Hong Kong Billionaire Breaks Silence, Urges Protesters to Ease Off

(Bloomberg) -- Ten weeks into the protests that have rattled the Asian financial hub to its core, Hong Kong’s billionaires are beginning to break their silence as the costs of escalating violence mount.Peter Woo, the largest shareholder and former chairman of developer Wheelock & Co., on Monday called on protesters to ease off after they notched a victory by blocking the government’s extradition bill. Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd., controlled by the city’s wealthiest clan -- the Kwoks -- issued a statement Tuesday condemning violent protests.The billionaires’ comments come as two months of unrest weighs on the territory’s stock market. Woo has had more than $1 billion wiped from his personal wealth.Protests have moved to the city’s airport for the last two days, leading to a swath of canceled flights, following clashes that saw riot cops fire tear gas in a subway station and protesters lash out at undercover officers.“It’s time to think deeply,” Woo wrote in Monday’s edition of the Hong Kong Economic Journal. “Going against the extradition bill was the ‘big tree’ of this movement. This one and only big appeal has already been accepted by the government, so this tree has fallen.” Some people are using the issue to “purposely stir up trouble,” he added.Hong Kong’s unrest has spiraled since the initial anger was sparked by the proposed bill that would have allowed extraditions from the territory to mainland China. As graphic scenes of violence between police and protesters went viral on social media, a turning point came on July 21, when a mob of men attacked protesters with poles at the Yuen Long subway station.The perceived passivity of the police response to that incident spurred outrage and shifted the protesters’ focus from the extradition bill to law enforcement and the territory’s government more broadly. Weakened by the turmoil, Chief Executive Carrie Lam has refused to resign. She has followed Beijing’s stance not to give in to protesters’ demands, which include an independent inquiry into the use of force by police and the release of detainees, following hundreds of arrests.In his column, Woo focused on violence wrought by protesters, but not the actions of the police, who he described as “outnumbered.” Wheelock gets about 38% of its revenue from mainland China, making him one of the most exposed to China among Hong Kong’s property billionaires.Signs of economic fallout from the constant turmoil are starting to show. Flanked by business leaders on Aug. 9, Lam said the aftershocks could hit Hong Kong’s economy like a “tsunami.” Last week, Wheelock’s Wharf Holdings reported falling underlying profit and said demand in Hong Kong weakened due to “travel advisories, economic slowdown, contracting exports/re-exports, falling retail sales, stock market jitters and the threat to employment.”The Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong issued a statement Aug. 8 condemning violence and calling for peace. Seventeen members co-signed, including Woo’s Wheelock, as well as Sun Hung Kai and Li Ka-Shing’s Hutchison Properties. Another appeal published in Chinese-language papers was issued on Aug. 10, with co-signers including Kwok family members as well as billionaire Henry Cheng of New World Development.Woo, Li and Cheng also were among billionaires who opposed plans for a mass sit-in targeting the city’s financial district in 2014. Cheng said at the time that the protests -- led by an activist group known as Occupy Central With Love and Peace -- could offend Communist Party leaders in Beijing and hurt the company’s jewelry sales in Hong Kong.Sun Hung Kai, Hong Kong’s biggest developer, faced criticism after clashes last month at one of its malls in Sha Tin. The company denied protesters’ allegations that the firm invited the police into New Town Plaza. At the Harbour City center in Tsim Sha Tsui, owned by a unit of Woo’s Wheelock, protesters canceled a plan to swarm the mall in the wake of the New Town Plaza incident after management put up signs asking police not to enter unless a crime was taking place.Sun Hung Kai issued a statement on Tuesday that criticized the protests.“The recent series of violent acts to challenge the rule of law have damaged Hong Kong’s economy and seriously affect citizens’ daily life,” Sun Hung Kai said. The company would support efforts by the government and police to restore order, it said.Aftershocks have spilled over into other industries. Protesters have been circulating a spreadsheet aimed at boycotting brands perceived to be supportive of the establishment, while China has also been exerting economic pressure. Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. staff who join the protests face a ban on flights to the mainland, and the Gianni Versace luxury brand apologized for a shirt that allegedly implied Hong Kong wasn’t part of China.Cathay’s biggest shareholder, the billionaire Swire family’s Swire Pacific Ltd., called for “restoration of law in order” in a statement Tuesday. “We must act now to stop the violence and preserve the stability, peace and prosperity of Hong Kong,” it said, adding that the company fully supports Cathay Pacific’s “strict implementation” of Chinese regulators’ “directives to ensure safety, and its zero-tolerance approach to illegal activities.”Housing CrisisSome development tycoons say Hong Kong’s population has reason for discontent. Lan Kwai Fong Group head Allan Zeman said on Bloomberg TV Monday that urgent solutions are needed to address the territory’s housing crisis.“A lot of these people, I don’t blame them for marching because they don’t have hope,” said Zeman, whose holdings spanning Hong Kong, mainland China and Thailand include the city’s California tower. “They live with their parents, they don’t see a future for themselves.”(Updates with Swire statement in 14th paragraph.)\--With assistance from Venus Feng.To contact the reporters on this story: Blake Schmidt in Hong Kong at bschmidt16@bloomberg.net;Sheryl Tian Tong Lee in Hong Kong at slee1905@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Pierre Paulden at ppaulden@bloomberg.net, Keith Campbell, Marion DakersFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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One million moved into camps, 184 dead in India monsoon floods

