose a national security law on Hong Kong to prevent and punish acts of “secession, subversion or terrorism activities” that threaten national security.
The move, which would also allow Chinese national security factions to set up agencies in Hong Kong, has been widely criticized around the world, with the U.S. threatening consequences for China.
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Trump Again Tweets Conspiracy Theory Linking TV Host to a 2001 Death
U.S. President Donald Trump is rekindling one of his long-running conspiracy theories, that a Republican congressman turned television critic of his played a nefarious role in the death of a young woman in 2001.
Trump tweeted twice over the weekend about the death of aide Lori Klausutis in the Florida congressional office of Joe Scarborough shortly before Scarborough left Congress and later became an MSNBC television talk show host.Scarborough often interviewed candidate Trump on his “Morning Joe” show as he ran for the presidency in 2016, but more recently, along with his wife and show co-host Mika Brzezinski, has become a thorn in Trump’s side as he faces a re-election contest in November.Earlier in May, Trump tweeted, ““When will they open a Cold Case on the Psycho Joe Scarborough matter in Florida. Did he get away with murder? Some people think so.”Then, on Saturday, Trump tweeted, “A blow to her head? Body found under his desk? Left Congress suddenly? Big topic of discussion in Florida…and, he’s a Nut Job (with bad ratings). Keep digging, use forensic geniuses!”A blow to her head? Body found under his desk? Left Congress suddenly? Big topic of discussion in Florida…and, he’s a Nut Job (with bad ratings). Keep digging, use forensic geniuses! https://t.co/UxbS5gZecd— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 24, 2020On Sunday morning, Trump added another tweet: “A lot of interest in this story about Psycho Joe Scarborough. So a young marathon runner just happened to faint in his office, hit her head on his desk, & die? I would think there is a lot more to this story than that? An affair? What about the so-called investigator? Read story!”A lot of interest in this story about Psycho Joe Scarborough. So a young marathon runner just happened to faint in his office, hit her head on his desk, & die? I would think there is a lot more to this story than that? An affair? What about the so-called investigator? Read story! https://t.co/CjBXBXxoNS— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 24, 2020Trump tweeted about the case at least as far back as 2017. But a coroner found no evidence of foul play, ruling that that the 28-year-old Klausutis died because of a heart problem, causing her to hit her head on her desk. Scarborough was in Washington at the time she died.Trump has long traded in debunked conspiracy theories.Perhaps his most discredited theory was that former U.S. President Barack Obama was not born in the U.S. state of Hawaii and shouldn’t have been eligible to become the country’s leader, a claim Trump eventually acknowledged was wrong as he ran for the presidency in 2016. Trump also claimed that he saw Muslims in a television report celebrating the Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida terrorist jetliner attack on the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center by dancing on the rooftop of a building in neighboring New Jersey. No such television report has been found.
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UK’s Johnson Won’t Fire Adviser Over Lockdown Violations
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is defending one of his top advisers who has come under scrutiny for violating travel lockdowns.
Johnson said he would not fire adviser Dominic Cummings, who drove 400 kilometers to his parents’ house from London while he and his wife were sick with the novel coronavirus.
Opposition politicians have called for Cummings’ resignation or dismissal as he violated clear restrictions on any trips outside of one’s primary residence, other than for essential business.
British regulations also demand that anyone showing signs of COVID-19 self-isolate.
But Cummings said that he had to travel when he realized he and his wife were becoming sick in order to ensure that his four-year-old son would be looked after.
In a press conference Sunday, Johnson defended Cummings’ actions, saying he acted “responsibly, legally and with integrity” and “followed the instincts of every father and every parent.”
But even some members of Johnson’s own conservative party have said Cummings should be dismissed.
“Dominic Cummings has a track record of believing that the rules don’t apply to him and treating the scrutiny that should come to anyone in a position of authority with contempt. The government would be better without him,” MP Damian Collins wrote on Twitter.Dominic Cummings has a track record of believing that the rules don’t apply to him and treating the scrutiny that should come to anyone in a position of authority with contempt. The government would be better without him.— Damian Collins (@DamianCollins) May 24, 2020 Britain has recorded the second-highest death toll from COVID-19 in the world, with over 36,000 deaths from the virus.
Johnson was the first world leader to test positive for the disease but returned to work after weeks of recovery.
