Police arrest organizer of Hong Kong protest after rally turns violent - Reuters

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist was arrested by police, his organization said on Monday, after a protest he helped organize in the financial district a day earlier turned violent with officers firing tear gas to disperse the crowds.

FILE PHOTO: Anti-government protesters attend a rally to call for democratic reforms in Hong Kong, China January 19, 2020. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Ventus Lau was arrested on Sunday evening on charges of “obstruction of police administration” and violating terms set when permission was granted for the protest, the Hong Kong Civil Assembly Team said in a statement.

The organizers initially applied for a permit - known as a letter of no objection - for a march, but the police only agreed to a static rally in a park in the city’s Central district.

But as the crowds swelled and spilled onto surrounding streets, some protesters briefly barricaded roads with umbrellas, traffic cones and other street furniture and dug up bricks from the pavement.

Police then ordered a halt to the protest and began dispersing the crowd.

“It was primarily rioters’ violent acts which led to the suspension of the gathering,” Senior Superintendent Ng Lok-chun told reporters.

“The organizer has violated the agreements set in the no objection letter, failed to assist in maintaining the order in the public gathering event, that is why we have arrested Mr. Lau.”

Police said two community liaison officers were attacked with wooden sticks and sustained head injuries. They also said some protesters threw water bottles at officers conducting a ‘stop and search’ operation.

In a statement late on Sunday, the government said it “strongly condemns” the attack on the police officers.

The “Universal Siege Against Communism” demonstration was the latest in a relentless series of anti-government protests since June, when Hong Kongers took to the streets to voice their anger over a now-withdrawn extradition bill.

Organizers said 150,000 attended the demonstration, while police estimated a crowd of 11,680 at its peak.

Reporting by Jessie Pang and Donny Kwok; Writing by Marius Zaharia; editing by Simon Cameron-Moore

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2020-01-20 04:10:00Z
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Chaos in Puerto Rico as mob finds unused disaster supplies - New York Post

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — People in a southern Puerto Rico city discovered a warehouse filled with water, cots and other unused emergency supplies, then set off a social media uproar Saturday when they broke in to retrieve goods as the area struggles to recover from a strong earthquake.

With anger spreading in the U.S. territory after video of the event in Ponce appeared on Facebook, Gov. Wanda Vázquez quickly fired the director of the island’s emergency management agency.

The governor said she had ordered an investigation after learning the emergency supplies had been piled in the warehouse since Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico in September 2017.

Vázquez said inaction by the fired official, Carlos Acevedo, was unacceptable.

“There are thousands of people who have made sacrifices to help those in the south, and it is unforgivable that resources were kept in the warehouse,” the governor said.

Puerto Rico’s secretary of state, Elmer Román, told reporters that Acevedo had not told him about the contents of the warehouse.

News of the warehouse spread after online blogger Lorenzo Delgado relayed live video on Facebook of people breaking into the building. The scene became chaotic at times as people pushed their way in and began distributing water, baby food and other goods to those affected by the earthquake.

Delgado later told reporters that he had received a tip about the warehouse, but gave no specifics on when.

The mayor of Ponce, María Meléndez, said he had not known about the warehouse and its contents.

“This is outrageous,” she said. “Everyone knows what us mayors went through after Hurricane Maria to try and get help to our cities and how we’ve worked these weeks to provide basic supplies to people affected by earthquakes. Those involved owe us an explanation.”

Inés Rivera, spokeswoman for the city of Ponce, told The Associated Press that the warehouse is owned by Puerto Rico’s Company of Commerce and Export. Officials with the company could not be reached for comment.

The information upset many in Puerto Rico already angry over the government’s botched response to Hurricane Maria, with similar incidents of supplies going unused being uncovered months later.

Ponce is one of several cities in the island’s southern region hit by the recent 6.4 magnitude earthquake that killed one person and caused more than an estimated $200 million in damage. More than 7,000 people remain in shelters since the quake.

