North Korea blasts Japanese PM as 'idiot,' warns of ballistic missile launch toward Japan - USA TODAY

Doug Stanglin USA TODAY

Published 2:13 PM EST Nov 30, 2019

North Korea called Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe an "idiot" and "political dwarf" Saturday in a row over Pyongyang's latest rocket tests, warning that he "may see what a real ballistic missile is in the not distant future."

The statement from the North Korean foreign ministry followed Pyongyang's launch of two short-range projectiles into the ocean on Thursday.

The test had prompted Abe to convene a National Security cabinet meeting in Tokyo to call the move a "grave challenge to the international community," according to the Kyodo news service.

North Korea responded with a blistering statement from an unnamed deputy foreign minister in charge of Japanese affairs, saying Abe didn't know what he was talking about when it comes to military hardware.

"Abe is the only one idiot in the world and the most stupid man ever known in history as he fails to distinguish a missile from multiple launch rocket system," said the statement, which was carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Prosecutors: Noted American coder taught North Korea how to evade sanctions with cryptocurrency

"The wretched sight of Abe makes us regard him as a dog seized with fear or a puppy fawning over its master like the U.S.," the statement continued, adding, "Abe is none other than a perfect imbecile and a political dwarf without parallel in the world."

It concluded with a blunt warning that the Japanese leader "may see what a real ballistic missile is in the not distant future and under his nose."

North Korea's test on Thursday was the 13th time since May that it has launched projectiles of any type, including likely ballistic missiles, according to Yonhap, the South Korean News Agency. 

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un expressed "great satisfaction" over what it said was the fourth test of the "super-large multiple-rocker launcher," according to KCNA.

U.N. Security Council resolutions ban Pyongyang from developing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons. In 2017, the North fired two ballistic missiles over Japan.

North Korea's latest military moves follow stalled nuclear talks between the United States and North Korea and the collapse of the Hanoi summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in February.

The last two working-level talks between the two countries in Stockholm ended in October with little progress. North Korea has demanded that Washington drop its "hostile policy" toward Pyongyang before it will resume denuclearization talks.

North Korea: Test of ‘super-large’ rocket launcher was final review

More: Joe Biden campaign fires back after North Korean media calls him a 'rabid dog'

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2019-11-30 17:46:19Z
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Leonardo Dicaprio responds to Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro's claim he funded Amazon fire - CBS News

Leonardo DiCaprio on Saturday said his organization is not funding nonprofit groups that Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has falsely claimed helped start devastating wildfires in the Amazon. Bolsonaro, who has previously made disputed claims that nonprofit groups are setting fires in the Amazon, told a group of supporters in nation's capital that the actor gave "money to set the Amazon on fire." 

"DiCaprio is a cool guy, isn't he? Giving money to set the Amazon on fire," Bolsonaro said in Brasilia on Friday, the Associated Press reported. 

Thousands of wildfires burned across Brazil this summer, destroying large parts of the vital rainforest. Many of the fires are believed to have been intentionally set by farmers clearing land, a practice that has been deregulated by Bolsonaro's relaxed environmental laws.

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Bolsonaro's far-right government has promoted economic expansion in protected natural areas of the rainforest, arguing that environmental nonprofits and laws have prevented this development. He called the global alarm over the fires "sensationalist" and warned foreign governments not to intervene in Brazil.

DiCaprio's organization Earth Alliance has pledged $5 million to help protect the Amazon. The actor responded to Bolsonaro's claim that he funded the targeted organizations on Instagram. 

"At this time of crisis for the Amazon, I support the people of Brazil working to save their natural and cultural heritage. They are an amazing, moving and humbling example of the commitment and passion needed to save the environment," he wrote. "The future of these irreplaceable ecosystems is at stake and I am proud to stand with the groups protecting them. While worthy of support, we did not fund the organizations targeted."

"I remain committed to supporting the Brazilian indigenous communities, local governments, scientists, educators and general public who are working tirelessly to secure the Amazon for the future of all Brazilians," DiCaprio wrote, along with statements from Wes Sechrest, CEO and Chief Scientist of the Global Wildlife Conservation, and Jon Paul Rodriguez, Chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Species Survival Commission.

"We stand by those falsely accused of starting forest fires in the Amazon, and reaffirm our support to those who are dedicated to protecting one of our planet's most vital and imperiled ecosystems," Sechrest wrote.

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2019-11-30 18:11:00Z
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Leonardo DiCaprio Responds To Accusations Of Bankrolling Amazon Rainforest Fires By Brazil President – UPDATE - Deadline

Sony Pictures

Leonardo DiCaprio has responded to Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro’s wild accusations that he’s been bankrolling the Amazon rainforest fires.

Bolsonaro made the unfounded claims on Friday. Bolsonaro said the actor was part of an international “campaign against Brazil.” He offered no evidence to support his claims, which many took as an effort to deflect blame for the disaster from his own government.

The remarks are also believed tied to the arrest of four volunteer firefighters earlier this week who were accused of setting fire to a portion of the forest. They allegedly were attempting to boost fundraising for an unnamed international non-governmental organization, or NGO, that was rumored to have ties with DiCaprio.

