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Rabu, 07 Agustus 2019

Dozens wounded in suicide attack outside Kabul police station - Aljazeera.com

At least 95 people have been wounded in a large explosion outside a police station in Kabul, officials said.

The blast occurred about 9am (04:30 GMT) in western Kabul, interior ministry spokesperson Nasrat Rahimi said before adding that the bomb went off when a vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint outside the station.

Health ministry spokesperson Wahidullah Mayar said at least 95 people, mostly civilians and including women and children, were taken to hospital.

The explosion sent a massive plume of smoke over the Afghanistan capital.

"I heard a big bang and all the windows broke with glass flying everywhere," shopkeeper Ahmad Saleh told the AFP news agency.

"My head is spinning and I still don't know what has happened but the windows of about 20 shops around one kilometre from the blast site are broken," he added.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to videos on social media and witnesses, small arms fire could be heard following the blast.

Violence is surging across Afghanistan and in Kabul as the United States and the Taliban negotiate a peace deal ahead of elections planned for September 28.

According to the United Nations, more than 1,500 civilians were killed or wounded in the Afghan conflict in July alone, the highest monthly casualties so far this year and the worst single month since May 2017.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/dozens-wounded-large-explosion-rocks-kabul-190807060332103.html

2019-08-07 07:14:00Z
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Hong Kong faces worst crisis in 20 years, senior Chinese official says - Fox News

A senior Chinese official said Wednesday that Hong Kong is facing its worst crisis in more than 20 years after months of violent protests that started over a now-suspended controversial extradition law.

“Hong Kong’s crisis ... has continued for 60 days, and is getting worse and worse,” Zhang Xiaoming, the head of China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs office, said, according to Reuters.

CHINA WARNS HONG KONG PROTESTERS NOT TO 'PLAY WITH FIRE' AS DEMONSTRATORS 'PREPARED TO DIE FOR THE MOVEMENT'

Zhang said the violence is intensifying in an upheaval unlike anything seen since Hong Kong returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997, Reuters reported.

An umbrella is abandoned as protesters pull back from tear gas on Monday, Aug. 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

The protests started in April when millions took to the streets to protest the extradition law, which would have allowed Hong Kong residents to be tried in Communist mainland China. The protesters have since called for Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam to resign.

China said Tuesday the “unscrupulous and violent criminal” protesters would be punished.

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The protesters have also said they "strongly condemn the lawlessness and the inhuman actions done by police."\

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https://www.foxnews.com/world/senior-chinese-official-says-hong-kong-faces-worst-crisis-in-20-years

2019-08-07 05:09:30Z
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Selasa, 06 Agustus 2019

China warns on U.S. deployment of arms in Asia as trade tensions flare - NBCNews.com

BEIJING — China said Tuesday that it "will not stand idly by" and will take countermeasures if the U.S. deploys intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region, which Washington has said it plans to do within months.

The statement from the director of the foreign ministry's Arms Control Department, Fu Cong, follows the U.S.'s withdrawal last week from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a move Fu said would have a "direct negative impact on the global strategic stability" as well as security in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Fu's comments also come as the country's central bank said Washington's earlier decision to label Beijing a currency manipulator would "severely damage international financial order and cause chaos in financial markets," further worsening tensions between the world's largest economies.

A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor in Seongju, South KoreaReuters file

China was particularly concerned about announced plans to develop and test a land-based intermediate-range missile in the Asia-Pacific "sooner rather than later," in the words of one U.S. official, Fu said.

"China will not stand idly by and be forced to take countermeasures should the U.S. deploy intermediate-range ground-based missiles this part of the world," he told reporters at a specially called briefing.

He also advised other nations, particularly South Korea, Japan and Australia, to "exercise prudence" and not allow the U.S. to deploy such weapons on their territory, saying that would "not serve the national security interests of these countries."

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in Asia over the weekend that he wanted to deploy midrange conventional missiles in the Asia-Pacific within months. Australian officials said Monday that the locations for the bases were not yet known but their country would not be one of them.

