Enlarge this image Kevin Downing, an attorney with the defense team for Paul Manafort, leaves federal court Monday as the trial of the former Trump campaign chairman continues. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption toggle caption Jacquelyn Martin/AP Kevin Downing, an attorney with the defense team for Paul Manafort, leaves federal court Monday as the trial of the former Trump campaign chairman continues. Jacquelyn Martin/AP Prosecutors rested their case on Monday in the federal tax and bank fraud trial of Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.Over the past three weeks, through 10 days of testimony and more than two dozen witnesses, the government's lawyers told a story about how they said Manafort evaded taxes on millions of dollars that poured in from his political consulting work in Ukraine.After that income dried up, prosecutors say, Manafort lied to banks to get loans to continue the lifestyle to which they say he had become accustomed.Manafort has pleaded not guilty; his attorneys say he didn't pay close enough attention to his finances to have deliberately committed the crimes of which he has been accused.The bankersMuch of the recent testimony focused on the alleged bank fraud.A witness on Friday detailed the level of involvement by Stephen Calk, the CEO of Federal Savings Bank, in helping Manafort get loans for which he might normally have been rejected.Former Federal Savings Bank Vice President Dennis Raico testified that Calk pushed through Manafort's loans over the concerns of other members of the bank's leadership.Raico said that Calk wanted a job in the Trump administration and made that known to Manafort.Federal Savings Bank Vice President Jim Brennan testified under immunity from prosecution on Monday that there were inconsistencies, specifically involving income reporting, in Manafort's loan paperwork.Brennan was then asked by prosecutors why such inconsistencies would matter when a bank is deciding on whether to offer someone a line of credit."It would go to the character of the borrower," Brennan said, "which should mean that we would raise a red flag."Brennan said the $16 million that Manafort received was among the largest loans the bank had ever made. Despite the doubts about Manafort's ability to repay them, the loans "closed because Mr. Calk wanted them to close," Brennan said.Jurors heard earlier in the trial that Manafort reached out to the Trump transition team to discuss the prospect of Calk becoming secretary of the Army.The bank did not make money on the loans, Brennan said. It wrote them off as losses by the end of 2017.What's nextCourt is due to resume on Tuesday morning. Judge T.S. Ellis III is expected first to rule on a motion by Manafort's lawyers asking him to throw out the charges, a standard defense maneuver.After that, if the judge allows the trial to move forward, Manafort's defense attorneys will get the chance to make their own case. They will have the opportunity to call witnesses, although it's unclear whether they might.Manafort is not expected to be called to testify on his own behalf.Up to this point, the defense strategy has been to pin any financial crimes on Manafort's former business partner Rick Gates, who is cooperating with prosecutors as part of a plea agreement.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - AT&T Inc Chief Executive Randall Stephenson said Wednesday that China’s Huawei Technologies Co Ltd is making it very difficult for European carriers to drop the company from its supply chain for next-generation 5G wireless service. FILE PHOTO: An AT&T logo is seen at a AT&T building in New York City, October 23, 2016. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith/File Photo“If you have deployed Huawei as your 4G network, Huawei is not allowing interoperability to 5G — meaning if you are 4G, you are stuck with Huawei for 5G,” said Stephenson at a speech in Washington. “When the Europeans say we got a problem — that’s their problem. They really don’t have an option to go to somebody else.” The United States has been pressuring other countries to drop Huawei from their networks. Stephenson said the U.S. government could do a better job explaining the security risks of Huawei. “The biggest risk is not that the Chinese government might listen in on our conversations or mine our data if we use their equipment,” Stephenson said. Within a decade, 5G will drive all U.S. factories, utilities, refineries, traffic management and help underpin autonomous vehicles. “If that much of infrastructure will be attached to this kind of technology do we want to be cautious about who is the underlying company behind that technology. We damn well better be,” Stephenson said. Huawei did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. The United States warns that next-generation 5G equipment, which some telecoms experts see as more vulnerable to attack than previous technology, could be exploited by the Chinese government for spying if supplied by Huawei. Huawei has grown rapidly to become the world’s biggest maker of telecoms equipment and is embedded in the mobile networks and 5G plans of many European operators. It denies that its technology represents a security risk. In the United States, 5G networks will largely be built by Nordic equipment makers Ericsson and Nokia , and Strayer said there were safer alternatives to Huawei. The United States has also alleged Huawei violated its sanctions on Iran and stole intellectual property. No evidence of spying has been presented publicly even as scrutiny on Huawei has intensified, and several Western countries have restricted the firm’s access to their markets. Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday Germany was not planning to exclude any one company from its 5G auction per se, but rather wanted bidders in the mobile spectrum auction to meet certain requirements. Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Thousands of Hong Kong’s legal professionals have staged a march to put pressure on the city’s Department of Justice over what they say are political prosecutions of protesters, after China said the territory was facing its worst crisis since it was handed back from Britain in 1997.In the scorching midday heat about 3,000 people gathered in the heart of Hong Kong’s financial district to call on the justice secretary, Teresa Cheng, to answer allegations of politically motivated prosecution, with dozens of protesters held in police stations across the semi-autonomous city.“We see there has been selective prosecution,” said a 29-year-old litigator who would only give her name as JL.Referring to attacks on demonstrators by suspected triads, she said: “The [lack of prosecutions over the] white shirt attack in Yuen Long, compared to the speed of charging so-called rioters, there’s a difference in how police handle the case.”JL was part of the thick line of legal professionals dressed sombrely in black snaking 200 metres uphill from the court of final appeals to the offices of the justice department.It is rare for the city’s legal sector to take part in protests. “People are sceptical,” she said. “We need to restore that trust [of the legal sector] in society and that’s why we’re here today.”“All we want is justice, all we want is consistency, we don’t want to see thugs get away while the best of our youth get prosecuted,” said Kevin Yam, a solicitor.“We ask for justice, we ask for consistency, we ask for proper record keeping. Nothing more, nothing less.”Yam said those trying to get information from the DOJ were being told verbally, and questioned why they were not being provided with documentation. “If we said that I think we’d be in trouble, don’t you think?”The DOJ issued a statement denying the accusations, saying prosecutors were discharging their “duties fairly and without prejudice or favour”.Hong Kong is in its ninth week of consecutive mass protests, with police stating on Tuesday that they fired 800 grenades of teargas the previous day as they tried to disperse demonstrations in at least seven districts.The protests began in opposition to a now-suspended extradition law, which would have allowed suspects to be tried in mainland Chinese courts. They have now broadened, turning into a backlash against the government, fuelled by many residents’ fears of eroding freedoms under the tightening control of China’s Communist party.Zhang Xiaoming, one of the most senior Chinese officials overseeing Hong Kong affairs, spoke about the issue at a meeting set up in Shenzhen to discuss the crisis: “The central government is highly concerned about Hong Kong’s situation, and trying to study, make decisions and arrangements from a strategic and across-the-board level,” Zhang said. “Hong Kong is facing the most serious situation since its return to China.”At a press conference on Tuesday, Yang Guang, a spokesman for the Hong Kong and Macau affairs office of the Chinese government, said: “Don’t misjudge the situation or take restraint as a sign of weakness … don’t underestimate the firm resolve and tremendous power by the central government and people across China to maintain prosperity and stability in Hong Kong.”Australia on Wednesday joined Ireland, the UK, and Japan in issuing Hong Kong travel warnings. More than 5 million people visited Hong Kong in June this year, of which roughly 80% were from mainland China. Still, there are varying reports about whether tourism has been affected by the protests.Police said they arrested 148 people in connection with Monday’s protests, and another nine on Tuesday night. A total of 589 people have been arrested in connection to the protests in the past two months.Hong Kong’s legal system, which was inherited from the British, and the prospect of being extradited to face authoritarian justice in China, was at the heart of the protests when they first broke out earlier this year.Under the Sino-British joint declaration, Hong Kong should maintain a “high degree of autonomy” through an independent judiciary, a free press and an open market economy, a framework known as “one country, two systems”.But, over the years, Chinese influence over Hong Kong has grown, with its government and legislature tilted in favour of Beijing. Education, publishing and the media have all come under pressure. Topics Hong Kong Protest Asia Pacific China news

Media player Media playback is unsupported on your device Video Hong Kong protests: Tear gas fired at unauthorised demonstrators Police have used tear gas against demonstrators marching in Hong Kong. The march had been banned by police who feared there would be violence. The rally was planned to condemn an assault on pro-democracy protesters by armed masked men that took place last week.Protesters had accused the police of turning a blind eye and colluding with the attackers - claims the police deny.Hong Kong has seen seven weeks of anti-government and pro-democracy protests. The BBC's Stephen McDonell reports.