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Hong Kong Police Fire Tear Gas, Water Cannon on Protesters Rallying Against Beijing’s Security Law Plan
Hong Kong police fired tear gas and used water cannon and pepper spray Sunday on thousands of protesters who turned out in droves to demonstrate against Beijing’s plan to impose national security laws on the Asian financial hub.China Friday revealed its plan to bypass Hong Kong’s legislature to impose a national security law on Hong Kong to prevent and punish acts of “secession, subversion or terrorism activities” that threaten national security.The move, which would also allow Chinese national security organs to set up agencies in Hong Kong, has been widely criticized around the world, with the U.S. threatening consequences for China.On Sunday afternoon, thousands congregated in the downtown shopping districts of Causeway Bay and Wanchai, chanting anti-government slogans and singing “Glory to Hong Kong” – an unofficial anthem of the ongoing anti-government protest movement, which started last June.Pro-democracy protesters march during a protest against Beijing’s national security legislation in Hong Kong, May 24, 2020.The unapproved demonstration was originally intended to protest against another controversial law that would criminalize the mockery of the Chinese national anthem, but China’s plan to introduce national security law revealed in last week’s annual parliamentary meeting prompted more people to turn up on Sunday.In contrast with the jovial atmosphere of approved protests in the past, a sense of nervousness and despondency pervaded in the unsanctioned protest Sunday, as protesters said they felt helpless in the face of the imminent enactment of the national security law, which is almost certain to pass next week at China’s National People’s Congress.“I know it’s dangerous to come out today, but I am here precisely because the national security law is so dangerous,” said a said a 63-year-old wheel chair-bound man named Wong, who would not give his first name.A 64-year-old woman who would not reveal her name said she wanted to “support our young people.“I feel so sorry for our children and grandchildren, they have to live under China’s national security law,” she said.Riot police detain a protester during a demonstration against Beijing’s national security legislation in Causeway Bay in Hong Kong, May 24, 2020.A young father dressed in black who was holding the hands of his two young sons said, “We have done no wrong. It’s them who are afraid, not us.”A young man waved a flag emblazoned with the message “Hong Kong Independence” and said he wanted to do “the right thing,” even if it meant going to jail under the new law forced upon Hong Kong.Most of the slogans protesters chanted, such as “Rejuvenate Hong Kong, revolution of our time” or “Fight for freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” were often used in past protests, but the slogan “Hong Kong Independence, the only way” was heard for the first time, indicating people’s increasing antagonism towards China.Until now, protesters over the past year largely targeted the Hong Kong government, as the controversial extradition law which triggered the protests was supposedly initiated by the city’s own government.Police fired the first shot of tear gas 30 minutes into the initially peaceful rally, driving protesters running into side streets as shops and buildings hurriedly shuttered. Police later unleashed water cannon on protesters. Some protesters smashed traffic lights, blocked traffic with trash bins, traffic cones and railings, dug up bricks, and set small fires. Anti-government protesters run away from tear gas during a march against Beijing’s plans to impose national security legislation in Hong Kong, China, May 24, 2020.The police anti-riot vehicle shot out several bursts of a clear liquid in mid-afternoon, while more rounds of tear gas was fired on busy shopping streets. Police said some officers retreated after firing multiple rounds of tear gas, because people started throwing objects at them. They also shot pepper-balls.Police said at least three officers were hurt after they were allegedly struck by bricks thrown at the police. They said glass bottles were thrown down from buildings. By late afternoon, the police said, more than 120 people had been arrested, mostly on illegal assembly charges.“Police are taking resolute action to make arrests and to stop the unlawful and violent acts,” a statement said.Earlier in the day, more than 20 pro-democracy politicians and activists staged smaller protests in groups of eight, to comply with social distancing rules in front of China’s liaison office against the proposed national security law.”Under a tyrant, nobody is safe,” former legislator Leung Kwok-Hung said. “Under the state security law, nobody is safe.”
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New York Times Marks ‘Incalculable Loss’ in US COVID Deaths
The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus is expected to reach 100,000 in a few days. To mark the solemn landmark, the front page of the print version of the Sunday New York Times is a simple list of names of dead victims of the disease and brief personal details about them scoured from media around the country. Sunday’s headline is “U.S. Deaths Near 100,000, An incalculable Loss.” The U.S. death toll early Sunday was more than 97,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. The global total of COVID-19 infections has risen to more than 5.3 million, according to Johns Hopkins University, with more than 342,000 deaths. A medical worker in protective suit conducts tests for residents in Wuhan, the Chinese city hit hardest by the coronavirus disease, Hubei province, China, May 15, 2020.China, the country where the coronavirus outbreak began, reported no new infections Saturday, the first time since it started reporting cases in January. The pandemic has countries struggling to keep people safe while simultaneously reopening their economies, and has disrupted collective celebrations by Muslims throughout the world observing the end of Ramadan, as well as the Memorial Day holiday weekend in the U.S., when millions traditionally head to beaches and national parks. The U.S. continues to be the epicenter of the contagion with 1.6 million cases, nearly one-third of all cases worldwide. Gravediggers bury an alleged COVID-19 victim at the Vila Formosa Cemetery, in the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 22, 2020.Brazil comes in second with more than 347,000 infections, followed by Russia with almost 336,000 cases. “In a sense South America has become the new epicenter of the disease,” said Michael Ryan, director of the WHO emergency program. “The most affected is clearly Brazil at this point,” he added. Brazil’s Health Secretary Wanderson de Oliveira announced Sunday that he would resign the following day. De Oliveira attempted to resign last month but stayed on at the request of then-health minister Luiz Mandetta, who was shortly thereafter fired by Brazil’s president. The country’s Health Ministry has been at odds with President Jair Bolsanaro, who has rejected recommendations by health experts in favor of protecting the economy. Brazil and Mexico reported record numbers of cases and fatalities almost every day this week, reinforcing criticism that their presidents failed to impose more stringent lockdowns measures. However, in Chile, Ecuador and Peru, which put in place early and aggressive containment measures, infections also continued to climb, overwhelming intensive care units in those countries. Beaches are beginning to open in a few places to domestic tourists in Europe. On Sunday, beaches at La Grande Motte in southern France opened with a two-day wait list, but parks in Paris remained closed. Municipal police officers wearing face masks talk to a woman, at the Promenade des Anglais, as they check that safety restrictions are being practiced, after France reopened its beaches to the public in Nice.Germans will be allowed to visit the Baltic Sea coast beginning Monday. A few dozen people gathered in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on Sunday to receive the traditional blessing for the first time in nearly three months.Pope Francis waves to people at St. Peter’s Square after the Regina Coeli prayer, which was held without public participation due to the COVID-19 outbreak, at the Vatican, May 24, 2020.The pope has been delivering a virtual message streamed on the internet from his library for the past few months, moving on to bless an empty square. European Union countries are planning to reopen their borders especially to migrant workers in the coming weeks, though it is unclear when they may allow intercontinental travel.