Trade tensions

The arms debate comes amid amid a rapidly escalating China-U.S. trade war.

The Treasury Department's decision to dub Beijing a currency manipulator would "prevent a global economic and trade recovery," the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said in the country's first official response to the latest U.S. salvo.

Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer gestures towards Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as he chats with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He before they pose for a photo in Shanghai on July 31.Ng Han Guan / Reuters

China "has not used and will not use the exchange rate as a tool to deal with trade disputes," the PBOC said in a statement on its website.

"China advised the United States to rein in its horse before the precipice, and be aware of its errors, and turn back from the wrong path," it said.

The U.S. currency accusation, which followed a sharp slide in the yuan on Monday, has driven an even bigger wedge between China and the U.S., and crushed any lingering hopes for a quick resolution to their year-long trade war.

The dispute has already spread beyond tariffs to other areas such as technology, and analysts caution tit-for-tat measures could widen in scope and severity, weighing further on business confidence and global economic growth.

The Treasury Department said on Monday it had determined for the first time since 1994 that China was manipulating its currency, taking their trade dispute beyond tariffs.

China "no longer expects goodwill from the United States," Hu Xijin, the newspaper's editor-in-chief, tweeted on Tuesday.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/china-warns-u-s-deployment-arms-asia-trade-tensions-flare-n1039506

2019-08-06 10:36:00Z
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Beijing Warns Hong Kong Protesters: Don't 'Play With Fire' - NPR

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Riot police fire tear gas at protesters during a demonstration in Hong Kong's Wong Tai Sin District on Monday. Anthony Kwan/Getty Images hide caption

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Anthony Kwan/Getty Images

Amid weeks of mass anti-government demonstrations in Hong Kong that have frequently turned violent, Beijing on Tuesday issued a stark warning to protesters: "those who play with fire will perish by it."

The remarks, at a news conference in Beijing, were made by Yang Guang, a spokesman for the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council.

He said China has "tremendous power" to put down the protests and warned that anyone who engages in "violence and crimes ... will be held accountable."

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Yang Guang, spokesperson for mainland China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the State Council, speaks concerning the ongoing protests in Hong Kong, at a news conference in Beijing on Tuesday Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images

Asked if he could rule out the use of military force in Hong Kong, Yang told journalists: "We will not let any acts attacking the principle of 'one country, two systems' go unpunished."

"I warn all those criminals: don't misjudge the situation or take restraint as a sign of weakness," he said.

Yang's comments came a day after Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam, vowed to restore order in the city after nine weeks of nearly uninterrupted demonstrations. Speaking on Monday, the embattled Lam said the Chinese territory was "on the verge of a very dangerous situation" — words repeated verbatim by Yang.

The city on Monday was plunged into chaos as protesters barricaded roads and besieged police stations in the most significant unrest since the former British colony was returned to China in 1997.

A general strike on Monday brought life in the bustling Asian hub to a standstill. Protesters were joined by teachers, security workers and some 2,300 aviation workers, resulting in 224 flight cancellations. Commuter trains were shut down when protesters lodged umbrellas in the doors or used their arms to prop them open during rush hour.

In clashes overnight Monday, police tried to quash demonstrations in seven separate districts, including densely populated Mong Kok in Kowloon, across the harbor from Hong Kong island. In several locations, they used flash grenades and tear-gas against black-clad protesters wearing face masks.

Police said 148 people were arrested and "some 800 tear gas rounds" were expended in Monday's melee. Since the protests began on June 9, Hong Kong police say they've arrested 420 people.

Social and political divisions are deepening in Hong Kong, with one side determined to defend what they say are their shrinking liberties, and the other firm in holding the line on intensifying dissent. The latest protests caught fire in June to oppose a proposed law that would have allowed some in the territory accused of serious crimes to be extradited to mainland China for prosecution.

