Minggu, 01 Desember 2019

As Taiwan's Election Race Heats Up, China Weighs On Voters' Minds - NPR

A supporter gets the crowd amped up for opposition presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu at a campaign rally at a Hakka temple in Taiwan's Miaoli county in November. Emily Feng/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Emily Feng/NPR

At a recent election campaign event in Taiwan, a procession of women beat ceremonial drums, dance and wave lotus-shaped umbrellas in celebration. But beyond the slogans promising national security and prosperity, the topic on everyone's mind is what to do about China.

The star of the event is Han Kuo-yu, a pro-Beijing candidate running for president with the opposition Kuomintang, who poses a stark contrast with the current leaders.

"[The governing party] relentlessly uses Taiwan independence as a way to negate China," Han, the mayor of the city of Kaohsiung, said to rallygoers at the event in Miaoli county, just south of Taiwan's capital of Taipei. "However, Taiwan and Beijing are one family."

Taiwan, a U.S. ally, has its own government, military and capitalist economy, but the Chinese Communist Party says Taiwan belongs to the People's Republic of China.

Voters are preparing to elect Taiwan's next president and legislature on Jan. 11. While the leading opposition candidate sympathizes with Beijing, President Tsai Ing-wen's Democratic Progressive Party calls China the "enemy of democracy."

Many Taiwanese are also closely watching what is happening in Hong Kong, where more than five months of sometimes violent protests are pushing back against mainland China's control. Taiwan largely wants to avoid becoming another Hong Kong, which could tip the election in favor of President Tsai, who is running for reelection and enjoys a widening lead in opinion polls.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen delivers a speech as she launches her reelection campaign in Taipei, on Nov. 17. Taiwan will hold its presidential election on Jan. 11. Chiang Ying-ying/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Chiang Ying-ying/AP

"We see the freedom enjoyed by the Hong Kong people is being chipped away," Joseph Wu, Taiwan's foreign minister, told NPR. "We see the experience of Hong Kong is not quite what the Chinese government promised in the early days."

"One country" rejected

Still, China's leader Xi Jinping has been pressuring Taiwan to follow Hong Kong's model.

It's called "one country, two systems," meaning Hong Kong is part of China but keeps some autonomy, including government functions and independent courts — in theory.

Many Hong Kongers accuse the leadership in Hong Kong and Beijing of eroding their limited autonomy. That sentiment is in part why thousands have taken to the street in anti-government protests that are now in their sixth month.

Taiwan's leaders flatly reject any proposal for Taiwan to enter a similar arrangement with China.

"Hong Kong is on the verge of chaos due to the failure of 'one country, two systems,'" President Tsai said on Taiwan's national day in October. "The overwhelming consensus among Taiwan's 23 million people is our rejection of 'one country, two systems,' regardless of party affiliation or political position."

Supporters of President Tsai cheer at her reelection campaign launch in November. Chiang Ying-ying/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Chiang Ying-ying/AP

More than 86% say they would prefer to maintain Taiwan's current status, according to the latest polls.

Even the opposition candidate Han, who has sparked controversy over his pro-Beijing stance, disavowed the Hong Kong policy after the protests erupted. "Taiwanese people can never accept ['one country, two systems'], unless it's over my dead body," he said.

Taiwan has been preparing for China to attack ever since Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek retreated to the island in 1949, along with 2 million of his supporters and soldiers, after losing a civil war against Mao Zedong's Communist forces.

Xi has said Taiwan should unify with mainland China peacefully but has threatened to use force to do so.

As Beijing steps up militaristic rhetoric, the U.S. has stepped up its support f0r the island. It has bulked up its de facto embassy in Taipei and passed legislation encouraging official travel between the U.S. and Taiwan. This year, the U.S. made a high-profile $8 billion sale of fighter jets and other military equipment to the island, angering Beijing.

Taiwan considers itself a bulwark of democracy in the Asia-Pacific region, where China is increasingly asserting its power.

Supporters of Kuomingtang presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu wave the flag of Taiwan. Many in the party favor closer ties with Beijing, although it is a minority view in Taiwan. Emily Feng/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Emily Feng/NPR

"We are on the front lines. We have faced all these threats and Chinese infiltration for decades," says Freddy Lim, a death metal rocker turned co-founder of one of Taiwan's most liberal political organizations, the New Power Party.

The nearly 5-year-old party is now going through an existential crisis over whether to support Tsai's reelection bid. In August, Lim quit the party to run for reelection to his legislative seat as an independent so he could back President Tsai, arguing the stakes of losing the presidency to a pro-Beijing candidate are too high.