Prosecutors for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, rested their case Monday after calling roughly two dozen witnesses and introducing hundreds of exhibits. Mr. Manafort, 69, is accused of evading taxes on roughly $16.5 million in income that he earned working for pro-Russia political forces in Ukraine. When that income ran out, prosecutors claim, he fraudulently obtained more than $20 million in bank loans so he could maintain an extravagant lifestyle.Defense lawyers made a special effort, including submitting a last-minute brief, to persuade the judge to throw out four bank fraud charges involving $16 million in loans that Mr. Manafort obtained from a small Chicago bank in late 2016 and early 2017. Richard Westling, one of Mr. Manafort’s lawyers, argued that the bank, Federal Savings Bank, was not defrauded because its chairman, Stephen M. Calk, was determined to do business with Mr. Manafort, despite questions about Mr. Manafort’s wherewithal. He also argued that bank officials were well aware of Mr. Manafort’s true financial situation.Emails cited by the prosecution showed that Mr. Manafort was trading heavily on his connection to the Trump campaign in seeking those loans, one of which he used to prevent another creditor from foreclosing on one of his homes. In August 2016, before he was forced out of his position as campaign chairman, Mr. Manafort arranged to add Mr. Calk to Mr. Trump’s economic advisory committee. In November, just days after the election, Mr. Calk sent Mr. Manafort a long list of top administration jobs for which he wanted to be considered.Mr. Manafort then emailed Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, recommending Mr. Calk as someone who would “be totally reliable” and would “advance D.T. agenda,” referring to the president-elect. Mr. Calk’s “preference is secretary of the Army,” he wrote. In the next two months, Mr. Calk overruled his underlings and granted Mr. Manafort more money than any other of the bank’s borrowers had obtained, bank officials testified.Mr. Westling argued that the bank was not victimized because it would have approved Mr. Manafort’s loans “regardless of the information” he had submitted. But the judge ruled that was a question for the jury to decide, not him.

(Reuters) - An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday narrowly recommended prescribing the opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone, along with addictive painkillers. FILE PHOTO: The drug Naloxone sits on a table during a free Opioid Overdose Prevention Training class provided by Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton, New York, U.S., April 5, 2018. REUTERS/Andrew KellyThe panel voted 12-11 in favor of labeling changes for opioids that recommend co-prescribing the overdose antidote, concluding a two-day discussion on ways to make the potentially life-saving drug readily available. The recommendation underscores concerns about the growing opioid overdose epidemic that claimed more than 49,000 American lives last year. When administered quickly, naloxone helps reverse the effects of an overdose and saves lives. The prescription of naloxone could facilitate a healthy dialogue between patients and the healthcare provider, Maryann Amirshahi, a panel member who voted in favor, said. But co-prescribing naloxone to all patients who are prescribed painkillers could increase annual healthcare costs by $63.9 billion to $580.8 billion, according to FDA studies. “I think co-prescribing is an expensive way to saturate the population with naloxone. The at-risk population is not necessarily the ones that are being prescribed new narcotics,” said Mary Ellen McCann, associate professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, a panelist who voted against the decision. “I’m concerned about a person going in with a broken arm and ending up with $30 of a codeine product and a (naloxone) autoinjector at $4,000 plus.” Branded versions for treating opioid overdose include Adapt Pharma’s Narcan nasal spray and Kaleo Inc’s Evzio autoinjector. Robert Kramer, chief operating officer of Emergent BioSolutions Inc (EBS.N), which bought Adapt Pharma this year, said the FDA’s cost estimates were “inflated”, adding the number includes the price of Narcan and Kaleo’s Evzio, which has a list price of over $4,000. The list price is not necessarily what patients actually pay and “out-of-pocket” costs vary depending on the duration of the treatment and individual healthcare plans. A pack of Narcan containing two doses lists at a price of $125, while generic naloxone retails at around $40 per dose. “A fully implemented co-prescription program targeting opioid prescription associated with the highest risk of opioid overdose would cost an estimated $115 million per year as opposed to the $64 billion number,” Kramer said. Kaleo announced last week an authorized generic of Evzio, which will be available at a list price of $178 for a pack of two doses. Naloxone is currently made available through distribution and prescription programs in pain clinics and opioid treatment centers, as well as “take-home” programs among high-risk patients. Reporting by Saumya Sibi Joseph and Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by James Emmanuel and Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Enlarge this image The German headquarters of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei in Duesseldorf, Germany. The U.S. says it may stop sharing intelligence with Germany if it adopts Huawei's 5G technology. Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters hide caption toggle caption Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters The German headquarters of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei in Duesseldorf, Germany. The U.S. says it may stop sharing intelligence with Germany if it adopts Huawei's 5G technology. Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters The race to build the next generation of super-fast mobile-data networks has begun in Germany, which started auctioning off its spectrum licenses for 5G on Tuesday.But this highly technical event has become the center of a geopolitical storm between the U.S. and China, with Europe caught in the middle. The Trump administration insists that Chinese firm Huawei, which makes 5G technology, could hand over data to the Chinese government. The U.S. has warned European allies, including Germany, Hungary and Poland, to ban Huawei from its 5G network or risk losing access to intelligence-sharing. Business U.S. Warns Germany: Using Huawei Could Crimp Intelligence-Sharing Between Agencies Germany has refused to ban any company, despite pressure from the U.S. Instead, Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated that her country would instead tighten security rules. "Our approach is not to simply exclude one company or one actor," she told a conference in Berlin on Tuesday, "but rather we have requirements of the competitors for this 5G technology."Germany already has plenty of specialists who can monitor the current version of 5G software for security bugs, says Jan Bindig, a data security expert and director of Bindig Media in Leipzig."But you never know what happens in the future," he says. "Every technology is software-based. So if there's an update, you can change the whole concept. ... So it's about [having] a plan on how to ensure the whole network." World How Canada Gets Squeezed Between China And The U.S. Huawei strongly denies U.S. charges that it spies and is too cozy with the Chinese government. The company is working hard to win Germany's trust. It even opened a lab in Bonn where security officials can check its products. "The idea of this lab is that the responsible IT security authority of Germany but also other interested parties like independent auditors or our customers could go to that lab," says Huawei Germany spokesman Patrick Berger, "and, for example, verify our source codes and see that there are no malicious things in our codes."But policymakers and analysts in Germany acknowledge that this debate isn't just about network security. It's a geopolitical confrontation between two superpowers with strong ties to the European Union. Business Huawei Sues U.S. After Congress Bans Government Purchase Of Its Equipment "When we see this confrontation, it's important for states in Europe to avoid being forced to take sides in this kind of conflict the way it's structured now, by these two superpowers," says Daniel Voelsen, a researcher at the the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin. "Instead, Europe should focus on what Europe's own interests are here, especially in terms of national security but also economically," he says. "And then on the basis of that assessment Europe should shape its relationships with China and the U.S. in ways that serve our European interests."And it's not unusual for governments to spy, says Frank Pieke, director of the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin. "It's done by the American government, it's done by the British government, so that the Chinese can do this and might do this is also in and of itself not an indictment of China or an indictment of Huawei," he says. Technology Coming To A City Near You, 5G. Fastest Wireless Yet Will Bring New Services But, he adds, "in Western democracies the work of a security apparatus is in principle subject to the rule of law and under control of the democratic political system. And these guarantees you don't have in China."Pieke says he sympathizes with what the U.S. is saying about its concerns with Huawei. But, like others in Germany, he's displeased about the way it's being said. "They say basically, 'If you're not with us, you're against us,' which is an age-old trick of course in the book of escalation," Pieke says. "It's an indication that the current U.S. administration is absolutely not interested in any form of discussion or dialogue. They basically want to ram their ideas and their assessments down the throats of everybody else in Europe." World Berlin Is A Tech Hub, So Why Are Germany's Internet Speeds So