The gross hypocrisy of Penny Wong is finally exposed on the world stage. Pauline Hanson knows the truth all too well: PETER VAN ONSELEN
Israeli elected official Simcha Rothman's views are odious. He has branded children in Gaza as enemies. It's beyond the pale.
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The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
Britain's shameful inaction on Jimmy Lai could cost him his life
For Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong symbolised freedom. Arriving in the city as a stowaway on a fishing boat at age 12, he went on to find work in a garment factory before building a fortune as a successful businessman, and founding the popular pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily. Now, after nearly five years in prison following Beijing's imposition of a draconian national security law, Lai's spirit may not have been broken, but the 77-year-old British citizen and publisher is in poor health – and the risk of him dying in a prison in the place that once represented liberty – is real. If he does, Britain's shameful inaction will be in part responsible. As Lai's show trial resumes with closing arguments, he is in the dock again on trumped-up national security charges. The outcome, however, is likely to be a foregone conclusion, with Hong Kong officials having previously lauded a 100 per cent conviction rate in such cases. Attempts by UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and previous British governments to secure his release have been feeble. The UK must redouble its efforts before it is too late. Not only does the UK need to make Lai's case the centre of any discussions with China – in international fora or during bilateral talks, but any normalisation of the relationship with China must be conditional on his immediate release and return to the UK. Other governments place much higher priority on the release of wrongfully detained citizens abroad, and the UK's weak response on Lai, as on other cases such as Egyptian-British writer Alaa Abdelfattah, underscores the need for the Labour government to deliver on its promise to appoint a special envoy to help secure the release of British nationals arbitrarily detained overseas. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the global press freedom group that I lead, was among more than 30 organisations that wrote to Starmer in June, urging him to swiftly meet with Lai's son, Sebastien – a request that the family has been making for over two years and which remains unfulfilled to this day. This is simply unacceptable from a country whose citizen is being wrongfully held abroad – and one which, as the UK does, purports to champion rights like press freedom. If Lai, a British citizen, can't get full-throated support and relentless commitment from his government, what hope might I or anyone else who stands up for the rights on which the UK is founded have if we are wrongfully arrested by a foreign power? Once one of Hong Kong's best-known tycoons, Lai's life has changed dramatically. Held in a maximum-security prison, Lai, who has diabetes, routinely spends over 23 hours a day in solitary confinement, with only 50 minutes for restricted exercise and limited access to daylight. A United Nations working group determined his detention to be arbitrary and unlawful. The prime minister rightfully told Parliament last October that Lai's case was a 'priority' and called for his release. But the government has taken no practical steps to bring this about. This is not just about the prospect of an elderly British citizen, a grandfather, dying in a foreign prison. Lai's continued detention – and the UK's failure to make its relationship with China contingent on his freedom – is harmful both to democracy and to Britain's prosperity. China is one of the UK's largest trading partners, and the steady deterioration of Hong Kong's traditionally strong rule of law, which had set it apart from mainland China, could come to present a serious risk to British businesses in the territory. The interests of UK businesses cannot be safeguarded in the case of disputes in a country where laws are abused and misused to suit those in power. Our experience at CPJ tells us that autocratic regimes never stop with the persecution of journalists. Indeed, restrictions on journalists are among the first indicators of greater repression to follow. Lai's detention has been followed by a severe deterioration not just in press freedom, but in wider liberties. In the five years since Hong Kong's national security law was enacted, journalists have been arrested, jailed, and threatened, while dozens of other media outlets have shut, relocated, or downsized their operations in Hong Kong. News outlets are seen to be self-censoring in a place once considered a bastion of press freedom in Asia. All this has occurred despite the supposed protections that exist under the Basic Law, Hong Kong's mini-constitution put in place after Britain handed the city back to China in 1997. Lai is in prison for his journalism and support for democracy. He chose to stay put in Hong Kong despite knowing the risks of being arrested. 'A captain can't jump ship. You may save your life, but you will live in hell,' he said in an interview in 2020.
