Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters defied authorities on Sunday by marching again on the Chinese government’s Liaison Office for the city, where police fired tear gas at demonstrators blocking roads using construction barricades.
The unscripted march started after a short rally against the use of force by police to break up a protest last weekend.
A series of pro-democracy and anti-government rallies and marches has shaken Hong Kong this summer, with many ending in showdowns between police and protesters who occupy streets or throw eggs at and spray-paint slogans on government buildings.
The protests appeared to be getting more organised, as well as more violent.
A march on Saturday, in which demonstrators decried an attack last weekend on marchers by suspected triad gang members, ended in turmoil as riot police waded in to disperse crowds.
On Sunday, activists said by splitting up their marches they hoped to stretch the police.
"The police usually surround us and we have nowhere to go,” protester Edward Ng told Reuters news agency.
“So we adjust our strategy this time. This is much more fluid and flexible."
A gathering in a park in the city's central business district soon spilled onto into surrounding roads and black-clad protesters set off in several directions, clogging up major thoroughfares.
Thousands of people headed east, towards the shopping district of Causeway Bay, while another large contingent headed west, towards the Liaison Office.
The Liaison Office has become a focus of anger of protesters as a symbol of Beijing's increasing control despite guarantees of autonomy under a "one country, two systems" formula, struck when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
Last Sunday, protesters took police by surprise with a swoop on the office, scrawling graffiti and throwing paint bombs at walls, the national emblem and a plaque.
There, hundreds of riot police blocked activists from advancing towards the building, which had been heavily fortified with water-filled plastic barricades. A clear plastic shield had been erected around a national emblem above its front doors.
The protesters massed behind the barriers, with umbrellas pointed forward to shield their identities and ward off any police move to clear them from the street.
"Everyone knows very well that the current Hong Kong government has been controlled by some outside forces, like those in the Liaison Office," an activist surnamed Chan told Reuters.
"Now Hong Kong doesn't even have basic freedom of assembly. We have come here to make a symbolic expression."
Chinese officials deny interfering in Hong Kong and described the vandalism of the Liaison Office as a "challenge" to the sovereignty of the central government, which is sensitive to criticism of the its reaction to the protests.
On Sunday, the Chinese foreign ministry accused an American lawmaker of telling "bare-faced lies and slinging mud" in recent comments he made about the protests.
US Rep Eliot Engel said he is "deeply concerned by the reports of police brutality in response to peaceful protests in Hong Kong." The New York Democrat is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Chinese statement noted that both President Donald Trump and the mayor of New York had condemned recent incidents in which people had doused New York City police officers with buckets of water.
It noted in contrast that Hong Kong protesters had stormed and vandalised the legislative building and defaced the Chinese national emblem at the Liaison Office.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The Ashes
Results
First Test, Brisbane: Australia won by 10 wickets
Second Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 120 runs
Third Test, Perth: Australia won by an innings and 41 runs
Fourth Test: Melbourne: Drawn
Fifth Test: Australia won by an innings and 123 runs
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
