Senin, 23 September 2019

Giuliani accuses Ukraine of laundering $3M to Hunter Biden, asks how Obama could let that happen - Fox News

Rudy Giuliani channeled President Trump Monday with a wee-hours Twitter blitz aimed at turning the Ukraine story currently roiling Washington into a big problem for Democrats.

Giuliani, the personal attorney for Trump and outspoken critic of Joe Biden and his son’s relationship with Ukraine, accused Kiev of laundering $3 million to Hunter Biden, suggested that the Obama administration turned a blind eye and made the prediction that the scandal is in its infancy.

ROMNEY WANTS ANSWERS IN WHISTLEBLOWER STORY

"If Dem party doesn’t call for an investigation of Bidens’ millions from Ukraine and billions from China, they will own it,” he tweeted. "Bidens’ made big money selling public office. How could Obama have allowed this to happen? Will Dems continue to condone and enable this kind pay-for-play?"

Giuliani titled his first tweet, "NEW FACT," and said Hunter Biden received a one-time payment of $3 million from the Ukraine that went through Latvia and then to Cyprus, before entering the U.S.

BIDEN'S CAMPAIGN LIKELY COMING TO AN END, NUNES SAYS

Giuliani did not provide how he learned about the purported transaction but said prosecutors were stonewalled at the time when they inquired about the sum.

"Did Obama know that his VP, the one he put in charge of giving billions to Ukraine, had a son who was making millions on the board of one of the most corrupt companies in Ukraine," he tweeted. "[Hunter] Biden’s boss had stolen $5b from Ukraine and was a fugitive. Did Obama know? Did he approve?"

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Trump asked his Ukranian counterpart to investigate Hunter Biden, who had a key role in a natural gas firm, Burisma Holdings, that was being investigated by a Ukrainian prosecutor as part of a corruption probe. Hunter Biden has not been accused of wrongdoing during his time at the company where he made $50,000 a month as a member of the board of directors, according to the New York Times. Up until his role on the board, Hunter Biden has no experience in Ukraine, the Times reported.

At a conference two years after he left office, Joe Biden openly boasted about successfully pressuring Ukraine to fire that prosecutor when he was vice president.

Trump on Sunday appeared to confirm that he spoke about Joe Biden with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but insisted that the call was routine. Democrats seized on his admission and some renewed calls for his impeachment. Political observers raised questions as to why Trump would allow himself to get into a position that it could even appear like he is seeking help from a foreign power to achieve political ends.

Giuliani, like many Trump supporters, stressed that the story is not the phone calls, rather the crony capitalism on display where the son of a sitting vice president could make millions working on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.

Trump accused Joe Biden of dishonesty in claiming that he never spoke to his son about his business dealings with a Ukrainian energy company, despite Hunter Biden telling the New Yorker that they spoke “just once” about it.

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“And now he made a lie when he said he never spoke to his son,” Trump said. “Of course you spoke to your son!”

Fox News' Gregg Re contributed to this report

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/giuliani-accuses-ukraine-of-laundering-3m-to-hunter-biden-asks-how-obama-could-let-that-happen

2019-09-23 09:38:48Z
52780390048216

Minggu, 22 September 2019

Iran warns foreign forces to stay out of Gulf, amid new US deployment - BBC News

Iran's president has warned that foreign forces are threatening the security of the Gulf, after the US said it was deploying troops to the region.

Hassan Rouhani said foreign forces had always brought "pain and misery" and should not be used in an "arms race".

The US is sending more troops to Saudi Arabia after an attack on Saudi oil facilities both nations blame on Iran.

Mr Rouhani also said Iran would present a new Gulf peace initiative at the United Nations in the coming days.

This year has seen continuing tension between the US and Iran, following President Donald Trump's abandonment of a deal aimed at limiting Iran's nuclear activities in return for the easing of sanctions.

The latest flashpoint was caused by drone and missile attacks on the Saudi oil facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais on 14 September.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels said they had carried out the attacks, but both the US and its ally Saudi Arabia - Iran's main regional rival - said Iran was behind them, something Tehran has strongly denied.

Angry rhetoric and its dangers

The crisis sparked by the attacks is being dangerously inflamed by angry rhetoric. President Trump's knee-jerk reaction was to tell the Iranians the US was "locked and loaded". So the region braced for a US retaliatory strike.