The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
Hamas accepts new ceasefire deal as Israeli occupation of Gaza City looms
Hamas has said it has accepted a new proposal from Arab mediators for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as the threat of Israeli occupation looms. The deal would include a 60 day truce and the release of half of the remaining hostages taken by the terror group on 7 October, 2023. A source close to the talks told Reuters that, unlike previous rounds, Hamas accepted the proposal with no further demands. Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to convene discussions about the ceasefire proposal soon, Israeli officials said. He faces pressure from his far-right government partners who object to a truce with Hamas, but also mounting protests from Israelis to bring an end to the war. It comes as Gaza's Health Ministry says the Palestinian death toll from 22 months of war has passed 62,000. Israel announced plans to reoccupy Gaza City and other heavily populated areas after ceasefire talks appeared to break down in July, raising the possibility of a worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which experts say is sliding into famine. Plans to expand the offensive, in part aimed at pressuring Hamas, have sparked international outrage and infuriated many Israelis who fear for the remaining hostages taken in the 7 October 2023 attack that started the war. Hundreds of thousands took part in mass protests on Sunday calling for their return. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, meanwhile, said mediators are "exerting extensive efforts" to revive a U.S. proposal for a 60-day ceasefire, during which some of the remaining 50 hostages would be released and the sides would negotiate a lasting ceasefire and the return of the rest. Mr Abdelatty said they are inviting US envoy Steve Witkoff to join the ceasefire talks. Mr Abdelatty spoke to journalists during a visit to Egypt's Rafah crossing with Gaza, which has not functioned since Israel seized the Palestinian side in May 2024. He was accompanied by Mohammad Mustafa, the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, which has been largely sidelined since the war began. Mr Abdelatty said Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani had joined the talks, which include senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, who arrived in Cairo last week. Mr Abdelatty said they are open to other ideas, including for a comprehensive deal that would release all the hostages at once. Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, said that the militant group had accepted the proposal introduced by the mediators, without elaborating. An Egyptian official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks, said the proposal includes changes to Israel's pullback of its forces and guarantees for negotiations on a lasting ceasefire during the initial truce. The official said it is almost identical to an earlier proposal accepted by Israel, which has not yet joined the latest talks. Diaa Rashwan, head of the Egypt State Information Service, said that Egypt and Qatar have sent the Hamas-accepted proposal to Israel. An Israeli official said Israel's positions, including on the release of all hostages, had not changed from previous rounds of talks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with the media. Mr Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas has been disarmed, and to maintain lasting security control over Gaza. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. The prime minister said in a video addressing the Israeli public that reports of Hamas' acceptance of the proposal showed that it is "under massive pressure". And US President Donald Trump appeared to cast doubt on the long-running negotiations that Washington has mediated. "We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be," he posted on social media. Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200, mostly civilians, in the attack that ignited the war. Around 20 of the hostages still in Gaza are believed by Israel to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals. Gaza's Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from the war had climbed to 62,004, with another 156,230 people wounded. It does not say how many were civilians or combatants, but says women and children make up around half the dead. The ministry said 1,965 people have been killed while seeking humanitarian aid since May, either in the chaos around U.N. convoys or while heading to sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli-backed American contractor. The UN World Food Program said on Monday that UN partner organisations reported that community kitchens in north and south Gaza produced 380,000 daily meals daily last week — far fewer than the more than 1 million daily meals they produced in April.
Reuters
28 minutes ago
- Reuters
Ukraine talks, Hamas, AI poll and Labubu boost
Follow on Apple or Spotify. Listen on the Reuters app. U.S. President Donald Trump tells Volodymyr Zelenskiy the United States would help guarantee Ukraine's security in any deal to end war with Russia. Hamas accepts proposed ceasefire deal for Gaza. Most Americans are worried about the role artificial intelligence could play in society, according to a new Reuters Ipsos poll. And the must-have Labubu doll helps profits soar at Pop Mart. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter here. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast here. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit to opt out of targeted advertising. Further Reading US would help assure Ukraine's security in a peace deal, Trump tells Zelenskiy Hamas accepts proposed deal for ceasefire with Israel and hostage release, Egyptian source says Americans fear AI permanently displacing workers, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds China's Pop Mart, maker of the Labubu doll, says revenue triples in first half Russian foreign minister praises Trump, criticises Europeans over approach to Ukraine peace push North Korea's Kim calls for rapid nuclear buildup Polish police bust smuggling networks and seize drugs worth $275 million Drought depletes Turkey's Tekirdag reservoirs, forcing emergency water curbs Recommended Read: Wooden church sets off on slow Swedish road trip to escape mining subsidence
