Sabtu, 03 Agustus 2019

Russia protests: Scores arrested during unauthorised demonstration - BBC News

Russian opposition leader Lyubov Sobol is among more than 300 people detained over an unauthorised protest in Moscow.

Ms Sobol was in a taxi about to set off for the rally when police officers dragged her into a black van, which swiftly sped off.

Protesters are gathering in the Russian capital after authorities disqualified a number of opposition candidates from standing in local elections.

Russian officials said that 30 people had been arrested out of 350 attendees.

But monitoring group OVD-Info said more than that total number had been arrested.

The group, which runs a hotline for reporting detentions, and said that at least 381 people had been arrested, including some journalists, and there were at least six reports of beatings by police.

Officers in riot gear had earlier moved into the capital and warned people not to protest.

Ms Sobol, a lawyer and video blogger, is one of the candidates excluded from the local elections. She has been on hunger strike for 21 days, and called on others to join the unsanctioned protest on Saturday.

Authorities said she was being held for violating regulations for street demonstrations.

In July, Ms Sobol was dragged out of the electoral commission office on a sofa.

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Speaking to independent broadcaster Dozhd before her detention, she said the authorities "are doing everything they can to try to intimidate the opposition".

"That is why it is important to come out today to show that Muscovites are not afraid of provocation and they are ready to continue to stand up for their rights," she added.

Georgy Alburov, from the anti-corruption group FBK, which has links to prominent opposition leader Alexei Navalny, tweeted from the back of a police vehicle saying he had been arrested at the protest.

Shortly afterwards, Russian officials announced an investigation into FBK for alleged money laundering of a billion roubles ($15.3m, £16.6m) - though it did not name any individuals.

The nation's investigative committee said that funds has been knowingly obtained through criminal means.

What are the protests about?

Authorities detained more than 1,000 demonstrators last weekend during a demonstration, one of the biggest crackdowns in years.

Election authorities have barred opposition candidates from taking part in Moscow city authority elections planned for 8 September.

Officials said many of the signatures required for their candidacy applications were invalid. But protesters say they were excluded for political reasons.

Another protest held in solidarity in St Petersburg on Saturday had some 1,000 attendees - but it had not been banned by local officials, and there no reports of arrests.

What's been happening in Moscow?

Authorities have launched an investigation into the protests.

On Friday, they detained a number of men - including Alexey Minyaylo, an independent politician and aide to Ms Sobol - in connection with the "mass unrest", a charge which carries a sentence of up to 15 years in jail.

Opposition politician Konstantin Yankauskas, who is one of the banned election candidates, completed a seven-day jail sentence on Saturday - and was immediately re-arrested as he left the detention facility.

Alexei Navalny has also been arrested in connection with the rallies.

He fell ill in jail with a swollen face and rashes over his body, and was briefly hospitalised.

Doctors said he had had an extreme allergic reaction, but Mr Navalny and his personal doctor said he may have been poisoned.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49218726

2019-08-03 13:05:52Z
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Lanterna Azzurra stampede: Italian police arrest 6 today after nightclub stampede that killed 5 teens and woman - CBS News

6 dead in stampede at rap concert in Italy

Milan --  Italian police have arrested six men on manslaughter charges for allegedly using pepper spray to carry out thefts at a concert for teens, triggering a stampede that killed six people last year. Authorities announced the arrests Saturday, nearly eight months after a rap concert for teens near Adriatic coastal city of Ancona ended in tragedy on Dec. 8.

The six, all men ages 19-22, were part of a gang based in the northern city of Modena that hit nightclubs in northern and central Italy with the aim of robbing unsuspecting club-goers. They are under investigation for manslaughter and for causing injury to 197 others.

APTOPIX Italy Nightclub Stampede
A girl cries as lifeless bodies lie on the ground outside disco Lanterna Azzurra in Corinaldo, central Italy, Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018. A stampede at a rap concert in an overcrowded disco in central Italy killed five young teenagers and a woman who had accompanied her daughter to the event. Bobo Antic / AP

Survivors said panic spread after the pepper spray was unleashed. The victims were five teens, ages 14-16, and a 39-year-old mother who had accompanied her daughter.

Trending News

Video at the time showed scores of teenagers rushing out of a door and surging toward a low wall near an exit of the Lanterna Azzurra (Blue Lantern) disco in the central Italian town of Corinaldo, near Ancona on the Adriatic coast. The barrier then appeared to give way and a cascade of teenagers tumbled over it, falling on top of each other.

Many of those who were injured suffered broken limbs and crushing wounds, BBC News reported at the time. 

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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lanterna-azzurra-stampede-italian-police-arrest-6-men-today-nightclub-6-deaths-nightclub/

2019-08-03 12:16:00Z
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Russia protests: Opposition leader Lyubov Sobol detained - BBC News

Russian opposition leader Lyubov Sobol has been detained ahead of an unauthorised protest in Moscow.