Slow? Meanwhile, Germany continues to push on with its 5G auction and not only because it wants to improve its famously slow data speed. BMW and other carmakers want to use 5G's much faster data speeds to operate self-driving cars. At the BMW Museum in Munich, a video shows a driverless car dropping off a passenger in front of a building. "I will be back here and pick you up at 11," the car tells him. "If you go to a meeting, you go with your car, you leave the car in front of the office," says BMW tour guide Jan Opalka, explaining the video. "And the car is going, you can see it now ... [it's] driving around the block and it's coming back [on] time." World Huawei Founder Denies His Firm Spies For China Driverless cars need a super-fast network to communicate with traffic lights, with each other and with sensors that alert them to jaywalkers.Peter Beyer, a member of Merkel's cabinet who is in charge of transatlantic relations, brought up self-driving cars in a statement intended to placate the U.S.He said the U.S. was bringing up "justified doubts" about the Chinese but added: "It is self-evident that we will reach all decisions independently and responsibly in line with our interests, also vis-a-vis our partners." China Unbound Chinese Companies Get Tech-Savvy Gobbling Up Germany's Factories

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge expressed skepticism on Wednesday toward a request by lawyers for President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort to suppress evidence seized by FBI agents working for Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The hearing before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson gave Manafort another opportunity to hinder the criminal case against him. Jackson last week refused to dismiss the charges, which include conspiring to launder money, conspiring to defraud the United States and failing to register as a foreign agent. Two indictments against Manafort, this one in Washington and another in Virginia, arose from Mueller’s ongoing investigation into potential collusion between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia, a probe that could threaten his presidency. He is the most senior member of Trump’s campaign to be indicted, though the charges do not relate to campaign activities. Trump has denied collusion with Russia and called Mueller’s investigation a “witch hunt.” Manafort, trying to deprive prosecutors of what could be pivotal evidence in his Washington trial scheduled for September, is asserting that his rights against unreasonable searches and seizures under the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment were violated in the 2017 FBI raids. Manafort’s lawyers told the judge the FBI conducted an illegal warrantless search in May 2017 on a storage unit by getting one of Manafort’s low-level employees to unlock it and let an agent look inside. The agent later obtained a warrant to seize business records stored there. Defense lawyers said the employee was permitted only to go inside the unit “as directed by Manafort” in the course of his employment, and could not give lawful consent for the search. Jackson seemed highly dubious about that claim. “The lease says on its face he’s the occupant,” the judge said. “He’s named as the occupant and he has a key.” U.S. President Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort arrives for a motions hearing regarding evidence in his case at U.S. District Court in Washington, U.S., May 23, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri GripasOne of Manafort’s attorneys, Thomas Zehnle, told Jackson that “warrantless searches are disfavored” by courts. “Well, consensual searches are not disfavored,” Jackson replied. Jackson also expressed skepticism as Manafort’s lawyers tried to challenge the scope of warrants issued both for the storage locker and Manafort’s Virginia home. In the July 2017 search of the residence, Manafort’s lawyers contend the FBI improperly seized every single electronic and media device there, and has not returned copies of data unrelated to the case. “This is a really broad warrant,” defense lawyer Richard Westling said. “It allows me to go in the door and look at every piece of paper in the place and every piece of digital media.” Jackson noted that devices deemed irrelevant for the case have been returned, and the government also imaged the computers and created search terms to “cull out” materials covered in the case. “They made an effort to only look at what was covered,” she said. “Where are his constitutional rights violated?” Manafort performed lobbying work for a pro-Russian former Ukrainian president before serving as Trump’s campaign chairman in 2016. He has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors also said they expect to call another Manafort attorney, Melissa Laurenza, to testify against him about false statements he allegedly asked her to file with the Justice Department related to his retroactively registering as a foreign agent for Ukraine. Slideshow (2 Images)Prosecutor Greg Andres said Laurenza is not considered a co-conspirator and was merely carrying out her client’s orders. Laurenza did not reply to an email seeking comment. Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Will DunhamOur Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Tens of thousands rallied in a large Hong Kong suburb on Sunday, driven by abiding anger at the government’s handling of an extradition bill that has revived fears of China tightening its grip over the former British colony and eroding its freedoms. Clashes broke out as protesters hurled umbrellas and plastic bottles at police who retaliated by firing pepper spray amid chaotic scenes inside a shopping mall that houses some of the world’s biggest luxury brands. Most of the demonstrators dispersed shortly afterward as a small group sang the Christian hymn “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord”, which has emerged as the unlikely anthem of the protests. Millions have taken to the streets in the past month in some of the largest and most violent protests in decades over an extradition bill that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial in courts controlled by the Communist Party. Protesters marched in sweltering heat of about 32 degrees Celsius (89.6°F) in Sha Tin, a town between Hong Kong island and the border with China, extending the demonstrations outward from the heart of the financial center into surrounding districts. “These days there is really no trust of China, and so the protesters come out,” said Jennie Kwan, 73. “Didn’t they promise 50 years, no change? And yet we’ve all seen the changes. I myself am already 70-something years old. What do I know about politics? But politics comes to you.” Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” formula that guarantees its people freedoms for 50 years that are not enjoyed in mainland China, including the liberty to protest and an independent judiciary. Beijing denies interfering in Hong Kong affairs, but many residents worry about what they see as an erosion of those freedoms and a relentless march toward mainland control. Hong Kong’s embattled leader, Carrie Lam, has said the extradition bill is “dead”, but opponents say they will settle for nothing short of its formal withdrawal. Some protesters on Sunday waved banners appealing to U.S. President Donald Trump to “Please liberate Hong Kong” and “Defend our Constitution”. Such scenes are certain to rile Beijing, which has been angered by criticism from Washington and London over the controversial bill. Others waved British and American flags, while banners calling for Hong Kong’s independence billowed in the sultry breeze from makeshift flagpoles. One placard featured a picture of Chinese leader Xi Jinping with the words: “Extradite to China, disappear forever.” Chants of “Carrie Lam go to hell!” rang through the crowd, gathered well away from the island heart of the financial center which has witnessed the largest and most violent demonstrations over the past month. Organizers said around 115,000 attended Sunday’s rally. Police put the number at 28,000 at its peak. Anti-extradition bill protesters hold shields made from cardboard as they face riot police after a march at Sha Tin District of East New Territories, Hong Kong, China July 14, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone SiuPolice chief Stephen Lo said 10 officers were injured and taken to hospital during clashes, including one who had a segment of his finger bitten off by a protester. More than 40 people were arrested for charges including assaulting police and illegal assembly, he added. The bill has stirred outrage across broad sections of Hong Kong society amid concerns it would threaten the much-cherished rule of law that underpins the city’s international financial status. Young, elderly and families joined the latest protest. The protests have caused the former British colony’s biggest political crisis since its handover to China. Demonstrators stormed the Legislative Council building on July 1 and ransacked it. “I never missed a march so far since June,” said a 69-year-old man who gave only his surname, Chen. “I support the youngsters, they have done something we haven’t done. There is nothing we can do to help them, but come out and march to show our appreciation and support.” Protesters are also demanding that Lam step down, the withdrawal of the word “riot” to describe demonstrations, the unconditional release of those arrested and an independent investigation into complaints of police brutality. Police have condemned what they describe as “violent protesters” and stressed that officers will investigate all illegal acts. One woman, in her mid-50s, said protesters had harassed her after she tried to defend the police, whom activists described as “dogs”. “It’s verbal violence,” said the woman, who gave her name only as Catherine. “People just surrounded me and shouted rude language and that makes me feel I am living in fear.” Mass protests over the bill since June have morphed into demonstrations over democracy and