General election 2019: Parties in final campaign push as poll nears - BBC News

The main political party leaders are continuing to push their election pledges to voters, as the campaign enters its final few days.

Conservative leader Boris Johnson says in an open letter that Thursday's poll is "historic" and a choice to "move forwards" after Brexit.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said it was a "chance to vote for hope" and he had "the most ambitious plan to transform our country in decades".

The UK goes to the polls on Thursday.

Ahead of this, the candidates are travelling around the country in a bid to spread their election messages.

Among the manifesto pledges being highlighted by the main UK parties on Sunday are:

• A Conservative promise to introduce an Australian-style points-based immigration system to control unskilled migration
• A Labour plan to "head off the social care crisis" by offering free personal care for older people in England and an additional £10bn of funds by 2023-24
• A "regional rebalancing" programme from the Lib Dems, which would see £50bn invested in infrastructure outside of London

Meanwhile, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is warning that "the very future of Scotland" is at stake in the election.

She is appealing to voters to back her party "to escape Brexit, protect the NHS, and to put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands".

And Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson told Sky News her party was looking to make "real progress" by increasing its number of MPs on Thursday.

She added: "We will be absolutely working to stop Brexit, doing so in a co-operative way with others who share our values and share that goal."

In his letter to voters published in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Johnson says the election will be one that "shapes future decades", urging voters to create a "working Conservative majority government that will get Brexit done, end the uncertainty and allow Britain to move on".

'High stakes'

The Conservatives have released some details about how their points-based immigration system would work.

Writing in the Sunday Express, Home Secretary Priti Patel, said it would start in January 2021 and aimed to "attract the best talent that our country and economy needs, while reducing overall numbers".

There would be fast-track entry to the UK for entrepreneurs and some people working for the NHS, and sector-specific schemes for low or unskilled workers to meet labour market shortages.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Johnson declined to say if he would resign if he failed to win a majority in the House of Commons.

He said: "What I'm going to do is concentrate on the five days before us, because that is what I think the people of this country would expect."

Labour is restating its plan to help alleviate pressure in social care through the introduction of free personal care for older people.

The party says its new funding will help working-age adults and pensioners with care costs, which will also be capped under the proposals.

According to the King's Fund, providing free personal care would require an additional £6bn on top of planned spending by 2020-21, taking the social care budget to roughly £26bn.

Labour is also talking about its own research on the issue, which it says shows 9,290 people have approached their local authority since April 2017 for help with care costs after draining their savings.

The Lib Dems say their plans will "address the historic investment disparities between our nations and regions".

Its plans would boost railway electrification, increase the availability of charging points for electric vehicles and improve broadband access.

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Ed Davey said: "Neither Labour or the Tories can square their spending promises today with the cost of Brexit. They are writing promises on cheques that will bounce.

"Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to stop Brexit so we can invest billions across the UK, helping to tackle ingrained inequality."

'Real change'

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell BBC One's Andrew Marr Show that Labour would "transform our economy" if it won a parliamentary majority at the election.

He added: "I want to make sure our economy works for everybody... It means transforming capitalism into a new form."

Mr Johnson says he wants to focus on people's priorities, including urgent investment in the NHS and action on the cost of living.

Speaking ahead of the last stretch on the campaign trail, Mr Corbyn says Mr Johnson "cannot be trusted to deliver Brexit, or anything else".

He says Labour will "rescue" the NHS and "get Brexit sorted".

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2019-12-08 10:36:43Z
52780464144156

Hong Kong protesters keep up pressure with mass march - CNN

Tens of thousands of protesters of all ages began assembling at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay at 3 p.m. (2 a.m. ET) under bright blue skies. Many in the crowd could be seen carrying large banners, bearing slogans such as "Free Hong Kong."

By late afternoon, parts of the city had come to a complete standstill, as crowds attempted to move through the main island to Chater Road close to the main financial hub.

The event, which appeared on course to be the biggest of its kind in recent months, marks the first time since mid-August that a march organized by the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) has been granted police approval. The group was responsible for two back-to-back, largely peaceful weekend marches in early June, which it estimates drew a combined total of more than 3 million people.

Protests in the semi-autonomous Chinese city were initially sparked by a now-shelved extradition bill that would have allowed people to be sent across the border to face trial in mainland China, but have since expanded to include calls for greater democracy and government accountability.

Sunday's march had been widely viewed as test of the movement's enduring support after six months of occasionally violent unrest -- and many of those in attendance voiced frustration with the government and its perceived unwillingness to make concessions.

