Six In The Thursday 11 June 2020

Racial violence in the US: A never-ending story?

This week, Inside the Americas focuses on the conversation ignited in the United States by George Floyd's death while in police custody. The 46-year-old unarmed African American was killed after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Footage of Floyd's death sparked protests around the world calling for an end to police brutality and systemic racism.

First, we take a look back at the history of racial violence in the United States. The abolition of slavery brought about a fundamental shift in the country, but it failed to leave everyone on an equal footing.

Hong Kong to establish new police unit to enforce new security laws

‘Action arm’ will have intelligence-gathering capabilities, security chief says, as state media says legislators are working ‘day and night’ on new laws

Helen Davidson

 @heldavidson

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Thu 11 Jun 2020 11.54 BST

Hong Kong’s security chief has announced that a dedicated police unit is being set up and would be ready to enforce controversial new national security laws from day one.

There is widespread international and commercial concern about the impact of the laws that are being imposed on the semi-autonomous region directly by Beijing, bypassing Hong Kong’s legislature. The move has prompted the UK to offer a visa to millions of Hongkongers if they felt uncomfortable staying.

State media said on Thursday that legislators were working “day and night” to draft the legislation.

George Floyd: Gym appears to mock police killing with ‘I can’t breathe’ workout routine

Co-founders of Anytime Fitness apologise over franchisee’s actions 

Gino Spocchia

The American gym brand Anytime Fitness was forced to apologise after an advert was posted online showing an “I Can’t Breathe” workout routine available at a Wisconsin location.

The 35-minute routine was advertised at the Anytime Fitness gym in Wauwatosa this week, and soon attracted widespread condemnation.

“The intent was to create a workout to depict George Floyd’s final moments ... and they thought this was a fitting tribute,” wrote one critic on Twitter.

'Miss Hitler' contestant sentenced to three years in prison

The 24-year-old entered the beauty contest under the name 'Miss Buchenwald' in reference to the Nazi death camp. She was sentenced along with three men for being part of the banned far-right group, National Action.

A former "Miss Hitler" contestant and three other neo-Nazis were jailed in Britain on Tuesday, after being convicted of membership of the banned far-right group National Action (NA) in March.

The Birmingham Crown Court sentenced Alice Cutter, 24, to three years in prison and her ex-boyfriend, Mark Jones, 25, to five-and-a-half years.

Two other men — Gary Jack, 24, and Connor Scothern, 19, — were handed four years and six months, and 18 months respectively, for the same crime. A fifth defendant was sentenced to three years in prison last year.

Banksy artwork stolen from Paris' Bataclan theater is found in Italy

Written byHada Messia, CNNRome

Italian police have found a Banksy artwork that was stolen from outside the Bataclan theater in Paris last year.

Two sources with the Carabinieri paramilitary police force of the central Italian region of Abruzzo told CNN on Wednesday that one of their units found the painting in the province of Teramo.

The sources were not authorized to speak on the record, and they declined to give more details of the investigation that led them to the discovery.