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US Begins to Reopen, but Coronavirus Concerns Remain High
A key U.S. coronavirus official voiced serious concerns Sunday about Americans failing to take the highly contagious disease seriously enough as the country begins to reopen its commercial and recreational life. Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, told the “Fox News Sunday” show, “I’m very concerned about people going out without social distancing,” staying at least two meters away from others to curb the chances of passing on the disease. “We have to have social distancing if they’re in groups,” she said. “They don’t know if they’re asymptomatic” and could unwittingly pass on the virus. “We want to urge people to hike, golf, play tennis,” but to do it safely by maintaining an appropriate distance from other people, she said. With the U.S. world-leading coronavirus death toll likely to top 100,000 within a week, President Donald Trump erroneously claimed on Twitter, “Cases, numbers and deaths are going down all over the Country!” Cases, numbers and deaths are going down all over the Country!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) US President Donald Trump leaves after speaking to the press on May 22, 2020, in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC. Trump urged state governors to allow places of worship to reopen immediately.Trump on Friday ordered the country’s 50 state governors to reopen houses of worship although legal experts say he lacked the authority to do so. In some states, coronavirus restrictions allowed stores and restaurants to begin to reopen with restrictions but not churches, synagogues and mosques. “In America, we need more prayer, not less,” Trump said. But Birx offered a cautionary note for worshippers, saying, “Although it may be safe for some to go to church, it may not be safe for those with [health] vulnerabilities.” She deplored some shoppers who have refused to wear face masks in stores, who claimed they had the constitutional freedom in the U.S. to defy store employee requests to do so. “There’s clear scientific evidence” that people without masks can pass on the virus to others, Birx said. “A mask does prevent others from becoming infected.” More than 38 million laid-off U.S. Workers — nearly a fourth of the country’s labor force — has filed for unemployment compensation over the last nine weeks. The official unemployment rate in April was 14.7%, but officials predict that it could top 20% in May, when the official count for the month is released in early June. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told CNN he believes it is quite possible the national unemployment rate will still be in double digits when Trump faces reelection Nov. 3 against the presumptive Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden. FILE – People wait in line for help with unemployment benefits in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 17, 2020.Hassett said the country’s economic recovery will be well underway in the second half of the year, but that “unemployment is something that will move back slower. If there were a [coronavirus] vaccine in July I’d be way more optimistic.” U.S. health officials had originally suggested that it was not likely that a coronavirus vaccine would be available until well into 2021. But Birx said the availability of a vaccine could be reached in late 2020 or early 2021. She said the push for the rapid development of a cure by several companies in the U.S. and elsewhere and the early production of the “most promising candidates” even before health officials have concluded that they are safe and effective could advance the timetable for inoculations.
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Public Returns to St. Peter’s Square; Pope Calls for Defense of Environment
The public returned to St Peter’s Square on Sunday to receive Pope Francis’s blessing from his window for the first time in nearly three months as he convoked a year of reflection on the environment.Only a few dozen people went to the square, which was reopened on Monday along with St Peter’s Basilica following coronavirus lockdowns. They kept to social distancing rules and most wore masks.Francis delivered his message via the internet from his library, as those in the square watched on large screens, and then went to the window for the silent blessing. In the past three months, he has blessed an empty square.Sunday was the fifth anniversary of his encyclical “Laudato Si” on the care of the environment, which called for a reduction of fossil fuels and backed the majority scientific consensus that human activity is partly to blame for global warming.He urged Catholics to reflect on the environment for the next twelve months, how they can better protect it and how to help those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.He also sent special greetings to Catholics in mainland China on the day they celebrate a national religious feast day.Catholics in China are emerging from more than half a century of division which saw them split between a state-backed “official” Church and a “non-official” underground Church loyal to Rome.In 2018, the Holy See and Beijing signed a historic pact on the naming of bishops, meaning all bishops recognized the pope’s authority.But there have been hiccups. In June, the Vatican asked Beijing to stop intimidating clergy who refuse to sign an official government registration.The deal, which is up for renewal in September, has split Catholics in China and around the world, with some critics saying the pope caved in to the Communist government.
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Europeans Soak up The Sun But Virus Travel Rules a Mishmash
Europeans and Americans soaked up the sun where they could, taking advantage of the first holiday weekend since coronavirus restrictions were eased, while European governments grappled with how and when to safely let in foreign travelers to salvage the vital summer tourist season.Yet even as social distancing rules spread families and friends out Sunday across beaches and parks, the virus remained a constant threat. The United States was on track to surpass 100,000 coronavirus deaths in the next few days, while Europe has seen over 169,000 dead, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.The New York Times marked the horror by devoting Sunday’s entire front page to a long list of names of those who have died in the pandemic in the U.S. under a headline that called it “An Incalculable Loss.”President Donald Trump played golf at one of his courses during the Memorial Day weekend as he urged U.S. states to reopen their coronavirus lockdowns. However, many Americans were cautious as the number of confirmed cases passed 1.6 million nationwide.Across Europe, a mishmash of travel restrictions appears to be on the horizon, often depending on where travelers live and what passports they carry. Germany, France and other European countries aim to open their borders for European travel in mid-June but it isn’t clear when intercontinental travel will resume.Spain, one of the worst-hit countries in the pandemic and also one of the world’s top destinations for international travelers, says it won’t reopen for foreign tourists until July. To boost the economy, the country’s leader has encouraged Spaniards to “start planning their vacations” for late June inside Spain.“Come July, we will allow the arrival of foreign tourists to Spain under safe conditions,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said. “We will guarantee that tourists are not at risk and that they don’t represent a risk (to Spain).”For now, travel between Spain’s provinces isn’t allowed and many other restrictions remain — although on Monday, residents in worst-hit Madrid and Barcelona will be able to join the rest of the country in dining outdoors at bars and restaurants, which can offer only 50% of their usual tables.Also Monday, local sunbathers and swimmers will be permitted in some of Spain’s coastal provinces. The number of beach-goers will be limited and umbrellas must be at least 4 meters (13 feet) apart.In Germany, domestic tourists will be allowed to return Monday to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state in the northeast — home to the country’s Baltic Sea coast — and to hotels in Berlin, the popular capital. But tourism campaigns will require a new approach.“We don’t think people want closely packed big-city bustle at the moment,” Burkhard Kieker, the chief of visitBerlin, told RBB Inforadio. His agency has launched a campaign showing “how much green space and how much water there is” in Berlin.In Paris, where all city parks remain closed, locals soaked up the sun along the embankments of the Seine River and lounged on ledges outside the Tuileries Gardens. In some spots, people sat safely spaced apart. Elsewhere, groups of maskless teens crowded together, shrugging off social distancing rules.Beginning Monday, France is relaxing its border restrictions, allowing in migrant workers and family visitors from other European countries. But is calling for a voluntary 14-day quarantine for people arriving from Britain and Spain, because those countries imposed a similar requirement on the French.Italy, which plans to open regional and international borders on June 3 in a bid to boost tourism, is only now allowing locals back to beaches in their own regions — with restrictions.In the northwestern Liguria region, people were allowed a dip in the sea and a walk along the shore, but no sunbathing. In Savona, a dozen people were fined for violating sunbathing bans. Rimini, on Italy’s east coast, attracted beach-goers beginning at dawn, and many sat in widely spaced groups. Still, authorities had to work at enforcing distancing on a popular beach in Palermo.”We cannot forget that the virus exists and is circulating,” deputy health minister Pierpaolo Sileri told Sky TG24. “Even if the numbers of new cases are low, we must respect the rules.”For the first time in months, well-spaced faithful gathered in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square for the traditional Sunday papal blessing. Some 2,000 Muslims gathered for for Eid al-Fitr prayers at a sports complex in the Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret, carefully spaced 1 meter apart and wearing masks.Beachside communities along England’s coast urged Londoners and others to stay away after rules were eased to allow people to drive any distance for exercise or recreation. The southern coastal city of Brighton put it: “Wish you were here — but not just yet.” Wales kept up its “Later” tourism campaign, reminding people that its hotels, restaurants and tourist sites were still closed.In the U.S., restrictions eased state-by-state although hundreds of people are still dying from COVID-19 every day. New Orleans stirred back to life as some of its famed restaurants and businesses opened for the first time in over two months. In California, where many businesses and recreational activities are reopening, officials in Los Angeles County said they would maintain tight restrictions until July 4.New York state reported its lowest number of daily coronavirus deaths — 84 — in many weeks in what Gov. Andrew Cuomo described as a critical benchmark.Officials in China, where COVID-19 was first detected late last year, hit back at criticism of the country. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said any lawsuits brought against China over the the virus have “zero factual basis in law or international precedence.”Wang told reporters Sunday that China was a victim of the pandemic alongside other countries.“To our regret, in addition to the raging of the new coronavirus, a political virus is also spreading in the U.S., which is to take every chance to attack and discredit China, “Wang said. “Some U.S. politicians, heedless of basic facts, have fabricated too many lies and plotted too many conspiracies.”The director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology said claims that the pandemic originated there are a “pure fabrication.””We didn’t even know about the existence of the virus, so how could it be leaked from our lab when we didn’t have it?” Wang Yanyi was quoted as saying by state media.Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have repeatedly said they suspect the virus was somehow released from the laboratory in Wuhan. Most scientists say the pathogen was passed from bats to humans via an intermediary species likely sold at a market in Wuhan late last year.Worldwide, more than 5.3 million people have been infected and 342,000 have died, according to the Johns Hopkins tally that experts say under-counts the true toll of the pandemic for a number of reasons.
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Moroccans Trapped in Spain for 2 Months Head Home at Last
It’s a reverse migrant crisis: Moroccan workers trapped in Spain are begging their own government to let them come back home. Construction worker Mohammed Benali is among hundreds of Moroccans who headed to their jobs in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta one day in March thinking they’d be home for dinner — but instead they found themselves trapped for more than two months by Morocco’s abrupt and unusually strict border closures to keep out the virus. They have slept in a parking lot, gyms, mosques, churches or with generous employers. One stranded woman gave birth. A few were so desperate they jumped into the Mediterranean Sea to swim home. At last, Morocco is starting to allow them back. Benali, who reached Moroccan soil on Friday, was so shaken by the experience that he told The Associated Press: “I’ll never return to Ceuta again.” Others are still stuck, their return dates uncertain. While countries around the world closed their borders to foreigners to keep out the virus, Morocco went even farther, barring its own citizens from coming home in hopes of limiting the risk of coronavirus arriving on Moroccan soil and overwhelming its underprepared hospitals. That left more than 21,000 Moroccans stranded around the world. They include legal workers in the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla who live in Morocco and work in Spain in construction, commerce, or as domestic employees, as well as undocumented migrants whose jobs have dried up amid economic shutdowns and Moroccan tourists whose visas have now expired. When she was nine months pregnant, Houria Douas went to Ceuta to visit her brother and buy baby clothes but ended up getting stuck. She gave birth to her firstborn in a Ceuta hospital because Morocco wouldn’t allow her to come home. Hospital workers “would look at me with pity and tell me it’s in the hands of the Moroccan government,” she said. During childbirth, Douas, who does not speak Spanish, struggled to breathe through her mask and to understand the doctor and nurses. She was told that her newborn boy couldn’t be vaccinated because Douas does not have Spanish residency papers. After weeks of waiting, good news came Friday: Benali, Douas and her baby were listed along with about 200 people eligible to return to Morocco. Spanish authorities said 300 people would be allowed back in Morocco from Ceuta. But the stranded Moroccans say hundreds of others still remain, staying in sports complexes and a mosque. It’s unclear when they will leave. The lucky ones waited for eight hours Friday in a parking lot in Ceuta for buses to take them home. When they crossed the border into the nearby Moroccan city of Fnideq, they were separated into groups and taken to separate hotels where they were tested for the virus. Spanish authorities said they would be isolated in the hotels for two weeks. “The first thing I’ll do after the quarantine is get my newborn his vaccination shots,” Douas said. Aberrahim Ennaw, a Moroccan who is still stuck in Ceuta, and says anxiety among the remaining Moroccans is intense. “We were not given any information on repatriation,” he said. “The Spanish and Moroccan authorities do not communicate with us at all.” Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othman announced last week that repatriation plans are “finally ready,” but details are only slowly trickling down to those trapped in Ceuta. Moroccan authorities cited the heavy virus toll in Europe, which has now seen more than 169,000 coronavirus deaths, as a reason for the tough border closure. They said they would only start allowing people when it is safe for them and Morocco. Some Ceuta residents opened up their houses, shops, and garages for the stranded Moroccans. Churches in southern Spain also housed those who couldn’t go home. The Moroccans appealed to their king for help, and held small protests earlier this month in Spain and France. At least a dozen Moroccans swam in April in the chilly Mediterranean from Ceuta around the border checkpoint to the nearby Moroccan town of Fnideq, according to the president of the Northern Observatory of Human Rights, Mohammed Ben Aissa. As the virus raged across Spain, France and Italy, Ben Aissa said smuggling networks even offered to bring undocumented Moroccan migrants back to their relatives in Morocco — for a fee. But he said no families took smugglers up on the offer. Authorities in Morocco and Spain could not confirm the report. Two Moroccans trapped in Spain’s North African enclave of Melilla even climbed a border fence to go back home, according to the Moroccan Human Rights Association in the Moroccan town of Nador. This is the same high border fence that is regularly stormed in the opposite direction by scores of African migrants trying to slip into Spain to seek better lives in Europe.
