Hong Kong marchers target malls in third day of Christmas protests - Reuters

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hundreds of protesters marched through festive Hong Kong shopping malls on Thursday, aiming to disrupt business in the Asian financial hub for a third day over the Christmas holidays, with riot police deployed in the event of unrest.

Hong Kong protesters attend a Christmas Day rally in Sha Tin shopping mall in Hong Kong, China, December 25, 2019. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

The “shopping protests” have targeted malls across the Chinese-ruled city since Christmas Eve, turning violent at times with police firing tear gas to disperse demonstrators in bustling commercial areas filled with shoppers and tourists.

The turnout on Thursday was smaller than on the previous two days, but dozens of riot police patrolled the outskirts of shopping centers on the Kowloon peninsula and in the rural New Territories. Some officers entered the malls to observe chanting black-clad protesters.

Protests started in Hong Kong more than six months ago in response to a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, where courts are controlled by the Communist Party.

They have since evolved into a broader pro-democracy movement, and became more confrontational over the festive season. Earlier in December, after pro-democracy candidates overwhelmingly won district council elections, they had been largely peaceful

On Thursday, police detained several people at a mall in rural Tai Po, located far north of the city’s financial center earlier on Thursday, public broadcaster RTHK said.

Some restaurants and stores pulled down their shutters in the malls as protesters, some wearing balaclavas and carrying black flags, marched by. At some dining outlets protesters stuck up stickers and posters which read “Free Hong Kong, revolution now”.

Demonstrators are angry at what they perceive as increased meddling by Beijing in the freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

China denies interfering, saying it is committed to the “one country, two systems” formula put in place at that time, and blames foreign forces for fomenting unrest.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam condemned the protesters in a Facebook post on Wednesday stating that many Hong Kongers and tourists were disappointed that their “Christmas Eve celebrations have been ruined.”

“Such illegal acts have not only dampened the festive mood but also adversely affected local businesses.

The government, in a separate statement on Thursday, criticized “unprecedented violence” and vandalism committed by some protesters, and said that, despite the months of social unrest, freedoms and human rights remained a top priority.

Reporting by Joyce Zhou and Twinnie Siu; Writing by Farah Master; editing by John Stonestreet

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2019-12-26 10:10:00Z
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Several dead after Typhoon Phanfone batters central Philippines - Al Jazeera English

At least 11 people were reported killed and six others missing on Thursday after Typhoon Phanfone battered several central Philippine islands on Wednesday, Christmas Day, making seven landfalls before heading out to the South China Sea.

The typhoon brought chaos and a wet, miserable holiday season to millions in the mainly Catholic nation. Thousands were stranded at shuttered ports, while dozens of flights were cancelled.

Images posted on social media showed some areas in Capiz and Iloilo provinces under water. Thousands were forced to evacuate before the typhoon.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer news website reported that two people died in the province of Leyte, while eight were killed in Iloilo and Capiz. One died in the province of Biliran.

The Office of Civil Defense was quoted as saying that it is verifying reports of a dozen more fatalities.

More:

Six others were missing in Iloilo, although ABS-CBN television channel reported that the number could be as high as 12.

As of Thursday morning, the Philippine weather agency, PAGASA, said that Phanfone was reported 155km (96 miles) west of the province of Palawan, with maximum winds of up to 130km/h (80 mph) and gustiness of up to 160km/h (99 mph).

Balasan, Iloilo suffers from heavy flooding due to strong rains brought by Typhoon Ursula on Wednesday, December 25. #UrsulaPH | via @AlertsPeapic.twitter.com/DA3qSBzh9p

— MovePH (@MovePH) December 25, 2019

Al Jazeera's Barnaby Lo, reporting from Manila, said it could take several days before stranded passengers are allowed to travel.

"I am very sad and I have been crying for days. I told my child I can’t do anything," one passenger told Al Jazeera. "They did not let us board the ferry because there is typhoon - and we understand that."