Although Lam's government has since suspended consideration of the controversial bill, protesters want a promise to kill it completely. They have also infused their demands with grievances taken directly from the 2014 Occupy Central "umbrella" movement in Hong Kong.

So far, Beijing has used a carrot-and-stick approach to trying to persuade protesters to go home. Hong Kong, Beijing argued on Tuesday, enjoys a privileged role in international financial systems, a status that a small group of radical activists threaten.

But many in Hong Kong disagree.

"It's reached a point where threats aren't going to make things go away now," says Antony Dapiran, a Hong Kong-based lawyer and writer. "I can't help but think that the intended message [at Tuesday's news conference] was directed domestically, to send a message that we are in control here and maintaining stability."

Meanwhile, protesters are trying to expand their protest methods beyond marches to street performances, strikes and exhibitions, says Lo Kin-Hei, a vice chairman of the opposition Hong Kong Democratic party.

"The protesters also need to rest," Lo told NPR, stressing that on-the-ground protests would continue: "The clashes, the intense protests, I don't think [the protesters] will give up on this because they think this is the one thing that can affect the course of governance."

In yet another potentially worrying sign, more than 12,000 police officers in the southern city of Shenzhen, which is adjacent to Hong Kong, conducted anti-riot drills on Tuesday, according to Chinese state media and the Chinese police force.

On Weibo, a Chinese social media site similar to Twitter, the Shenzhen police posted that the drills were in preparation for the 70^th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on Oct. 1.

"A drill will be held to increase troop morale, practice and prepare for the security of celebrations, [and] maintain national political security and social stability," the post said.

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https://www.npr.org/2019/08/06/748570104/beijing-warns-hong-kong-protesters-dont-play-with-fire

2019-08-06 11:09:00Z
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China warns Hong Kong protesters not to 'play with fire' - BBC News - BBC News

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQfj1Sr1e_8

2019-08-06 09:52:57Z
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China Warns Hong Kong Protesters Not to ‘Take Restraint for Weakness’ - The New York Times

HONG KONG — An official in Beijing on Tuesday issued China’s sternest denunciation yet of the demonstrations in Hong Kong, saying they had “exceeded the scope of free assembly” and warning that the semiautonomous city would not be allowed to descend into chaos.

“I want to warn all the criminals to not wrongly judge the situation and take restraint for weakness,” said Yang Guang, a spokesman for the Chinese government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office. He warned against underestimating China’s “firm resolve and strength to safeguard the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.”

But Mr. Yang offered little in the way of concrete measures to resolve the political crisis, calling for more patriotic education and encouraging residents to confront protesters. “We need to stand up to protect our wonderful homeland,” he said.

The comments came a day after protesters in Hong Kong carried out their most widespread civil disobedience in weeks of demonstrations, blocking trains and roads and urging workers to strike. Air travel was also snarled, with more than 200 flights canceled after 2,300 civil aviation workers stayed home, according to an estimate by union officials.

Mr. Yang denounced the tactics of protesters who have surrounded police stations, throwing bricks and lighting fires, as “extreme violence that is shocking to see.”

He said, “The central government will never allow any violent attempt to push Hong Kong into a dangerous situation.”

Government supporters argued with students near the Tin Shui Wai police station in Hong Kong on Monday. — CreditLam Yik Fei for The New York Times

Protesters gathered at more than a half dozen sites across Hong Kong on Monday, and the police arrested 148 people and fired 800 canisters of tear gas. The tear gas used on Monday alone came close to the 1,000 rounds that the police had used over the previous eight weeks.

Joshua Wong, a leader of the 2014 Umbrella movement and a prominent pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong, said Mr. Yang’s comments were an attempt to scare the people of the city into silence.

“Beijing does not rule Hong Kong by law, they just rule by tear gas,” he said.

The protests this summer began over a proposal that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China. The government suspended that legislation in mid-June, but the protests have continued, demanding that the government fully withdraw the bill. The protesters are also angry about other issues, including allegations of police brutality and the stalled expansion of direct elections in Hong Kong.

