Apr 18, 2020 - World

Hong Kong democracy activists arrested after warning on autonomy

Former lawmaker and United Democrats party founder Martin Lee (C) leaves the Central District police station in Hong Kong on Saturday. Photo: Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images

15 prominent Hong Kong activists were arrested Saturday on charges of holding illegal assemblies in August and October related to the massive pro-democracy protests that swept the semi-autonomous Chinese territory last year, per AFP. Media tycoon Jimmy Lai and former lawmaker Martin Lee, 81, were among those arrested.

The big picture: Hours before the arrests, a Chinese government office in the Asian financial hub "declared it is not bound by Hong Kong's constitutional restrictions that bar Chinese government from interfering in local affairs," The Guardian notes. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that the arrests were "deeply concerning," noting "politicized law enforcement is inconsistent with universal values of freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly."

Go deeper: Hong Kong protests assert the freedoms China seeks to constrain

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Axios

Updated 18 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 4 p.m. ET: 6,226,408 — Total deaths: 373,973 — Total recoveries — 2,672,161 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 4 p.m. ET: 1,799,747 — Total deaths: 104,702 — Total recoveries: 444,758 — Total tested: 16,936,891 — Map.
Public health: Nearly 26,000 coronavirus deaths in nursing homes have been reported to federal health officials —Coronavirus looms over George Floyd protests across the country.
Federal government: Trump lashes out at governors, calls for National Guard to "dominate" streets.
World: Former FDA commissioner says "this is not the time" to cut ties with WHO.
🎧 Podcast: The virus didn't go away.

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Ursula Perano

36 mins ago - Politics & Policy

New York City to impose curfew amid ongoing protests

Photo: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

New York City will be placed under curfew on Monday from 11pm until 5am Tuesday morning following days of protests over the death of George Floyd, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday.

The big picture: Demonstrations in New York, like in cities across the country, turned violent over the weekend as protesters clashed with police late into the night. The number of police officers on the streets of New York will double from 4,000 to 8,000.

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Axios

1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Family-commissioned autopsy says George Floyd's death was homicide

Police watch as demonstrators block a roadway while protesting the death of George Floyd in Miami. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Preliminary results from an independent autopsy commissioned by George Floyd's family found that his death in the custody of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was "homicide caused by asphyxia due to neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain," according to a statement from the family's attorney.

Why it matters: The autopsy contradicts preliminary findings from the Hennepin County medical examiner, who found “no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxiation or strangulation,” according to charging documents against Chauvin. The official examination is still ongoing.

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