Kamis, 13 Juni 2019

Hong Kong shuts government offices due to mass protests - Aljazeera.com

The authorities in Hong Kong on Thursday closed government offices in the heart of the city after mass protests against a controversial extradition bill that would allow the extradition of people to mainland China.

The embattled leader of the semi-autonomous Chinese territory has described the protests as politically motivated "riots" and condemned protesters who resorted to "dangerous and life-threatening acts".

Chief Executive Carrie Lam has defended the controversial bill, insisting the legal changes were crucial to the territory's future.

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Outside the Legislative Council and main government building where police used rubber-coated bullets, tear gas and pepper spray into the night against the protesters on Wednesday, barricades were being removed and rubbish cleared. Heavy rain kept many away.

Al Jazeera's Sarah Clarke, reporting from Hong Kong, said the police had pushed the crowd to the neighbouring Central district before people finally went home at around 2am local time on Thursday (18:00GMT, Wednesday).

"The streets are clear [and] the clean-up is under way," she said. "We are starting to see traffic resume on these roads that were paralysed for most of Wednesday."

Thousands of people surrounded Legco (the legislative building) on Wednesday morning before a scheduled second debate on the extradition bill.

Critics fear the amendments will undermine Hong Kong's judicial independence and further erode the freedoms guaranteed to the city under the "one country two systems" when it was returned to China by the British in 1997.

The protests followed a march on Sunday that brought an estimated one million people onto the streets.

Debate postponed

The demonstrations forced the debate to be postponed to an unspecified date, but the mood turned ugly when some of the protesters tried to get through the barricades and into the building.

Lam has said she wants the bill passed before the summer recess. It is not clear when it will next be tabled.

The chief executive said the protests were "organised riots" and, in an emotional television interview, rejected accusations that she was betraying Hong Kong by pushing ahead with the proposals in defiance of public opinion.

Hong Kong protests

Police close a barrier surrounding the Legislative Council building [Thomas Peter/Reuters]

"I would not do anything that is not in the interests of Hong Kong," she said, stressing again that she was committed to the revised extradition bill.

"I will not shy away from my responsibilities. Sometimes, as a political leader, you cannot shy away from difficult decisions."

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On Monday, the US Department of State said that Washington was concerned the proposals would damage Hong Kong's business environment "and subject our citizens residing in or visiting Hong Kong to China's capricious judicial system".

But President Donald Trump appeared to take a cautious line when he was asked about the protests.

"That was as big a demonstration as I've ever seen," he said. "I hope that it all works out for China and Hong Kong."

But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, expressing support for the protesters, said the US might have to "reassess" Hong Kong's semi-autonomous status if the bill were passed, putting the territory's preferential ties with the world's biggest economy at risk.

Protest to demand authorities scrap a proposed extradition bill with China, in Hong Kong

A protester throws a tear gas canister during Wednesday's demonstration [Tyrone Siu/Reuters]

'Brutal interpretation'

The US came in for particular criticism as China's state-run media condemned the protests, those campaigning against the bill and Western critics.

A Global Times editorial said "only the callous would cheer the disorder in Hong Kong" and that it was the "brutal interpretation" of the bill by its opponents, including the US that had made the protesters "lose all rationality".

The China Daily denounced the "lawlessness" of the unrest, illustrating the column with a photograph of a bloodied policeman.

Al Jazeera's Adrian Brown, reporting from Beijing, said state-run television in Beijing had broadcast pictures of the unrest for the first time on Thursday morning.

"Most major Chinese companies when they list on the Hong Kong stock market, so there China has an awful lot invested in Hong Kong and will want to ensure that the protests come to an end and investors don't have second thoughts about staying in Hong Kong," he said.

Hong Kong day after clean up

A riot police patrols outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong [Kin Cheung/AP]

The European Union, which has raised a concern about the implications of the amendments, urged restraint.

"Over the past days, the people of Hong Kong have exercised their fundamental right to assemble and express themselves freely and peacefully," a statement issued by the EU's external affairs arm said.

"These rights need to be respected. Restraint should be exercised by all sides; violence and escalatory responses must be avoided."

At least 72 people were taken to hospital after the protests turned ugly on Wednesday. Most were released after treatment although two were said to be in a serious condition. The latest violence in Hong Kong's ongoing protests is the worst in more than two decades.

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/hong-kong-shuts-government-offices-due-mass-protests-190613025408006.html

2019-06-13 04:57:00Z
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Rabu, 12 Juni 2019

Travel blogger regrets sharing 'positive' posts about trip to Dominican Republic, claims she was actually assaulted: 'It's not safe' - Fox News

A travel blogger with nearly 27,000 followers on Instagram says she regrets not portraying her trip to the Dominican Republic in a more honest light, as she claims she was actually assaulted and nearly kidnapped during her stay.

Cora Smith, who makes up one half of the team behind @The_greatescape.blog along with her husband Jay, recently told Insider that they were initially wary of documenting the negative aspects of their 2018 trip online.

SEE IT: INSTAGRAM COUPLE RESPONDS TO CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING INFINITY POOL PIC

"We were very worried about bashing anyone or anything,” she told Insider. “In all honesty, influencers are too scared to tell the truth and feel they need to show the beautiful side. Most people only want to hear the positive things."

The couple had spent three months in the Dominican Republic – between March and June 2018 – but Smith says she was accosted twice within the first few weeks.

The first incident, as she told Insider and recounted in a 2018 blog post, occurred while out on a jog along a boardwalk in Santo Domingo. Smith says the driver of a car attempted to force her inside and even stopped in her path before she ran off in the other direction.

TRAVEL BLOGGERS SLAMMED FOR POSTING PHOTOS ON MOVING TRAIN

And later, in Punta Cana, Smith says three men on a motorbike stopped her while she riding a bike before proceeding to grope her.

"The man on the back of the scooter reaches out and grabs my butt," she recounted. "I was completely shocked and furious. He started to laugh at me in my face."

Smith says she attempted to kick over the men's bike, but when she did, "the guy reaches out and grabs my chest" and "full on groped" her.

"They were violating me in every way you can except being raped," she told Insider, explaining that she kept repeatedly kicking them until she was able to break free and away toward Jay, who was biking up ahead.

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Even while they were in the Dominican Republic, Smith says she feared telling local authorities about the incidents after a run-in with police, during which they were more interested in trying to take her husband’s cash.

Smith had even shared part of the story in a blog post shared in 2018, but photos from the couple’s trip focus on the beaches, architecture, landmarks and murals the couple encountered.

"I didn't tell my story, and I think it's out of fear," Smith said.

She added that she wanted to share her experience after hearing the story of Tammy Lawrence-Daley, a Delaware woman who claims she was attacked by man wearing a hotel uniform of the Majestic Elegance resort in Punta Cana and left for dead.

Police in the Dominican Republic are said to be investigating the incident.

"I feel like I can't sit here and listen to the prime minister and say 'Our country is safe,' because it's not safe,” Smith said.

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Cora and Jay Smith are currently in Ibiza, Spain, Insider reports. They have also recently been sharing photos from Indonesia, Thailand and Peru.

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https://www.foxnews.com/travel/travel-blogger-regrets-dominican-republic-posts

2019-06-12 16:51:58Z
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Hong Kong protests over China extradition bill: Live updates - CNN

Suki Ma, a 27-year-old building surveyor, said she wasn’t surprised the police used force, although she was quite angry.

"They (protesters) did not do anything against the police," she said. “Carrie Lam didn’t do anything for Hong Kong people."

Some background: Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters in Hong Kong on Wednesday, hours after tens of thousands of mostly young people surrounded the city's government headquarters. They're rallying against a controversial bill that would allow fugitives to be extradited to China. Carrie Lam, the leader of Hong Kong, has defended the bill.

Ma said she will keep fighting until the end, as she believes this will be Hong Kong’s last protest, although she doesn’t plan to stay the night as it may be too dangerous.

“The Chinese government want to take our freedom,” she said. “We have freedom when we are born. After 1997 (when Hong Kong was handed back to China by the British), it was piece by piece removed from us.”

She didn’t believe the protests would ultimately change anything, but she came out anyway.

“We cant change the final ending. It will still be the same,” she said, referring to how Hong Kong would become completely part of China in the next few decades.

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https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/hong-kong-protests-june-12-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-06-12 15:12:00Z
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Abha International Airport: Missile hits arrivals hall, injuring 26 - CNN

Eighteen people were treated at Abha International Airport for minor injuries and another eight were taken to hospital, Turki al-Malki, spokesman of the US-backed Saudi-led coalition battling rebels in Yemen, said in a statement published on Saudi state media.
"Three women, a Yemeni, an Indian and Saudi and two Saudi children were amongst those injured," al-Malki said, adding that "authorities are working on identifying the type of missile that was used in this terrorist attack."
Exclusive: US intel shows Saudi Arabia escalated its missile program with help from China
According to Houthi-run Saba News, a strategic guided cruise missile was used in the attack.
"In light of these terrorist and immoral transgressions by the Houthis, the coalition will take strict measures urgently and carefully to deter them," al-Malki said. "This includes protecting civilians and civilian assets. The terrorist elements responsible for planning and carrying out this attack will be held accountable."
The airport, which services flights within Saudi Arabia, as well as to Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, suffered from material damage, al-Malki said.
The war in Yemen began in early 2015 when Houthi rebels -- a minority Shia group from the north of the country -- drove out the internationally-recognized government and forced its president, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, to flee.
The crisis quickly escalated into a multi-sided war, with neighboring Saudi Arabia leading a coalition of Gulf states against the Houthi rebels. The coalition is advised and supported by the US, among other nations.
Wednesday's attack comes after Saudi Arabia reported that "armed drones" had attacked two pumping stations in the kingdom in May.
That came just a day after Riyadh said two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/12/middleeast/saudi-airport-houthi-missile-intl/index.html

2019-06-12 14:36:00Z
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Trump waved an alleged 'secret' Mexico deal around. A photographer got a picture of it. - USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, President Donald Trump went in front of reporters, took a piece of paper out of his front pocket, and said it was his "secret" deal with Mexico concerning stemming the flow of Central American migrants to the U.S. southern border.

"That’s the agreement that everybody says I don’t have," Trump said. "I’m going to let Mexico do the announcement at the right time.”

Once the president started waving around what he called his "secret agreement," an enterprising Washington Post photographer, Jabin Botsford, managed to get a picture of it at just the right angle and lighting to make the text faintly visible. 

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The photograph captures what indeed appear to be details of a plan with Mexico. Last Friday, the Trump administration withdrew a tariff threat against Mexico after Trump announced that the two countries had reached a deal that would restrict Central American migration to the United States. Trump said that he had reached other deals with Mexico beyond the one announced on Friday, but did not reveal any specifics at the time. 

Here's what the paper seemed to say in the segment Botsford photographed: 

If the United States determines, at its discretion and after consultation with Mexico, after 45 calendar days from the date of the issuance of the Joint Declaration, that the measures adopted by the Government of Mexico pursuant to the Joint Declaration have not sufficiently achieved results in addressing the flow of migrants to the southern border of the United States, the Government of Mexico will take all necessary steps under the domestic law to bring the agreement into force with a view to ensuring that the agreement will enter into force within 45 days.

Signed on this 7th of June, 2019 in Washington, D.C. by:

It's unclear what exactly this section means other than establishing a timeframe for the agreement. Trump has said that the Mexican legislature would need to take further actions to establish his secret agreement. 

It's harder to make out the top section of the paper in a picture from White House Watch. The Washington Post suggests that this section may contain language alluding to one of the main points of contention between the United States and Mexico — the establishment of a "safe third country agreement."  The one section that's visible appears to say: 

a commitment under which each party would accept the return, and process refugee status claims, of third-party nationals who have crossed that party’s territory

The Trump administration has been trying to get Mexico to agree to a safe third country agreement, which would mean that asylum-seekers would have to apply for asylum status in the first country they land in. Canada and the United States already have such an agreement. Mexico, on the other hand, publicly opposes such an agreement. 

The Washington Post reported that Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard held a news conference Monday on the deal previously reached between the United States and Mexico. According to Ebrard, Mexico had 45 days to reduce migration before the United States might threaten to force Mexico to agree to a safe third country agreement.

“It would be applied if we fail, and if we accept what they tell us," Ebrard said.  

Contributing: David Jackson and John Fritze

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/06/12/trumps-secret-mexico-deal-over-migrants-captured-photographer/1429184001/

2019-06-12 12:13:00Z
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Dominican police arrest second suspect in shooting of baseball star David Ortiz - One America News Network

FILE PHOTO: Boston Red Sox designated hitter Ortiz follows through as he flies out in eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during their MLB American League East baseball game in Boston
FILE PHOTO: Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz follows through as he flies out in the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during their MLB American League East baseball game in Boston, Massachusetts, September 22, 2013. REUTERS/Dominick Reuter

June 12, 2019

(Reuters) – Dominican police arrested a second suspect on Tuesday evening in the shooting of David Ortiz, the retired Boston Red Sox baseball star, the Boston Globe reported.

The arrest came as Ortiz, 43, took his first steps in a Boston hospital room following a second round of surgery on Tuesday, news outlets reported.

Ortiz was shot in the torso on Sunday evening at a nightclub in Santo Domingo, the capital of his native Dominican Republic, after a gunman rolled up on a motorcycle. His friend Jhoel López, a television host, was also wounded in the shooting.

Police quickly arrested one suspect, identified as Eddy Féliz García, who was beaten by bystanders at the scene.

Féliz appeared in court on Tuesday evening, charged with being an accomplice to the attempted murder of Ortiz, CNN reported. A judge is due to rule on Wednesday on whether to grant prosecutors’ request to keep Féliz in custody ahead of his trial, CNN reported.

Féliz’s lawyer, Deivi Solano, said his client did not shoot Ortiz, but works as a motorcycle taxi driver and may have unwittingly driven the shooter to the scene, CNN reported.

The second suspect remained in custody on Tuesday evening, the Globe reported, citing an unnamed official. Police have not released the identity of that suspect, the Globe reported.

Ortiz underwent a first round of surgery in Santo Domingo on Sunday night before being flown to Boston. After more surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, Ortiz was “stable, awake and resting comfortably,” according to a statement released on Tuesday by his wife, Tiffany Ortiz.

Known as “Big Papi,” Ortiz is still a hero in Boston for his role in three World Series championships and for his uplifting remarks in the days after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

(Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Additional reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Larry King and Jeffrey Benkoe)

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https://www.oann.com/baseball-star-david-ortiz-awake-in-boston-after-surgery-for-dominican-shooting/

2019-06-12 12:11:15Z
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Abha International Airport: Missile hits arrivals hall, injuring 26 - CNN

Eighteen people were treated at Abha International Airport for minor injuries and another eight were taken to hospital, Turki al-Malki, spokesman of the US-backed Saudi-led coalition battling rebels in Yemen, said in a statement published on Saudi state media.
"Three women, a Yemeni, an Indian and Saudi and two Saudi children were amongst those injured," al-Malki said, adding that "authorities are working on identifying the type of missile that was used in this terrorist attack."
Exclusive: US intel shows Saudi Arabia escalated its missile program with help from China
According to Houthi-run Saba News, a strategic guided cruise missile was used in the attack.
"In light of these terrorist and immoral transgressions by the Houthis, the coalition will take strict measures urgently and carefully to deter them," al-Malki said. "This includes protecting civilians and civilian assets. The terrorist elements responsible for planning and carrying out this attack will be held accountable."
The airport, which services flights within Saudi Arabia, as well as to Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, suffered from material damage, al-Malki said.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/12/middleeast/saudi-airport-houthi-missile-intl/index.html

2019-06-12 12:02:00Z
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