Phanfone also hit Boracay, Coron and other holiday destinations that are famed for their white-sand beaches and popular with foreign tourists.

The airport at Kalibo, which services Boracay, was badly damaged, according to a Korean tourist who was stranded there.

"Roads remain blocked, but some efforts have been made to clear away the damage. It's pretty bad," Jung Byung Joon said. "Everything within 100 metres of the airport looks broken. There are a lot of frustrated people at the airport as flights have been cancelled."

Another Korean tourist said she had been unable to make contact with her friend on Borocay.

"I wasn't able to get through. Maybe something isn't working," said Dahae Gong. "I don't know when I will be able to go home."

The Philippine archipelago is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons every year [Bobbie Alota/AFP]

Though weaker, Phanfone was tracking a similar path as Super Typhoon Haiyan - the country's deadliest cyclone on record which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing in 2013.

The Philippines is the first major landmass facing the Pacific cyclone belt.

As such, the archipelago is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, killing many people, wiping out harvests, homes and other infrastructure, and keeping millions perennially poor.

A July 2019 study by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank said the more frequent storms lop 1 percent off the Philippine economic output, while the stronger ones cut output by nearly 3 percent.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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2019-12-26 08:53:00Z
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Typhoon Phanfone kills 21 as it hits the Philippines on Christmas Day - CNN

Typhoon Phanfone, known locally as Typhoon Ursula, first made landfall on Eastern Samar province on Tuesday, bringing heavy rain and storm surges. It hit as the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane, packing sustained wind speeds of 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour, with gusts of 195 kilometers (121 miles) per hour.

Phanfone continued to sweep west across the islands of the Eastern Visayas region, southern Luzon and Western Visayas on Wednesday, toppling electricity pylons and trees, tearing off roofs, damaging homes and causing widespread travel disruption over the busy Christmas period.

The region is majority Catholic and many people were preparing for family celebrations when the typhoon hit.

Images from the area showed debris blocking roads, downed lamp posts, crumpled houses and people huddling in evacuation centers.

On Thursday, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that 13 people had died in the Western Visayas region, while the Office of Civil Defense said eight had died in Eastern Visayas, according to CNN affiliate CNN Philippines.

Two of the victims were electrocuted and one was hit by a falling mango tree, officials said.

One of the victims, 70-year-old Carlos Yu Beltran, drowned when his house was swept away in a storm surge in Balangkayan town on Samar, according to the government's Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

Five fishermen from Samar Island are also missing.

"Let's hope and pray that they are safe," Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone said in a statement.

Around 2,351 people have been affected by the typhoon and 1,654 people were taking refuge in evacuation centers, according to the Philippine national disaster management agency, NDRRMC. A total of 58,400 people were pre-emptively evacuated ahead of the typhoon, the NDRRMC said.

The agency said 87 cities and municipalities experienced power outages, and by Thursday, 24 of those have had power restored.

Phanfone followed a similar path to the devastating Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, which was one of the most powerful storms on record and killed at least 6,000 people.

The full extent of the damage is yet to be determined as power and communications in several areas remain cut off.

Some tourist areas, including the popular resort island of Boracay, were also damaged on Wednesday. The nearby Kalibo International Airport was temporarily closed and flights canceled after the typhoon damaged the roof of the terminal building, according to an advisory from Philippine Airlines.

Thousands of people who were traveling over the Christmas period had their flights and ferries canceled due to the typhoon. Some 115 domestic flights were canceled and more than 15,700 passengers left stranded, according to the NDRRMC.

Almost 4,000 people remained stranded in several ports around the region on Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

The Philippines gets hit by more typhoons than any other country, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Earlier this month Typhoon Kammuri, the twentieth to hit the country this year, killed 13 people and damaged more than 8,000 houses.

On Thursday, Phafone was tracking over the South China Sea with winds of a 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour. The storm is expected to maintain typhoon intensity for at least the next 24 hours as it moves westward, but will weaken to a tropical depression before making landfall in northern Vietnam on Sunday, according to CNN meteorologists.

CNN's Akanksha Sharma contributed reporting.

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2019-12-26 07:07:00Z
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Several dead after Typhoon Phanfone batters central Philippines - Al Jazeera English

At least 11 people were reported killed and six others missing on Thursday after Typhoon Phanfone battered several central Philippine islands on Christmas Day, making seven landfalls before heading out to the South China Sea.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer news website reported that two people died in the province of Leyte, while eight were killed in the provinces of Iloilo and Capiz.

One person died in the province of Biliran.

The Office of Civil Defense was quoted as saying that it is verifying reports of a dozen more fatalities.

More:

Six others were missing in Iloilo, although ABS-CBN television channel reported that the number could be as high as 12.

Thousands were forced to evacuate in several provinces before the typhoon.

Images posted on social media showed some areas in the provinces of Capiz and Iloilo under water.

As of Thursday morning, the Philippine weather agency, PAGASA, said that Phanfone was reported 155km (96 miles) west of the province of Palawan, with maximum winds of up to 130km/h (80 mph) and gustiness of up to 160km/h (99 mph).

The typhoon brought a wet and miserable holiday season to millions in the mainly Catholic nation.

Thousands were also stranded at shuttered ports, while dozens of flights were cancelled.

Balasan, Iloilo suffers from heavy flooding due to strong rains brought by Typhoon Ursula on Wednesday, December 25. #UrsulaPH | via @AlertsPeapic.twitter.com/DA3qSBzh9p

— MovePH (@MovePH) December 25, 2019

Al Jazeera's Barnaby Lo, reporting from Manila, said it could take several days before stranded passengers are allowed to travel.

Phanfone also hit Boracay, Coron and other holiday destinations that are famed for their white-sand beaches and popular with foreign tourists.

The airport at Kalibo, which services Boracay, was badly damaged, according to a Korean tourist who was stranded there and provided images to AFP news agency.

"Roads remain blocked, but some efforts have been made to clear away the damage. It's pretty bad," Jung Byung Joon said via Instagram messenger.

"Everything within 100 meters of the airport looks broken. There are a lot of frustrated people at the airport as flights have been cancelled.

The Philippine archipelago is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons every year [Bobbie Alota/AFP]

The typhoon toppled houses and trees and blacked-out cities in the Philippines's most storm-prone region, but no deaths were reported.

Though weaker, Phanfone was tracking a similar path as Super Typhoon Haiyan - the country's deadliest cyclone on record which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing in 2013.

The Philippines is the first major landmass facing the Pacific cyclone belt.

As such, the archipelago is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, killing many people, wiping out harvests, homes and other infrastructure, and keeping millions perennially poor.

A July 2019 study by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank said the more frequent storms lop 1 percent off the Philippine economic output, while the stronger ones cut output by nearly 3 percent.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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2019-12-26 06:44:00Z
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Queen's Christmas Message 2019 - Global News

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2019-12-25 15:00:07Z
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Prince William, Kate, George and Charlotte Celebrate Christmas in Church - TMZ

Getty

The Royals have had a tough year no doubt, but at least some of them tried to put on a happy face for Xmas.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte clutched the hand of parents William and Kate as they made their way to church. They joined grandpa Prince Charles as they entered the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on the Queen's Sandringham estate, about 100 miles from London.

Prince Louis wasn't there ... he's 18 months old and too young for the festivities. Louis hung out with Kate's parents.

Also missing ... Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and baby Archie ...they're spending the holiday in Canada with her mom. Prince Andrew was not there, but he attended a church service with the Queen earlier in the day with Prince Charles.

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2019-12-25 14:55:00Z
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Pope Francis delivers Christmas message at the Vatican - CBS News

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2019-12-25 14:00:48Z
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