Indian authorities have moved around a million people into emergency camps in recent days as the death toll from monsoon floods jumped Monday to at least 184. The southern state of Kerala, a tourist haven known for its beaches, hill resorts and backwaters, has been the worst hit region for the second consecutive year, forcing the closure of the Kochi international airport for three days last week. "At least 76 people have died, 58 are missing and another 32 have received injuries," Pramod Kumar, Kerala police spokesman, told AFP.

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Epstein death: Prison officer 'removed from suicide watch night before billionaire paedophile died'

Corrections officers had not checked in on financier and registered sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for "several" hours before he was found hanging in his cell Saturday, a person familiar with the matter said, just one in a series of missteps in the hours leading up to his death.Officers should have been checking on Epstein, who was being held in a special housing unit of the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City, every 30 minutes, and, under normal circumstances, he also should have had a cellmate, according to the person familiar with the matter and union officials representing facility employees.But a person who had been assigned to share a cell with Epstein was transferred on Friday, and - for reasons that investigators are still exploring - he did not receive a new one, the person familiar with the matter said Sunday night.That left Epstein, who had previously been placed on suicide watch, alone and unmonitored \- at least in the hours before his death - by even those officers assigned to guard him.The person familiar with the matter spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the investigation.The revelations are sure to increase scrutiny of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Metropolitan Correctional Center, a high-rise facility in Manhattan where Epstein, 66, was found unresponsive in his cell Saturday while he was awaiting trial.He was facing federal charges alleging that he sexually abused dozens of girls in the early 2000s. After being found, he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.The hanging, which authorities had classified initially as an "apparent suicide," triggered investigations of how such a high-profile inmate, who was supposed to have been carefully monitored, could have died in federal custody.It also caused outrage among his victims and their representatives, who had hoped that Epstein's trial next year would produce the justice they thought he had long evaded.The Federal Bureau of Prisons did not return repeated messages seeking a comment.Barbara Sampson, New York City's chief medical examiner, said her office conducted an autopsy of Epstein's body Sunday but had not yet reached a determination on cause of death, "pending further information."The medical examiner also allowed Michael Baden, a private pathologist, to observe the autopsy at the request of Epstein's representatives, Ms Sampson said.The two corrections officers assigned to watch the special unit in the detention centre where Epstein was being housed were working overtime - one forced to do so by management, the other for his fourth or fifth consecutive day, the president of the local union for staffers said.Serene Gregg, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3148, said the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan is functioning with less than 70 percent of the needed correctional officers, forcing many to work mandatory overtime and 60- or 70-hour workweeks.She said one of the individuals assigned to watch Epstein's unit did not normally work as a correctional officer but, like others in roles such as counsellors and teachers, was able to do so. She declined to say which one or specify the person's regular role."If it wasn't Mr. Epstein, it would have been somebody else, because of the conditions at that institution," Ms Gregg said. "It wasn't a matter of how it happened or it happening, but it was only a matter of time for it to happen. It was inevitable. Our staff is severely overworked."Ms Gregg said she did not know details of the investigation into Epstein's death and declined to detail her discussions with those working that night.But she said she has long complained about understaffing at the facility, telling superiors, "It's only a matter of time before we have a loss of life." And in Epstein's case, she said, it was possible overwork of officers played a role."It's daunting, mentally, physically. I would feel confident in saying that some of that contributed to the unfortunate death of inmate Epstein," she said, clarifying later that she did not know with certainty whether workload played a role in the incident because she was