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"It's So Important": Conservationist Jane Goodall Champions Awards-Contending Documentary 'Sea of Shadows'

Today, DiCaprio responded on Instagram. “While worthy of support, we did not fund the organizations targeted. I remain committed to supporting the Brazilian indigenous communities, local governments, scientists, educators and general public who are working tirelessly to secure the Amazon for the future of all Brazilians.”

EARLIER:: Jair Bolsonaro, the populist Brazilian nationalist president sometimes referred to as the “Trump of the Tropics,” has accused actor Leonardo DiCaprio of financially backing the fires that have torched the Amazon rainforest in that country.

So far, Bolsonaro’s unsubstantiated attack has drawn scorn from politicians and activists.

Bolsonaro made two claims on Friday against DiCaprio, first using Facebook and then reportedly telling supporters: “This Leonardo DiCaprio’s a cool guy, isn’t he? Giving money for the Amazon to be torched.”

He earlier made a similar claim in a Facebook live broadcast. “Leonardo DiCaprio, dammit, you’re collaborating with the burning of the Amazon,” Bolsonaro said, saying the actor was part of an international “campaign against Brazil.” He offered no evidence to support his claims in either instance.

The remarks are believed tied to the arrest of four volunteer firefighters earlier this week who were accused of setting fire to a portion of the forest. They allegedly were attempting to boost fundraising for an unnamed international non-governmental organization, or NGO, that was rumored to have ties with DiCaprio.

The firefighters were released Thursday after public outrage over the arrests.

On Thanskgiving, Bolsonaro’s politician son, Eduardo, claimed on Twitter that DiCaprio donated $300,000 to“the NGO that set fire to the Amazon” and accused the conservation group WWF of paying the NGO for photographs of the burning forest. The WWF rejected the attacks on its partners “and the lies involving its name, including a series of lie-based social media attacks, such as the purchase of photographs linked to a donation from the actor Leonardo DiCaprio,” it said in a statement.

DiCaprio pledged $5 million to help fight the huge fires in the Amazon region last summer. Bolsonaro and other conservative politicians have been at odds with environmentalists in the region.

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2019-11-30 15:55:00Z
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2 killed, 3 injured in terrorist attack on London Bridge - ABC News

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2019-11-30 15:30:10Z
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Investigators release new info about slain London Bridge suspect - CNN

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2019-11-30 13:43:54Z
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'Heroic' bystanders praised for tackling London Bridge attacker - Al Jazeera English

Politicians, officials and social media users in the United Kingdom have praised the "heroism" of members of the public who tackled a knife-wielding attacker on London Bridge before armed police arrived and shot him dead.

The male attacker stabbed several people, including two fatally, during the assault on Friday that police in the British capital said they were treating as a "terrorist" attack.

More:

In dramatic footage widely shared on social media, a group of bystanders can be seen pinning down and disarming the attacker on the pavement, unaware he was apparently wearing an explosive device.

One video posted on social media showed two men struggling on the bridge before police pulled a man in civilian clothes off a black-clad man on the ground, with gunshots ensuing.

Another video showed a man in a suit holding a long knife that apparently had been taken from the attacker, identified by police as Usman Khan, who had been convicted of "terrorism" offences and released from jail last year.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan paid tribute to the "breathtaking heroism of members of the public who literally ran towards danger, not knowing what confronted them".

"Members of the public didn't realise at the time that was a hoax device and they really are the best of us - another example of the bravery and heroism of ordinary Londoners running towards danger, risking their own personal safety to try and save others." 

I am in awe of the people who ran towards danger to keep us all safe. The bravery of the emergency services and ordinary Londoners is incredible. @bbcbreakfast: pic.twitter.com/gcyIkKNMkH

— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) November 30, 2019

Prime Minister Boris Johnson also hailed the "extraordinary bravery of those members of the public who physically intervened to protect the lives of others".

"They represent the very best of our country and I thank them on behalf of all of our country," he added.

Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said: "We owe a deep debt of gratitude to our police and emergency services, and the brave members of the public who put themselves in harm's way to protect others."

My heart goes out to the victims of this appalling attack.

We owe a deep debt of gratitude to our police and emergency services, and the brave members of the public who put themselves in harm’s way to protect others.

We must remain united across all our communities.

— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) November 29, 2019

In a statement on Saturday, the Muslim Council of Britain also hailed the "selfless, heroic actions of the public who swiftly responded to the attack by a convicted terrorist".

STATEMENT: The Muslim Council of Britain Responds to London Bridge Attack | 30 November 2019 https://t.co/Tc5J6OGxGF pic.twitter.com/CVx8lC3xGo

— MCB (@MuslimCouncil) November 30, 2019

Metropolitan police chief Cressida Dick said officers were called just before 2pm on Friday to Fishmongers' Hall, a conference venue at the north end of London Bridge.

On Twitter, user Amy Coop, who was at Fishmongers' Hall, praised a man who "went out to confront the attacker."

