Hong Kong police make 'largest ever' seizure of explosives on eve of protests - CNN

The discovery comes on the eve of a series of high-profile protests planned over the weekend, amid high tensions in the semi-autonomous Chinese city over a now-suspended extradition bill.

At a press conference Saturday, police confirmed the arrest of 27-year-old man in connection with the raid at what officers called a homemade laboratory in the industrial area of Tsuen Wan.

Police uncovered 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of high explosives, 10 petrol bombs, corrosive liquids, weapons and metal poles at the property.

"It's the largest such seizure we have ever come across in Hong Kong," said Alick Mcwhirter, superintendent of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Bureau. Leaflets linked to anti-extradition bill protests were also found on site.

Police said they were still testing the raw materials, but believe triacetone triperoxide (TATP) was found at different manufacturing stages at the suspected laboratory. EOD officers carried out a controlled explosion Saturday morning and were expected to perform more throughout the day.

A powerful high explosive, TATP was used in the November 2015 Paris attacks, the March 2016 Brussels bombings, the 2017 May Manchester bombing and a failed bomb attempt by an Islamist extremist at the Gare Centrale in Brussels in 2017.

TATP is made by adding acid to a mixture of acetone and hydrogen peroxide solution and can easily result in accidental detonation if mistakes are made in preparation.

Superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah, of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, said the man arrested was wearing a shirt with the logo of the banned pro-independence group Hong Kong National Front.

Rallies are taking place across Hong Kong on Saturday and Sunday, with both pro-government and anti-extradition bill marches scheduled.

Li said police were still investigating a possible motive and intended uses for the explosives. He did not say if extra police would be arranged for protests this weekend as a result of the raid.

Mass demonstrations calling for government reforms and democracy have become a familiar sight in Hong Kong over the past six weeks, as hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets.

The demonstrations were initially sparked by strong public opposition to a bill that would have allowed people in Hong Kong to be extradited to face trial in mainland China.

Though the bill has since been suspended, demonstrations have continued against a backdrop of increased acrimony between protesters and police.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/20/asia/hong-kong-explosives-haul-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-07-20 12:50:00Z
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Hong Kong police make 'largest ever' seizure of explosives on eve of protests - CNN

The discovery comes on the eve of a series of high-profile protests planned over the weekend, amid high tensions in the semi-autonomous Chinese city over a now-suspended extradition bill.

At a press conference Saturday, police confirmed the arrest of 27-year-old man in connection with the raid at what officers called a homemade laboratory in the industrial area of Tsuen Wan.

Police uncovered 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of high explosives, 10 petrol bombs, corrosive liquids, weapons and metal poles at the property.

"It's the largest such seizure we have ever come across in Hong Kong," said Alick Mcwhirter, superintendent of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Bureau. Leaflets linked to anti-extradition bill protests were also found on site.

Police said they were still testing the raw materials, but believe triacetone triperoxide (TATP) was found at different manufacturing stages at the suspected laboratory. EOD officers carried out a controlled explosion Saturday morning and were expected to perform more throughout the day.

A powerful high explosive, TATP was used in the November 2015 Paris attacks, the March 2016 Brussels bombings, the 2017 May Manchester bombing and a failed bomb attempt by an Islamist extremist at the Gare Centrale in Brussels in 2017.

TATP is made by adding acid to a mixture of acetone and hydrogen peroxide solution and can easily result in accidental detonation if mistakes are made in preparation.

Superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah, of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, said the man arrested was wearing a shirt with the logo of the banned pro-independence group Hong Kong National Front.

Rallies are taking place across Hong Kong on Saturday and Sunday, with both pro-government and anti-extradition bill marches scheduled.

Li said police were still investigating a possible motive and intended uses for the explosives. He did not say if extra police would be arranged for protests this weekend as a result of the raid.

Mass demonstrations calling for government reforms and democracy have become a familiar sight in Hong Kong over the past six weeks, as hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets.

The demonstrations were initially sparked by strong public opposition to a bill that would have allowed people in Hong Kong to be extradited to face trial in mainland China.