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Trump Considers Banning Travel from Brazil
The Trump administration may consider imposing a travel ban on Brazil as the South American country records a steep increase in coronavirus cases. In an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation”, National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said he expects a decision Sunday on whether to block travel from Brazil as was done with China and some European countries earlier this year.“We hope that will be temporary. But because of the situation in Brazil we’re going to take every step necessary to protect the American people,” he said.In recent months, Washington banned non-citizens who had been in China 14 days prior to their arrival from entering the United States. The same restrictions were later placed on those traveling from Europe.The United States remains the country with the highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the world – over 1,622,000.The number of cases in Brazil has increased in recent weeks. As of Sunday, Brazil had over 347,000 confirmed cases, making it the second-highest affected in the world after the United States, according to data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
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Hong Kong Police Fire Tear Gas, Water Cannon in Protest against Beijing’s Security Law Plan
Hong Kong police fired tear gas and used water cannon and pepper spray Sunday on thousands of protesters who turned out in droves to demonstrate against Beijing’s plan to impose national security laws on the Asian financial hub.China Friday revealed its plan to bypass Hong Kong’s legislature to impose a national security law on Hong Kong to prevent and punish acts of “secession, subversion or terrorism activities” that threaten national security.The move, which would also allow Chinese national security organs to set up agencies in Hong Kong, has been widely criticized around the world, with the U.S. threatening consequences for China.On Sunday afternoon, thousands congregated in the downtown shopping districts of Causeway Bay and Wanchai, chanting anti-government slogans and singing “Glory to Hong Kong” – an unofficial anthem of the ongoing anti-government protest movement, which started last June.Pro-democracy protesters march during a protest against Beijing’s national security legislation in Hong Kong, May 24, 2020.The unapproved demonstration was originally intended to protest against another controversial law that would criminalize the mockery of the Chinese national anthem, but China’s plan to introduce national security law revealed in last week’s annual parliamentary meeting prompted more people to turn up on Sunday.In contrast with the jovial atmosphere of approved protests in the past, a sense of nervousness and despondency pervaded in the unsanctioned protest Sunday, as protesters said they felt helpless in the face of the imminent enactment of the national security law, which is almost certain to pass next week at China’s National People’s Congress.“I know it’s dangerous to come out today, but I am here precisely because the national security law is so dangerous,” said a said a 63-year-old wheel chair-bound man named Wong, who would not give his first name.A 64-year-old woman who would not reveal her name said she wanted to “support our young people.“I feel so sorry for our children and grandchildren, they have to live under China’s national security law,” she said.Riot police detain a protester during a demonstration against Beijing’s national security legislation in Causeway Bay in Hong Kong, May 24, 2020.A young father dressed in black who was holding the hands of his two young sons said, “We have done no wrong. It’s them who are afraid, not us.”A young man waved a flag emblazoned with the message “Hong Kong Independence” and said he wanted to do “the right thing,” even if it meant going to jail under the new law forced upon Hong Kong.Most of the slogans protesters chanted, such as “Rejuvenate Hong Kong, revolution of our time” or “Fight for freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” were often used in past protests, but the slogan “Hong Kong Independence, the only way” was heard for the first time, indicating people’s increasing antagonism towards China.Until now, protesters over the past year largely targeted the Hong Kong government, as the controversial extradition law which triggered the protests was supposedly initiated by the city’s own government.Police fired the first shot of tear gas 30 minutes into the initially peaceful rally, driving protesters running into side streets as shops and buildings hurriedly shuttered. Police later unleashed water cannon on protesters. Some protesters smashed traffic lights, blocked traffic with trash bins, traffic cones and railings, dug up bricks, and set small fires. Anti-government protesters run away from tear gas during a march against Beijing’s plans to impose national security legislation in Hong Kong, China, May 24, 2020.The police anti-riot vehicle shot out several bursts of a clear liquid in mid-afternoon, while more rounds of tear gas was fired on busy shopping streets. Police said some officers retreated after firing multiple rounds of tear gas, because people started throwing objects at them. They also shot pepper-balls.Police said at least three officers were hurt after they were allegedly struck by bricks thrown at the police. They said glass bottles were thrown down from buildings. By late afternoon, the police said, more than 120 people had been arrested, mostly on illegal assembly charges.“Police are taking resolute action to make arrests and to stop the unlawful and violent acts,” a statement said.Earlier in the day, more than 20 pro-democracy politicians and activists staged smaller protests in groups of eight, to comply with social distancing rules in front of China’s liaison office against the proposed national security law.”Under a tyrant, nobody is safe,” former legislator Leung Kwok-Hung said. “Under the state security law, nobody is safe.”