"We want our demands to be heard, we want universal suffrage," said one 23-year-old protester, who did not want to be identified. "We want freedom for Hong Kong and for Hong Kong to be managed in a sustainable way," she added.

The organizers had pegged the rally to international Human Rights Day, which falls on December 10 and marks the United Nations' adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "Hong Kong's human rights violations and humanitarian crisis are reaching the tipping point now," CHRF said in a statement, calling on the city's government to "uphold its commitment to Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all UN human rights treaties applicable to Hong Kong."

Organizers have vowed to keep the protest peaceful, and had reportedly deployed 200 marshals to handle any potential conflicts between marchers and the police.

The police have permitted the CHRF to hold rallies in recent months, but not march, and several unauthorized demonstrations have broken out into violent conflicts between protesters and police.

"This is the last chance given by the people to (Chief Executive) Carrie Lam," CHRF convenor Jimmy Sham said Friday, according to AFP.

The group has called on Lam, the city's leader, to meet the protest movement's demands, including an independent investigation into allegations of police brutality and the restarting of political reform to allow full universal suffrage for how the city's leader and legislature are chosen.

There has been something of a lull in protests since pro-democracy candidates scored a landslide victory in local council elections last month, but frustration is growing at Lam's failure to respond to those results in any meaningful way.

Protesters celebrated the passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in the United States, cheering what some described as US President Donald Trump's "thanksgiving present" to them, but any gift from their own government, or the authorities in Beijing, does not seem forthcoming.

The high turnout for Sunday's march is likely to reiterate the message of support for the protest movement delivered by the election results, and add pressure on Lam to come up with some kind of compromise solution.

In a statement, the city's government said it "hopes that members of the public, when expressing their views and opinions as well as striving for their own rights and freedom, can embody the tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to respect others' rights and freedom. All violent and illegal acts are contrary to the spirit of the Declaration."

"From June this year until now, there have been over 900 public demonstrations, processions and public meetings," the statement added. "Unfortunately, many ended in violent and illegal confrontations, including reckless blocking of roadways, throwing petrol bombs and bricks, arson, vandalism, setting ablaze individual stores and facilities of the Mass Transit Railway and Light Rail, and beating people holding different views."

The statement said that the government was willing to "engage in dialogues, premised on the legal basis and under a peaceful atmosphere with mutual trust," and added that in the wake of the extradition bill crisis which kicked off the protests, it has "learned its lesson and will humbly listen to and accept criticism."

On Sunday, police said they had seized a "large amount of weapons, including one firearm and over a hundred bullets" during raids that morning. Eight men and three women were arrested in connection with the operation, they said in a statement.

CNN's Eric Cheung and Rebecca Wright contributed to this report.

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2019-12-08 10:15:00Z
52780468330986

Hong Kong protesters keep up pressure with mass march - CNN International

Tens of thousands of protesters of all ages began assembling at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay at 3 p.m. (2 a.m. ET) under bright blue skies. Many in the crowd could be seen carrying large banners, bearing slogans such as "Free Hong Kong."

By late afternoon, parts of the city had come to a complete standstill, as crowds attempted to move through the main island to Chater Road close to the main financial hub.

The event marks the first time since mid-August that a march organized by the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) has been granted police approval. The group was responsible for two back-to-back, largely peaceful weekend marches in early June, which it estimates drew a combined total of more than 3 million people.

Protests in the semi-autonomous Chinese city were initially sparked by a now-shelved extradition bill that would have allowed people to be sent across the border to face trial in mainland China, but have since expanded to include calls for greater democracy and government accountability.

Sunday's march, which appeared on course to be the biggest of its kind in months, had been widely viewed as test of the movement's enduring support after six months of occasionally violent unrest.

Many of the those in attendance voiced frustration with the government and its perceived unwillingness to make concessions. "We want our demands to be heard, we want universal suffrage," said one 23-year-old protester, who did not want to be identified. "We want freedom for Hong Kong and for Hong Kong to be managed in a sustainable way," she added.

The organizers had pegged the rally to international Human Rights Day, which falls on December 10 and marks the United Nations' adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "Hong Kong's human rights violations and humanitarian crisis are reaching the tipping point now," CHRF said in a statement, calling on the city's government to "uphold its commitment to Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all UN human rights treaties applicable to Hong Kong."

Organizers have vowed to keep the protest peaceful, and had reportedly deployed 200 marshals to handle any potential conflicts between marchers and the police.