A guy who was with us at Fishmongers Hall took a 5’ narwhale tusk from the wall and went out to confront the attacker. You can see him standing over the man (with what looks like a white pole) in the video. We were trying to help victims inside but that man’s a hero #LondonBridge

— Amy Coop (@theamycoop) November 29, 2019

Absolute heroes #LondonBridge

pic.twitter.com/0kBVBGIJqt

— Ricky Kapoor (@RickyKapoor54) November 30, 2019

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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2019-11-30 12:32:00Z
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China arrests two men for alleged involvement in Hong Kong protests - CNN

Businessman Lee Henley Hu Xiang, who is a Belize citizen, and Taiwan national Lee Meng-chu were arrested for "engaging in activities endangering China's national security and for their involvement in the Hong Kong riots," the Southern Daily reported.

Lee Henley Hu Xiang was arrested on November 26 by the Guangzhou State Security bureau "for funding criminal activities that endanger national security," the paper reported.

Lee, who lives in China, is also accused of funding "hostile forces" in the US, sponsoring foreign organizations and individuals "to damage China's national security," disrupting Hong Kong and supporting anti-China activities, and cooperating "with external forces to intervene in Hong Kong affairs."

Taiwan national Lee Meng-chu was arrested on October 31 by Shenzhen State Security bureau for spying for foreign forces and illegally providing state secrets, according to the report. He went missing in late August at the border city of Shenzhen, which neighbors Hong Kong.

He is also accused of being a key member of "Taiwan independence" forces; going to Hong Kong to support "anti-China" activities; and seeking military secrets in mainland China in August, the Southern Daily writes.

Hong Kong has been hit by several months of protests that began over a now-withdrawn extradition bill.

Since then, demonstrations have expanded to include five major demands, including an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality and wider democratic reforms.

China was enraged on Thursday after US President Donald Trump signed an act in support of the protest movement.

It came days after pro-democracy candidates scored a landslide victory in district council elections, framed as a de-facto referendum on the protest movement.

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2019-11-30 13:07:00Z
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'Heroic' bystanders praised for tackling London Bridge attacker - Al Jazeera English

Politicians, officials and social media users in the United Kingdom have praised the "heroism" of members of the public who tackled a knife-wielding attacker on London Bridge before armed police arrived and shot him dead.

The male attacker stabbed several people, including two fatally, during the assault on Friday that police in the British capital said they were treating as a "terrorist" attack.

More:

In dramatic footage widely shared on social media, a group of bystanders can be seen pinning down and disarming the attacker on the pavement, unaware he was apparently wearing an explosive device.

One video posted on social media showed two men struggling on the bridge before police pulled a man in civilian clothes off a black-clad man on the ground, with gunshots ensuing.

Another video showed a man in a suit holding a long knife that apparently had been taken from the attacker, identified by police as Usman Khan, who had been convicted of "terrorism" offences and released from jail last year.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan paid tribute to the "breathtaking heroism of members of the public who literally ran towards danger, not knowing what confronted them".

"Members of the public didn't realise at the time that was a hoax device and they really are the best of us - another example of the bravery and heroism of ordinary Londoners running towards danger, risking their own personal safety to try and save others." 

I am in awe of the people who ran towards danger to keep us all safe. The bravery of the emergency services and ordinary Londoners is incredible. @bbcbreakfast: pic.twitter.com/gcyIkKNMkH

— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) November 30, 2019

Prime Minister Boris Johnson also hailed the "extraordinary bravery of those members of the public who physically intervened to protect the lives of others".

"They represent the very best of our country and I thank them on behalf of all of our country," he added.

Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said: "We owe a deep debt of gratitude to our police and emergency services, and the brave members of the public who put themselves in harm's way to protect others."

My heart goes out to the victims of this appalling attack.

We owe a deep debt of gratitude to our police and emergency services, and the brave members of the public who put themselves in harm’s way to protect others.

We must remain united across all our communities.

— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) November 29, 2019

In a statement on Saturday, the Muslim Council of Britain also hailed the "selfless, heroic actions of the public who swiftly responded to the attack by a convicted terrorist".

STATEMENT: The Muslim Council of Britain Responds to London Bridge Attack | 30 November 2019 https://t.co/Tc5J6OGxGF pic.twitter.com/CVx8lC3xGo

— MCB (@MuslimCouncil) November 30, 2019

Metropolitan police chief Cressida Dick said officers were called just before 2pm on Friday to Fishmongers' Hall, a conference venue at the north end of London Bridge.

On Twitter, user Amy Coop, who was at Fishmongers' Hall, praised a man who "went out to confront the attacker."

A guy who was with us at Fishmongers Hall took a 5’ narwhale tusk from the wall and went out to confront the attacker. You can see him standing over the man (with what looks like a white pole) in the video. We were trying to help victims inside but that man’s a hero #LondonBridge

— Amy Coop (@theamycoop) November 29, 2019

Absolute heroes #LondonBridge

pic.twitter.com/0kBVBGIJqt

— Ricky Kapoor (@RickyKapoor54) November 30, 2019

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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2019-11-30 12:10:00Z
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London Bridge stabbing attack suspect was released last year after terrorism conviction - NBCNews.com

LONDON — British police were scrambling Saturday to work out how a man convicted of terrorism offenses managed to carry out a deadly stabbing attack on London Bridge a year after his release from prison.