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US Cities Plan to Honor Fallen Service Members Remotely on Memorial Day
With the coronavirus pandemic still a threat, this year’s Memorial Day holiday will look different from those of the past, as cities across the United States host ceremonies on virtual platforms to uphold the tradition of commemorating fallen service members. Many towns around the country, such as Woodland Park, New Jersey; and San Clemente, California, have said that they will honor America’s fallen military and law enforcement heroes with virtual Memorial Day ceremonies. “Honoring our fallen heroes will always be a priority,” the Borough of Woodland Park said in a statement. Officials in both cities cite fears of spreading the coronavirus at large public gatherings for their decisions to transition events online. Other cities, such as Antigo, Wisconsin, will be holding Memorial Day parades, but with requests for safety precautions such as masks and social distancing. A man looks for a grave while visiting Leavenworth National Cemetery, May 23, 2020 in Leavenworth, Kan.Organizers of larger national celebrations and ceremonies have also decided to host their events remotely, foregoing live audiences. The PBS National Memorial Day Concert, traditionally held live on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, is just one of many large concerts altering its format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “In this unprecedented time, when the nation needs it most, we will bring Americans together as one family to honor our heroes,” said Executive Producer Michael Colbert. “This has been the mission of the National Memorial Day Concert for 30 years, and we look forward to sharing stories and music of support, hope, resilience and patriotism.” The 2020 National Memorial Day Concert will be livestreamed on PBS.org, YouTube and Facebook.
Similarly, instead of hosting a Memorial Day celebration at the Vietnam War Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) will be holding FILE – With the Washington Monument in the background, people visit the Vietnam Memorial in Washington on May 27, 2016, on the start of the Memorial Day weekend.The organization is also encouraging those attending the ceremony to share who they will be remembering this Memorial Day by writing a personal message or recording a video message on the VVMF website. This Memorial Day, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) will hold their annual moment of silence to commemorate and honor those who lost their lives in the line of duty.
“Any loss of a service member is a tragedy, but the loss of a veteran to suicide is not only tragic, it is completely preventable,” said Jeremy Butler, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “The pandemic has spiked overall mental health challenges, making COVID-19 a recipe for disaster for our veterans. This Memorial Day, we urge all Americans to #GoSilent in honor of those we have already lost and stand with us to protect those who have sacrificed so much to protect us.” Memorial Day is one of the first holidays to be celebrated during the coronavirus pandemic, setting a precedent of what is to be expected for future festivities that will take place during the crisis.
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Muslims in Cameroon Defy Eid-al Fitr Prayer Ban
Thousands of Muslims in Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé, have defied Sunday’s ban of Eid-al Fitr public prayers, ordered as part of measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. There have been 4,400 confirmed cases and 197 deaths in the central African state in less than three months. The ban was announced after more than 500 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Cameroon within 24 hours.Speaking via a messaging application from his residence, Mamadi Mahamat, the highest government official in Yaoundé’s second district, said he was surprised that many Muslims were ignoring government instructions that Eid-al Fitr prayers not be held this year in public spaces, with thousands of faithful coming out to pray as has been traditional in Cameroon.He said he had asked police to make sure Muslims do not have access to the two main public prayer grounds in Yaoundé’s second district after he was told thousands had defied his instructions to pray at home and were insisting on saying their prayers at the public prayer grounds. He says all imams and Muslim leaders in Yaoundé should also respect the commitment they took to only pray in three of the district’s 42 mosques, maintaining social distancing.Mahamat said the ban on prayers in public spaces traditionally used by Muslims on feast days was taken to stop the spread of the coronavirus after 514 people tested positive on Wednesday alone, bringing the number of COVID-19 cases to 4,400, with 197 deaths in Cameroon in less than three months.Muslim Issa Karimou said that although he is aware of the dangers of COVID-19, he prayed in public with other Muslims as a sign of respect to the teachings of the Quran.He said he would be disobeying the Prophet Muhammad and the teachings of the Quran if he failed to say Eid prayers in public together with other Muslims. He said that without the prayers, his 30 days of fasting from dawn to dusk during Ramadan would be in vain, and that the government should instead encourage Muslims to pray constantly for Allah’s grace and protection as people are being infected and are dying of COVID-19.Njimgou Ibrahima, spokesperson for Muslims in Yaoundé’s second district, said it would be wise for Muslims to protect themselves from the coronavirus and be healthy to promote their religion and be useful in building their communities.He said he is calling on all Muslims to leave public spaces and pray at home or in mosques, respecting government instructions that people should be at least 2 meters apart. He said no Muslims should organize a feast that brings together more than 10 people, and that social distancing norms should be followed, and people should wash their hands regularly.Last month at the start of Ramadan, 13 mosques were sealed, and the police used force to disperse Muslims praying at mosques for violating government orders not to gather in groups of more than 50, about 2 meters apart, because of the coronavirus.
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Hong Kong Police Fire Tear Gas at Pro-Democracy Demonstrators
Hong Kong police fired tear gas and pepper spray at hundreds of people protesting a proposed new security law they believe infringes on the city’s freedoms.The demonstrators chanted pro-democracy slogans as riot police using loudspeakers ordered them to disperse, calling the gathering unlawful.The proposed bill introduced Friday at the opening session of China’s national legislative body forbids secessionist and subversive activities, and what it labels foreign interference and terrorism.About 200 political figures from around the world, including 17 members of the U.S. Congress, signed a joint statement Saturday saying Beijing’s proposed laws are a “comprehensive assault on the city’s autonomy, rule of law and fundamental freedoms.”The statement also said the proposed bill constituted a “flagrant breach” of the Joint Declaration which returned the former British colony to China in 1997 under the framework of “one country, two systems.”
