Arrests made at Hong Kong demo
Thousands of people in Hong Kong defied new anti-protest laws on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the return of sovereignty to China by Britain in 1997. The national security law targets secession, subversion and terrorism with punishments up to life in prison, and authorities had placed restrictions on gatherings of more than 50 people. Police used water cannon, tear gas and pepper spray on demonstrators and made several arrests, including one man holding a "Hong Kong Independence" flag. The BBC has a report, The Guardian has analysis and Al Jazeera has pictures.
UK offers citizenship as Raab hits at banks
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson’s government has reiterated its offer, first made in early June, to give close to three million Hong Kong residents the chance to live in the UK and, if required, apply for British citizenship. But foreign secretary Dominic Raab has admitted that there would be little that the government could do “to coercively force” China to let those citizens leave Hong Kong in the first place. Raab also fired a broadside at banks, notably HSBC and Standard Chartered, who have supported the new law. “The rights and the freedoms and our responsibilities in this country to the people of Hong Kong should not be sacrificed on the altar of bankers’ bonuses,” he said. City AM, The Telegraph, and The Evening Standard have more.
Luxembourg: DP wins, CSV loses in polls
The latest “Sonndesfro” (Sunday question) opinion poll by TNS-Ilres shows that Xavier Bettel’s DP would gain three more seats in parliament if an election were held this Sunday. And while Déi Gréng would lose one seat, the DP’s other coalition partner, the LSAP, would retain its 10 seats allowing the three-party government to stay in power. The main opposition CSV party currently stands to lose two seats, and the Pirate Party would also lose one of its two seats. The far left Déi Lénk would pick up a seat, while the ADR would stay steady on four seats. Analysis in our noon briefing.
Luxembourg: 46 new covid-19 cases
On Wednesday afternoon the Luxembourg health ministry reported that of 5,960 tests carried out in the previous 24 hours, 46 people were found to be infected with the coronavirus. There are currently 237 active infections (up from 191 on Tuesday), 18 people are now hospitalised, including 2 in intensive care, though there have been no deaths since 23 May. The Rt_eff reproduction rate stands at 1.41.
Coronavirus latest
The United States recorded over 50,000 new coronavirus infections in a day for the first time, says The Washington Post. The death toll from the virus in Brazil has surpassed the 60,000 mark, Reuters reports. Greece welcome its first tourists on Wednesday as European countries further eased lockdown and travel restrictions, as per the BBC.
Putin gets green light
As expected, Vladimir Putin has been supported by Russian voters in his bid to retain power until 2036. The BBC says that with about 87% of ballots counted, more than 77% of voters have backed a referendum that would allow Putin to serve two more six-year terms starting with the 2024 election.
Tesla is world’s most valuable car maker
Tesla shares hit a new all-time high of $1,135, up 5%, on Wednesday making the electric vehicle company the most valuable car maker in the world by surpassing the capitalisation of Japan’s Toyota. CNBC reports.
American Airlines warns of staff cuts
American Airlines says it may reduce its workforce, chiefly through early retirements and voluntary leaves, as it currently has around 8,000 excess flight attendants. The airline also said it expects its summer 2021 long-haul international capacity to be down 25% compared with 2019. Reuters has more.
Trump and de Blasio row over NYC BLM sign
US president Donald Trump and New York City mayor Bill de Blasio have exchanged a war of words over plans to paint a yellow “Black Lives Matter” sign on the city’s Fifth Avenue, which happens to be the location of Trump Towers. The Washington Post, NBC New York, and NPR have more.
Sir Everton Weekes dies
Cricket is mourning West Indies legend Sir Everton Weekes, who has died at the age of 95. Alongside Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Frank Worrell, Weekes was part of a formidable team in the 1950s. He played 48 Tests and still holds the record for scoring five consecutive Test centuries. The Guardian and BBC have tributes
More ugly houses
Bored Panda has a collection of some of the latest photos of truly terribly designed houses from the Ugly Belgian Houses social media pages, run by Hannes Coudenys. Architects and aesthetes look away now.
Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts