The first tanker attack
Ongoing investigation
June 13 attack
Iran blamed again
Iran denies any involvement
https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/14/middleeast/tanker-iran-us-timeline-intl-hnk/index.html
2019-06-14 10:07:00Z
52780314199816
CNN's Barbara Starr, Vasco Cotovio, and Kara Fox contributed to this report.
HONG KONG — Two members of Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing establishment appeared to break ranks with the city’s embattled leader on Friday, saying publicly that an unpopular bill that would allow extraditions to mainland China should be delayed.
Bernard Chan, a top adviser to Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, said on Friday that it would be impossible to rush through the bill, with the city on edge after street clashes that saw the police fire tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters opposed to the legislation. And the lawmaker Michael Tien became the first member of the legislature’s pro-Beijing faction to openly call for a delay of the bill’s passage.
“If things continue to move in the wrong direction, I am worried that the government will find it harder to win the trust of its friends and I worry about Hong Kong’s governance prospects,” Mr. Tien wrote on his Facebook page.
The remarks could signal that public pressure is forcing Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing faction, which has been a staunch supporter of Mrs. Lam on the extradition issue, to speak out against it. Mrs. Lam, who called off a planned appearance at a technology conference on Friday, has not commented on the issue since Wednesday night, when she urged the public to help restore order.
Mr. Chan, the convener of the Executive Council, a body that advises the territory’s chief executive on major policy decisions, told a local radio station that the massive downtown street conflict between police and demonstrators on Wednesday had forced a rethink of the government’s earlier plan to put the bill up for a vote by next week.
[See photos from Hong Kong’s biggest display of dissent in years.]
The police have said they used force on Wednesday to suppress protesters who had tried to storm the territory’s Legislative Council to prevent a reading of the bill. But the crackdown also left thousands of peaceful protesters choking on tear gas and many others smarting from pepper spray or injured by rubber bullets.
The government later said that 81 people had been injured, and the authorities were heavily criticized as video that appeared to show police officers using excessive force circulated on social media.
“There is so much misunderstanding, and on Wednesday we all witnessed very saddening events we don’t want to see,” Mr. Chan told the station RTHK. “So we really need to review this bill again — to explain this in detail again would be one option.”
The intense public outcry against the bill comes from a fear that it would put Hong Kong’s residents and visitors at risk of being detained and sent to China for trial by the country’s Communist Party-controlled courts. Underlying the opposition is a growing fear that the freedoms people in Hong Kong enjoy under the “one country, two systems” policy, put in place when the former British colony was returned to China in 1997, are rapidly shrinking.
In a sign of the international pressure on Mrs. Lam, a bipartisan group of American lawmakers introduced a bill on Wednesday calling for a broad review of Washington’s relationship with Hong Kong. The bill would require the American secretary of state to affirm every year that the territory remains sufficiently autonomous from the Chinese mainland to deserve special treatment.
On Friday, Geng Shuang, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, accused the American lawmakers of making “irresponsible” remarks and “violently” interfering in China’s internal affairs.
After the protests and clashes on Wednesday, the Hong Kong legislature’s president delayed debate on the extradition bill through Friday. No date has been set for when the legislature will resume meeting. Further protests against the bill are planned for Sunday, and activists have called for schools, shops and workers to go on strike on Monday, in another effort to stop the bill from passing.
The South China Morning Post newspaper reported on Friday that 22 former top officials and lawmakers in Hong Kong had asked Ms. Lam in a letter to “yield to public opinion and withdraw the bill for more thorough deliberation.” They also urged her advisers to resign if their pleas to that effect are ignored.
“A deeply divided society, serious concerns of the international community — are these the sacrifices to be made to satisfy the will of the chief executive?” they wrote, as reported by the newspaper. “What great public interest is supposed to be served by the hurried passage of this bill?”
Criticism of the government and the police has put significant political pressure on Mrs. Lam, who was selected by China’s leaders to govern Hong Kong two years ago and has championed the bill. But so far, she has shown no sign of backing down. On Wednesday, she called the demonstration an “organized riot” and compared the protesters — mostly young people in their 20s and 30s — to spoiled children.
[Hong Kong’s leader says she won’t back down.]
Mr. Chan said on Friday that his primary concern was ensuring that conflict between protesters and the authorities did not escalate.
“It you ask for my personal opinion, at this moment, maybe we should consider not polarizing everyone?” he told RTHK. “As we can see now, the government is not proceeding with the meetings. I figure that this is a buffer for the situation right now, and also to look at whether the citizens really actually understand what this bill is about.”
But Regina Ip, a pro-Beijing lawmaker who serves on the same advisory council as Mr. Chan, told reporters on Friday that Mr. Chan’s remarks merely represented the concerns of the business community and that she had not heard of any plan to retract the bill.
“I think the government faces some tough choices,” Ms. Ip told reporters on Friday about the Legislative Council’s options for handling the bill. “If LegCo proceeds with second reading and debate, it could face large crowds and violent protests.”
“But on the other hand, if the government caves in to violence and external influencers, in the long run that would also make Hong Kong ungovernable,” she added.
As of early Friday evening, neither Mrs. Lam nor her ministers had commented on whether their position on the extradition bill would change.
To address concerns about the bill, officials in the Legislative Council have proposed more than 100 amendments. Now, many fear that the amount of time allocated for debating the bill — 61 hours — will not be enough. Some have called political foul play.
Others object to the length of time that the government allocated for public consultation on the bill before moving it to the legislature. The government set aside 20 days, but other bills, including ones that are far less controversial, routinely get a few months.
Lawyers have questioned the government’s sense of urgency in passing this bill, too. Mrs. Lam has said it would address a legal loophole urgently needed to ensure that a Hong Kong man accused of killing his girlfriend in Taiwan last year does not go free.
But officials in Taiwan have objected to the legislation and said they would not seek the man’s extradition if it passed. In its current form, the bill could undermine the sovereignty of Taiwan, which China regards as part of its territory.
Mr. Tien, the pro-Beijing lawmaker, said that he did not understand why Mrs. Lam remained “so adamant” about passing the bill given Taiwan’s opposition.
That opposition “would provide the basis for any leader to change their position,” he said. “There is nothing wrong with that. This is what I am imploring the chief executive to do.”
HONG KONG — Two members of Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing establishment appeared to break ranks with the city’s embattled leader on Friday, saying publicly that an unpopular bill that would allow extraditions to mainland China should be delayed.
Bernard Chan, a top adviser to Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, said on Friday that it would be impossible to rush through the bill as the city remained on edge after street clashes that saw the police fire tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters opposed to the legislation. And the lawmaker Michael Tien became the first member of the legislature’s pro-Beijing faction to openly call for a delay on the bill’s passage.
“If things continue to move in the wrong direction, I am worried that the government will find it harder to win the trust of its friends and I worry about Hong Kong’s governance prospects,” Mr. Tien wrote on his Facebook page.
The remarks could signal that public pressure is forcing Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing faction, which has rather been a staunch supporter of Mrs. Lam on the extradition issue, to speak out against it. Mrs. Lam, who called off a planned appearance at a technology conference on Friday, has not commented on the issue since Wednesday night when she urged the public to help restore order.
Mr. Chan, the convener of the Executive Council, a body that advises the territory’s chief executive on major policy decisions, told a local radio station that the massive downtown street conflict between police and demonstrators on Wednesday had forced a rethink of the government’s earlier plan to put the bill up for a vote by next week.
[See photos from Hong Kong’s biggest display of dissent in years.]
The police have said they used force on Wednesday to suppress protesters who had tried to storm the territory’s Legislative Council to prevent a reading of the bill. But the crackdown also left thousands of peaceful protesters choking on tear gas and many others smarting from pepper spray or injured by rubber bullets.
The government later said that 81 people had been injured, and the authorities were heavily criticized as video that appeared to show police officers using excessive force against demonstrators circulated on social media.
“There is so much misunderstanding, and on Wednesday we all witnessed very saddening events we don’t want to see,” Mr. Chan told the station RTHK. “So we really need to review this bill again — to explain this in detail again would be one option.”
The intense public outcry against the bill comes from a fear that it would put Hong Kong’s residents and visitors at risk of being detained and sent to China for trial by the country’s Communist Party-controlled courts. Underlying the opposition is the growing fear that the freedoms people in Hong Kong enjoy under the “one country, two systems” policy put in place when the former British colony was returned to China in 1997 are rapidly shrinking.
After the protests and clashes on Wednesday, the legislature’s president delayed the debate on the bill through Friday. No new date has been set for when the legislature will resume meeting. Further protests against the bill are planned for Sunday, and activists have called for schools, shops and workers to go on strike on Monday, in another effort to stop the bill from passing.
The South China Morning Post newspaper also reported on Friday that 22 former top officials and lawmakers in Hong Kong had asked Ms. Lam in a letter to “yield to public opinion and withdraw the bill for more thorough deliberation.” They also urged her advisers to resign if their pleas to that effect are ignored.
“A deeply divided society, serious concerns of the international community —are these the sacrifices to be made to satisfy the will of the chief executive?” they wrote, as reported by the newspaper. “What great public interest is supposed to be served by the hurried passage of this bill?”
Criticism of the government and the police has put significant political pressure on Mrs. Lam, who was selected by China’s leaders to govern Hong Kong two years ago and has championed the bill. But so far, she has shown no sign of backing down. On Wednesday, she called the demonstration an “organized riot” and compared the protesters — mostly young people in their 20s and 30s — to spoiled children.
[Hong Kong’s leader says she won’t back down.]
Mr. Chan said on Friday that his primary concern was ensuring that conflict between protesters and the authorities did not escalate.
“It you ask for my personal opinion, at this moment, maybe we should consider not polarizing everyone?” he told RTHK. “As we can see now, the government is not proceeding with the meetings. I figure that this is a buffer for the situation right now, and also to look at whether the citizens really actually understand what this bill is about.”
But Regina Ip, a pro-Beijing lawmaker who serves on the same advisory council as Mr. Chan, told reporters on Friday that Mr. Chan’s remarks merely represented the concerns of the business community and that she had not heard of any plan to retract the bill.
“I think the government faces some tough choices,” Ms. Ip told reporters on Friday about the Legislative Council’s options for handling the bill. “If LegCo proceeds with second reading and debate, it could face large crowds and violent protests.”
“But on the other hand, if the government caves in to violence and external influencers, in the long run that would also make Hong Kong ungovernable,” she added.
As of early Friday evening, neither Mrs. Lam nor her ministers had commented on whether their position on the extradition bill would change.
To address concerns about the extradition bill, officials in the Legislative Council have proposed more than 100 amendments. Now, many fear that the amount of time allocated for debating the bill — 61 hours — will not be enough. Some have called political foul play.
Others object to the length of time that the government allocated for public consultation on the bill before moving it to the legislature. The government set aside 20 days, but other bills, including ones that are far less controversial, routinely get a few months.
Lawyers have questioned the government’s sense of urgency in passing this bill, too. While Taiwanese officials have requested assistance from Hong Kong authorities to help extradite a man suspected of killing his girlfriend in Taiwan, they have also expressed concern over the proposed bill. In its current form, the bill could also undermine the sovereignty of Taiwan, which China regards as part of its territory.
In pushing the extradition bill, Mrs. Lam has said it would address a legal loophole urgently needed to ensure that a Hong Kong man accused of killing his girlfriend in Taiwan last year does not go free. But officials in Taiwan have objected to the legislation and said they would not seek the man’s extradition if it passes.
Mr. Tien, the pro-Beijing lawmaker, said that he did not understand why Mrs. Lam remained “so adamant” about passing the bill given Taiwan’s opposition.
That opposition “would provide the basis for any leader to change their position,” he said. “There is nothing wrong with that. This is what I am imploring the chief executive to do.”
Good morning and welcome to Fox News First. Here's what you need to know today...
Iranian vessel removed unexploded mine from stricken oil tanker in Gulf of Oman, US officials say
An Iranian vessel removed an unexploded mine that had been attached to a Japanese-owned oil tanker that suffered serious damage after an explosion in the Gulf of Oman early Thursday, U.S. officials told Fox News, as the U.S. Navy released video purportedly showing the incident. The imagery came from the USS Bainbridge, a guided-missile destroyer that rescued 21 sailors from the stricken tanker.
At least one other mine attached to the tanker's hull detonated, causing the blast. It happened near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil shipments in the region. A U.S. official told Fox News an Iranian gunboat approached the Kokuka Courageous later in the day and removed the unexploded triangular-shaped limpet mine, the same type of mine used to damage four other tankers in the Gulf of Oman last month.
WH press secretary Sarah Sanders will leave office by the end of the month, Trump says
President Trump wrote Thursday on Twitter that White House press secretary Sarah Sanders will be leaving her position at the end of the month. "After 3 1/2 years, our wonderful Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be leaving the White House at the end of the month and going home to the Great State of Arkansas," Trump wrote. "She is a very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job! I hope she decides to run for Governor of Arkansas - she would be fantastic. Sarah, thank you for a job well done!"
The president has not yet named a replacement for Sanders. His announcement came moments before he made remarks at a White House event on its "Second Chance" program boosting the hiring of criminals who have served their sentences.
Julian Castro admits Hatch Act ‘mistake,’ calls for Kellyanne Conway’s termination, in Fox News Town Hall
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro told Fox News on Thursday night that White House adviser Kellyanne Conway should be fired for violating the Hatch Act -- the same federal law Castro himself was found to have violated in 2016. The 2020 White House contender's remarks came in a Fox News Town Hall in Tempe, Ariz., hosted by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.
Man killed by US Marshals Service was wanted in connection with Mississippi shooting
A 20-year-old black man whose Wednesday shooting death by a fugitive task force sparked a night of violence and unrest in a Memphis, Tenn., neighborhood, was wanted for a shooting in Mississippi, according to media reports. DeSoto County District Attorney John Champion said Brandon Webber was being sought on aggravated assault and armed robbery charges related to a shooting during a car theft in Hernando, Miss., on June 3. The victim was shot five times and survived, Champion said.
Toronto Raptors win first NBA championship in franchise history
The Toronto Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors 114-110 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night in Oakland, Calif. The Warriors played without Kevin Durant, who injured his Achilles tendon in the last series. Golden State was 0-3 at home against Toronto this season, losing all three games by double digits. Game 6 was the final time the Warriors played at Oracle Arena, their home for 47 seasons. The team moves to the Chase Center in San Francisco next season.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
TODAY'S MUST-READS
2nd suspect tied in Benghazi terror attack convicted on 2 counts
CNN boss Jeff Zucker makes sexual joke about star anchor during award ceremony: report.
Oberlin College to pay bakery the now-massive sum of $44M over racism dispute.
MINDING YOUR BUSINESS
Fake online videos growing corporate threat: Cybersecurity expert.
Elizabeth Warren to introduce bill to 'cancel' student debt for millions.
Colorado's marijuana revenue surpasses $1B.
#TheFlashback: CLICK HERE to find out what happened on "This Day in History."
SOME PARTING WORDS
Hannity calls out the left’s selective outrage over Trump’s comments that he would listen to foreign entities with information on a political opponent while ignoring foreign election interference that was bought and paid for by Hillary Clinton and the DNC.
Not signed up yet for Fox News First? Click here to find out what you're missing.
CLICK HERE to find out what's on Fox News today!
Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Fox News' Bradford Betz contributed to this edition. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your day and weekend! We'll see you in your inbox first thing on Monday morning.
The man accused of killing 51 people in mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques in March has pleaded not guilty to terrorism, murder and attempted murder.