The governor said she has sent the Senate her nomination of José Reyes, who oversees the National Guard in Puerto Rico, to be the new commissioner for the State Bureau for Emergency Management and Disaster Management.

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2020-01-19 15:17:00Z
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Hong Kong police tear gas rally after protesters attack plainclothes agents - The Washington Post

Ng Han Guan AP A participant waves a U.S. flag as a colonial flag is seen on right during a rally demanding democracy in Hong Kong, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020.

HONG KONG — A mass protest in Hong Kong came to an abrupt and chaotic end on Sunday when demonstrators attacked plainclothes police officers, sparking a response from authorities that included pepper spray, tear gas and numerous arrests.

Relations between the public and the Hong Kong Police Force have collapsed during the months of protests that began in response to the government’s attempt to pass a bill that would allow for extraditions to mainland China. The bill was withdrawn, but the alleged misuse of force by the police, and the government’s refusal to launch an independent inquiry into the force’s conduct, have become a central grievance.

The scenes on Sunday here, where pro-democracy protesters brawled with police, marked a return to the sporadic violence that has occasionally erupted around the largely peaceful anti-government movement, now in its eight month. It also underscores the risk of using plainclothes police officers to respond to the protests, a highly controversial tactic that has sowed mistrust and prompted scuffles multiple times since the demonstrations began in June.

[Hong Kong police respond with tear gas, water cannons as protesters mark new year]

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Chater Garden in the city’s Central district to take part in a rally opposing Communism and calling for universal suffrage in the territory. Organizers had applied for a permit for a march, which was denied, but police did approve the holding of a rally as long as it stayed in one place. The crowd easily filled the park and protesters spilled into the nearby streets.

The turnout appeared to be the largest since an authorized protest on New Year’s Day, when organizers said over a million people gathered to demonstrate but had their march canceled by police midway through.

Ng Han Guan

AP

A woman cries as she pleads with the police not to beat a man as police detain protesters calling for electoral reforms and a boycott of the Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020.

The plainclothes officers told the organizers that the rally was being called off at around 4:00 p.m., Ventus Lau, a member of the Hong Kong Civil Assembly Team, which organized the rally, said. Lau asked to see one of the officer’s identification card, he said, but the officer initially resisted. Once he saw the officer’s badge, Lau said, he attempted to clear the park, but the altercation had drawn a crowd of angry protesters and fighting broke out.

At around 4:30 p.m., a small group of riot police entered the park in what looked to be an effort to assist their injured colleagues and clear the park.

A group of protesters chased the injured and bleeding plainclothes officers across the street, where they attempted to find safety in a building but were unable to enter because the doors were locked. Cornered, the three were beaten by protesters with umbrellas and batons. One protester attempted to hit them with a brick. More police rushed in to disperse the crowd.

Moments later, police fired multiple rounds of tear gas, sending protesters, and dozens of migrant domestic workers who gather in the area on their day off, fleeing. The three people beaten — two men and a woman — left in ambulances with their heads bandaged.

Police raced down the nearby streets clearing protesters backed by an armored vehicle and water cannons.

The police said in a statement that two officers from the Police Community Liaison Office were speaking with rally organizers when they “were suddenly surrounded and beaten up brutally by a large group of rioters with wooden sticks and other weapons.”

“They were left with bloody head injuries. Such appalling acts are not to be condoned. The Police will endeavor to bring the assailants to justice,” the statement added. Lau was arrested on Sunday evening, local media reported.

Earlier this week, police commissioner Chris Tang was grilled by district councilors about the force’s use of plainclothes officers, who often have no visible identification and further obscure themselves by wearing masks. One district councilor held up photos of plainclothes officers and asked Tang if he himself could identify the people as officers, to which Tang responded that he could not.

Sunday’s protest, featuring a range of speakers and an Italian opera singer, drew a crowd of diverse ages. Many of the protest materials being handed out were styled for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.