The police have permitted the CHRF to hold rallies in recent months, but not march, and several unauthorized demonstrations have broken out into violent conflicts between protesters and police.

"This is the last chance given by the people to (Chief Executive) Carrie Lam," CHRF convenor Jimmy Sham said Friday, according to AFP.

The group has called on Lam, the city's leader, to meet the protest movement's demands, including an independent investigation into allegations of police brutality and the restarting of political reform to allow full universal suffrage for how the city's leader and legislature are chosen.

There has been something of a lull in protests since pro-democracy candidates scored a landslide victory in local council elections last month, but frustration is growing at Lam's failure to respond to those results in any meaningful way.

Protesters celebrated the passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in the United States, cheering what some described as US President Donald Trump's "thanksgiving present" to them, but any gift from their own government, or the authorities in Beijing, does not seem forthcoming.

The high turnout for Sunday's march is likely to reiterate the message of support for the protest movement delivered by the election results, and add pressure on Lam to come up with some kind of compromise solution.

In a statement, the city's government said it "hopes that members of the public, when expressing their views and opinions as well as striving for their own rights and freedom, can embody the tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to respect others' rights and freedom. All violent and illegal acts are contrary to the spirit of the Declaration."

"From June this year until now, there have been over 900 public demonstrations, processions and public meetings," the statement added. "Unfortunately, many ended in violent and illegal confrontations, including reckless blocking of roadways, throwing petrol bombs and bricks, arson, vandalism, setting ablaze individual stores and facilities of the Mass Transit Railway and Light Rail, and beating people holding different views."

The statement said that the government was willing to "engage in dialogues, premised on the legal basis and under a peaceful atmosphere with mutual trust," and added that in the wake of the extradition bill crisis which kicked off the protests, it has "learned its lesson and will humbly listen to and accept criticism."

On Sunday, police said they had seized a "large amount of weapons, including one firearm and over a hundred bullets" during raids that morning. Eight men and three women were arrested in connection with the operation, they said in a statement.

CNN's Eric Cheung and Rebecca Wright contributed to this report.

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2019-12-08 09:50:00Z
52780468330986

Hong Kong protesters keep up pressure with mass march - CNN

Tens of thousands of protesters of all ages began assembling at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay at 3 p.m. (2 a.m. ET) under bright blue skies. Many in the crowd could be seen carrying large banners, bearing slogans such as "Free Hong Kong."

The event marks the first time since mid-August that a march organized by the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) has been granted police approval. The group was responsible for two back-to-back, largely peaceful weekend marches in early June, which it estimates drew a combined total of more than 3 million people.

The march is expected to move through the main island to Chater Road in Central, according to the CHRF, who are pegging the rally to international Human Rights Day, which falls on December 10 and marks the United Nations' adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"Hong Kong's human rights violations and humanitarian crisis are reaching the tipping point now," CHRF said in a statement, calling on the city's government to "uphold its commitment to Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all UN human rights treaties applicable to Hong Kong."

Organizers have vowed to keep the protest peaceful, and are reportedly deploying 200 marshals to handle any potential conflicts between marchers and the police.

The police have permitted the CHRF to hold rallies in recent months, but not march, and several unauthorized demonstrations have broken out into violent conflicts between protesters and police.

"This is the last chance given by the people to (Chief Executive) Carrie Lam," CHRF convenor Jimmy Sham said Friday, according to AFP.

The group has called on Lam, the city's leader, to meet the protest movement's demands, including an independent investigation into allegations of police brutality and the restarting of political reform to allow full universal suffrage for how the city's leader and legislature are chosen.

There has been something of a lull in protests since pro-democracy candidates scored a landslide victory in local council elections last month, but frustration is growing at Lam's failure to respond to those results in any meaningful way.

Protesters celebrated the passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in the United States, cheering what some described as US President Donald Trump's "thanksgiving present" to them, but any gift from their own government, or the authorities in Beijing, does not seem forthcoming.

Marches organized by the CHRF earlier this summer attracted hundreds of thousands of participants from across Hong Kong, including families and seniors. While turnout predictions are lower for Sunday, a strong showing could reiterate the message of support for the protest movement delivered by the election results, and add pressure on Lam to come up with some kind of compromise solution.

In a statement, the city's government said it "hopes that members of the public, when expressing their views and opinions as well as striving for their own rights and freedom, can embody the tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to respect others' rights and freedom. All violent and illegal acts are contrary to the spirit of the Declaration."