Ms Sobol was in a taxi about to set off for the rally when police officers dragged her into a black van, which swiftly sped off.

Protesters are gathering in the Russian capital after authorities disqualified a number of opposition candidates from standing in local elections.

Ms Sobol is one of the excluded candidates.

The lawyer and video blogger has been on hunger strike for weeks, and called on others to join the unsanctioned protest on Saturday.

In July, she was dragged out of the electoral commission office on a sofa.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Authorities detained more than 1,000 demonstrators last month during a demonstration, one of the biggest crackdowns in years.

Election authorities have barred opposition candidates from taking part in Moscow city authority elections planned for 8 September.

Protesters say they were excluded for political reasons.

Despite the recent arrests and a ban on further rallies, demonstrators are expected to take to the streets of Moscow again on Saturday.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49218726

2019-08-03 11:10:41Z
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Hong Kong protesters swarm Mong Kok district - CNN

The scene greeting passengers arriving at Hong Kong's international airport during protests.
The scene greeting passengers arriving at Hong Kong's international airport during protests. Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images

As the Hong Kong protests continue with no end in sight, the city's tourism industry has taken a hit.

Flight bookings down: Between June 16 and July 13, flight bookings to Hong Kong from Asia fell by 5.4% compared to the same period last year, according to analysis firm ForwardKeys.

Before the protests kicked off in early June, flight bookings to the city were up 6.6% in the first six months of 2019, compared to the same period of 2018.

However, bookings have picked up slightly in recent weeks, the research firm found.

Is Hong Kong safe to visit? Several countries, including the UK, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the UAE, have issued demonstration alerts to citizens.

That has some tourists worried. A quick search of social media platforms such as Twitter throws up numerous examples of people asking whether it is safe to visit the semi-autonomous Chinese city.

A spokesperson from the city's Tourism Commission said the majority of protests were peaceful. However residents and tourists have been caught in the fray -- one tourist told CNN he was tear gassed by police while trying to find his hotel.

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https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/hong-kong-protest-mong-kok-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-08-03 09:19:00Z
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Hong Kong protesters swarm Mong Kok district - CNN

The scene greeting passengers arriving at Hong Kong's international airport during protests.
The scene greeting passengers arriving at Hong Kong's international airport during protests. Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images

As the Hong Kong protests continue with no end in sight, the city's tourism industry has taken a hit.

Flight bookings down: Between June 16 and July 13, flight bookings to Hong Kong from Asia fell by 5.4% compared to the same period last year, according to analysis firm ForwardKeys.

Before the protests kicked off in early June, flight bookings to the city were up 6.6% in the first six months of 2019, compared to the same period of 2018.

However, bookings have picked up slightly in recent weeks, the research firm found.

Is Hong Kong safe to visit? Several countries, including the UK, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the UAE, have issued demonstration alerts to citizens.

That has some tourists worried. A quick search of social media platforms such as Twitter throws up numerous examples of people asking whether it is safe to visit the semi-autonomous Chinese city.

A spokesperson from the city's Tourism Commission said the majority of protests were peaceful. However residents and tourists have been caught in the fray -- one tourist told CNN he was tear gassed by police while trying to find his hotel.

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https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/hong-kong-protest-mong-kok-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-08-03 08:46:00Z
52780344740812

Hong Kong protesters swarm Mong Kok - CNN

At the Mong Kok rally, there are many young people dressed in black -- the color associated with the protests -- as well as plenty of families and children.

One man surnamed Yu, there with his wife and 11-year-old son, told CNN he was attending because the government still hadn't responded to protester demands.

"We are pessimistic about Hong Kong but we still have to come out because if we don’t, we lose our last slither of hope," he said.

He said they would go home if violence broke out, but "we are out there because we want our son to understand what is going on in Hong Kong now."

“If the police did not disperse protesters the way they did, violence would not have escalated. We are angry about it and we understand why protesters are angry as well and reacted the way they did," he said.

“It pains us to see so many young students being hurt, arrested and possibly lose their futures.”

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https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/hong-kong-protest-mong-kok-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-08-03 08:17:00Z
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Hong Kong protesters swarm Mong Kok - CNN

At the Mong Kok rally, there are many young people dressed in black -- the color associated with the protests -- as well as plenty of families and children.

One man surnamed Yu, there with his wife and 11-year-old son, told CNN he was attending because the government still hadn't responded to protester demands.

"We are pessimistic about Hong Kong but we still have to come out because if we don’t, we lose our last slither of hope," he said.

He said they would go home if violence broke out, but "we are out there because we want our son to understand what is going on in Hong Kong now."

“If the police did not disperse protesters the way they did, violence would not have escalated. We are angry about it and we understand why protesters are angry as well and reacted the way they did," he said.

“It pains us to see so many young students being hurt, arrested and possibly lose their futures.”

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https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/hong-kong-protest-mong-kok-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-08-03 07:27:00Z
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