Usman Khan, 28, was attending an event for a program that works to rehabilitate prisoners before launching the attack that saw him stab several people and brandish what turned out to be a fake suicide vest. He was shot dead by officers after members of the public intervened.

Two others were killed in the attack.

Nov. 29, 201901:38

"This individual was known to authorities," Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said Friday night. "Clearly, a key line of inquiry now is to establish how he came to carry out this attack."

Khan had been convicted in 2012 for his part in an al-Qaeda-inspired plot to blow up the London Stock Exchange. He was originally given a 16-year prison term but was released early “on license,” meaning he had to meet certain conditions or face being locked up again.

The circumstances of the attack could elevate the issues of terrorism and criminal justice just weeks ahead of a crucial Dec. 12 election that has thus far been dominated by Brexit and health care.

Let our news meet your inbox. The news and stories that matters, delivered weekday mornings.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the subject before chairing a meeting of the government's emergency committee late Friday.

Johnson said he had "long argued" that it is a "mistake to allow serious and violent criminals to come out of prison early."

"It is very important that we get out of that habit and that we enforce the appropriate sentences for dangerous criminals, especially for terrorists, that I think the public will want to see," Johnson said.

Nov. 29, 201900:52

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was horrified by the attack.

"We must and we will stand together to reject hatred and division," said Corbyn, who trails Johnson in opinion polls.

Both leaders said they would scale back campaigning in the immediate wake of the attack.

The attack will likely prompt British police to review the conditions placed on released convicts, junior interior minister Brandon Lewis told BBC radio Saturday.

"There are conditions that are put on people in this situation and one of the things the police will be looking at is those conditions as part of that investigation," said Lewis.

Ahead of the attack, Khan had been attending an event called Learning Together at Fishmongers' Hall, a historic building adjacent to the bridge, police said.

Learning Together is a program led by Cambridge University which aims to provide education to people in prison alongside university students.

"I am devastated to learn that today's hateful attack on London Bridge may have been targeted at staff, students and alumni," Cambridge University president Stephen Toope said in a statement.

In addition to the suspect, a man and a woman were killed in the attack while three other people — one man and two women — were wounded and taken to hospital.

It remains unclear whether the victims were affiliated with the university.

Khan was living in Staffordshire, about 150 miles north of London, and police were searching his address late Friday. Police said they are not actively investigating other suspects.

Linda Givetash

Linda Givetash is a reporter based in London. She previously worked for The Canadian Press in Vancouver and Nation Media in Uganda. 

Reuters contributed.

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2019-11-30 10:26:00Z
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How an Anti-Brexit London District Could Help Boris Johnson Triumph - The New York Times

LONDON — The Labour Party canvassers gathered after dark outside a tube station in Pimlico, a pocket of central London that, by all appearances, should be fertile terrain. Nearly three-quarters of the surrounding district voted to stay in the European Union, among the strongest “Remain” votes in Britain, putting the pro-Brexit Conservatives at risk in a seat they had held since the district lines were drawn in 1950.

But the district, the Cities of London and Westminster, with its rows of white stucco townhouses and crowded housing projects, may now become a parable on the left for why Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds a commanding position less than two weeks before the election.

Brexit has sent tremors through the British political system, shaking up the traditional left-right, class-based divisions. While the Conservatives have capitalized on the upheaval, building a coalition of pro-Brexit voters across regional and class lines, the left has so far struggled to win converts and overcome its own divisions.

Mr. Johnson is on course for a 68-seat majority in Parliament, a major new polling analysis showed, with Labour hemorrhaging pro-Brexit seats in working-class sections of middle and northern England and a fractured left failing to win significant numbers of anti-Brexit seats in the south that seemed ripe for the taking.

With Mr. Johnson still deeply unpopular, undecided voters may yet swing Labour’s way. Recent polls suggest the Conservative lead has begun to shrink, putting many seats with razor-thin margins potentially in play. But Labour’s leftist leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has lately dug in against accusations of anti-Semitism in the party and criticisms that his Brexit policy was incoherent.

Setting off from the tube station last week, the scores of Labour canvassers were quickly confronted with a treacherous political rip tide: Labourites turned off by Mr. Corbyn; die-hard Remainers who, fed up with Labour’s ever-evolving stance on Brexit, had decamped to the staunchly anti-Brexit Liberal Democrats; and even former Remainers who now resignedly conceded that democracy demanded Brexit be done.

“It’s desperate times — it’s very difficult to know how to vote,” Philip Rudge, 73, who lives in the east of the district, said a few days earlier. “I’ve been Labour all my life, but I’ve been dismayed to see the infighting and back-stabbing and so on. Corbyn’s not a leader. Labour will have to win an election against the leadership.”

This London district, known informally as the Two Cities, is in many respects a mirror image of pro-Brexit, working-class Labour strongholds in northern England being targeted by the Conservatives. Stocked with bankers and lawyers who once made up the Conservative base, but who want to stay in the European Union, the Two Cities is precisely the kind of seat that Brexit could help deliver to a left-leaning party.

But with Mr. Corbyn failing to ignite the enthusiasm he did in 2017, and some right-wing anti-Brexit voters drifting back into the Conservative fold, the widely prophesied new coalition of the left has not materialized.