The government has drastically scaled back its own celebrations this year — canceling a fireworks show and limiting the size of the traditional New Year’s markets selling food and flowers. But independent fairs have popped up offering items featuring popular protest slogans and icons.

Faning Yam, a 27-year-old waitress, stood near a suitcase filled with 3,000 cards she had printed that people filled out with New Year messages to be delivered to imprisoned protesters. “Chinese New Year is coming and we need to bring some encouragement to our brothers and sisters who are in jail for us,” she said.

Cheng Keng Ieong, a pro-democracy district councilor, handed out fai chun, a traditional New Year decoration, emblazoned with the slogan “five demands, not one less.” The mantra was popularized after Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s leader withdrew the extradition bill, but refused to meet any of the other four demands laid out by protesters including univeral suffrage and an independent inquiry into police conduct.

“We are not giving up,” Cheng said, “even if they [the government] is abusing its power and using the police as a tool.”

Earlier this week Lam was questioned by lawmakers during a raucous session at the Legislative Council about the police. Lam dismissed the concerns as a smear campaign aimed at weakening the police’s ability to enforce the law. Cheng described Lam’s comments as “useless.”

“The voting results are very clear,” he said, referencing November’s district council elections during which pro-democracy candidates routed the pro-Beijing camp, “they want the five demands.”

Ng Han Guan

AP

Participants wave British and U.S. flags during a rally demanding electoral democracy and call for boycott of the Chinese Communist Party and all businesses seen to support it in Hong Kong, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020.

Tiffany Liang contributed to this report.

Read more

In Hong Kong crackdown, police repeatedly broke their own rules — and faced no consequences

Large, peaceful protest shows Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement is still strong

In Hong Kong, an accountant by day becomes street fighter by night

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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2020-01-19 12:46:00Z
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Harry and Meghan are giving up royal titles and state funding. Here's what that means - CNN

The news comes after a flurry of conversations and crunch talks with the Queen, who said Saturday that she was "pleased" to have found a "constructive and supportive way forward" for the Sussexes.

Earlier this month, in a carefully worded Instagram post and curated new website, Harry and Meghan announced their intention to exit the royal family. In it, they made clear what they wanted: to work to become financially independent, while continuing to support the Queen.

The question is now: did they get what they had hoped for?

Is this the exit the Sussexes had in mind?

The Sussexes had pitched for a hybrid role, where they would be allowed to pursue personal income, but also continue representing the Queen. But it appears they were offered two choices by the Palace -- in or out. They chose out.

So what's the deal with their royal titles?

Meghan received the title Her Royal Highness (HRH) The Duchess of Sussex upon marriage in May 2018. Harry's full title was His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel.

But the couple will no longer use the titles His and Her Royal Highness after announcing they would step back from their roles as senior members of the royal family. This is quite unprecedented. After her divorce from Prince Charles, Harry's mother Diana had her "HRH" title taken away, and she was given the courtesy title of "Diana, Princess of Wales."

Similarly, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York was also stripped of her HRH title after her divorce from Prince Andrew.

But the situation for Harry and Meghan is different -- they have chosen, or been asked, not to use these titles because they no longer represent the Queen.

What does it mean for the Sussex brand?

This decision is really about Harry and Meghan's extraction from royal life, but the next question is what will happen to the Sussex Royal brand.

The role, outlined on Harry and Meghan's Sussex Royal website following the couple's first announcement, doesn't currently align with the agreement announced by the Palace on Saturday. That whole new brand of Sussex Royal will probably have to be reworked, and we are waiting to see what that will look like.

When does the new arrangement take effect? How long will it last?

The changes will take effect in the spring, when Harry and Meghan will stop using the titles "HRH." The situation will then be reviewed a year later, but in the meantime Harry can expect a lot of media scrutiny.

So what will they do now?

This latest announcement doesn't mean that the couple will no longer move in Royal circles -- we'll still see them at functions that look a lot like Royal events.