not privy to details of the investigation.On Sunday, amid inquiries by the FBI, Justice Department's inspector general and New York City medical examiner, questions remained."It's our practice not to comment on ongoing investigations," said John Lavinsky, a spokesman for the Justice Department's inspector general.Epstein was not on suicide watch Saturday before he was found, but because he was held in the facility's special housing unit, he should have been checked on every 30 minutes, according to union officials and a person familiar with the investigation.A person familiar with the matter said that procedure was not being followed, at least according to preliminary information corrections officials gave investigators. Ms Gregg declined to comment on internal security procedures.It was also not clear how much, if any, of the incident or authorities' check-ins was captured on camera. E.O. Young, the national president of the Council of Prison Locals C-33, said that while cameras are prevalent in the facility, he did not believe they generally captured inmates' cells.The Federal Bureau of Prisons said Saturday that lifesaving measures were "initiated immediately" after Epstein was found, and then emergency responders were summoned.Epstein had been placed on suicide watch after a July 23 incident in which he was found in his cell with marks on his neck \- which subjected him to near constant monitoring and daily psychological evaluations, according to people familiar with the case.But he was taken off that about a week later and brought to the special housing unit, where there was a higher level of security, but not constant monitoring.Before the incident, Epstein had a cellmate: Nicholas Tartaglione, a former police officer in custody on murder and narcotics charges. But Mr Young, the national union president, said Epstein was in a cell alone immediately before his death.Mr Young said he was not certain why Epstein was in the cell alone, as the Bureau of Prisons has moved recently to make sure fewer inmates are housed on their own.He said there was some speculation after the July 23 incident that Epstein was trying to get away from Tartaglione, whom he feared, and he believed that - at least for a time - Epstein had another cellmate after coming off suicide watch.Mr Young asserted that in the facility's general population, Epstein also probably would have been a target, and that there was only so much officers could do to prevent him from harming himself.But Mr Young said, even in Epstein's case, correctional officers face a grim reality."We can't ever stop anyone who is persistent on killing themselves," Young said. "The only thing the bureau can do is delay that."Young said he and other officials had long been raising concerns as the Trump administration had imposed a hiring freeze and budget cuts on the Bureau of Prisons."All this was caused by the administration," Mr Young said.Spokesmen for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In congressional testimony earlier this year, Attorney General William Barr conceded that the bureau was "short" about 4,000 or 5,000 employees and said he had lifted the hiring freeze and was trying to ensure a steady pipeline of new officers to replace those who leave."I think this is an area where we have stumbled," Mr Barr said.Though Epstein's death will short-circuit his trial, the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan said Saturday that authorities were continuing to explore those who might have conspired with Epstein.The financier had a star-studded list of acquaintances and friends \- including former president Bill Clinton and President Donald Trump \- although investigators' focus in the past has been on the less-famous people who worked with Epstein and have been accused of helping procure girls for him.Epstein had pleaded guilty in 2008 to two state charges of soliciting prostitution to resolve similar sexual abuse allegations as part of an agreement that has been widely criticised as overly lenient.The deal allowed Epstein to spend just 13 months in jail and be released regularly for work, and it spared those who worked with him from prosecution.It was approved by Alex Acosta, who was then the US Attorney in Miami. Mr Acosta would go on to serve as labour secretary in the Trump administration but resigned from his post last month after federal prosecutors in New York charged Epstein, renewing questions about the earlier deal.The Washington Post

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Bill Cosby's appeal to review handling of #MeToo case

Bill Cosby's defense team argued Monday that the judge made an error by allowing five other accusers to testify during last year's trial.

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Beijing 'preparing tanks at Hong Kong border', warns Trump as protesters clash with police at airport