Washington pulled back, restrained by a nervous Saudi Arabia. Instead it is sending a small detachment of what are essentially military technicians to bolster Saudi Arabia's blatantly inadequate air and missile defences.

The move is defensive, and may not even be enough to prevent another "swarm" attack of explosive drones. Yet Iran's hard-line Revolutionary Guards are interpreting it as an aggressive, almost invasive, act.

The danger now is that one side or the other misinterprets the signals from the other side of the Gulf and does something that inadvertently propels this region into a war that nobody wants.

What has Mr Rouhani said?

He was speaking on the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, and alongside a series of military parades in Tehran and other cities.

"Foreign forces can cause problems and insecurity for our people and for our region," he said in the televised speech.

He called the deployment of such forces in the past a "disaster" and told them to "stay away".

"If they're sincere, then they should not make our region the site of an arms race... The farther you keep yourselves from our region and our nations, the more security there will be."

What about his peace initiative?

The president said it would be presented to the UN, which begins the main part of its general assembly in New York on Tuesday.

However, he gave no details, saying only that peace in the Strait of Hormuz could be achieved "in co-operation with various countries".

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Mr Rouhani said Iran was "ready to let go of the past mistakes" made by regional neighbours.

"In this sensitive and important historical moment, we announce to our neighbours, that we extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood to them," he said.

The Houthi rebels in Yemen have also made a peace initiative, saying they would end all attacks on Saudi Arabia provided the kingdom and its allies did the same.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said in a statement it was important to "take advantage of this opportunity and move forward with all necessary steps to reduce violence, military escalation and unhelpful rhetoric".

What is the US troop deployment?

The Pentagon announced on Friday that, in response to a Saudi request, there would be a moderate deployment to Saudi Arabia, not in the thousands and focused on air and missile defence.

Defence Secretary Mark Esper said: "We will also work to accelerate the delivery of military equipment."

The announcement brought a strong response from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps - an elite branch of Tehran's military designated a terrorist organisation by the US.

Commander Maj Gen Hossein Salami said: "Whoever wants their land to become the main battlefield, go ahead. Be careful, a limited aggression will not remain limited. We will pursue any aggressor."

What was behind the oil attacks?

The Houthis have repeatedly said they were behind the oil attacks, the Saudis have repeatedly blamed Iran and Tehran has repeatedly denied any involvement.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The attacks had a serious, if not long-term, effect on Saudi oil supplies.

The Saudis have displayed what they say is debris from Iranian-made weapons but have not yet released their full findings.

The Houthis have launched numerous drone, missile and rocket attacks on the Gulf kingdom.

It stems from their conflict with a Saudi-led coalition which launched an air campaign in 2015 against the rebels, who had ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and seized the capital, Sanaa.

The suspicion of Iranian involvement in the oil attacks stems from the more wide-ranging regional rivalry with Saudi Arabia and the antagonism over the abandonment of the nuclear deal.

The US has also blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May. Tehran rejected the accusations in both cases.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49785413

2019-09-22 07:30:56Z
52780390046233

Yemen: UN welcomes Houthi offer to end Saudi Arabia attacks - BBC News

Iran's president has warned that foreign forces are threatening the security of the Gulf, after the US said it was deploying troops to the region.

Hassan Rouhani said foreign forces had always brought "pain and misery" and should not be used in an "arms race".

The US is sending more troops to Saudi Arabia after an attack on Saudi oil facilities both nations blame on Iran.

Mr Rouhani also said Iran would present a new Gulf peace initiative at the United Nations in the coming days.

This year has seen continuing tension between the US and Iran, following President Donald Trump's abandonment of a deal aimed at limiting Iran's nuclear activities in return for the easing of sanctions.

The latest flashpoint was caused by drone and missile attacks on the Saudi oil facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais on 14 September.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels said they had carried out the attacks, but both the US and its ally Saudi Arabia - Iran's main regional rival - said Iran was behind them, something Tehran has strongly denied.

What has Mr Rouhani said?

He was speaking on the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, and alongside a series of military parades in Tehran and other cities.

"Foreign forces can cause problems and insecurity for our people and for our region," he said in the televised speech.

He called the deployment of such forces in the past a "disaster" and told them to "stay away".