Harry and Meghan are also keeping all of their private causes and patronages -- including Invictus -- and the various patronages they hold separate to their association with the Queen. But the couple will have to find a way of tying this together with bringing in an income.

We will probably see them undertaking commercial work, possibly media work, but we'll have to wait and see who that will be with, or how that will be shaped. We know that the couple haven't signed any commercial deals yet.

Harry and Meghan will have to bring in quite a substantial income to keep up with their current lifestyles -- while the Prince of Wales will be financing them through his private estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, this is expected to be in the low millions and may not be permanent.

What does it mean for other royals?

Harry and Meghan's exit from the royal family is quite unprecedented, and could become a blueprint for other senior members of the family who want out -- for example, William's children, if they felt the same way as Harry as adults.

There are also questions that need to be answered about how Harry's move will affect Charles and William. It remains unclear whether Harry's royal duties will be dispersed between Charles and William, or whether Harry's departure will effectively reduce the amount of work that the royal family is doing.

What was left unsaid in the announcement?

The announcement didn't address what will now happen to the Sussex Royal brand, and it didn't give further details about what the security arrangements will look like for the couple in Canada.

Who is expected to pay for security costs?

In the statement released Saturday, Buckingham Palace said it would not comment on the details of security arrangements.

"There are well established independent processes to determine the need for publicly-funded security," it said.

Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau told a Canadian television station Monday that: "...there are still a lot of decisions to be taken by the royal family, by the Sussexes themselves, as to what level of engagement they choose to have and these are things that we are obviously supportive of their reflections, but have responsibilities in that as well."

Trudeau added: "That is part of the reflection that needs to be had and there are discussions going on."

What will their life look like now -- splitting time between North America and UK?

The couple will be spending most of their time in North America.

But they can only spend a certain amount of time in Canada without citizenship -- UK and America citizens can spend up to 6 months in the country as a visitor -- so it remains to be seen how much time the young family will also spend in the United States.

They will still maintain their Frogmore Cottage residence on Windsor Estate, west of London -- but will have to pay rent for it.

They will also return the Sovereign Grant funds they recently spent to renovate the residence -- £2.4 million (about $3 million) of British taxpayers' money -- the palace said in a statement.

Works included the removal of a chimney, re-finishing the roof, new staircases, fireplace installations and a new "floating" wooden floor. Expenses related to fixtures, furnishings and fittings were funded privately by the couple.

CNN's Stephanie Halasz and Jack Guy contributed to this report.

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2020-01-19 13:27:00Z
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Libya rivals, world powers set for high-stakes Berlin summit - Al Jazeera English

Leaders of Libya's warring sides and several foreign powers are arriving in Berlin for an international summit to discuss ways to end the long-running conflict in the North African country.

The head of Tripoli's internationally-recognised government, Fayez al-Sarraj, and his rival, renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, are expected to attend Sunday's UN-backed gathering in the German capital, the first such event since 2018.

More:

Among those also expected in Berlin are Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Other countries invited are the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria, China and the Republic of Congo. Leaders from the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union and the Arab League will also attend.

The summit host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, kicked off meetings with discussions with the president of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, who heads an African Union committee on Libya.

Merkel has previously said that enforcing a UN arms embargo on Libya will be a priority at the summit attended by the leading parties in Libya's war, as well as representatives from their foreign backers and other nations.

"It will be extremely difficult to see how can Berlin convince all the parties to stop providing weapons to the warring factions and stop interfering in Libya when they have different agendas," Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Berlin, said.

Haftar is backed by the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and, most recently, Russian mercenaries. France has also been accused of giving him some support.

Turkey strongly supports the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), and its Parliament approved a motion to send troops to Libya earlier this month.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Republic of the Congo's President Denis Sassou Nguesso at the beginning of the Libya summit in Berlin [Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters]

Fragile ceasefire

The conference is the latest attempt to restore stability and peace to Libya, which has been splintered between competing factions and militias since former leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed during a NATO-supported uprising in 2011. The deeply divided country currently has two rival administrations: The UN-recognised GNA and another allied with Haftar in the eastern city of Tobruk.