"From June this year until now, there have been over 900 public demonstrations, processions and public meetings," the statement added. "Unfortunately, many ended in violent and illegal confrontations, including reckless blocking of roadways, throwing petrol bombs and bricks, arson, vandalism, setting ablaze individual stores and facilities of the Mass Transit Railway and Light Rail, and beating people holding different views."

The statement said that the government was willing to "engage in dialogues, premised on the legal basis and under a peaceful atmosphere with mutual trust," and added that in the wake of the extradition bill crisis which kicked off the protests, it has "learned its lesson and will humbly listen to and accept criticism."

On Sunday, police said they had seized a "large amount of weapons, including one firearm and over a hundred bullets" during raids that morning. Eight men and three women were arrested in connection with the operation, they said in a statement.

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2019-12-08 09:05:00Z
52780468330986

Hong Kong protesters keep up pressure with mass march - CNN

Tens of thousands of protesters of all ages began assembling at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay at 3 p.m. (2 a.m. ET) under bright blue skies. Many in the crowd could be seen carrying large banners, bearing slogans such as "Free Hong Kong."

The event marks the first time since mid-August that a march organized by the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) has been granted police approval. The group was responsible for two back-to-back, largely peaceful weekend marches in early June, which it estimates drew a combined total of more than 3 million people.

The march is expected to move through the main island to Chater Road in Central, according to the CHRF, who are pegging the rally to international Human Rights Day, which falls on December 10 and marks the United Nations' adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"Hong Kong's human rights violations and humanitarian crisis are reaching the tipping point now," CHRF said in a statement, calling on the city's government to "uphold its commitment to Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all UN human rights treaties applicable to Hong Kong."

Organizers have vowed to keep the protest peaceful, and are reportedly deploying 200 marshals to handle any potential conflicts between marchers and the police.

The police have permitted the CHRF to hold rallies in recent months, but not march, and several unauthorized demonstrations have broken out into violent conflicts between protesters and police.

"This is the last chance given by the people to (Chief Executive) Carrie Lam," CHRF convenor Jimmy Sham said Friday, according to AFP.

The group has called on Lam, the city's leader, to meet the protest movement's demands, including an independent investigation into allegations of police brutality and the restarting of political reform to allow full universal suffrage for how the city's leader and legislature are chosen.

There has been something of a lull in protests since pro-democracy candidates scored a landslide victory in local council elections last month, but frustration is growing at Lam's failure to respond to those results in any meaningful way.

Protesters celebrated the passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in the United States, cheering what some described as US President Donald Trump's "thanksgiving present" to them, but any gift from their own government, or the authorities in Beijing, does not seem forthcoming.

Marches organized by the CHRF earlier this summer attracted hundreds of thousands of participants from across Hong Kong, including families and seniors. While turnout predictions are lower for Sunday, a strong showing could reiterate the message of support for the protest movement delivered by the election results, and add pressure on Lam to come up with some kind of compromise solution.

In a statement, the city's government said it "hopes that members of the public, when expressing their views and opinions as well as striving for their own rights and freedom, can embody the tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to respect others' rights and freedom. All violent and illegal acts are contrary to the spirit of the Declaration."

"From June this year until now, there have been over 900 public demonstrations, processions and public meetings," the statement added. "Unfortunately, many ended in violent and illegal confrontations, including reckless blocking of roadways, throwing petrol bombs and bricks, arson, vandalism, setting ablaze individual stores and facilities of the Mass Transit Railway and Light Rail, and beating people holding different views."

The statement said that the government was willing to "engage in dialogues, premised on the legal basis and under a peaceful atmosphere with mutual trust," and added that in the wake of the extradition bill crisis which kicked off the protests, it has "learned its lesson and will humbly listen to and accept criticism."

On Sunday, police said they had seized a "large amount of weapons, including one firearm and over a hundred bullets" during raids that morning. Eight men and three women were arrested in connection with the operation, they said in a statement.

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2019-12-08 08:04:00Z
52780468330986

Hong Kong prepares for mass march as protesters keep up pressure - CNN

Tens of thousands of protesters of all ages began assembling at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay at 3 p.m. (2 a.m. ET) under bright blue skies. Many in the crowd could be seen carrying large banners, bearing slogans such as "Free Hong Kong."

The event marks the first time since mid-August that a march organized by the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) has been granted police approval. The group was responsible for two back-to-back, largely peaceful weekend marches in early June, which it estimates drew a combined total of more than 3 million people.