In the Two Cities, the left is also suffering from a second problem: the anti-Brexit vote being split between Labour and the Liberal Democrats, a smaller, more centrist party that has stormed back from obscurity by arguing for lawmakers to summarily reverse Brexit.

Anti-Brexit activists are pleading with people to vote tactically — meaning to vote for whichever Remain party stands the best chance of winning a given seat — and polls suggest that Britons are doing so in greater numbers than before, for good reason. While there are roughly half a dozen parties in Britain’s Brexit-battered Parliament, only one can win any given seat: When supporters of a given cause split their votes between several candidates, they risk letting an opponent come through the middle.

But disagreements on the economy and foreign policy still run deep on the left. And with the Liberal Democrats neck-and-neck with Labour in districts like the Two Cities, that has left even the most calculating anti-Brexit voters confused about what to do.

“I would say I’m a tactical voter normally, but it’s not clear at this stage what the tactic should be,” said Fern Watson, 36, who is opposed to Brexit, bracing against the cold in the Barbican, a brutalist estate on the eastern edge of the district. “I don’t really see either Labour or the Lib Dems as my natural political home, and I think a lot of people of my age and education level feel the same.”

She had visited three different websites purporting to tell people how to vote in individual precincts to stop Brexit. One of them said Labour, and the other two the Liberal Democrats.

Current polling suggests the Remain vote will split in the Two Cities, allowing a weakened Conservative candidate to hold the seat. Across the country, were only 120,000 more Remainers to vote tactically, one analysis showed, that would be enough to defeat Mr. Johnson on Dec. 12.

But for now, in crucial London districts, the race has become a battle of bar charts, as both Labour and the Liberal Democrats try to prove they are best positioned to win three-way fights for seats. Labour has printed reams of them showing how it cut into the Conservatives’ lead in the 2017 election, capitalizing on the same shifts that have turned American cities into progressive bulwarks.

But the Liberal Democrats, relying on more recent polling, have distributed their own sheafs of charts with exactly the opposite message.

Couple that with the hazy mechanics of how a left-wing coalition would actually try to stop Brexit, and Remain voters are stuck in a confusing predicament.

“If you are a Leave voter, the route to your destination is now really clear and simple,” said Rob Ford, a politics professor and the editor of “Sex, Lies and Politics: The Secret Influences That Drive our Political Choices.” “Whereas if you’re on the Remain side, what’s the route to your desired destination? It’s as clear as the channel on a foggy day right now.”

Remain voters are torn by Mr. Corbyn’s cautious, some would say muddled, Brexit policy, in which he would negotiate a new exit deal with Brussels and then put it beside Remain in a public vote in which he himself would stay neutral.

One voter, Philip Jeremy, 60, asked about Labour’s Brexit policy, said bluntly: “Corbyn doesn’t have one.” So desperate is Mr. Jeremy not to see either major party steering the country that he said he wanted the election to deliver no clear signals at all.

“I prefer a hung Parliament, just so none of them do anything too drastic,” Mr. Jeremy said.

Sitting as it does at the heart of London, the Two Cities district covers not only Buckingham Palace and Parliament but also the well-mannered homes of many senior lawmakers, making it a trophy scalp for the opposition.

But it also has considerable areas of poverty, where allegiances to Labour are strong and its message should resonate: The party has focused heavily on health care, housing, climate change and income inequality.

Those policies have drawn some pro-Brexit voters into the fold, like Jalil Abdul, 75, who has lived for four decades in Walden House, a public housing block in Pimlico that had been targeted for redevelopment by a 28-year-old billionaire.

“This year, I like the Labour Party,” Mr. Abdul said, “because for the last three years the Conservative Party has failed at doing anything.”

But polls suggest many anti-Brexit Conservatives are sticking by Mr. Johnson, not out of love and admiration for him as much as fear and loathing for his opponent, Mr. Corbyn.

“We have a choice of one of two prime ministers, either Boris, or Jeremy Corbyn,” said Christopher Wyke, 64, a Conservative who lives and works in the City of London, the financial district, and who himself supports Brexit. “If you vote for anybody but the Conservatives, you risk getting Corbyn, so there’s no choice. Even people who are Remainers, they still don’t want Corbyn. He’d be infinitely more dangerous.”

And the Liberal Democrats have alienated some voters who might otherwise be amenable to their centrist economic policies by taking a stark position on Brexit: revoking it altogether, without a public vote.

Even anti-Brexit Labourites are no longer a shoo-in to vote against the Conservatives.

Gordon Nardell, the Labour candidate, broke off from the party activists outside the tube station last week to knock on some doors alone. The first answer seemed to startle him: a middle-aged man who said he was a longtime Labour supporter and backed Remain in 2016, but now wanted Mr. Johnson to get Brexit done.

“The vote was to leave, so you know, recognize the vote,” the man said. “To me, once you vote, that’s it — you either accept it, or if you don’t accept it, democracy means nothing.”