Protesters clashed with riot police at Hong Kong's international airport on Tuesday evening after flights were disrupted for a second day, as Donald Trump warned that China is moving troops to the border. The airport scuffles broke out in the evening between police and protesters, after protesters allegedly detained two men suspected of being undercover Chinese officials. Trouble began as about 10-15 regular police officers entered the airport without riot gear to assist paramedics after a man collapsed. The man was accused by demonstrators of being a member of Chinese state security. Protesters then drove the police out of the terminal building. Shortly after, about 50 riot police arrived and clashes broke out in and around the entrance of the airport. Police used pepper spray and made a handful of arrests as scenes briefly turned violent. A policeman was cornered and beaten with his own baton before protesters dispersed when he drew his pistol. Cameramen and photographers film a detained man, who protesters claimed was a police officer from mainland China Credit: Vincent Yu/AP Protesters also detained a second man who they suspected of being an undercover agent. After emptying out his belongings, they found a blue T-shirt that has been worn by pro-Beijing supporters that they said was evidence he was a spy. The editor-in-chief of the Global Times claimed one of the men seen detained and tied to a trolley was a reporter for the Chinese state newspaper.  Meanwhile, Chinese paramilitary police were assembling across the border in the city of Shenzhen for exercises. While China has yet to threaten sending in the army - as it did against pro-democracy protesters in Beijing in 1989 - the Shenzhen exercises were a sign of its ability to crush the demonstrations, even at the cost to Hong Kong's reputation as a safe haven for business and international exchange. Images on the internet showed armored personnel carriers belonging to the People's Armed Police driving in a convoy Monday toward the site of the exercises. Mr Trump said in a tweet: "Our Intelligence has informed us that the Chinese Government is moving troops to the Border with Hong Kong. Everyone should be calm and safe!" He retweted a video purporting to show army trucks queuing in Shenzhen, the Chinese city that borders Hong Kong.  The US president, who is embroiled in a major trade dispute with China, added: "Many are blaming me, and the United States, for the problems going on in Hong Kong. I can’t imagine why?" Ten weeks of increasingly violent clashes between police and protesters have roiled the Asian financial hub as thousands of residents chafe at a perceived erosion of freedoms and autonomy under Chinese rule. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Hong Kong to exercise restraint and investigate evidence of its forces firing tear gas at protesters in ways banned under international law. China later rejected what it called a "wrongful statement" by the UN, saying it amounted to interference in its domestic affairs. Riot police clashed with pockets of protesters at the airport as demonstrations crippled terminals Credit: THOMAS PETER/ REUTERS At a news conference in the government headquarters complex, which is fortified behind 6-foot (1.8-m) -high water-filled barricades, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said: "Take a minute to look at our city, our home." Her voice cracked as she added: "Can we bear to push it into the abyss and see it smashed to pieces?" Ms Lam’s repeated refusals to make any concessions or show sympathy toward protesters, some of whom have been injured as police shoot tear gas and rubber bullets, has only upset them more and boosted public support for the activists plunging the city into its worst political crisis in decades. Chris Patten, the last governor under British colonial rule, said that Hong Kong was "close to the abyss", because Ms Lam refused to withdraw a controversial extradition bill   "I think there is a degree of frustration and anger at the government refusing to give any sensible ground at all, which probably provokes more violence," Mr Patten told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He urged Boris Johnson to take a firmer line with Beijing, and to put pressure on visiting National Security Advisor John Bolton for US help. Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, said the UK should extend citizenship rights to Hong Kong citizens. The White House has also urged "all sides" to avoid violence in Hong Kong. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, on Monday praised protesters for standing up to the Chinese Communist Party, warning that the "world is watching" for any violent crackdown by authorities. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he hoped no one would be killed. The crisis was a "very tricky situation," the president told reporters in New Jersey. "I hope it works out peacefully, nobody gets hurt, nobody gets killed," he said. Hong Kong protests | Read more China this week condemned some protesters for using dangerous tools to attack police, calling the clashes "sprouts of terrorism". They present President Xi Jinping with one of his biggest challenges since he came to power in 2012. Hong Kong legal experts say Beijing might be paving the way to use anti-terrorism laws to try to quell the demonstrations. The clashes at the airport followed an unprecedented airport shutdown on Monday. Again on Tuesday, thousands of black-clad protesters jammed the terminal, chanting, singing and waving banners. Floors and walls were covered with missives penned by activists and other artwork. Initially, the scene was peaceful as knots of protesters spoke to travellers, explaining their aims. "Sorry for the inconvenience, we are fighting for the future of our home," read one protest banner at the airport. "I think paralysing the airport will be effective in forcing Carrie Lam to respond to us ... it can further pressure Hong Kong's economy," said Dorothy Cheng, 17. The weeks of protests began as opposition to a now-suspended bill that would have allowed suspects to be extradited to mainland China, but have swelled into wider calls for democracy. Demonstrators say they are fighting the erosion of the "one country, two systems" arrangement that enshrined some autonomy for Hong Kong since China took it back from Britain in 1997. They want Lam to resign. She says she will stay. Fu Guohao, reporter of GT website is being seized by demonstrators at HK airport. I affirm this man being tied in this video is the reporter himself. He has no other task except for reporting. I sincerely ask the demonstrators to release him. I also ask for help of West reporters pic.twitter.com/sbFb0L3s92— Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) August 13, 2019 "My responsibility goes beyond this particular range of protest," Lam said on Tuesday, adding that violence had pushed the territory into a state of "panic and chaos". As she spoke, the benchmark Hang Seng index hit a seven-month low. It shed more than 2%, dragging down markets across Asia. Lam did not respond to questions at a press briefing to clarify if she had the power to withdraw the extradition bill and satisfy a key demand made by the protesters, or if she needed Beijing's approval. Airport authorities had earlier suspended check-in operations. Crowds of protesters continued to swell in the evening. "Terminal operations at Hong Kong International Airport have been seriously disrupted as a result of the public assembly," the airport authority said. Some passengers challenged protesters over the delays as tempers began to fray, while the demonstrators, using a Chinese term of encouragement, chanted, "Hong Kong people - add oil!" Flag carrier Cathay Pacific said: "There is potential for further flight disruptions at short notice". The airline, whose British heritage makes it a symbol of Hong Kong's colonial past, is also in a political bind. China's civil aviation regulator demanded that the airline suspend staff who joined or backed the protests from flights in its airspace, pushing the carrier's shares past Monday's 10-year low. Other Chinese airlines have offered passengers wanting to avoid Hong Kong a free switch to nearby destinations, such as Guangzhou, Macau, Shenzhen or Zhuhai, with the disruption sending shares in Shenzhen Airport Co Ltd surging.