Better collaboration with China

Central to every election in Taiwan is the question: Does Taiwan, a small island, sidle up to its much bigger neighbor China to develop its economy or keep it at an arm's length?

"There is no such thing as economic and trade without politics in Taiwan," says Lev Nachman, a doctoral candidate researching Taiwanese political movements.

Some politicians have tried to stake out some middle ground, such as the upstart Taiwan People's Party that formed in August. It has come under criticism for seemingly waffling on its stance toward Beijing.

"We try to enhance the collaboration with the people with the civil society of mainland China, especially in terms of economics and culture. We very much support the kind of nongovernmental interaction," explains Kimyung Keng, one of the Taiwan People's Party candidates running for a district legislative seat.

Unify one way or another

Despite its small size and dwindling number of international allies, Taiwan has managed to nurture a robust economy. Homegrown corporate champions include electronics-making giant Foxconn and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Wages are rising and the unemployment rate is just under 3.8%, one of the lowest levels in two decades. President Tsai has built up economic ties with Southeast Asia to diversify Taiwan's trade portfolio away from mainland China.

But supporters of opposition candidate Han say the president has made a mistake in shutting out Beijing. Taiwan should not be afraid of unification with China, rallygoers at the recent campaign event told NPR.

Chang An-lo, speaks with foreign media in Taipei, in 2014. After serving 10 years in a U.S. federal prison on drug trafficking charges, Chang returned to Taiwan in 2013 to pursue political ambitions as the leader of the China Unification Promotion Party. Wally Santana/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Wally Santana/AP

The staunchest of the pro-China camp is prominent gangster turned politician. Chang An-lo once helped lead one of Taiwan's biggest gangs, the Bamboo Union. Now, he heads the Chinese Unification Promotion Party, which nominates no candidates of its own but backs every pro-Beijing Kuomintang candidate.

"When China unifies Taiwan either violently or peacefully, do you want military rule or one country, two systems? The latter is still the best way for Taiwan," says Chang. "How could an economy of 1.4 billion people be bad for Taiwan? And what's wrong with returning to China, as we are all Chinese?"

Taiwanese mostly disagree. The latest polls on identity show the island's residents feel increasingly Taiwanese, not Chinese.

"There is a huge generational difference," says Luo Chi-cheng, a Democratic Progressive lawmaker running for reelection. "Young people pay close attention to what happens in Hong Kong because [otherwise] in the future, Taiwan may be forced to accept the so-called one country, two system model."

Older voters tend to care more about economic development, according to Luo. It is the younger Taiwanese, he notes, who have longer to live and more opportunities to decide future election outcomes.

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiZ2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5wci5vcmcvMjAxOS8xMi8wMS83ODI5MTc5MTQvYXMtdGFpd2Fucy1lbGVjdGlvbi1yYWNlLWhlYXRzLXVwLWNoaW5hLXdlaWdocy1vbi12b3RlcnMtbWluZHPSAQA?oc=5

2019-12-01 13:03:00Z
CAIiEPCSk1DHOJgBKyvHGMGws2YqFggEKg4IACoGCAow9vBNMK3UCDCvpUk

In Hong Kong, protesters say 'thank you Donald Trump' - Al Jazeera English

Police fired tear gas and pepper spray in Hong Kong on Sunday as thousands of protesters flooded into the streets after a rare lull in violence as residents chanted "revolution of our time" and "liberate Hong Kong".

Pro-democracy demonstrators renewed pressure on the government by marching in three separate rallies across the city, with one of them showing "gratitude" for US support of the anti-government movement that has roiled the financial hub for nearly six months.

Hundreds of people, including many elderly residents, carried Amerian flags as they marched to the United States consulate to express gratitude for legislation aimed at protecting human rights in Hong Kong that US President Donald Trump signed into law last week.

More:

Some donned Trump logo hats and T-shirts as protesters unfurled a banner depicting the US president standing astride a tank with a US flag behind him.

Another banner read: "President Trump, please liberate Hong Kong."

Trump this week signed into law congressional legislation that supported protesters in the China-ruled city, despite angry objections from Beijing.

"Thank you, President Trump, for your big gift to Hong Kong and God bless America," shouted a speaker holding a microphone as he addressed a crowd at the start of the march.

Earlier on Sunday, hundreds of demonstrators, including many families with children, marched in protest against police use of tear gas.

Carrying yellow balloons and waving banners that read: "No tear gas, save our children," the protesters streamed through the city's central business district towards government headquarters on the main Hong Kong island.