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More Than 40 Diagnosed With COVID-19 After Frankfurt Church Service
More than 40 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus following a church service in Frankfurt, Germany’s financial center, earlier this month, the head of the city’s health department told a news agency Saturday.“Most of them are not seriously ill. As far as we know only one person has been admitted to hospital,” Rene Gottschalk told the dpa agency.The service took place on May 10 at a Baptist church, the department’s deputy chief Antoni Walczok told local newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau. On its website the church says it holds services in both German and Russian.“The situation is very dynamic,” Walczok told the paper, adding that the church did not violate official guidelines aimed at containing the spread of the virus.Churches in the German state of Hesse, where Frankfurt is located, have been able to hold services since May 1 provided they adhere to official social distancing and hygiene rules.Frankfurt’s health department was not available for comment outside business hours Saturday.
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Kim Jong Un Reappears After Another 3-Week Absence
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reappeared in public following his second consecutive three-week absence amid rumors about his health.State media on Sunday said Kim presided over a meeting that discussed, among other things, expanding the country’s “nuclear war deterrence.”Pictures showed Kim signing documents, making a speech and pointing to a television screen that had been blurred by censors.The pictures, published in the official Korean Central News Agency, revealed no obvious signs of new health problems.It was Kim’s first public appearance since May 1, when he showed up at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a fertilizer factory, following an earlier three-week absence from state media.A wave of unconfirmed reports in April suggested Kim had experienced a serious health problem, such as a heart procedure. Some reports said he had died.Since the beginning of the year, Kim has disappeared from public view for about three weeks on three separate occasions. North Korea has not explained the reason for Kim’s absences.In some ways, Kim’s lower profile is similar to that of many world leaders during the coronavirus pandemic. Some experts have speculated Kim may simply be making fewer public appearances as an extra health precaution during the outbreak.However, North Korea has repeatedly insisted it does not have any coronavirus infections. That assertion is widely disputed.New policiesNeither Kim nor any of the North Korean military leaders appeared to wear face masks during the “enlarged meeting” of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, according to pictures published by KCNA.During the meeting, the leaders “set forth … new policies for further increasing the nuclear war deterrence of the country,” according to KCNA. The report did not elaborate on what concrete steps would be taken.“Reading the statement, I think this suggests something related to the organizational ‘software’ underpinning deterrence and less about the hardware (missiles, for instance),” said Ankit Panda, a specialist on North Korea’s weapons program and author of the soon-to-be-released book “Kim Jong Un and the Bomb.”KCNA also said “crucial measures” were taken for “considerably increasing the firepower strike ability of the artillery pieces of the Korean People’s Army.”At the beginning of the year, Kim warned that his country is no longer bound by its self-imposed suspension of nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. Kim vowed the world would soon witness a “new strategic weapon.”Over the past year, Kim has repeatedly conducted tests of short-range ballistic missiles and other weapons. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is not bothered by such tests. But a bigger provocation could completely derail U.S.-North Korea nuclear talks, which have already been stalled for most of the past year.Trump and Kim have met three times, including in June 2018, when they signed a statement agreeing to “work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” But the two sides have not been able to agree on what “denuclearization” means or how to begin working toward it.In January, senior North Korean diplomat Kim Kye Gwan said further dialogue was only possible if the U.S. agrees to all of North Korea’s demands.North Korea wants sanctions relief and security assurances before it takes even limited steps to dismantle its nuclear program. Trump has indicated he may relax sanctions but only if North Korea first agrees to give up its entire nuclear program.
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Fire Destroys Warehouse on San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf
A fire engulfed a warehouse on San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf early Saturday, sending thick smoke over the waterfront and threatening to spread to a historic World War II-era ship before firefighters brought the flames under control.One firefighter sustained a hand injury while battling the fire at the warehouse the size of a football field on Pier 45, San Francisco Fire Lieutenant Jonathan Baxter said.Baxter said that after the fire subsided, investigators scoured the building to determine whether homeless people were inside.”That is something of grave concern,” he told KGO-TV. “To our knowledge … nobody is supposed to be in the building and we are hoping … that there is no victim.”At least two workers told the San Francisco Chronicle they were inside the fish processing and storage warehouse when the fire broke out before dawn.Alejandro Arellano, who works for La Rocca Seafood, was cleaning out a fish storage locker when the fire began, shortly after 4 a.m.”I saw a lot of smoke. A few minutes later, fire everywhere,” he said. “It was very, very scary. I’ve never seen anything like it.”Firetruck threatenedThe fire tore through the warehouse near the end of the concrete pier, causing its walls to collapse, Baxter said. The flames singed the first firetruck to respond to the scene, forcing firefighters to turn their hoses on the vehicle to save it, he said.More than 130 firefighters fought the flames, with some using ladder trucks to drench the warehouse from above. A fire boat was used to protect the SS Jeremiah O’Brien, a liberty ship that stormed Normandy on D-Day in 1944.”Our firefighters absolutely saved the SS Jeremiah O’Brien during this fire as flames were pinching on the side of this vessel,” Baxter said.A fire official is shown reflected in a puddle in a warehouse after a fire broke out before dawn at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, May 23, 2020.The ship docks by Pier 45 and is among numerous tourist attractions on the wharf, a maritime hub for cruises around San Francisco Bay as well as fishing boats hauling in the catch of the day. Visitors come for the Dungeness crabs, clam chowders served in sourdough bread bowls, the sea lions that hang out on the floating docks and shops and curiosities on Pier 39.Shops and restaurants on the wharf have been shut by the city’s stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus and were expected to reopen on May 31.The fire was confined to the end of the pier, well away from the Musée Mécanique and its historic arcade games and the popular restaurant Alioto’s.’It’s surreal’Fishing companies that have been operating out of Pier 45 said the fire exacerbated an already tough business climate caused by the pandemic.Kenny Belov, owner of the seafood wholesaler TwoXSea, told the Chronicle his building near the warehouse was not damaged but he worried a power outage on the pier could ruin the fish in his freezer.”Not that it would ever need this, but the seafood industry didn’t need this now,” Belov said. “It’s surreal. We’ve obviously had a tough go the last couple months, with restaurants [closed]. … Of all the problems in the world, this is not a big one. But it’s frustrating.”Coast Guard crew members and police assisted by keeping other vessels away from the pier.Fire investigators were assessing any damage to the pier and were looking into the cause of the blaze, Baxter said.
