Hong Kong's leader says to create new national security law in 2024 - CNA

HONG KONG: Hong Kong leader John Lee said on Wednesday (Oct 25) that the semi-autonomous city would create its own national security law in 2024, four years after Beijing imposed sweeping legislation aimed at silencing dissent.

Massive pro-democracy protests rocked the finance hub in 2019, bringing hundreds of thousands of people to the streets to call for greater freedoms and more autonomy from mainland China.

In response, Beijing imposed a national security law to punish four major crimes - secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces - with sentences ranging up to life in prison.

Security chief turned leader Lee said during his second-ever policy address on Wednesday that "some countries are undermining China and the implementation of 'one country, two systems'" in Hong Kong.

"External forces continue to meddle in Hong Kong affairs," the Beijing-anointed leader said, adding that the city would "continue to safeguard national security and improve its relevant legal system and enforcement mechanisms".

"The government is pressing ahead to draw up effective legislative options and will complete the legislative exercise in 2024 to fulfil our constitutional duty," Lee said.

Under the Basic Law - the city's mini-constitution - Hong Kong is required to make its own law combating seven security-related crimes, including treason and espionage.

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2023-10-25 04:59:13Z
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Finland says gas pipeline likely broken by Chinese ship dragging anchor - CNA

HELSINKI: Damage to a Baltic Sea gas pipeline earlier this month is believed to have been caused by a ship dragging a large anchor along the seabed, but it was too early to tell if this was an accident or a deliberate act, Finnish police said on Tuesday (Oct 24).

Investigators said they had now retrieved a lost anchor from the seabed location where the pipeline ruptured on Oct 8, and were investigating whether it belonged to a Chinese container vessel.

Police have previously said damage to the Balticconnector subsea gas pipeline and two Baltic Sea telecoms cables was cause by external mechanical force and were investigating whether this was a case of sabotage or caused by accident.

Broad drag marks were seen on the seabed leading up to where the pipeline was broken, and the anchor was lying immediately after the damage spot. A narrower path was seen on the seabed stretching onwards for dozens of miles, police said.

A piece of the anchor, one of its two spikes, had broken off, they added.

"The next questions are about whether it was intentional, negligence, poor seamanship, and that's where we get into whether there could be a motive for what's going on," National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief Robin Lardot told a press conference.

"But it's too early to answer that at this stage," he added.

The NBI on Friday said they were focusing their probe on the Chinese NewNew Polar Bear container vessel that had travelled above the pipeline and the cables at the time of the damage.

The NBI on Tuesday said they had established that the NewNew Polar Bear was in fact missing one of its front anchors, and said they had tried unsuccessfully to contact the ship to ask whether this was the one retrieved in the Gulf of Finland.

China called on Monday for an "objective, fair and professional" investigation into the pipeline damage.

The incident cut pipeline gas supplies to Finland, although the country expects to manage with imports of liquefied natural gas via ship deliveries to its Inkoo port.

As a result of the damage, NATO has stepped up patrols in the Baltic Sea.

In September 2022, the larger Nord Stream pipelines connecting Germany and Russia were damaged by explosions that authorities have said were deliberate acts of sabotage, although it is still unclear who was behind the attack.

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2023-10-25 00:17:00Z
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'Humanitarian pause' in Hamas-Israel war is urged to aid Gaza civilians - CNA

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded on Tuesday for civilians to be protected, voicing concern about "clear violations of international humanitarian law" in Gaza.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the Security Council: "Palestinian civilians are not to blame for the carnage committed by Hamas," referring to the militants' killing of 1,400 people, mainly civilians, and capture of over 200 in a one-day rampage through Israeli communities near Gaza.

"Palestinian civilians must be protected. That means Hamas must cease using them as human shields ... It means Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians," Blinken said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau echoed Blinken.

"There are a lot of conversations going on now about the need for humanitarian pauses and I think that's something Canada supports," he told reporters in Ottawa. "We must remain anchored on the priorities of protecting innocent (people) and freeing the hostages."

The World Health Organization, in the latest of increasingly desperate UN appeals, called for "an immediate humanitarian ceasefire" to prevent food, medicines and fuel supplies from running out in Gaza.

HOSPITALS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL

Doctors in Gaza say patients arriving at hospitals are showing signs of disease caused by overcrowding and poor sanitation after more than 1.4 million people fled their homes for temporary shelters under Israel's heaviest-ever bombardment.

All hospitals say they are running out of fuel to power their electricity generators, leaving them increasingly unable to treat the injured and ill. More than 40 medical centres have halted operations, a health ministry spokesman said.

UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, warned in a post on messaging platform X that it would halt operations in Gaza on Wednesday night because of the lack of fuel.

However, the Israeli military reaffirmed it would bar the entry of fuel to prevent Hamas from seizing it.

DON'T FIGHT WAR "WITHOUT RULES", MACRON URGES ISRAEL

French President Emmanuel Macron, visiting Israel on Tuesday, told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that France stood "shoulder to shoulder" with Israel in its war with Hamas but that it must not fight "without rules".

Netanyahu said Israel would try to protect civilians as it worked to ensure they "will no longer live under Hamas tyranny".