Relative calm

There has been relative calm in Hong Kong for the past week but activists have pledged to maintain the momentum of the movement. 

Anti-government protests have rocked the former British colony since June, at times forcing government offices, businesses, schools and even the international airport to shut down.

Al Jazeera's Sarah Clarke, reporting from the third march on the Kowloon side, which started at the Star Ferry terminal and will end near the Polytechnic University, said: "This one is the anti-government one with a general message.

"It has been approved by police, but we have riot police the whole way along the route of this march monitoring things.

"Thousands of people are streaming ... we have every generation - old and young - represented.

"The protesters are trying to bring the message back to their five key demands - political reform and independent investigation into the police conduct during these six months of demonstrations."

Police have fired about 10,000 rounds of tear gas since June, the city's Secretary for Security John Lee said last week.

Sunday's marches came as a top Hong Kong official said the government was looking into setting up an independent committee to review the handling of the crisis, in which demonstrations have become increasingly violent.

Demonstrators in Hong Kong are angry at what they see as Chinese meddling in the freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

China denies interfering and says it is committed to the "one country, two systems" formula put in place at that time and has blamed foreign forces for fomenting unrest.

Further protests are planned through the week and a big test of support for the anti-government campaign is expected on December 8 with a rally planned by Civil Human Rights Front, the group that organised million-strong marches in June.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiXWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFsamF6ZWVyYS5jb20vbmV3cy8yMDE5LzEyL2hvbmcta29uZy1wcm90ZXN0ZXJzLWRvbmFsZC10cnVtcC0xOTEyMDEwODEzMjgxMjkuaHRtbNIBYWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFsamF6ZWVyYS5jb20vYW1wL25ld3MvMjAxOS8xMi9ob25nLWtvbmctcHJvdGVzdGVycy1kb25hbGQtdHJ1bXAtMTkxMjAxMDgxMzI4MTI5Lmh0bWw?oc=5

2019-12-01 10:48:00Z
52780452574535

Boris Johnson says 74 terror prisoners released early - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Boris Johnson has told the BBC that 74 people jailed for terror offences and released early will have their licence conditions reviewed.

The Ministry of Justice launched the urgent review after Friday's London Bridge attack, where convicted terrorist Usman Khan - who served half his time - killed two people.

The prime minister claimed scrapping early release would have stopped him.

But Labour is blaming budget cuts for "missed chances to intervene".

Khan, 28, who was shot dead by police during Friday's attack, was jailed over a plot to bomb the London Stock Exchange in 2012.

He was sentenced to indeterminate detention for "public protection" with a minimum jail term of eight years.

This sentence would have allowed him to be kept in prison beyond the minimum term.

But in 2013, the Court of Appeal quashed the sentence, replacing it with a 16-year-fixed term of which Khan should serve half in prison.

He was released on licence in December 2018 - subject to an "extensive list of licence conditions", Met Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

'Repulsive'

The prime minister told the BBC's Andrew Marr show it was "repulsive" that someone as "dangerous" as Khan could be released from prison after "only serving eight years".

He blamed Khan's release on legislation introduced under "a leftie government", insisting the automatic release scheme was introduced by Labour - but was challenged about what the Conservatives had done to change the law over the past 10 years in government.

"I'm a new prime minister," said Mr Johnson. "We take a different approach."

He added: "I opposed [automatic release] both in 2003 and 2008, and now that I am prime minister I'm going to take steps to make sure that people are not released early when they commit... serious sexual, violent or terrorist offences.

"I absolutely deplore that fact that this man was out on the streets... and we are going to take action against it."

Mr Johnson said there are "probably about 74 people" who had been subject to early release following serious offences, adding that action had been taken immediately following London Bridge attack "to ensure there is no threat to the public".

The Ministry of Justice confirmed the 74 figure following the interview.


How the law on early release changed

2003 - The Criminal Justice Act meant most offenders would be automatically released halfway through sentences, but the most "dangerous" would have their cases looked at by a Parole Board. Sentences with no fixed end point, called Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP), were also introduced.

2008 - Criminal Justice and Immigration Act removed review process by Parole Boards, meaning more offenders were released automatically halfway through sentences. Judges could still hand down life sentences or IPPs for dangerous offenders.

2012 - Usman Khan was handed a sentence with no fixed end date because of the risk he posed to the public. In the same year, the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act scrapped IPPs and reintroduced the role of the Parole Board for extended sentences of 10 years or more - this time after two-thirds of the sentence has passed. But that did not mean those already serving IPPs would have them lifted.

