Monday briefing: Chaos in Hong Kong as chief warns protesters | World news


Top story: Fresh protests threaten to deepen Hong Kong crisis

Good morning briefers. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the top stories this Monday morning.

Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam has warned that pro-democracy protesters are pushing the city to the verge of a “very dangerous situation” as the usually bustling financial hub was brought to a standstill this morning by activists and strike action. Making her first public appearance for two weeks, Lam said the activists were “bullying” those with different opinions and “breaking the rice bowls” of ordinary Hong Kongers. She also accused the protesters of using their opposition to the controversial extradition bill – the spark for weeks of protests – as a cover for “revolution”. Her remarks, flanked by her whole cabinet, came as the city’s rush hour turned to chaos this morning as activists blocked roads and disrupted the city’s subway system. In the Yuen Long district, a car rammed its way through barricades, barely missing protesters who were trying to push it back. More than 100 flights from the city’s airport were cancelled because of strike action by public sector workers that also affected schools and government offices. Businesses throughout the city were shuttered for the day in anticipation of a series of marches on Monday afternoon. Keep up with developments as they happen with our live blog.


‘Time to bring back order’: Carrie Lam denounces Hong Kong protests – video

Pension ‘ripoff’ – Some pension funds are making a “fat living” from savers and should come under tougher scrutiny, according to a hard-hitting report by MPs. They are “unconvinced” the industry will act voluntarily on providing transparent information and call on the government to use the “full force of the law” against funds guilty of “misinforming, mischarging, overcharging” on the savings of pensioners. Such charges are “eroding the value of individuals’ savings”, they said, giving the example of one fund that initially said it had charged members £10m in fees before being forced to reveal that the real figure was £92m. Frank Field, chairman of the Commons work and pensions committee, said: “Ripping off pension savers could be eliminated.”


America wounded – Donald Trump has been widely criticised for stoking hatred across America in the wake of the El Paso mass shooting that left 2o people dead. Investigators have charged 21-year-old Patrick Crusius with murder and believe that he was motivated by a hatred of Hispanic immigrants. A message posted on the website 8chan 20 minutes before the attack on Saturday expressed sympathy with the Christchurch mosque attacker and said: “This attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas.” Trump has stepped up his divisive rhetoric in recent weeks but as the nation digested news of a second mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio that left nine people dead on Sunday, he suggested the violence was caused by mental health problems. Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke, who is from El Paso, led the attacks on Trump and he was joined by other leading Democrats. Our reporter Sam Levin is in El Paso and he has this dispatch on how the city’s large Hispanic population are dealing with the tragedy.





A rally against hate in El Paso on Sunday.



A rally against hate in El Paso on Sunday. Photograph: José Luis González/Reuters

‘Profited from greed’ – John McDonnell has questioned Sajid Javid’s suitability as chancellor because of his role in selling risky financial products in his former job with Deutsche Bank. The shadow chancellor has written to Boris Johnson calling for an investigation into Javid’s banking career which saw him hold various senior positions at the German investment bank in the runup to the 2008 financial crisis. In the letter he says it would not be lost on people suffering from government austerity measures that Javid “profited from the greed” that contributed to the crisis.


Out of credit – Minister are being urged to review “unfair practices” in the benefits system after reports of a surge in cases where EU citizens living in the the UK are being incorrectly denied universal credit. Many are being left destitute as a result because cases can take months to resolve. Welfare advisers say complexities introduced to the system to tackle public concern about “benefit tourism” is wrongly penalising people. In his column today, John Harris looks at how the intertwined sagas of austerity and Brexit show that “a whole swathe of public opinion has long since turned cruel and inward-looking”.


Tate arrest – A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a six-year-old boy was allegedly thrown from the 10th-floor viewing platform at the Tate Modern in London yesterday afternoon. The boy was taken to hospital by air ambulance after landing on a fifth-floor roof and was in a critical condition overnight, police said. The 17-year-old male suspect remained with members of the public on the 10th floor of the museum before he was arrested.

Today in Focus podcast

Edita Ochieng and like-minded women tell the extraordinary story of how they are taking a stand against endemic sexual violence and police corruption in the infamous Nairobi slum area of Kiberia. Plus: Angelique Chrisafis on why climate protesters in France are stealing portraits of Emmanuel Macron.

Lunchtime read: Noel Gallagher: ‘I don’t forgive people’





Noel Gallagher



Photograph: Suki Dhanda/The Observer

Noel Gallagher has always had opinions to burn and today’s G2 interview with the former Oasis kingpin is no exception. From why Jeremy Corbyn is a communist to what it’s like having a teenage daughter, to why there mustn’t be a second Brexit vote and how climate change might be a good thing, he doesn’t hold back. But, of course, he is especially vituperative about his brother Liam, whom he accuses of sending threatening texts to his family. “I don’t forgive people,” he says. Tim Jonze charts his way through the expletives and even finds out a bit about Gallgher’s new record.

Sport

Steve Smith claimed playing against England was like Christmas every day after his second century of the first Test left Joe Root’s side needing to bat through today’s fifth day to prevent Australia from claiming a 1-0 Ashes lead. After the disappointment and disarray of Hockenheim, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes enjoyed a remarkable, redemptive comeback at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Japan’s Hinako Shibuno captured hearts and minds long before she decided to take delivery of the Women’s British Open trophy for good measure. Yesterday’s Community Shield, won by Manchester City on penalties, was a relatively even game that Liverpool might have won in second half and that is good news for the Premier League. Manchester United are growing frustrated in their pursuit of Paulo Dybala, having failed to agree a deal with the Juventus forward regarding his salary, his image rights and any commission to his agent. And Tom Brady has insisted for some time that he can play into his mid-40s and it appears the New England Patriots agree.

Business

HSBC chief executive John Flint has resigned after just 18 months in the top job. Flint, a 30-year veteran of the bank, has stepped down by “mutual agreement” because the bank judged it needed change to meet the “increasingly complex and challenging” business environment. In the US, there will be great interest in profit figures from Disney this week as it prepares to launch a streaming platform to rival Netflix. Asian markets have been rocked by the Hong Kong crisis and China’s decision to let the yuan slip below the seven-to-one dollar mark. Experts said it suggests Beijing has given up hope of reaching a trade deal with the US and is “weaponising” its currency. The FTSE 100 is poised to follow Friday’s heavy losses with a drop of 1.2% this morning. The pound is stuck at two-year lows of $1.215 and €1.092.

The papers




Guardian front page, Monday 5 August 2019

Photograph: The Guardian

The two mass shootings in the US make the front pages of the Guardian and the i: “Trump accused of fuelling hate after deadly shootings” and “American nightmare”. The Telegraph is concerned that “Pension pot rip-off fees ‘could wipe out savings’”, as is the Express: “The great pensions robbery”.

The Mail splashes with the story of the young boy thrown from a viewing platform at the Tate Modern: “Horror at the Tate”. The Times reports that the PM is planning an election if remain MPs try to topple him: “Johnson lays ground for ‘people v politicians’ poll”. The Sun leads with an exclusive story that McDonald’s paper straws are non-recyclable. “That sucks,” its headline puns. And the Mirror has a story about “suicide posts” taking months to be removed from Instagram: “Instagram’s shame”.

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