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2019-11-30 08:21:00Z
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London Bridge attacker had previous conviction for terrorism offenses - CNBC

A forensic investigator takes photographs by London Bridge after a number of people are believed to have been injured after a stabbing, police have said, on November 29, 2019 in London, England. Police said they were called to the stabbing around 2:00 pm local time. Video shared on social media after the incident showed armed officers opening fire on a man who had been pinned down on the bridge walkway. Metropolitan Police said they believed there were several injuries and that a man had been detained.

Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images

The London Bridge attacker who killed two people on Friday has been named as 28-year-old Usman Khan who was known to authorities and had been convicted in 2012 for terrorism offenses.

In a statement overnight, the U.K.'s Met Police said the individual was released from prison in December 2018 on license, adding that a key line of the enquiry was now to establish how he came to carry out this attack.

The attacker had attended a prisoner rehabilitation event called "Learning Together" on Friday afternoon at Fishmonger's Hall on the north side of the bridge. The Met believes the knife attack began inside before he left the building and proceeded onto the bridge, where he was detained and subsequently shot dead by armed officers.

The suspect was initially restrained by members of the public and he appeared to be wearing a bomb vest which was later said to be "a hoax explosive device."

One man and one woman were killed during the attack. Three others, a man and two women, were also injured and remain in hospital. Health officials have said one of the injured is in a critical but stable condition.

This undated photo provided by West Midlands Police shows Usman Khan. UK counterterrorism police are searching for clues into an attack that left two people dead and three injured near London Bridge. Police said Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, Khan, who was imprisoned six years for terrorism offenses before his release last year stabbed several people in London on Friday, Nov. 29, before being tackled by members of the public and shot dead by officers on the London Bridge.

West Midlands Police via AP

The police said it was not actively seeking anyone else in relation to the attack, but were carrying out searches at an address in Staffordshire, in the West Midlands of England, where Khan is believed to have lived.

"Public safety is our top priority and we are enhancing police patrols in the City and across London," Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu for the Met Police said in a statement. Earlier this month, the country downgraded its terrorism threat level from "severe" to "substantial."

The BBC reported that Usman Khan was sentenced to "indeterminate detention" in 2012 with a minimum jail term of eight years, adding that it would have allowed him to be kept in prison beyond that minimum term. The prosecution at the time said the plotters, including Khan, had discussed attacking the London Stock Exchange as well as pubs in the English city of Stoke.

In 2013, the U.K.'s Court of Appeal quashed that sentence and replaced it with a 16-year-fixed term with half of it being spent in jail.

The U.K.'s Times Newspaper reported on Saturday that the convicted terrorist was released from jail last year after agreeing to wear an electronic tag to monitor his movements.

Friday's incident came 2½ years after eight people were killed and 48 were injured in a terrorist vehicle-ramming and stabbings along London Bridge, which links the capital's business district with the south bank of the River Thames.

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2019-11-30 07:09:00Z
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London Bridge: People 'injured' in incident - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

A number of people are believed to have been injured in an incident at London Bridge, police have said.

The Met said they were called to a stabbing at a premises near the bridge just before 14:00.

The force said they had detained a man. London Ambulance Service has declared a "major incident".

The BBC's John McManus, at the scene, said he had seen a group of men in a fight on the bridge. Police then arrived and shots were fired, he said.

British Transport Police said London Bridge station was currently closed and no trains would be stopping there.

Police have advised people near the scene to follow directions from officers on the ground.

• Follow the latest updates

McManus told the BBC News channel: "Just a few minutes ago I was walking across London Bridge on the south bank to the north bank of the bridge.

"There appeared to be a fight going on on the other side of the bridge, with several men attacking one man.

"Police then quickly arrived, including armed police, and then a number of shots were fired at this man."

Noa Bodner, who is stuck in a restaurant on London Bridge. told BBC News channel: "There was a rush of people coming in and everybody basically dived under the tables.

"We were told to keep away from the windows, people that came from the outside were saying that shots were fired."

She said the manager ran to lock the doors and staff told people to move away from the front of the restaurant.

She said the mood was "calm", "some people seem a bit distressed, but they're being looked after by friends or staff".

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2019-11-29 14:54:56Z
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Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi says he will resign - CNN

People set off fireworks as they celebrated his resignation in Baghdad's Tahrir Square, after anti-government protests, which began on October 1, swept through the country against alleged government corruption and Iranian involvement in the country's affairs.

In the statement, Abdul Mahdi said he would submit a resignation request to parliament "to consider its options, with the knowledge that those near and far are aware that I had already made this decision known."

He called on Iraq's government to "act in the interests of Iraq; to preserve the blood of its people; and to avoid slipping into a cycle of violence, chaos and devastation."

Abdul Mahdi said his resignation was in response to the Friday sermon of Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who referenced the "failure of respective agencies to handle developments over the past two months."

Abdul Mahdi had initially agreed to resign on October 31 on the condition that a successor was agreed to replace him.

Days of violence

The news comes after the Iranian consulate in the southern city of Najaf was attacked on Wednesday. Mahdi ordered an investigation on Thursday into the deaths of at least 31 people.

More than 1,000 people were injured over three days of demonstrations across Iraq from November 26 to November 28, the country's Independent High Commission for Human Rights said Thursday.