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Hong Kong airport resumes flights after clashes, mass protests

Hong Kong's airport resumed operations on Wednesday, rescheduling hundreds of flights that had been disrupted over the past two days as protesters clashed with riot police in a deepening crisis in the Chinese-controlled city.

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'Serious irregularities' at prison where Epstein died: US attorney general

US Attorney General Bill Barr said Monday there were "serious irregularities" at the jail where Jeffrey Epstein died of an apparent suicide, and pledged to pursue any co-conspirators in the sex trafficking case. "I was appalled and indeed the whole department was, and frankly angry, to learn of the Metropolitan Correctional Center's failure to adequately secure this prison," Barr told reporters. "We are now learning of serious irregularities at this facility that are deeply concerning and demand a thorough investigation.

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Guatemala election winner Alejandro Giammattei says he wants to rewrite controversial Trump migration deal

Conservative "eternal candidate" Alejandro Giammattei has won Guatemala's presidential election, saying he wants to make changes to a controversial migration deal the Central American country signed with the Trump administration last month. Speaking to Reuters shortly before being declared victor, Mr Giammattei, who had made three previous presidential bids, said he wanted to see what could be done to improve the deal that outgoing President Jimmy Morales agreed to stem US-bound migration from Central America. Mr Giammattei will not take office until January, by which time Guatemala may be under severe pressure from the deal that effectively turns the country into a buffer zone, by forcing migrants to seek refuge there rather than in the United States. "I hope that during this transition the doors will open to get more information so we can see what, from a diplomatic point of view, we can do to remove from this deal the things that are not right for us, or how we can come to an agreement with the United States," Mr Giammattei, 63, said in the interview. Threatened with economic sanctions if he said no, Mr Morales reached an accord in late July to make Guatemala a so-called safe third country for migrants, despite the endemic poverty and violence plaguing the Central American nation. "It's not right for the country," Mr Giammattei said of the deal. "If we don't have the capacity to look after our own people, imagine what it will be like for foreigners." The agreement is also highly unpopular in Guatemala, which is itself now the biggest source of migrants intercepted at the US-Mexico border, according to US government data.  A poll published this week by Guatemalan newspaper Prensa Libre showed more than eight out of 10 respondents rejected the idea of the country accepting foreign migrants seeking asylum. Mr Giammattei noted that since a US judge had already suspended a separate safe third country accord, there was a chance that the deal with Guatemala could change. "We'll have to see what happens in the United States with the federal judge's decision. The most likely outcome is that the United States will have to modify ... the deal," he said, also noting Guatemala's Congress would need to be consulted. In July, a US federal judge in California blocked a Trump administration rule that would bar asylum applications at the US-Mexico border. Prior to the accord president Mr Morales signed, Guatemala's Constitutional Court said Congress, which is in recess, needed to be consulted on any safe third country deal. But when Mr Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Guatemalan exports, and to levy charges on billions of dollars in remittances sent home by Guatemalans living in the United States if he failed to sign the migration deal, Mr Morales relented. Three million Guatemalans live and work in the United States, which is also the country's main trading partner. Mr Giammattei also said he doubted that migrants would be willing to comply with the deal. "They are looking for asylum in the United States," he said. "I don't think there are a lot of people from El Salvador and Honduras who want to seek asylum in Guatemala, especially if they are fleeing poverty." To address the migration problem, Mr Giammattei has pledged to build a "wall of investment" along Guatemala's impoverished border region with Mexico as a means of promoting economic development and encouraging people to stay at home. Mr Giammattei defeated his centre-left rival, former first lady Sandra Torres, by a landslide, winning more than 58 per cent of the vote, preliminary results showed.