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Rural Areas, Tribal Lands Lag in Getting Census Forms
Even before the pandemic, people living in rural communities and on tribal lands were among the toughest to count in the 2020 census. The U.S. Census Bureau’s suspension of work this spring pushed those efforts even further behind.That concerns advocates in rural America and Indian Country. Alaska, West Virginia, New Mexico and other states with large rural populations are lagging behind the rest of the nation in answering the once-a-decade questionnaire.Those states have the largest concentration of households that rely on getting the forms from visiting census workers. Ultimately, it could cost them congressional seats and federal funding for highways, schools and health care.Los Alamos County, where the atomic bomb was born and many people are highly educated, has one of the nation’s highest response rates at 79%. Rio Arriba County, where a language other than English is spoken in over half of homes, is at the bottom at 9%.Waiting for drop-offsThe reason for the difference? Households in Rio Arriba and other rural counties across the U.S. rely on census workers to drop off their questionnaires, which was on hold for a month and a half because of the coronavirus pandemic.While the Census Bureau is restarting that work, leaders in rural America worry it will be difficult to catch up.We have historically been underrepresented in the past, and there's an unfortunate precedent to show we will be underrepresented again. This pandemic makes it all the more challenging,'' said Javier Sanchez, mayor of Espanola, a city of 10,000 in Rio Arriba County.I think we are struggling like every other rural community and doing the best we can amid these problems when so much is at stake in the next 10 years.”FILE – A little girl plays in her family compound in Tuba City, Ariz., April 22, 2020. People living in rural communities and on reservations are among the toughest groups to count in the 2020 census.A rolling census count shows that states with large rural populations are lagging behind the rest of the nation in answering the 2020 questionnaire. They have the largest concentration of households dependent on receiving forms from census workers in the spring.Around 5% of U.S. households fall into that category, but it accounts for anywhere from about 17% to almost 30% of homes in Alaska, West Virginia, New Mexico, Wyoming, Maine, Vermont and Montana.These are places where homes are spread apart and often hidden from main roads. Internet access is poor, and this is the first census in which most people are encouraged to respond online.Harder to reachMany people lack traditional city-style addresses, get their mail by post office box or live in areas with high concentrations of vacant, seasonal housing. While they wait for hard copies from census workers, the rest of the U.S. mostly is contacted by mail — either with invitations to respond online or with a paper form.Two months after most U.S. residents could start answering the 2020 census, response rates in states that have many households without city-style addresses ranged from 40% to 50%. The national rate is 59% as of mid-May.Households without traditional addresses are especially common on tribal lands, which have a history of being undercounted.In Rio Arriba County, more than 16% of residents are Native American, compared with just over 1% in neighboring Los Alamos County. The latter is home to Los Alamos National Laboratory and almost half its residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 15% in more rural Rio Arriba County.It's like criticizing someone for not voting when you never handed them a ballot,'' said Jose Viramontes, a spokesman for I Count NM, which is leading census outreach efforts in New Mexico.Funds at stakeFor Mayor James Schell of East Helena, Montana, an inaccurate count could jeopardize the potential for another U.S. representative pushing for federal funding to upgrade roads and wastewater infrastructure.By having that extra representation, more monies could be introduced for roads, water, sewers,” Schell said.The Census Bureau will absolutely'' be able to catch up with the rural count, said Tim Olson, associate director of field operations. When work was suspended in March, only about 10% of households without city-style addresses had received questionnaires. Now, it's at 30% two weeks into restarting door-to-door work in some places, he said.It’s going very well,Olson said.FILE - Chris Topher Chee waits for water to fill a tank in his truck in Oljato-Monument Valley, Utah, on the Navajo reservation, April 27, 2020. People living in rural or tribal communities are among the toughest to count in the U.S. census.But in some tribal areas, response rates were below 15% as of mid-May.It’s looking like there’s a real possibility of an undercount, given the obstacles we are facing,” Ta’jin Perez, program manager at Western Native Voice, an advocacy group in Montana.During the last census in 2010, American Indians and Alaska Natives living on reservations were undercounted by 4.9%, according to the Census Bureau, by far the highest undercount of any group.Olson acknowledged that some tribal lands have closed themselves off to stop the spread of the virus, and census workers won’t be able to drop off questionnaires until they reopen.“There may be some pockets that are further delayed,” he said.Deadline pushed backThe pandemic has forced the Census Bureau to push back its deadline for finishing the count from the end of July to the end of October.The agency says it’s restarting operations this week in Puerto Rico, where census forms are required to be dropped off at homes because of the devastation from Hurricane Maria in 2017. The island has a very low response rate as of mid-May — over 8%.In West Virginia, almost 30% of households don’t have traditional addresses, and the state’s response rate is 47%.While the state is getting back to pushing rural residents to fill out the census, halting work on the ground in March was like playing a ballgame “with three players off the field,” said Andy Malinoski, a spokesman for the West Virginia Department of Commerce.
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