2013 - During an appeal, Lord Justice Leveson ruled that Khan's indeterminate sentence should be substituted for an extended sentence with automatic release at the halfway point.


At an event in York, Jeremy Corbyn called for an inquiry into "everything surrounding" Khan, including his sentence and what happened to him in prison.

But he warned against "kneejerk legislation", saying the country could "pay a price later".

Media playback is unsupported on your device

In his speech, the Labour leader said: "No government can prevent every attack. No one would believe any political leader who said they could.

"But the government can act to make such acts of terror less, rather than more likely."

Mr Corbyn said there needed to be more funding for public services, including probation and mental health, as when they are cut "they leave behind gaps".

He added: "That can lead to missed chances to intervene in the lives of people who go on to commit inexcusable acts, whether it's during their childhood, their first brush with the law, their first conviction or in prison through rehabilitation programmes.

"You can't keep people safe on the cheap."

Mr Corbyn told Sky's Sophy Ridge programme terrorists should "not necessarily" serve their full sentences automatically, but that it "depends on circumstances".

"There has to be an examination of how our prison services work and crucially what happens when they are released from prison," he said.

Both parties have been accused of politicising the attack.

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Ed Davey told Sophy Ridge on Sunday that he was "alarmed" at Mr Johnson's reaction to the London Bridge attack.

"In the middle of an election, we shouldn't be making political capital out of a tragedy, and he's doing that, and he's doing that in a way which is misleading people about what the law actually says."

But Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage tweeted that those convicted of terror offences "should never be released".

"It is appalling that 74 convicted terrorists are on our streets," he added. "These are not ordinary criminals but people with a jihadi virus."

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The father of Jack Merritt, one of two victims who died in the attack, said in a now-deleted tweet that his son "would not wish his death to be used as the pretext for more draconian sentences or for detaining people unnecessarily".

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said David Merritt should be listened to, declaring "nobody wants to see the politicisation of this".

But he added: "The question is, who is going to make sure that the overriding priority is avoiding any unnecessary risk to the public?"

"I think if you look at what we're saying on sentencing... it is the Conservatives who are saying we will stop at nothing to keep people safe."

Khan was living in Stafford and wearing a GPS police tag when he launched his attack inside Fishmongers' Hall, where he was one of dozens of students and offenders attending a conference hosted by Learning Together, a prisoners' rehabilitation programme.

The attack then continued onto London Bridge itself.

Mr Merritt, a course co-ordinator for Learning Together, was one of two people fatally stabbed. A woman who also died has not yet been named.

NHS chief executive Simon Stevens said three victims remained in hospital following the attack - two in a stable condition and one with less serious injuries.

Mr Basu said officers had been working "flat out" to try to establish the "full circumstances" of the stabbing.

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01MDYxODc0NNIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNTA2MTg3NDQ?oc=5

2019-12-01 11:46:59Z
52780452317702

At least 14 killed in bloody gunfight in northern Mexico - NBCNews.com

MEXICO CITY - Ten suspected cartel gunmen and four police were killed during a shootout on Saturday in a Mexican town near the U.S. border, days after U.S. President Donald Trump raised bilateral tensions by saying he would designate the gangs as terrorists.

The government of the northern state of Coahuila said state police clashed at midday with a group of heavily armed gunmen riding in pickup trucks in the small town of Villa Union, about 40 miles southwest of the border city of Piedras Negras.

Standing outside the Villa Union mayor's bullet-ridden offices, Coahuila Governor Miguel Angel Riquelme told reporters the state had acted "decisively" to tackle the cartel henchmen. Four police were killed and six were injured, he said.

The City Hall of Villa Union is riddled with bullet holes after a gun battle between Mexican security forces and suspected cartel gunmen, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019.Gerardo Sanchez / AP

The fighting went on for more than an hour, during which ten gunmen were killed, three of them by security forces in pursuit of the gang members, Riquelme said.

At about noon, heavy gunfire began ringing out in Villa Union, and a convoy of armed pickup trucks could be seen moving around the town, according to video clips posted by social media users. Others showed plumes of smoke rising from the town.

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

Reuters could not vouch for the authenticity of the images.

An unspecified number of people were also missing, including some who were at the mayor's office, the governor said.

Riquelme said authorities had identified 14 vehicles involved in the attack and seized more than a dozen guns. The governor said he believed the gunmen were members of the Cartel of the Northeast, which is from Tamaulipas state to the east.

A wall of the room of a home is riddled with bullet holes after a gun battle between Mexican security forces and suspected cartel gunmen, in Villa Union, Mexico, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019.Gerardo Sanchez / AP

The outbreak of violence occurred during a testing week for President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who on Friday said he would not accept any foreign intervention in Mexico to deal with violent criminal gangs after Trump's comments.