As with previous failed attempts at securing a lasting ceasefire, Haftar, who in April last year launched an offensive to take Tripoli, will be centre stage as international powers hope to put pressure on him to continue a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey that has largely held for one week.

The warring sides earlier this month agreed to the ceasefire, though Haftar dramatically departed talks in Moscow on January 12 before signing the formalised agreement with al-Sarraj.

Eastern-based forces loyal to Haftar escalated the conflict on Friday when allied tribesmen shut down eastern oil ports, cutting oil production by 800,000 barrels per day, and crippling Tripoli's main source of income.

The move was a protest against Turkey's decision to send troops to shore up the GNA.

Haftar wants the armed factions in western Libya to disband and has called for a maritime and military deal between the GNA and Turkey to be scrapped.

Underlining the stakes involved, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said "Europe and those players who are influential" in the region have all been called to Berlin, because "we have to make sure Libya doesn't become a second Syria." 

"The conference can be the first step to peace for Libya," Maas told Bild newspaper. 

Speaking to reporters at an Istanbul airport before leaving to attend the talks, Erdogan on Sunday said he hoped for an "important step" to cement the fragile ceasefire "and a political solution".

In a column published on Politico on the eve of the talks, Erdogan had urged Europe to stand united behind al-Sarraj's government, as Tripoli's fall could leave "fertile ground" for armed groups such as ISIL or al-Qaeda "to get back on their feet".

A fighter loyal to the UN-recognised Libyan GNA south of Tripoli on January 12 when a ceasefire was signed [File: Mahmud Turkia/AFP]

The UN hopes all parties will sign on to a plan to refrain from interference and commit to a truce that leads to a lasting end to hostilities, according to a draft of a final communique seen by AFP news agency. 

The document also urges all parties to re-commit to a much-violated UN arms embargo and raises the prospect of political, inter-Libyan talks in Geneva at the end of the month.

The draft communique calls on all parties to recognise Libyan state oil firm NOC as sole entity authorised to sell Libyan crude, and urges them to refrain from hostilities against oil production facilities, Reuters news agency reported.

"What the Berlin conference is trying to do is get an agreement between the states meddling in Libya to stop their support [of] the warring parties," Wolfram Lacher, a political analyst, told Al Jazeera.

"The problem is Western states are not ready to put pressure on Haftar's foreign supporters, particularly the UAE so the promises that the foreign meddlers will make in Berlin ring hollow," he said. 

The International Crisis Group's Libya expert Claudia Gazzini said the Berlin conference "could be a modest step forward" on the path to peace. 

"Yet the risk remains that some participants will merely pay lip service to the diplomatic initiative, even as they continue to fuel a war from which they benefit."

Libya's UN-recognised leader Fayez al-Sarraj, left, and renegade commander Khalifa Haftar, right, will attend the meeting [File: Fethi Belaid and Ho/AFP]

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2020-01-19 12:23:00Z
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Libya rivals, world powers set for high-stakes Berlin summit - Al Jazeera English

Leaders of Libya's warring sides and several foreign powers are arriving in Berlin for an international summit to discuss ways to end the long-running conflict in the North African country.

The head of Tripoli's internationally-recognised government, Fayez al-Sarraj, and his rival, renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, are expected to attend Sunday's UN-backed gathering in the German capital, the first such event since 2018.

More:

Among those also expected in Berlin are Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Other countries invited are the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria, China and the Republic of Congo. Leaders from the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union and the Arab League will also attend.

The summit host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, kicked off meetings with discussions with the president of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, who heads an African Union committee on Libya.

Merkel has previously said that enforcing a UN arms embargo on Libya will be a priority at the summit attended by the leading parties in Libya's war, as well as representatives from their foreign backers and other nations.

