The arrests of 15 pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong has been condemned by the US and the UK as a bid to silence dissent.
They described it unlawful and an encroachment on human rights.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserted that the actions were "inconsistent with commitments made under the Sino-British Joint Declaration that include transparency, the rule of law, and guarantees that Hong Kong will continue to 'enjoy a high degree of autonomy'".
Meanwhile, Britain's Foreign Office representative said the government expected any arrests and court procedures to be "conducted in a fair and transparent manner".
The arrested, who are aged between 24 and 81, are due to appear in court on May 18.
The arrests on Saturday were the biggest crackdown on the city's anti-government protests since it first kicked-off last year.
An official Palestinian tally of direct deaths in the Israel-Hamas war likely undercounted the number of casualties by 41 per cent through the middle of 2024 as the Gaza Strip's healthcare infrastructure unravelled, according to a study published on Thursday.
The US House of Representatives voted on Thursday to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) to protest its issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over Israel's campaign in Gaza.
Elon Musk urged Germans to vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in an upcoming election in a conversation with its leader on his social media platform X that highlighted the US billionaire's growing ambition to sway European politics.
Two massive wildfires menacing Los Angeles from the east and west were still burning uncontained on Thursday, but a brief respite from the fierce winds that have fanned the flames for two days allowed crews to slow their explosive spread.
The UAE has taken political critic Abdul Rahman Al-Qaradawi into custody on Thursday after being extradited from Lebanon at the request of Emirati authorities.