The march is expected to move through the main island to Chater Road in Central, according to the CHRF, who are pegging the rally to international Human Rights Day, which falls on December 10 and marks the United Nations' adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"Hong Kong's human rights violations and humanitarian crisis are reaching the tipping point now," CHRF said in a statement, calling on the city's government to "uphold its commitment to Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all UN human rights treaties applicable to Hong Kong."

Organizers have vowed to keep the protest peaceful, and are reportedly deploying 200 marshals to handle any potential conflicts between marchers and the police.

The police have permitted the CHRF to hold rallies in recent months, but not march, and several unauthorized demonstrations have broken out into violent conflicts between protesters and police.

"This is the last chance given by the people to (Chief Executive) Carrie Lam," CHRF convenor Jimmy Sham said Friday, according to AFP.

The group has called on Lam, the city's leader, to meet the protest movement's demands, including an independent investigation into allegations of police brutality and the restarting of political reform to allow full universal suffrage for how the city's leader and legislature are chosen.

There has been something of a lull in protests since pro-democracy candidates scored a landslide victory in local council elections last month, but frustration is growing at Lam's failure to respond to those results in any meaningful way.

Protesters celebrated the passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in the United States, cheering what some described as US President Donald Trump's "thanksgiving present" to them, but any gift from their own government, or the authorities in Beijing, does not seem forthcoming.

Marches organized by the CHRF earlier this summer attracted hundreds of thousands of participants from across Hong Kong, including families and seniors. While turnout predictions are lower for Sunday, a strong showing could reiterate the message of support for the protest movement delivered by the election results, and add pressure on Lam to come up with some kind of compromise solution.

In a statement, the city's government said it "hopes that members of the public, when expressing their views and opinions as well as striving for their own rights and freedom, can embody the tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to respect others' rights and freedom. All violent and illegal acts are contrary to the spirit of the Declaration."

"From June this year until now, there have been over 900 public demonstrations, processions and public meetings," the statement added. "Unfortunately, many ended in violent and illegal confrontations, including reckless blocking of roadways, throwing petrol bombs and bricks, arson, vandalism, setting ablaze individual stores and facilities of the Mass Transit Railway and Light Rail, and beating people holding different views."

The statement said that the government was willing to "engage in dialogues, premised on the legal basis and under a peaceful atmosphere with mutual trust," and added that in the wake of the extradition bill crisis which kicked off the protests, it has "learned its lesson and will humbly listen to and accept criticism."

On Sunday, police said they had seized a "large amount of weapons, including one firearm and over a hundred bullets" during raids that morning. Eight men and three women were arrested in connection with the operation, they said in a statement.

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2019-12-08 06:13:00Z
52780468330986

North Korea conducted 'very important test' at satellite launch facility: state media - Fox News

How serious is North Korea's 'Christmas gift' threat?

North Korea has threatened the United States saying, it will choose its ‘Christmas gift’ if President Trump fails to meet the looming nuclear deadline. Fox News spoke with Bruce Klingner from The Heritage Foundation about the recent threats.

North Korea carried out a “very important test," state media reported Sunday, at a satellite launching facility that the U.S. previously said North Korea had partially dismantled and agreed to close as part of denuclearization efforts.

Pyongyang didn't say what type of test was conducted, but North Korea's KCNA news agency said it took place at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, which experts believe the country has used to test rockets.

State media said the test will have “an important effect on changing the strategic position of (North Korea) once again in the near future.”

NORTH KOREA TO TRUMP: STOP CALLING KIM JONG UN ‘ROCKET MAN’, OR WE’LL CALL YOU A ‘DOTARD’

People watch a TV news program reporting North Korea's announcement with a file footage of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019. The letters, top left, read "North. Very important test." (Associated Press)

North Korea claims the satellite launches are part of a peaceful space program, but experts say they are likely disguised tests for ballistic missiles and rocket technology.

The new test comes amid a deadline set by Pyongyang, demanding the U.S. relieve sanctions and change its policy on North Korean denuclearization by the end of the year.

Denuclearization talks have stalled between the U.S. and North Korea since the Vietnam summit in February over how much sanctions relief Pyongyang would get for dismantling its main nuclear complex.

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A statement released by North Korea’s United Nations ambassador said denuclearization is off the table and added that lengthy talks with the U.S. are unnecessary, claiming the Trump administration is pursuing a “hostile” policy against North Korea in an attempt to “stifle” it.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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2019-12-08 04:53:14Z
52780469273462