"If they're sincere, then they should not make our region the site of an arms race... The farther you keep yourselves from our region and our nations, the more security there will be."

What about his peace initiative?

The president said it would be presented to the UN, which begins the main part of its general assembly in New York on Tuesday.

However, he gave no details, saying only that peace in the Strait of Hormuz could be achieved "in co-operation with various countries".

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Mr Rouhani said Iran was "ready to let go of the past mistakes" made by regional neighbours.

"In this sensitive and important historical moment, we announce to our neighbours, that we extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood to them," he said.

The Houthi rebels in Yemen have also made a peace initiative, saying they would end all attacks on Saudi Arabia provided the kingdom and its allies did the same.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said in a statement it was important to "take advantage of this opportunity and move forward with all necessary steps to reduce violence, military escalation and unhelpful rhetoric".

What is the US troop deployment?

The Pentagon announced on Friday that, in response to a Saudi request, there would be a moderate deployment to Saudi Arabia, not in the thousands and focused on air and missile defence.

Defence Secretary Mark Esper said: "We will also work to accelerate the delivery of military equipment."

The announcement brought a strong response from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps - an elite branch of Tehran's military designated a terrorist organisation by the US.

Commander Maj Gen Hossein Salami said: "Whoever wants their land to become the main battlefield, go ahead. Be careful, a limited aggression will not remain limited. We will pursue any aggressor."

What was behind the oil attacks?

The Houthis have repeatedly said they were behind the oil attacks, the Saudis have repeatedly blamed Iran and Tehran has repeatedly denied any involvement.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The attacks had a serious, if not long-term, effect on Saudi oil supplies.

The Saudis have displayed what they say is debris from Iranian-made weapons but have not yet released their full findings.

The Houthis have launched numerous drone, missile and rocket attacks on the Gulf kingdom.

It stems from their conflict with a Saudi-led coalition which launched an air campaign in 2015 against the rebels, who had ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and seized the capital, Sanaa.

The suspicion of Iranian involvement in the oil attacks stems from the more wide-ranging regional rivalry with Saudi Arabia and the antagonism over the abandonment of the nuclear deal.

The US has also blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May. Tehran rejected the accusations in both cases.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49785413

2019-09-22 06:08:56Z
52780390046233

Sabtu, 21 September 2019

Iran warns it will 'destroy aggressors' after US troop announcement - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Iran is ready to destroy any country that launches an attack on its territory, a senior military official has said, after the US announced it was sending troops to support Saudi Arabia.

"Be careful and make no mistake," said the head of the Revolutionary Guards.

Iran denies the accusations by the US and Saudi Arabia that is behind recent attacks on two Saudi oil facilities.

A top Saudi official said "necessary measures" would be taken after the investigations were concluded.

Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir did not give details of possible actions, but vowed to release the full findings of the investigations.

Yemen's Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, have said they were responsible for the attacks on 14 September.

Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated since US President Donald Trump abandoned a deal limiting Iran's nuclear activities and reinstated sanctions.

What did Iran say?

"Our readiness to respond to any aggression is definitive," Maj-Gen Hossein Salami told state media on Saturday. "We will never allow a war to enter our land."

"We will pursue any aggressor," he continued. "We will continue until the full destruction of any aggressor."

Maj-Gen Salami, who was speaking at the opening of an exhibition of captured drones in the capital, Tehran, added that "they will hit anybody who crosses" Iranian borders.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are an elite branch of the country's military and have been designated a terrorist organisation by the US.

What about the US?

The US decision to send troops to Saudi Arabia was "defensive in nature", Defence Secretary Mark Esper told reporters on Friday.

He said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had requested military assistance, adding that the total number of troops who will be sent is yet to be decided.

The US forces would focus on boosting air and missile defences and would "accelerate the delivery of military equipment" to both nations, Mr Esper added.

Later on Friday, President Trump announced new sanctions against Iran while signalling that he wanted to avoid military conflict. The fresh sanctions, which Mr Trump described as "highest level", will focus on Iran's central bank and its sovereign wealth fund.

But he struck a more conciliatory tone in comments made in the Oval Office. "I think the strong person approach, and the thing that does show strength, would be showing a little bit of restraint," he said.

A game of brinkmanship

Analysis by Sebastian Usher, BBC Arab Affairs Editor

Iranian officials - both political and military - have issued a series of fierce warnings about any potential attack on their territory.