Protesters who have clashed with the police have argued that more confrontational methods became necessary after the government rejected demands made in earlier, peaceful marches, one of which was joined by as many as two million people.

Mr. Yang also warned protesters to not challenge China’s sovereignty, denouncing those who defaced the Chinese government’s representative office in Hong Kong last month and threw Chinese flags into Victoria Harbor in recent days. He criticized protesters’ use of a slogan from an imprisoned activist who once advocated Hong Kong’s independence: “Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times.”

Last week, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office expressed its support for Carrie Lam, the Hong Kong chief executive, and the police, but they offered little new to resolve the political crisis. It was rare for the office to hold a news conference, and even rarer for it to hold another just a week later, an indication of the Chinese leadership’s struggle to respond to the increasingly fraught conflict in Hong Kong.

Mr. Yang reiterated on Tuesday that China backed Mrs. Lam and the police, and he said there should be no leniency in prosecuting violent crimes.

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CreditLam Yik Fei for The New York Times

“These rioters are extremely rampant and deranged,” he said. “A blow from the sword of law is waiting for them in the future.”

Hong Kong, a former British colony, was returned to China in 1997, and it operates under a model called “one country, two systems,” which allows the city to maintain its own political and legal systems and gives residents a far greater degree of civil liberties than is seen in mainland China.

The central government is responsible for Hong Kong’s national defense and foreign relations. But many in Hong Kong fear Beijing is wielding greater influence over the city, slowly eroding its freedoms.

A spokesman for China’s Ministry of National Defense hinted last month that the People’s Liberation Army could be called on to maintain order in Hong Kong. The military has a garrison of 6,000 to 10,000 soldiers in Hong Kong, but local officials have repeatedly denied rumors that they have been preparing to help quell demonstrations.

Last week, the Hong Kong garrison released a video showing its troops training to confront protesters. And images have been released of large groups of mainland police officers holding drills in preparation for the Oct. 1 celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Those images have also fueled unsubstantiated rumors about the possible intervention of Chinese forces.

Asked if he could rule out an intervention by the Chinese military, Mr. Yang said China would “never allow a challenge to the principle of ‘one country, two systems’ to go unpunished and will never allow any turbulence that will threaten national unity.”

Mrs. Lam warned on Monday of a crisis of “security and safety” and said “a series of extremely violent acts” was “pushing Hong Kong into very precarious circumstances.”

A group of protesters met with reporters on Tuesday to challenge the government’s portrayal of them, accusing Mrs. Lam and other top officials of dodging responsibility for the crisis.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/06/world/asia/hong-kong-china-protests.html

2019-08-06 08:01:39Z
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China Warns Hong Kong Protesters Not to ‘Take Restraint for Weakness’ - The New York Times

Mr. Yang denounced the tactics of protesters who have surrounded police stations, throwing bricks and lighting fires, as “extreme violence that is shocking to see.”

He said, “The central government will never allow any violent attempt to push Hong Kong into a dangerous situation.”

Protesters gathered at more than a half dozen sites across Hong Kong on Monday, and the police fired tear gas and arrested more than 80 people. Since early June, the police have fired more than 1,000 rounds of tear gas, more than 10 times the amount used during a 2014 protest movement that shut down major streets for weeks.

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CreditLam Yik Fei for The New York Times

Last week, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office expressed its support for the Hong Kong government and the police, but they offered little new to resolve the political crisis. It was rare for the office to hold a news conference, and even rarer for it to hold another just a week later, an indication of the Chinese leadership’s struggle to respond to the increasingly fraught conflict in Hong Kong.

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, warned on Monday of a crisis of “security and safety” and said “a series of extremely violent acts” was “pushing Hong Kong into very precarious circumstances.””

A group of protesters met with reporters on Tuesday to challenge the government’s portrayal of them, accusing Mrs. Lam and other top officials of dodging responsibility for the crisis.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/06/world/asia/hong-kong-china-protests.html

2019-08-06 07:38:02Z
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