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China Says No ‘Mercy’ for Hong Kong Demonstrators, Promises to Quash Protests

China on Monday vowed a severe response to pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong who confronted police and shut down the international airport, saying the demonstrators were engaging in "terrorist activities."“This type of violent criminal activity must be resolutely combated according to the law, with no hesitation or mercy,” stated China’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office spokesman, Yang Guang, according to state media.Hong Kong has been roiled by protests throughout the summer, originally sparked by outrage over an extradition law that Hong Kong residents say would allow Chinese authorities to effectively "kidnap" them on little evidence. The concern over the law soon ballooned into fear that China plans to throw out its "One Country, Two Systems" policy regarding Hong Kong.Over the weekend, about 5,000 protesters swarmed Hong Kong International Airport, causing the major travel hub to shut down and cancel all flights.“If we allow these types of terrorist activities to continue, then Hong Kong will slide into a bottomless abyss,” China's Liaison Office in Hong Kong said.China has accused the U.S. of inciting the protests.“The U.S. has been making various Hong Kong-related accusations that are wanton, fact-distorting, and inflammatory,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying. "Some senior U.S. politicians and diplomatic officials met and engaged with anti-China rabble-rousers in Hong Kong, criticized China unreasonably, propped up violent and illegal activities, and undermined Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.”VIEW GALLERY: Hong Kong Airport ProtestSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dismissed that charge, warning China that "the world is watching."“The people of Hong Kong are bravely standing up to the Chinese Communist Party as Beijing tries to encroach on their autonomy and freedom,” McConnell wrote on Twitter. "Any violent crackdown would be completely unacceptable."President Trump, who is trying to broker a trade deal with China, was criticized for calling the protests “riots,” a characterization Beijing has embraced.“Societies are best served when diverse political views are respected and can be freely and peacefully expressed,” a White House spokesman said. “The United States urges all sides to refrain from violence.”

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Blockade, beating, pepper spray on second day of Hong Kong airport chaos

Chaos gripped Hong Kong's airport for a second day Tuesday as pro-democracy protesters staged a disruptive sit-in that paralysed hundreds of flights, saw police fire pepper spray, and a mainland journalist beaten. Demonstrators defied warnings from the city's leader, who said they were heading down a "path of no return", and US President Donald Trump called for calm, saying his intelligence had confirmed Chinese troop movements toward the Hong Kong border. The latest protest led to ugly scenes at one of the world's busiest airports, where small groups of hardcore demonstrators turned on two men they accused of being spies or undercover police -- and as desperate travellers pleaded in vain to be allowed onto flights.

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Kansas City, Kansas, police fatally shoot rifle-toting man

Kansas City, Kansas, police shot and killed a man on Tuesday who told a hotel manager that he had killed his wife and was heading to a popular shopping and restaurant area. The "very angry and distraught" man entered the Country Inn & Suites near the Legends Outlet shopping area said he had killed his wife, said Jacob Honeycutt, general manager of the business. You better call police,'" Honeycutt told The Associated Press.

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Shooting of two ICE offices in San Antonio was a ‘targeted attack,’ FBI officials say

An ICE official blamed “misinformation” spread about the agency by politicians, media and activists.

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Cathay Pacific warns it could fire staff for supporting 'illegal protests'

Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific warned its staff on Monday that they could be fired if they "support or participate in illegal protests", as the airline comes under pressure from Beijing. The warning follows new regulations imposed by China's aviation regulator requiring Cathay Pacific to submit manifests of staff on flights to the mainland or through its airspace. Beijing told the airline that staff involved in the protests that have gripped Hong Kong for more than two months would be banned from flights to the mainland.

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Lyft driver accused of kidnapping, sexually assaulting passenger in San Mateo County

Monday was the first court appearance for a Lyft driver Tonye Kolokolo, accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a passenger over the weekend in San Mateo County.

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Inventive Butternut Squash Recipes, From Stuffing to Soup

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New York Times columnist recalls Jeffrey Epstein saying that sex with teenage girls was historically acceptable and that criminalizing the act went against cultural norms

James B. Stewart wrote about an "on background" conversation he had last year with Epstein in a piece published on Monday.