"It will be extremely difficult to see how can Berlin convince all the parties to stop providing weapons to the warring factions and stop interfering in Libya when they have different agendas," Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Berlin, said.

Haftar is backed by the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and, most recently, Russian mercenaries. France has also been accused of giving him some support.

Turkey strongly supports the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), and its Parliament approved a motion to send troops to Libya earlier this month.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Republic of the Congo's President Denis Sassou Nguesso at the beginning of the Libya summit in Berlin [Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters]

Fragile ceasefire

The conference is the latest attempt to restore stability and peace to Libya, which has been splintered between competing factions and militias since former leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed during a NATO-supported uprising in 2011. The deeply divided country currently has two rival administrations: The UN-recognised GNA and another allied with Haftar in the eastern city of Tobruk.

As with previous failed attempts at securing a lasting ceasefire, Haftar, who in April last year launched an offensive to take Tripoli, will be centre stage as international powers hope to put pressure on him to continue a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey that has largely held for one week.

The warring sides earlier this month agreed to the ceasefire, though Haftar dramatically departed talks in Moscow on January 12 before signing the formalised agreement with al-Sarraj.

Eastern-based forces loyal to Haftar escalated the conflict on Friday when allied tribesmen shut down eastern oil ports, cutting oil production by 800,000 barrels per day, and crippling Tripoli's main source of income.

The move was a protest against Turkey's decision to send troops to shore up the GNA.

Haftar wants the armed factions in western Libya to disband and has called for a maritime and military deal between the GNA and Turkey to be scrapped.

Underlining the stakes involved, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said "Europe and those players who are influential" in the region have all been called to Berlin, because "we have to make sure Libya doesn't become a second Syria." 

"The conference can be the first step to peace for Libya," Maas told Bild newspaper. 

Speaking to reporters at an Istanbul airport before leaving to attend the talks, Erdogan on Sunday said he hoped for an "important step" to cement the fragile ceasefire "and a political solution".

In a column published on Politico on the eve of the talks, Erdogan had urged Europe to stand united behind al-Sarraj's government, as Tripoli's fall could leave "fertile ground" for armed groups such as ISIL or al-Qaeda "to get back on their feet".

A fighter loyal to the UN-recognised Libyan GNA south of Tripoli on January 12 when a ceasefire was signed [File: Mahmud Turkia/AFP]

The UN hopes all parties will sign on to a plan to refrain from interference and commit to a truce that leads to a lasting end to hostilities, according to a draft of a final communique seen by AFP news agency. 

The document also urges all parties to re-commit to a much-violated UN arms embargo and raises the prospect of political, inter-Libyan talks in Geneva at the end of the month. 

If all goes to plan, the Berlin participants will hold an evening press conference.

"What the Berlin conference is trying to do is get an agreement between the states meddling in Libya to stop their support [of] the warring parties," Wolfram Lacher, a political analyst, told Al Jazeera.

"The problem is Western states are not ready to put pressure on Haftar's foreign supporters, particularly the UAE so the promises that the foreign meddlers will make in Berlin ring hollow," he said. 

The International Crisis Group's Libya expert Claudia Gazzini said the Berlin conference "could be a modest step forward" on the path to peace. 

"Yet the risk remains that some participants will merely pay lip service to the diplomatic initiative, even as they continue to fuel a war from which they benefit."

Libya's UN-recognised leader Fayez al-Sarraj, left, and renegade commander Khalifa Haftar, right, will attend the meeting [File: Fethi Belaid and Ho/AFP]

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2020-01-19 10:35:00Z
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Harry and Meghan: 'Nothing like this has ever happened before' - BBC News

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer receive public funds for royal duties as part of an agreement on their future role.

The couple will also no longer use their HRH titles or represent the Queen formally as they break away from being senior royals.

BBC royal correspondent Daniela Relph explains what happens next for Harry and Meghan.

Read more: Harry and Meghan drop royal duties and HRH titles

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2020-01-19 10:01:33Z
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