The US has adopted a less confrontational tone, but has continued with the Trump administration's policy of applying maximum pressure.

New sanctions targeting Iran's national bank and the mobilisation of more US troops in the Gulf are all part of this strategy.

What seems clear is that this remains a game of brinkmanship, with all sides still hoping to be able to pull back from a direct military confrontation.

But the pattern of dangerous escalation over recent weeks does not bode well for this strategy.

What happened in Saudi Arabia?

Strikes hit the Abqaiq oil facility and the Khurais oil field in Saudi Arabia a week ago, affecting the global oil supply.

On Wednesday, the kingdom's defence ministry showed off what it said were the remains of drones and cruise missiles proving Iranian involvement. The country was still "working to know exactly the launch point", a spokesman said.

The US has also said Iran was responsible. Senior officials have told US media outlets they had evidence the attacks originated in the south of Iran.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Iran has repeatedly denied any role in the strikes, with President Hassan Rouhani calling the attacks a reciprocal act by the "Yemeni people".

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the strikes "an act of war".

Mr Zarif warned on Twitter that Iran had no desire for war but "we will not hesitate to defend ourselves".

Meanwhile, the Saudi state oil company, Aramco, said it expects oil output to return to pre-attack levels by the end of September.

What's the background to all this?

The Houthis have repeatedly launched rockets, missiles and drones at populated areas in Saudi Arabia. They are in conflict with a Saudi-led coalition which backs a president who the rebels had forced to flee when the Yemeni conflict escalated in March 2015.

Iran is the regional rival of Saudi Arabia and an opponent of the US, which pulled out of a treaty aimed at limiting Tehran's nuclear programme after Mr Trump took power.

US-Iran tensions have risen markedly this year.

The US said Iran was behind attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May. Tehran rejected the accusations in both cases.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49781350

2019-09-21 13:52:30Z
52780382632806

Iran warns it will 'destroy aggressors' after US troop announcement - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Iran is ready to destroy any country that launches an attack on its territory, a senior military official says.

The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned the US and its allies to "be careful and make no mistake."

The comments came shortly after the US announced it was sending troops to support Iran's rival, Saudi Arabia.

The US and Saudi Arabia have blamed Iran for recent attacks on two Saudi oil facilities.

Iran has denied that it was involved in the attacks. Yemen's Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, have said they were responsible.

Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated since US President Donald Trump abandoned a deal limiting Iran's nuclear activities and reinstated sanctions.

What did Iran say?

"Our readiness to respond to any aggression is definitive," Maj-Gen Hossein Salami told state media on Saturday. "We will never allow a war to enter our land."

"We will pursue any aggressor," he continued. "We will continue until the full destruction of any aggressor."

Maj-Gen Salami, who was speaking at the opening of an exhibition of captured drones in the capital, Tehran, added that "they will hit anybody who crosses" Iranian borders.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are an elite branch of the country's military and have been designated a terrorist organisation by the US.

What about the US?

The US decision to send troops to Saudi Arabia was "defensive in nature", Defence Secretary Mark Esper told reporters on Friday.

He said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had requested military assistance, adding that the total number of troops who will be sent is yet to be decided.

The US forces would focus on boosting air and missile defences and would "accelerate the delivery of military equipment" to both nations, Mr Esper added.

Later on Friday, President Trump announced new sanctions against Iran while signalling that he wanted to avoid military conflict. The fresh sanctions, which Mr Trump described as "highest level", will focus on Iran's central bank and its sovereign wealth fund.

But he struck a more conciliatory tone in comments made in the Oval Office. "I think the strong person approach, and the thing that does show strength, would be showing a little bit of restraint," he said.

A game of brinkmanship

Analysis by Sebastian Usher, BBC Arab Affairs Editor

Iranian officials - both political and military - have issued a series of fierce warnings about any potential attack on their territory.

The US has adopted a less confrontational tone, but has continued with the Trump administration's policy of applying maximum pressure.

New sanctions targeting Iran's national bank and the mobilisation of more US troops in the Gulf are all part of this strategy.

What seems clear is that this remains a game of brinkmanship, with all sides still hoping to be able to pull back from a direct military confrontation.

But the pattern of dangerous escalation over recent weeks does not bode well for this strategy.