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2023-10-24 20:14:00Z
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Freed Israeli says beaten by abductors then well treated in Gaza - CNA

TEL AVIV: An Israeli 85-year-old freed by Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Tuesday (Oct 24) she was beaten during her abduction, then treated well during more than two weeks held captive in Gaza.

"The guys beat me on the way, they didn't break my ribs but hurt me there very much," Yocheved Lifshitz said a day after her release.

"They treated us well," she told media at a Tel Aviv hospital, explaining a doctor visited her and fellow hostages every two to three days and provided medicines.

Lifshitz was a resident of Nir Oz kibbutz, one of the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip which Hamas militants attacked on Oct 7.

Her husband, also in his 80s, is among more than 200 hostages still being held in Gaza.

"They treated us gently, and provided all our needs," she said, when asked why she reached out to shake the hand of a militant the moment she was freed.

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2023-10-24 11:07:00Z
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Israel-Hamas War News Updates on October 24: Macron's Visit, Hostage Release - Bloomberg

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1. Israel-Hamas War News Updates on October 24: Macron's Visit, Hostage Release  Bloomberg
2. Macron flies to Israel to push for humanitarian truce, proposals  CNA
3. French president Emmanuel Macron to visit Israel in coming days  The Straits Times
4. Watch again: Emmanuel Macron meets with Israeli president Herzog as two more Hamas hostages released  The Independent
5. ‘If Hezbollah drags us into war, Lebanon will pay its price’: Israel's President  Hindustan Times
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-10-24 08:34:49Z
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Israel ramps up strikes on Hamas, US urges 'continuous flow' of aid to Gaza - The Straits Times

GAZA/WASHINGTON - Israel’s military intensified its assault on Hamas militants in Gaza, as the United States and other global powers called for aid to continue flowing into the besieged strip to prevent an already grave humanitarian crisis from worsening.

Israel’s military said it had hit more than 400 militant targets in Gaza overnight and killed dozens of Hamas fighters, including three deputy battalion commanders.

In a statement, the military said that among the targets hit was a tunnel which allowed Hamas to infiltrate Israel from the sea and Hamas command centres in mosques. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

Earlier, Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi suggested Israel has no intention of curbing its strikes on the densely populated Gaza Strip.

He also hinted the country is well-prepared for a ground assault.

“We want to bring Hamas to a state of full dismantling,” Mr Haveli said. “The path is a path of unrelenting attacks, damaging Hamas everywhere and in every way.

“We are well-prepared for the ground operations in the south,” he added, referring to southern Israel which abuts Gaza. “There are tactical, operative, strategic considerations that have provided additional time, and troops who have more time are better prepared, and that is what we are doing now.”

The Palestinian health ministry said the Gaza death toll in two weeks of air strikes has surpassed 5,000.

The Israeli bombardment was triggered by a Hamas assault on Oct 7 that killed more than 1,400 people. Gunmen from the militant group also took some 200 people hostage.

Hamas on Monday freed two Israeli women.

US President Joe Biden welcomed the release of the hostages.

He also underscored the need to sustain “a continuous flow” of humanitarian assistance into Gaza in a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said.

On its part, China called for a “more authoritative, wide-ranging and effective international peace conference” soon, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki in a telephone call.

A Cairo peace summit on Saturday saw Arab leaders condemn Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, but fail to agree on a joint statement. Absent were Israel and the US.

In public, the United States has stressed Israel’s right to defend itself.

But two sources familiar with the matter said the White House, Pentagon and State Department have stepped up private appeals for caution in conversations with the Israelis.

A US priority is to gain time for negotiations to free other hostages.

Asked about the possibility of a ceasefire, US President Joe Biden said: ““We should have those hostages released and then we can talk.”

At least 10 British nationals have been killed in the conflict between Israel and Hamas and a further six remain missing, junior British finance minister Victoria Atkins told Times Radio on Tuesday.

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2023-10-24 07:03:15Z
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Obama warns some of Israel's actions in Gaza may backfire - CNA

It was not clear whether Obama had coordinated his statement with US President Joe Biden, who served as his vice president for eight years.

During his presidency, Obama often backed Israel's right to self-defence at the start of conflicts with Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza, but quickly called for Israeli restraint once Palestinian casualties mounted from airstrikes.

Gaza, a 45km-long strip of land that is home to 2.3 million people, has been ruled politically since 2007 by Hamas, an Iran-backed Islamist group, but faces a blockade from Israel.

The Obama administration sought, but ultimately failed to broker, a peace deal in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Since taking office in early 2021, Biden has not tried to resume long-stalled talks, saying that leaders on both sides were too intransigent and the climate was not right.

Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a testy relationship when Obama was in office, including when Obama's administration was negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran.

Biden, as Obama's vice president, often acted as a mediator between the two men.

In his statement on Monday, Obama acknowledged that the US had itself "fallen short of our higher values when engaged in war", especially after the Sep 11, 2001 attacks.

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2023-10-24 00:42:15Z
CBMiXmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvb2JhbWEtaXNyYWVsLWJhY2tmaXJlLWdhemEtaGFtYXMtd2FyLXBhbGVzdGluaWFuLTM4Njc4NDHSAQA