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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 8 OcTOber 2019
Hard-line protesters resume violence over Hong Kong mask ban

By EILEEN NG but have since morphed
Associated Press into a larger anti-govern-
HONG KONG (AP) — Riot ment movement. Protest-
police fanned out across ers are upset at what they
Hong Kong on Monday say is Beijing's increasing
night as groups of hard-line influence over the former
protesters took to the streets British colony, which was
in continued violence since promised a high level of
the government banned autonomy when it returned
face masks at rallies, push- to Chinese rule in 1997.
ing the semi-autonomous Sunday's protest also drew
Chinese territory into deep- a first warning from the Chi-
er crisis. nese military after some
The scenes in at least six demonstrators shined laser
locations across the city pointers at one of its bar-
have almost become the racks in Hong Kong. Police
norm, with groups of black- said rioters also attacked
clad youths setting up road bystanders, including two
barriers to block traffic, men left unconscious af-
smashing traffic lights and ter bloody beatings and a
shops linked to China, and woman who took photos of
breaking into and vandal- rioting.
izing shuttered subway sta- Staff from China Unicom mobile network clean outside the shop as it was damaged during a In a statement Monday,
tions. weekend protest in Hong Kong, Monday, Oct. 7, 2019. police said the "public or-
Riot police fired tear gas, Associated Press der of the whole city is be-
charged at crowds and ing pushed to the verge
took position on streets. A ment demonstrations that old woman became the leased on bail pending trial. of a very dangerous situ-
number of protesters were have rocked the interna- first to be prosecuted under "I am wearing a mask to ation." The chaos has led
detained. The night vio- tional financial hub for four the mask ban, which is pun- come here today ... this is a many shops and public ser-
lence broke the day's rela- months. ishable by up to a year in form of silent protest," said vices to close and prompt-
tive calm, when hundreds "Wearing a mask is not a prison and a fine. 16-year-old student Bao ed panic buying in some
of people gathered in sev- crime!" has become a new Detained early Saturday Yeung, who was among a areas.
eral malls to sing protest battle cry at daily rallies shortly after the ban took large group of supporters The city's MTR network of
songs and chant slogans. that have degenerated effect, the two were also outside the court. subways and trains, which
The mask ban, which took into skirmishes between po- charged with taking part The protests were sparked was entirely shut down
effect Saturday under an lice and hard-core protest- in an unlawful assembly, by a now-shelved bill that Saturday and most of Sun-
emergency law, has led ers. which carries a heavier would have allowed some day, reopened partially on
to more anger instead of Earlier Monday, an 18-year- penalty of up to five years criminal suspects to be sent Monday, a Chinese public
deterring the anti-govern- old student and a 38-year- in jail. They were both re- to mainland China for trial holiday.q

North Korea criticizes upcoming UN Security Council meeting

By EDITH M. LEDERER Korean officials in Stock- envoy, stressed the tim-
Associated Press holm broke down amid ing of the Security Council
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — acrimony. The talks were meeting, saying the three
North Korea on Monday the first since the second European countries should
denounced a scheduled summit between President seriously consider this issue,
U.N. Security Council dis- Donald Trump and North which he called "very im-
cussion of its latest test of Korean leader Kim Jong portant."
an underwater-launched Un collapsed in Vietnam He said no matter what the
ballistic missile, calling it in February due to squab- United Kingdom, France
"dangerous" and saying it bling over how much sanc- and Germany pursue, "we
will increase "our desire to tions relief should be given will never tolerate this dan-
defend our sovereignty." to the North in return for dis- gerous attempt" and will
The council scheduled mantling its main nuclear never sit idly by against
closed consultations Tues- complex. those taking issue with what
day on recent North Ko- Pyongyang's chief nuclear he repeatedly called "our
rean tests at the request negotiator Kim Myong Gil defensive measures." A TV screen shows a file image of a North Korea's missile launch
of the United Kingdom, told reporters at Beijing's He called the Oct. 3 test of during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul,
France and Germany. airport on his way home a new-type SLBM Pukguk- South Korea, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019.
North Korea's U.N. Ambas- Monday that "whether or song-3 in the waters off Associated Press
sador Kim Song told sev- not there are further talks Wonsan Bay one of the
eral reporters Monday the will depend on the U.S." He country's "self-defensive curity Council, it will further our sovereignty," he said,
United States is "behind the described talks with his U.S. measures," saying that "it boost our desire to defend "Please carefully watch
impure moves" of the three counterpart, Stephen Bie- has no effect on security of our sovereignty," Kim said. what we do in the future."
countries, saying the meet- gun, on Saturday as "very neighboring countries." "So we really sharply watch Kim said North Korea
ing would not take place bad and sickening," and "The United States and its every move of the United doesn't recognize any Se-
without the consent of the stressed that the U.S .had followers should bear in States and the United Na- curity Council meetings that
Trump administration. "not presented any new ini- mind that if they raise the tions Security Council." address "our self-defensive
Weekend discussions be- tiative." issue of our self-defensive Calling the planned coun- measures" so he won't be
tween senior U.S. and North Ambassador Kim, the U.N. measures at the U.N. Se- cil meeting "dangerous to there on Tuesday.q