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Georgia's Abrams announces new voter protection program

Democrat Stacey Abrams, who vaulted onto the national political stage championing voting rights during an unsuccessful 2018 run for Georgia governor, announced on Tuesday that she's launching a new multistate voter protection initiative and not running for president in 2020. Abrams revealed plans for the multimillion-dollar initiative, called Fair Fight 2020, during a speech before a labor union convention in Las Vegas. The project will staff and fund voter protection teams in battleground states across the country ahead of next year's elections.

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China denies US warship visits to Hong Kong: Navy

China has denied requests for two US Navy ships to visit Hong Kong, the Pacific Fleet said on Tuesday, after the two countries engaged in a war of words over the city's pro-democracy protests. The USS Green Bay, an amphibious dock landing ship, was to stop in Hong Kong on Saturday, while the guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie planned a port call there next month, Commander Nate Christensen, deputy spokesman for the United States Pacific Fleet, said in a statement. "The Chinese government denied requests for port visits to Hong Kong" by the two vessels, Christensen said.

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'Breathe, Epstein, breathe': Guards say they attempted to revive incarcerated sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before he died by apparent suicide

Jeffrey Epstein, 66, died from an apparent suicide on Saturday morning while being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York.

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Troops let some Muslims go to mosques in locked-down Kashmir

Troops in Indian-administered Kashmir allowed some Muslims to walk to local mosques alone or in pairs to mark the Eid al-Adha festival Monday on the eighth day of an unprecedented security lockdown imposed as India stripped the disputed region of its autonomy. Thousands of additional troops were sent to the mostly-Muslim region before India's Hindu nationalist-led government said Aug. 5 it was revoking Kashmir's special constitutional status and downgrading its statehood. All communications and the internet remained cut off to limit protests against the decision in the Himalayan region where most people oppose Indian rule.

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Latest: Hong Kong police: 5 arrested after airport protests

Hong Kong police say they have arrested five people for unlawful assembly, assaulting police officers and possessing weapons after a second day of mass protests at the city's airport. Officials said in a statement that some protesters detained, harassed and assaulted a traveler and a journalist, and obstructed ambulance workers from taking the two men to the hospital. Hong Kong's busy airport was the latest setting for large-scale pro-democracy protests that have rocked the city for months, with authorities canceling dozens of flights on Monday and Tuesday.

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Kamala Harris hits back at NRA after group criticizes her gun control proposals

Sen. Kamala Harris earlier this year said if elected president, she would take executive actions to ban the importation of AR-15-style weapons into the U.S. and expand background check requirements.

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Jeffrey Epstein: Who is embroiled in sex scandal - and why are there conspiracy theories over his death?