Lopez Obrador said Mexico would handle the problem, a view echoed by Riquelme as he spoke to reporters.

"I don't think that Mexico needs intervention. I think Mexico needs collaboration and cooperation," said Riquelme, whose party is in opposition to Lopez Obrador. "We're convinced that the state has the power to overcome the criminals."

In an interview aired on Tuesday, Trump said he planned to designate the cartels as terrorist organizations, sparking concerns the move could serve as a prelude to the United States trying to intervene unilaterally in Mexico.

U.S. Attorney General William Barr is due to visit Mexico next week to discuss cooperation over security.

Lopez Obrador took office a year ago pledging to pacify the country after more than a decade of gang-fueled violence.

A series of recent security lapses has raised questions about the left-leaning administration's strategy.

Criticism has focused on the Nov. 4 massacre of nine women and children of U.S.-Mexican origin from Mormon communities in northern Mexico, and the armed forces' release of a captured son of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman under pressure from cartel gunmen in the city of Culiacan.

Coahuila has a history of gang violence, although the homicide total in the state that borders Texas is well below where it was seven years ago. National homicide figures are pushing record levels.

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiW2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5iY25ld3MuY29tL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvbGVhc3QtMTQta2lsbGVkLWJsb29keS1ndW5maWdodC1ub3J0aGVybi1tZXhpY28tbjEwOTM3MDbSASxodHRwczovL3d3dy5uYmNuZXdzLmNvbS9uZXdzL2FtcC9uY25hMTA5MzcwNg?oc=5

2019-12-01 07:01:00Z
CBMiW2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5iY25ld3MuY29tL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvbGVhc3QtMTQta2lsbGVkLWJsb29keS1ndW5maWdodC1ub3J0aGVybi1tZXhpY28tbjEwOTM3MDbSASxodHRwczovL3d3dy5uYmNuZXdzLmNvbS9uZXdzL2FtcC9uY25hMTA5MzcwNg

Sabtu, 30 November 2019

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

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'

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMieWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnVzYXRvZGF5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLzIwMTkvMTEvMzAvbm9ydGgta29yZWEtc2hpbnpvLWFiZS13YXJucy1mdXR1cmUtbWlzc2lsZS1sYXVuY2gtamFwYW4vNDMzOTgxNjAwMi_SASdodHRwczovL2FtcC51c2F0b2RheS5jb20vYW1wLzQzMzk4MTYwMDI?oc=5

2019-11-30 17:46:19Z
52780452952162

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.

Trending News

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.

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMifmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNic25ld3MuY29tL25ld3MvbGVvbmFyZG8tZGljYXByaW8tcmVzcG9uZHMtdG8tYnJhemlsLXByZXNpZGVudC1qYWlyLWJvbHNvbmFyb3MtZmFsc2UtY2xhaW0taGUtZnVuZGVkLWFtYXpvbi1maXJlL9IBggFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jYnNuZXdzLmNvbS9hbXAvbmV3cy9sZW9uYXJkby1kaWNhcHJpby1yZXNwb25kcy10by1icmF6aWwtcHJlc2lkZW50LWphaXItYm9sc29uYXJvcy1mYWxzZS1jbGFpbS1oZS1mdW5kZWQtYW1hem9uLWZpcmUv?oc=5

2019-11-30 18:11:00Z
52780452241290

Leonardo DiCaprio Responds To Accusations Of Bankrolling Amazon Rainforest Fires By Brazil President – UPDATE - Deadline

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.

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.

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMihwFodHRwczovL2RlYWRsaW5lLmNvbS8yMDE5LzExL2xlb25hcmRvLWRpY2FwcmlvLXJlc3BvbmRzLWFjY3VzZWQtYmFua3JvbGxpbmctYW1hem9uLXJhaW5mb3Jlc3QtZmlyZXMtYnJhemlsaWFuLXByZXNpZGVudC0xMjAyNzk3NDkxL2FtcC_SAYcBaHR0cHM6Ly9kZWFkbGluZS5jb20vMjAxOS8xMS9sZW9uYXJkby1kaWNhcHJpby1yZXNwb25kcy1hY2N1c2VkLWJhbmtyb2xsaW5nLWFtYXpvbi1yYWluZm9yZXN0LWZpcmVzLWJyYXppbGlhbi1wcmVzaWRlbnQtMTIwMjc5NzQ5MS9hbXAv?oc=5

2019-11-30 15:55:00Z
52780452241290