Though the bill has since been suspended, demonstrations have continued against a backdrop of increased acrimony between protesters and police.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/20/asia/hong-kong-explosives-haul-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-07-20 12:15:00Z
52780335250017

Hong Kong police make 'largest ever' seizure of explosives on eve of protests - CNN

The discovery comes on the eve of a series of high-profile protests planned over the weekend, amid high tensions in the semi-autonomous Chinese city over a now-suspended extradition bill.

At a press conference Saturday, police confirmed the arrest of 27-year-old man in connection with the raid at what officers called a homemade laboratory in the industrial area of Tsuen Wan.

Police uncovered 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of high explosives, 10 petrol bombs, corrosive liquids, weapons and metal poles at the property.

"It's the largest such seizure we have ever come across in Hong Kong," said Alick Mcwhirter, superintendent of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Bureau. Leaflets linked to anti-extradition bill protests were also found on site.

Police said they were still testing the raw materials, but believe triacetone triperoxide (TATP) was found at different manufacturing stages at the suspected laboratory. EOD officers carried out a controlled explosion Saturday morning and were expected to perform more throughout the day.

A powerful high explosive, TATP was used in the November 2015 Paris attacks, the March 2016 Brussels bombings, the 2017 May Manchester bombing and a failed bomb attempt by an Islamist extremist at the Gare Centrale in Brussels in 2017.

TATP is made by adding acid to a mixture of acetone and hydrogen peroxide solution and can easily result in accidental detonation if mistakes are made in preparation.

Superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah, of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, said the man arrested was wearing a shirt with the logo of the banned pro-independence group Hong Kong National Front.

Rallies are taking place across Hong Kong on Saturday and Sunday, with both pro-government and anti-extradition bill marches scheduled.

Li did not say if extra police would be arranged for protests this weekend as a result of the raid.

Mass demonstrations calling for government reforms and democracy have become a familiar sight in Hong Kong over the past six weeks, as hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets.

The demonstrations were initially sparked by strong public opposition to a bill that would have allowed people in Hong Kong to be extradited to face trial in mainland China.

Though the bill has since been suspended, demonstrations have continued against a backdrop of increased acrimony between protesters and police.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/20/asia/hong-kong-explosives-haul-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-07-20 10:58:00Z
52780335250017

Iran says it has captured a British-flagged oil tanker: Live updates - CNN

The British-flagged tanker, the Stena Impero, has become a pawn in the widening crisis between the Islamic Republic and Western powers in the Persian Gulf, as Iran fights to free itself from the crippling effects of continued American economic sanctions.

"This is classic Iranian escalatory behavior designed to show it can also push back," Sanam Vakil, senior research fellow at Chatham House in London, told CNN on Saturday.

But there could be serious consequences for Iran's aggression toward the UK, as it seeks to renew nuclear talks.

Iran's actions in the Strait came just hours after authorities in Gibraltar agreed to extend the detention of an Iranian oil tanker in its custody for 30 days. That ship, the Grace 1, was seized by British authorities on July 4, accused of attempting to transport oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions.

"The dangerous strategy for Iran is that this could push the UK closer to the United States and result in greater coordination between the two allies," Vakil said.

The UK -- one of three EU countries party to the Iran nuclear deal -- has worked to maintain the landmark agreement even after its ally, the US, dropped out. But Iran's escalation in the Strait makes that balancing act between saving the deal and appeasing Washington increasingly difficult.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Twitter Saturday that the incident showed "worrying signs Iran may be choosing a dangerous path of illegal and destabilising behavior," adding that the UK's response would be "considered, but robust."

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https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/iran-british-tanker-july-2019/index.html

2019-07-20 10:41:00Z
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Hong Kong police make 'largest ever' seizure of explosives on eve of protests - CNN

The discovery comes on the eve of a series of high-profile protests planned over the weekend, amid high tensions in the semi-autonomous Chinese city over a now-suspended extradition bill.

At a press conference Saturday, police confirmed the arrest of 27-year-old man in connection with the raid, at what police have described as a homemade laboratory in the industrial area of Tsuen Wan.