In total, more than 300 people have been killed and 15,000 injured in Iraq since the protests began. Protesters have demanded the government step down and hold early elections under direct supervision of the United Nations, activists told CNN.

Many Iraqis blame the current political parties in power for their economic hardship.

Officials have imposed curfews, internet blackouts, and deployed lethal force in attempts to quash the protests. The government said it only shoots when attacked, but demonstrators have disputed that.

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2019-11-29 14:14:00Z
CAIiEJE8wTuJc9fMbmqQqLaNWssqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowocv1CjCSptoCMPrTpgU

Trump makes first visit to Afghanistan, reopening peace talks with Taliban - CBS This Morning

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2019-11-29 12:21:38Z
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Brad Gobright, free solo climber from California, dies in Mexico in 300 meter fall from Sendero Luminoso near Monterrey - CBS News

A photo from the Facebook page of Brad Gobright shows the Californian free solo climber scaling a sheer rock face. Gobright died in a fall off a Mexican peak on November 27, 2019, according to Mexican authorities. Brad Gobright/Facebook

Mexico City — Civil defense officials in northern Mexico reported Thursday that California mountain climber Brad Gobright died in a fall. The fall occurred Wednesday at an almost sheer rock face known as Sendero Luminoso on the Potrero Chico peak near the northern city of Monterrey.

The Nuevo Leon state's civil defense office said Gobright fell about 300 yards.

The publication Rock and Ice described Gobright, 31, as a native of Orange County, California, who was "one of the most accomplished free solo climbers in the world."

Trending News

Mexican officials said Gobright was accompanied by another foreign climber when the accident occurred. The civil defense office described the area as "inaccessible."

In a statement, the office said, "we extend our sympathies and support to the rock climbing community."

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2019-11-29 09:27:00Z
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Hong Kong is 'the only option' for China to connect with overseas markets for now, says expert - CNBC

Ten global partners of Alibaba beat the gong during the company's listing on the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Market on November 26, 2019.

VCG | Visual China Group | Getty Images

Hong Kong has been engulfed in anti-government protests for months, but the city's capital markets have remained an important gateway between China and the world, according to an industry association.

That's despite China ramping up efforts to open up its financial sector to foreign investors, said Mark Austen, chief executive at Asia Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, or Asifma. China has recently announced its plans to scrap limits on foreign stakes and quotas for foreign securities investment.

"China needs to move from an over reliance on bank lending to one where they have a dynamic, liquid capital market to fund their economic growth going forward," Austen told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Friday.

"But we still see Hong Kong as being that conduit to enter and exit China in the medium term because it's really the only option that exists for China to connect to the outside world," he added.

Hong Kong's edge over China lies in its openness to foreign investors and "strong rule of law," which are important to maintain, said Austen. That appeal is evident in Chinese tech giant Alibaba's recent Hong Kong listing, which attracted strong demand from investors, he noted.

Alibaba's secondary listing — the world's largest offering so far this year — came at a time when business sentiment in Hong Kong has taken a hit amid the protests, which at times involved violent clashes between protesters and the police.

"In spite of what's going on in Hong Kong at the moment, Alibaba has proven that the market (in Hong Kong) is still stable, it's still liquid," said Austen.

Still, China's opening up is a trend that looks set to continue, but the extent and pace depend on financial stability in the country, said Michael Taylor, chief credit officer for Asia Pacific at Moody's Investors Service.

"I think the commitment is very strong. The authorities have shown their willingness to open up markets," he told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Friday.

"Obviously, that's subject to other policy constraints that they have. One of the overarching objectives is to maintain stability. So, any opening up is going to be subject to its impact in terms of overall financial stability."

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2019-11-29 07:20:00Z
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Iran calls for 'firm' response after Iraqi protesters storm and torch consulate - CNN

The Iranian statement comes amid ongoing demonstrations in Iraq against government corruption, and a rejection of Iranian involvement in the country's affairs.

On Thursday, 13 protesters were killed in the city of Nasariyah with 75 people injured, a security official and a medic told CNN on condition of anonymity, as they are not authorized to speak to the media. Authorities imposed a curfew on Nasariyah, which lies more than 200 miles southeast of Baghdad.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi expressed "hatred" for the rioters who stormed and torched the consulate on Wednesday. Mousavi called on the Iraqi government to deal with the "perpetrators of the attack responsibly, firmly and effectively," according to an Iranian foreign affairs ministry statement released on Thursday.

Iran's diplomatic staff evacuated the consulate before the attack, state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said Thursday. This is the second attack on an Iranian embassy in Iraq after its office in the Shia holy city of Karbala was attacked last month.

More than 300 people have been killed and 15,000 injured in Iraq since the start of anti-government protests on October 1.

Protests have erupted in Baghdad and in several Shiite provinces in the south over unemployment, alleged government corruption and a lack of basic services.

Following the deadly government crackdown, however, protesters have demanded the government to step down and hold early elections under direct supervision of the United Nations, activists told CNN.

Many Iraqis blame the current political parties in power for their economic hardship. The scale of the protests, believed to be the biggest since the fall of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in 2003, took the government by surprise.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi agreed to resign on October 31 after weeks of anti-government protests.

