Six In The Morning Friday 4 June 2021

 

Few Israelis wanted a leader to the right of Netanyahu. Naftali Bennett is set to oust his old boss anyway.

By Rob Picheta, CNN

Updated 1050 GMT (1850 HKT) June 4, 2021

After the 2019 elections, Naftali Bennett's right-wing party failed to cross the electoral threshold and had no seats in Israel's parliament.

Two years later, he's on the verge of becoming the country's next prime minister.

A former chief of staff to then-opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, Bennett could now unseat his former boss, bringing an end to Netanyahu's run as the country's longest serving prime minister.

Hong Kong vigil leader arrested as 7,000 police enforce ban on Tiananmen anniversary protests

Officers mobilised to break up the once-traditional events to mark the brutal crackdown against dissent in China 32 years ago

Helen Davidson in Taipei and Vincent Ni

Fri 4 Jun 2021 11.45 BST

Hong Kong police have arrested a prominent barrister for allegedly promoting an unauthorised assembly on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, as thousands of officers were deployed to enforce a ban on protests and gatherings across the city.

Police confirmed that barrister and activist Chow Hang Tung, vice-chairwoman of the group which organises annual vigils for the victims of China’s 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, was arrested. A 20-year-old male was also detained on suspicion of publicising an unlawful assembly through social media posts.

“Their online remarks involved advertising and calling on others to participate or attend banned public activities,” senior superintendent Law Kwok-hoi told reporters.

Abducted Belarus journalist Roman Protasevich makes state TV ‘confession’

Family and opposition say the interview was conducted under duress and accuse Lukashenko regime of ‘torture’

Shweta Sharma

Belarus journalist Roman Protasevich has confessed to plotting anti-government protests in a tearful TV interview that family and activists say was conducted under duress and accused the country’s regime of “torture”.

In a third public appearance just 10 days after the Ryanir plane he was travelling on was forced to land in Minsk, Mr Protasevich recanted previous criticism of president Alexander Lukashenko, instead lavishing praise on the autocrat.

In what made for uncomfortable viewing, the activist said he changed his views about Mr Lukashenko and had begun “to understand that he was doing the right thing and I certainly respect him".

JOC board member blasts Tokyo Games organizers, IOC

By Chang-Ran Kim

A Japanese Olympic Committee board member on Friday blasted organizers of the Tokyo Games for ignoring public concerns about holding the global sporting showpiece amid a pandemic, as Japan's top medical adviser urged new steps to reduce the risk.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) appeared to think it could steamroll over the wishes of the Japanese public, who, surveys show, overwhelmingly want the games cancelled or postponed, the JOC's Kaori Yamaguchi said in an opinion piece carried by Japan's Kyodo news agency.

Already postponed from last year because of the pandemic, a scaled-down version of the Games with no foreign spectators is set to start on July 23 despite public fears the event could drain medical resources and spread the coronavirus as Japan battles a fourth wave of infections.

‘David versus Goliath’: Being homeless in the City of Cape Town

Eleven homeless people have launched court proceedings to challenge the constitutionality of archaic bylaws in South Africa.

By Sam Bradpiece

4 Jun 2021

Carin Gelderbloem was woken in the early hours by a large rock crashing down on her tent. A group of high school students had been drinking all day in Company’s Garden, just down the road from the South African Parliament.

They were now terrorising its homeless.

When Gelderbloem’s boyfriend, Rameez Kemp, went outside to protest, he was beaten and stabbed repeatedly. Colon hanging out, he managed to stagger to the park entrance. Having lost a lot of blood, he was eventually taken by ambulance to Somerset Hospital two hours later, within an inch of his life.

French Open: Yana Sizikova arrested amid match-fixing inquiry

Russian tennis player Yana Sizikova has been arrested as part of an investigation into match-fixing at last year's French Open.

The 26-year-old doubles specialist was detained on Thursday at this year's tournament and is in custody in Paris.

Sizikova, who is ranked 101st in doubles, is yet to comment.

The investigation into alleged match-fixing was launched in October after suspicions of "organised fraud" and "sports corruption" were raised.