Australia To Suspend Extradition Agreement With Hong Kong
Published in
3 min readJul 10, 2020
Hong Kong residents rush to erase digital footprints as new security law takes effect
(From NewsHero issue 135 available here)
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ — Officials probing Russian bounties, Sen. Tammy Duckworth
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ — Pro-democracy advocates, Hong Kong supporters
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison
🦸♀️🦸♀️ — Pentagon leaders investigating Russia
🦸♀️ — Mike Pompeo, for Chinese sanctions over Tibet access
- U.S. intelligence agencies have said for years that Russia is supporting America’s enemies in Afghanistan with cash and weapons. And Donald Trump has said nothing publicly about it, even as he has pursued relations with Vladimir Putin, reports NBC News.
As recent intelligence pointed to Russia offering bounties to Taliban-linked militia for killing U.S. troops, many officials are saying that evidence is not so conclusive. Others say that’s not the case.
“We should always remember, the Russians are not our friends,” Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters this week. “And they are not our friends in Afghanistan. And they do not wish us well.” - Top Pentagon leaders told Congress on Thursday that reports of Russia offering Taliban militants bounties for killing Americans were not corroborated by defense intelligence agencies, but said they are looking into it and the U.S. will respond if necessary, The Associated Press reports.
Well, thanks for looking into it and we indeed hope you’ll respond. - Sen. Tammy Duckworth is demanding new details from the Defense Department about its investigation of intelligence on the Russian bounties, calling the Pentagon’s first effort to brief senators “disappointing” and lacking crucial details, reports Politico.
In her letter Thursday to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Duckworth wants details about whether the Pentagon is looking into U.S. troop casualties to determine whether they’re linked to the bounty scheme, whether Defense officials are working with the intelligence community to match its information with U.S. casualties and to commit to disclosing the findings with “Gold Star Family members, Congress and the American people,” says Politico. - Prime Minister Scott Morrison said today that Australia will suspend its extradition agreement with Hong Kong because of China’s new national security law, and extend temporary visas for Hong Kong citizens in the country, reports The New York Times. The announcement threatens to deepen the diplomatic tensions between Canberra and Beijing.
- Many Hong Kong residents, already anxious since China’s national security law took effect last week, hurries to erase their digital footprint of any signs of dissent or support for the last year of protests, says The Guardian. Charles Mok, a pro-democracy lawmaker who represents the technology sector, tweeted: “We are already behind the de facto firewall.”
- In apparent retaliation against U.S restrictions on Chinese officials, China said on Wednesday it will impose visa restrictions on U.S. citizens who have engaged in what it called “egregious” behavior over Tibet, reports Reuters.
Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday the U.S. would restrict visas for some Chinese officials because Beijing obstructs travel to Tibet by U.S. diplomats, journalists and tourists and “human rights abuses” in the Himalayan region.
(From NewsHero issue 135 available here)
Sources:
- U.S. officials say intel on Russian bounties was less than conclusive. That misses the big picture. — NBC News
- China’s Great Firewall descends on Hong Kong internet users — The Guardian
- China, U.S. trade tit-for-tat visa curbs over Tibet — Reuters
- Australia Halts Hong Kong Extradition Agreement and Extends Visas — The New York Times
- US will act to deny Chinese access to American data — Fox News
- Dems press for more details on Russian bounties — Politico