Outrage and intrigue surrounds the apparent suicide in prison of Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted paedophile who had connections to celebrities and presidents.  His death sparked questions about whether the alleged victims will have a full chance at justice, though US Attorney Geoffrey Berman said the federal investigation into allegations that Epstein ran a sex trafficking ring remains ongoing. Among those dragged into one of the biggest sex scandals of a generation is the Duke of York, a former friend of the high-flying financier. Epstein, who hobnobbed with countless politicians and celebrities over the years, was found dead in his cell on Saturday while awaiting trial. Here is everything we know about the case.  Who was Jeffrey Epstein? Epstein, 66, was a hedge fund manager who once socialised with the rich, famous and powerful. Epstein owned a private island in the Caribbean, homes in Paris and New York City, a New Mexico ranch, and a fleet of high-price cars.  Under a 2008 non-prosecution agreement, Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges in Florida of solicitation of prostitution involving a minor and another similar prostitution charge. That allowed him to avoid federal prosecution and a possible life sentence, instead serving 13 months in a work-release programme. He was required to make payments to victims and register as a sex offender. Jeffrey Epstein looks on during a a bail hearing last month  Credit: Reuters Last month, he was arrested by FBI officers when his private jet landed at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey following a trip to Paris. He was then charged with one count of sex trafficking of minors and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. Prosecutors said Epstein sexually exploited dozens of underage teens, some as young as 14, at his homes in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida, between 2002 and 2005. The young women were paid hundreds of dollars in cash to massage him, perform sexual acts and to recruit other girls, prosecutors alleged. Epstein denied the charges and faced up to 45 years in prison if convicted. Who has been caught up in the scandal? Politicians, celebrities and even members of the Royal family have been embroiled in the controversy after a Manhattan court released 1,200 pages of documents detailing lurid claims of the alleged abuse carried out by Jeffrey Epstein. Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell The files relate to the case of Giuffre v Maxwell, in which Virginia Giuffre, who claims to have been the US ­businessman’s teenage “sex slave”, sued Ghislaine Maxwell, a British ­socialite and the billionaire’s former girlfriend, for defamation. Testimony includes claims by Giuffre that she had sex with the Duke of York when she was 17.  All the allegations about Prince Andrew were struck from the court record in 2015 after being described as "immaterial and impertinent" by the judge. The Prince has always denied the allegations and any involvement. The documents released state it is “an undisputed fact that multiple witnesses deposed in this case” have testified that Ms Maxwell, daughter of Robert Maxwell “operated as convicted paedophile Epstein’s procurer of under age girls”. The defamation case, filed in 2015, was settled out of court by Ms Maxwell in 2017. Ms Maxwell called Ms Guiffre’s claims ­“fictitious lies and stories to make this a salacious event”. Jeffrey Epstein: The tangled web left behind Separately, the documents refer to his former friendships with people such as Donald Trump and Bill Clinton. Both have denied knowing anything about Epstein's alleged crimes.  How did Epstein die? According to the US department of justice it was an "apparent suicide" in which he hanged himself in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional center in Manhattan. He was discovered at 6.30am on Saturday. Epstein had previously been found on the floor of his cell with bruises on his neck on July 23. He was placed on suicide watch, which included having a daily psychiatric evaluation, and checks by prison guards every 15 minutes. But less than a week later he was taken off suicide watch. He was still supposed to be checked every 30 minutes but that was not done on the night he died. His cellmate had been transferred and he was alone in the cell. The US attorney general said he was "livid". The FBI and the inspector general have launched inquiries into what went wrong. What are the conspiracy theories? Epstein's death immediately sparked conspiracy theories because the possibility he might tell all about his sordid life was undeniably embarrassing to a host of high profile politicians and celebrities who knew him. Depending on political persuasion, conspiracy theorists pointed the finger at either Mr Trump, or Bill and Hillary Clinton. The hashtags "Trumpbodycount" and "Clintonbodycount" began trending on Twitter. One Trump administration official wrote on social media that Epstein had been "Hillary'd". The Clintons responded that the conspiracy theory was "ridiculous." Death of financier | Epstein's final days Bill de Blasio, the New York mayor, fanned the flames. He said: "What a lot of us want to know is, what did he know? How on earth is he not under special protection? What's really going on here?" A former inmate at the jail in Manhattan, where drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was once held, said: "There’s no way that man [Epstein] could have killed himself. I’ve done too much time in those units. It’s an impossibility." What happens to the Epstein case? His death means the criminal case against Epstein, in which he was charged with trafficking underage girls for sex, is over. However, the charges included that he was part of a "conspiracy" and prosecutors made clear they would continue to pursue any alleged co-conspirators. That means other individuals in Epstein's orbit could still be charged with crimes. The focus now is on associates of Epstein who have been accused either of having sex with teenage girls, or procuring them for Epstein and others. Adam Citron, a former New York prosecutor, told The Daily Telegraph the prosecutors might "absolutely" want to speak to the Duke and Ms Maxwell, as witnesses as they built up a picture of Epstein's world. The prosecutors in New York believe a flood of new information could emerge as employees of Epstein who signed non disclosure agreements during his lifetime may now feel free to talk. However, Epstein's estate could still sue them if they breach the agreements by speaking. Will the alleged victims be compensated? Epstein was worth hundreds of millions of dollars and lawyers for the alleged victims immediately called for his estate to be frozen, saying they will sue his estate. Several of Epstein's accusers said they were disappointed that the financier would not face them in court or serve a long prison sentence if convicted. They called on federal authorities to investigate associates of Epstein for any role in his activities. Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer representing one accuser, said in a statement that "the reckoning of accountability begun by the voices of brave and truthful victims should not end" with Epstein's death. Jennifer Araoz Another accuser, Jennifer Araoz, who came forward after the new charges were filed, said she was angered by Epstein's suicide. Ms Araoz alleged that Epstein raped her in his New York mansion in the early 2000s when she was 15. "We have to live with the scars of his actions for the rest of our lives, while he will never face the consequences of the crimes he committed the pain and trauma he caused so many people," she said. Eva Ford, mother of alleged Epstein victim Courtney Wild, questioned why Epstein was not being monitored more closely. “How does someone who is this high profile commit suicide?” Ford told the Miami Herald. “They had to have cameras on him! Someone must have been paid to look the other way.”

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