What happened in Saudi Arabia?

Strikes hit the Abqaiq oil facility and the Khurais oil field in Saudi Arabia a week ago, affecting the global oil supply.

On Wednesday, the kingdom's defence ministry showed off what it said were the remains of drones and cruise missiles proving Iranian involvement. The country was still "working to know exactly the launch point", a spokesman said.

The US has also said Iran was responsible. Senior officials have told US media outlets they had evidence the attacks originated in the south of Iran.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Iran has repeatedly denied any role in the strikes, with President Hassan Rouhani calling the attacks a reciprocal act by the "Yemeni people".

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the strikes "an act of war".

Mr Zarif warned on Twitter that Iran had no desire for war but "we will not hesitate to defend ourselves".

Meanwhile, the Saudi state oil company, Aramco, said it expects oil output to return to pre-attack levels by the end of September.

What's the background to all this?

The Houthis have repeatedly launched rockets, missiles and drones at populated areas in Saudi Arabia. They are in conflict with a Saudi-led coalition which backs a president who the rebels had forced to flee when the Yemeni conflict escalated in March 2015.

Iran is the regional rival of Saudi Arabia and an opponent of the US, which pulled out of a treaty aimed at limiting Tehran's nuclear programme after Mr Trump took power.

US-Iran tensions have risen markedly this year.

The US said Iran was behind attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May. Tehran rejected the accusations in both cases.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49781350

2019-09-21 11:33:05Z
52780382632806

Labour conference: Move to abolish deputy post ditched - BBC News

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has quashed a motion at his party conference to oust his deputy, Tom Watson, by abolishing the position.

Mr Corbyn suggested the role should be reviewed instead, and was backed by the ruling National Executive Committee, a Labour source said.

A group of Labour MPs had urged the NEC to avoid an "internal civil war" when it should be preparing for an election.

Mr Watson called the move to oust him a "sectarian attack" on a "broad church".

Speaking ahead of the party conference in Brighton, he told the BBC he found out late on Friday in a text message that a motion had been tabled by Jon Lansman, founder of Labour grassroots group Momentum.

He said he felt Mr Lansman "and his faction" were so angry with him over his calls for Labour to "unequivocally back remain" and have another public vote on Brexit, that they would "rather abolish me than have a debate about it".

After his intervention, Mr Corbyn told reporters outside the conference centre that he "enjoyed" working with Mr Watson.

He later said: "The NEC agreed this [Saturday] morning that we are going to consult on the future of diversifying the deputy leadership position to reflect the diversity of our society.

"And the conference will move on to defeating austerity, to the green industrial revolution, green new deal that we are putting forward and giving the people a final say on Brexit."

Mr Lansman said he fully supported Mr Corbyn's proposal to review the deputy leader post.

"We need to make sure the role is properly accountable to the membership while also unifying the party at conference. In my view, this review is absolutely the best way of doing that," he said.

Analysis: Labour message 'damaged'

By BBC political correspondent Susana Mendonca

Let's face it - no-one likes finding out by text that they're getting ditched.

But this wasn't the morning after a bad date, this was the morning after the latest instalment in the saga that is Labour's fractious relationship with itself.

And the deputy leader wasn't happy at being told by text last night that a plot was afoot to ditch him by abolishing his post.

A "sectarian attack", "pluralism not tolerated", a "drive-by shooting" even, Tom Watson told the Today programme.

If this conference was supposed to be a moment for Labour to come together, place the focus on its policies and show the country it's a unified force ready to lead after a general election, well, it didn't start well.

The Parliamentary Labour Party's letter to its governing body described the move as a "gross act of suppressing dissent".

"These kinds of things happen in Venezuela," said Mr Watson. Music to the ears no doubt of the Conservatives who've long been making those comparisons in relation to Labour's leadership.

Jeremy Corbyn appears to be trying out a bit of damage limitation with talk now of a "review" of the role rather than immediate abolition.

But the damage to Labour's message ahead of its conference appears to have been done.

The row over Mr Watson's position threatened to overshadow Labour's party conference.

On Saturday morning, in an interview on BBC's Today programme, Mr Watson said the move by Momentum was "moving us into a different kind of institution where pluralism isn't tolerated".

He went on to appeal to Momentum activists to focus on showing people they were serious about changing the political economy of Britain rather than having "a sort of sleight-of-hand constitutional change to do a drive-by shooting of someone you disagree with".