Besides using lethal force, officials have imposed curfews and internet blackouts in attempts to quash the protests. The government said it only shoots when attacked, but demonstrators have disputed that.

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2019-11-28 13:56:00Z
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Iran calls for 'firm' response after Iraqi protesters storm and torch consulate - CNN

The Iranian statement comes amid ongoing demonstrations in Iraq against government corruption, and a rejection of Iranian involvement in the country's affairs.

On Thursday, 13 protesters were killed in the city of Nasariyah with 75 people injured, a security official and a medic told CNN on condition of anonymity, as they are not authorized to speak to the media. Authorities imposed a curfew on Nasariyah, which lies more than 200 miles southeast of Baghdad.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi expressed "hatred" for the rioters who stormed and torched the consulate on Wednesday. Mousavi called on the Iraqi government to deal with the "perpetrators of the attack responsibly, firmly and effectively," according to an Iranian foreign affairs ministry statement released on Thursday.

Iran's diplomatic staff evacuated the consulate before the attack, state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said Thursday. This is the second attack on an Iranian embassy in Iraq after its office in the Shia holy city of Karbala was attacked last month.

More than 300 people have been killed and 15,000 injured in Iraq since the start of anti-government protests on October 1.

Protests have erupted in Baghdad and in several Shiite provinces in the south over unemployment, alleged government corruption and a lack of basic services. Following the deadly government crackdown, however, protesters have demanded the government to step down and hold early elections under direct supervision of the United Nations, activists told CNN.

Many Iraqis blame the current political parties in power for their economic hardship. The scale of the protests, believed to be the biggest since the fall of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in 2003, took the government by surprise.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi agreed to resign on October 31 after weeks of anti-government protests.

Besides using lethal forces, officials have imposing curfews and internet blackouts in attempts to quash the protests. The government said it only shoots when attacked, but demonstrators have disputed that.

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2019-11-28 12:11:00Z
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North Korea launches two projectiles in Thanksgiving message to Trump - The Washington Post

AP AP In this undated photo released on Nov. 25 by the North Korean government, leader Kim Jong Un, center, inspects a military unit on Changrin Islet in North Korea.

SEOUL — North Korea fired two projectiles on Thursday, using the start of the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States to telegraph its frustration over Washington’s refusal to grant sanctions relief.

The short-range projectiles were launched from Ryonpo on the North’s east coast around 5 p.m. local time, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. They added that the projectiles, presumed to have been fired from a super-large multiple rocket launcher, traveled a distance of about 235 miles and reached an altitude of 60 miles.

“This type of act from North Korea does not help efforts to alleviate tensions on the Korean Peninsula,” the JCS said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described Pyongyang’s actions as a threat to the region and the world.

“We will remain in close contact with the United States, South Korea and the international community to monitor the situation. We will increase our vigilance to preserve the safety and assets of the Japanese people,” he told reporters.

The launch continues a more aggressive posture by North Korea over recent months as talks with Washington hit a stalemate. Pyongyang has warned that its patience is running thin, and has given the United States until the end of the year to change its “hostile” policy and salvage the dialogue process.

Last month, North Korea test-fired what it said was a new “super-large” multiple rocket launcher. And earlier this week, North Korea said its troops carried out artillery drills near its disputed sea border with South Korea.

[North Korea threatens military escalation as clock ticks on year-end deadline]

Thursday’s launches appeared timed to coincide with the Thanksgiving break and the two-year anniversary of Pyongyang’s test of an intercontinental ballistic missile known as the Hwasong-15, emphasizing the message to President Trump, said Rachel Minyoung Lee, senior analyst at North Korea-focused website NK Pro.

“All in all, I think North Korea may be on a path toward more militaristic actions until the end of the year,” she said. The regime had not issued official pronouncements on the United States since Nov. 19 and appeared to be letting its weapons do the talking, Lee added.

Pyongyang has threatened to resume long-range missile and nuclear tests, which leader Kim Jong Un agreed to freeze after he met with Trump in Singapore last year. Relations deteriorated after a follow-up summit in February ended without an agreement on nuclear disarmament in exchange for sanctions relief.

[In South Korea, military cost dispute and Trump’s moves in Syria fuel doubts over U.S. commitment]

Earlier this month, North Korea accused the United States of “betrayal” for continuing to hold military exercises with South Korea, and said it no longer felt bound by its previous promises.

Pyongyang has conducted more than a dozen shorter-range ballistic missile tests since April, though Trump has repeatedly played down their significance.

Kim has called for relief from the international sanctions that hobble his economy, but the United States says North Korea has not taken sufficient disarmament steps to justify easing the pressure.

“The deadlock in nuclear talks with the United States is pushing North Korea to ramp up the level of provocation,” said Shin Beom-chul, a researcher at Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul.

North Korea has previously used U.S. holidays to send messages to Washington. It launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile on July 4, 2017.

Read more

North Korea threatens military escalation as clock ticks on year-end deadline

Kim Jong Un rides white horse on sacred mountain — and plans ‘great operation’

North Korea fires two rockets after warning it is losing patience with the U.S.

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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2019-11-28 09:52:00Z
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