Police uncovered 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of high explosives, 10 petrol bombs, corrosive liquids, weapons and metal poles at the property.

"It's the largest such seizure we have ever come across in Hong Kong," said Alick Mcwhirter, superintendent of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Bureau. Leaflets linked to anti-extradition bill protests were also found on site.

Police said they were still testing the raw materials, but believe Triacetone triperoxide (TATP) was found at different manufacturing stages at the suspected laboratory. EOD officers carried out a controlled explosion Saturday morning and were expected to perform more throughout the day.

A powerful high explosive, TATP was used in the November 2015 Paris attacks, the March 2016 Brussels bombings, the 2017 May Manchester bombing and a failed bomb attempt by an Islamist extremist at the Gare Centrale in Brussels in 2017.

TATP is made by adding an acid to a mixture of acetone and hydrogen peroxide solution and can easily result in accidental detonation if mistakes are made in preparation.

Superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah, of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, said the man arrested was wearing a shirt with the logo of the banned pro-independence group Hong Kong National Front.

Protests calling for government reforms and democracy have become a familiar sight in Hong Kong over the past six weeks, as hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets.

The demonstrations were sparked by strong public opposition to a bill that would have allowed people in Hong Kong to be extradited to face trial in mainland China. Though the bill has since been suspended, protests have continued and on multiple occasions descended into violence.

Rallies are taking place across Hong Kong on Saturday and Sunday, with both pro-government and anti-extradition bill marches scheduled.

Li did not say if extra police would be arranged for protests this weekend as a result of the raid.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/20/asia/hong-kong-explosives-haul-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-07-20 09:16:00Z
52780335250017

Iran says it has captured a British-flagged oil tanker: Live updates - CNN

There is no place in the world more important for the global supply of oil than the Strait of Hormuz.

The channel, which is only 21 miles (33.7 kilometers) wide at its narrowest point, is the only way to move oil from the Persian Gulf to the world's oceans. And that's why the seizure of a British-flagged ship in the strait Friday is such a concern.

If the Strait were to be closed, it would be a massive blow to the world's economy. 

The Strait of Hormuz, which links the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, "is the world's most important choke point," said the US Energy Information Administration.

The Strait is even narrower than its 21-mile width suggests. The shipping channels that can handle massive supertankers are only two miles wide heading in and out of the Gulf, forcing ships to pass through Iranian and Omani territorial waters.

And the amount of oil that passes through the channel is staggering, with roughly 80% of the crude it handles destined for markets in Asia. The world's global economy could not function without that supply of oil lubricating it.

About 22.5 million barrels of oil a day passed through the Strait of Hormuz on average since the start of 2018, according to Vortexa, an energy analytics firm. That's roughly 24% of daily global oil production, and nearly 30% of oil moving over the world's oceans.

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https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/iran-british-tanker-july-2019/index.html

2019-07-20 08:20:00Z
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Iran says it has captured a British-flagged oil tanker: Live updates - CNN

There is no place in the world more important for the global supply of oil than the Strait of Hormuz.

The channel, which is only 21 miles (33.7 kilometers) wide at its narrowest point, is the only way to move oil from the Persian Gulf to the world's oceans. And that's why the seizure of a British-flagged ship in the strait Friday is such a concern.

If the Strait were to be closed, it would be a massive blow to the world's economy. 

The Strait of Hormuz, which links the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, "is the world's most important choke point," said the US Energy Information Administration.

The Strait is even narrower than its 21-mile width suggests. The shipping channels that can handle massive supertankers are only two miles wide heading in and out of the Gulf, forcing ships to pass through Iranian and Omani territorial waters.

And the amount of oil that passes through the channel is staggering, with roughly 80% of the crude it handles destined for markets in Asia. The world's global economy could not function without that supply of oil lubricating it.

About 22.5 million barrels of oil a day passed through the Strait of Hormuz on average since the start of 2018, according to Vortexa, an energy analytics firm. That's roughly 24% of daily global oil production, and nearly 30% of oil moving over the world's oceans.

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https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/iran-british-tanker-july-2019/index.html

2019-07-20 07:37:00Z
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