Brenton Tarrant, who appeared via video link from a maximum security prison in Auckland, smirked but did not speak and showed little other emotion as his lawyer entered not guilty pleas on multiple counts.
Audible gasps could be heard in the courtroom as the not guilty pleas were entered.
The 28-year-old Australian man is accused in the March 15 shooting rampage at two mosques in Christchurch. A trial date of May 4 next year was set by Justice Cameron Mander at the High Court in Christchurch.
If found guilty, Tarrant could become the first person in New Zealand to receive a sentence of life without parole. Previously, the longest-ever sentence in the country was 30 years without parole for a triple murder.
In the courtroom, 80 survivors and family members of those killed viewed the proceedings. Sixty others watched by closed-circuit television in an overflow room.
Justice Mander said the court had reviewed reports on the defendant's mental health and that "No issues arise regarding the defendant's fitness to plead, to instruct council and to stand trial. Therefore, a fitness hearing is not required."
Outside the courtroom, a man reportedly speaking in support of white supremacy was escorted away by police, according to The Associated Press. A 33-year-old man was also arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after he "played Nazi music and [made] racist remarks outside the court," the New Zealand Herald reports.
Oil tankers have been attacked in the Gulf of Oman, with explosions heard and the UK maritime safety group warning of an unspecified incident. The huge vessels have been identified as Front Altair and Kokuka Courageous and were evacuated. The Front Altair, which was carrying crude oil, is suspected to have been struck by a torpedo, according to shipping industry newspaper TradeWinds. But where is the Gulf of Oman and who attacked the tankers in the Middle Eastern Gulf?
The two tankers were hit in suspected attacks in the Gulf of Oman yesterday morning.
The crews have been evacuated according to shipping sources.
Oil prices have surged by 4 percent, according to Reuters after tensions were raised followed by a dispute between Iran and the United Staes.
This comes after the US claimed Iran used explosives to blow huge holes in four ships - including two Saudi oil tankers - anchored in the Persian Gulf last month.
Two oil tankers have been hit in suspected attacks amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States of America.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations, which is part of the Royal Navy, has urged “extreme caution”.
The group put out the alert early this morning and said it was investigating.
According to Reuters, 21 crew members abandoned ship after incident in Gulf of Oman.
Reports of the explosions are yet to be officially confirmed by any oil tanker firms or regional governments.
Wu I-fang, a spokesman for Taiwan's CPC Corp oil refiner, which chartered the Front Altair, said it was carrying 75,000 tonnes of naphtha and was "suspected of being hit by a torpedo", although this has not been confirmed.
The US Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet said their forces are assisting tankers after receiving two distress calls.
Josh Frey, of the 5th Fleet, said in a statement: "US naval forces in the region received two separate distress calls at 6.12am local time and a second one at 7am.
"US Navy ships are in the area and are rendering assistance."
The Gulf of Oman connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which subsequently runs to the Persian Gulf.
It borders Iran and Pakistan on the north, Oman on the south, and the United Arab Emirates on the west.
The area is near the Strait of Hormuz, which is a major strategic waterway through which a fifth of global oil consumption passes from Middle East producers.
In 2018, scientists confirmed the Gulf of Oman contains one of the world's largest marine dead zones, where the ocean contains little or no oxygen and marine wildlife cannot exist.
The dead zone encompasses nearly the entire 63,700-square-mile Gulf of Oman and the cause is a combination of increased ocean warming and increased runoff of nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks on the oil tankers.
However, the US has accused Iran of the incident, but Iran has denied involvement in the apparent attacks today and last month, and has also accused the US of agressive behaviour.
Iran says it "categorically rejects" US claims that it is behind attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
The attacks come after increased long-standing tensions between Iran and the US and its allies in the Gulf.
Last month, four tankers were attacked off the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE blamed an unnamed "state actor" for the attack, which involved naval mines.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is currently visiting Iran in a bid to de-escalate the situation.
Speaking yesterday after talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Mr Abe warned that any "accidental conflict" must be avoided.
Mr Abe is due to meet with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today, for the second and final day of his visit.