Shortly after, the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), which represents Labour backbenchers, wrote a letter to members of the National Executive Committee - including Mr Corbyn - saying the move was counterproductive and sent the country a message "we are more interested in internal battles" than constituents' lives.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who led Labour from 1994 to 2007, said abolishing the deputy leader post would be "undemocratic and politically dangerous".

Dawn Butler, shadow women and equalities secretary, said Momentum's move had "come out of the blue" but she could understand the frustration with the deputy leader who had not been seen at shadow cabinet meetings "for a while".

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https://www.bbc.com/news/49781152

2019-09-21 10:25:14Z
52780388669421

Clashes Erupt in Hong Kong After Dueling Demonstrations - The New York Times

HONG KONG — Antigovernment protesters clashed with the police and threw gasoline bombs in Hong Kong on Saturday, a fresh sign that political tensions are running high in the Chinese territory ahead of a sensitive political anniversary.

The clashes occurred after a pro-democracy march a few miles from Hong Kong’s border with the Chinese mainland, and on a day when government supporters had swept the streets in a symbolic repudiation of the three-month-old protest movement.

This was the 16th successive weekend of unrest in the semiautonomous territory, with less than two weeks remaining before Oct. 1, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China under the Communist Party. Beijing does not want anything to mar the holiday, but the Hong Kong protesters seem determined to do just that.

Image
CreditThomas Peter/Reuters

The first event on Saturday was a citywide “cleanup” led by Junius Ho, a pro-Beijing lawmaker who is among the government’s most vocal defenders. He visited several districts of Hong Kong holding a broom and a dust pan, and theatrically tidied the sidewalks as television cameras rolled.

“National Day is almost here, plus it’s the 70th anniversary this year, so we want to give Hong Kong a clean face,” said Innes Tang, 55, a volunteer who joined one of the cleanup events.

Mr. Ho has been regarded with particular scorn by protesters since late July, when a group of men wearing white T-shirts attacked protesters with sticks and metal bars in a subway station. Mr. Ho was seen shaking hands with men in similar T-shirts in the area on the same night. He later denied any connection.

As Mr. Ho’s cleanups ended on Saturday, thousands of antigovernment protesters were beginning a police-approved march from a park in the Tuen Mun district of northwestern Hong Kong. The march was designed in part to demand more regulation of buskers in the park known as “singing aunties,” middle-aged women from the Chinese mainland who sing pop songs through loudspeakers in Mandarin, the primary form of Chinese spoken in the mainland.

Image
CreditLam Yik Fei for The New York Times

The antipathy toward those women reflects a widespread fear of the growing influence of mainland Chinese in Hong Kong, a former British colony that was handed back to Beijing’s control in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” arrangement that guaranteed it a high degree of autonomy for a half century.

A protester in the park, Phoenix Leung, 30, said the Tuen Mun march was part of a broader struggle for freedoms in the territory.

“The government wouldn’t do anything about this, and it’s up to us to defend the rights we’re supposed to have,” said Ms. Leung, who works in a hospital. “The parks are for our leisure, not for their private activities or to dance and collect money; it’s become like a pornographic venue.”

The Hong Kong protests began in June in opposition to contentious legislation that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, where the courts are controlled by the Communist Party. The Hong Kong government has since promised to withdraw the bill, but the protests have continued anyway, driven by demands for universal suffrage, greater police accountability and other significant political reforms.

Image
CreditLam Yik Fei for The New York Times

By late Saturday afternoon in Tuen Mun, a few protesters had set a Chinese flag on fire. Previous flag-burnings this summer have angered government supporters in Hong Kong and on the Chinese mainland.

Other protesters stormed onto the tracks of a nearby train station, breaking security cameras and glass signs with metal poles. The station had been shut beforehand by the city’s subway operator in anticipation of demonstrations.

Police officers in riot gear initially watched the mayhem from a distance. But by 5 p.m. — in scenes that have become common this summer in a normally peaceful city — they were firing tear gas at protesters and pinning some to the ground.

The protesters, meanwhile, were throwing bricks and gasoline bombs into the road to impede police charges, and setting fires in the streets. And that was all before sundown.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/21/world/asia/hong-kong-protests.html

2019-09-21 10:51:00Z
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