broader grievances in society. On Saturday, a largely peaceful demonstration in a town close to the Chinese border turned violent as protesters hurled umbrellas and hardhats at police, who retaliated by swinging batons and firing pepper spray. The government condemned violence during Saturday’s protests against so-called “parallel traders” from the mainland who buy goods in bulk in Hong Kong to carry into China for profit. It said that during the last 18 months it had arrested 126 mainland visitors suspected of infringing the terms of their stay by engaging in parallel trading, and barred about 5,000 mainland Chinese also suspected of involvement. Slideshow (22 Images)Earlier on Sunday, hundreds of journalists joined a silent march to demand better treatment from police at protests. A police statement said that while there was room for improvement in coordination between officers and the media, the police respected press freedom and the media’s right to report. Additional reporting by Joyce Zhou and Aleksander Solum, Writing by Anne Marie Roantree; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Mark HeinrichOur Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BEIJING — The Chinese government on Monday laid down its firm support of Hong Kong’s embattled leader and police force but failed to offer any clear solutions after two months of rolling protests that have flared into violence and stoked opposition to Chinese rule.Chinese officials made a strongly worded defense of the local Hong Kong authorities during a rare news conference in Beijing by the government office that oversees policy toward the city. But they failed to address the demonstrators’ demands for more accountability in the police force and a greater say in the city’s future, which could pave the way for more unrest.“Hong Kong cannot afford to have instability,” Yang Guang, a spokesman for the Chinese government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, told reporters. “Should the chaos continue, it is the entire Hong Kong society that will suffer.”Protest organizers quickly said the briefing could feed the momentum of the demonstrations by reinforcing the widely held perception that Beijing and the city’s leadership are oblivious to the will of Hong Kong’s residents.The remarks by Chinese officials on Monday came days after a People’s Liberation Army spokesman hinted that military force could be used to bring to heel the antigovernment demonstrations that have become regular events in Hong Kong since June. The demonstrations have repeatedly spiraled into violent melees as smaller groups of more confrontational protesters have faced off with police officers who have used tear gas and clubs against them, including this past weekend.In his opening remarks, Mr. Yang expressed support for the city’s leader, Carrie Lam, and the police, who have come under criticism for what protesters say is the excessive use of force against demonstrators. Later, another official at the news conference, Xu Luying, emphasized that the central government would continue to support Mrs. Lam “in governing under the law, and unifying and leading Hong Kong people from all walks of life to defend Hong Kong’s political situation of prosperity and stability.”Mr. Yang also said the Hong Kong government should work on addressing economic issues including challenges with employment and schooling, a housing crisis, and the rising cost of living.[Hong Kong has the world’s longest working hours and highest rents.]The news briefing appeared aimed at dousing the wave of opposition in Hong Kong — the most sustained challenge to China’s hold over the territory since 1997, when Britain returned it to Chinese sovereignty.By emphasizing its support for Mrs. Lam but also her responsibility in upholding the law, central government officials seemed to indicate that it was now up to Mrs. Lam, her administration and the police to put an end to the months of strife.The news briefing also appeared aimed at signaling that the ruling Communist Party in Beijing is watching developments in the territory very closely and wants to frame the unrest as the work of the party’s enemies, as well as economic strains, and not a result of failings in its policies toward Hong Kong.Willy Lam, an adjunct professor at the Center for China Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the officials’ emphasis on providing job and business opportunities in the mainland for the youth of Hong Kong was Beijing’s way of “throwing money at the problem.”“There was no sign of tackling the crux of the issue, which is lack of democratic development in Hong Kong,” Mr. Lam said. “No new solutions were provided.”The protests crystallized around opposition to proposed legislation that would have opened the way to extraditions of criminal suspects from Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland. Many Hong Kongers distrust the Chinese mainland’s courts and police, which are controlled by the Communist Party, and opposition was widespread.After huge demonstrations in early June, Mrs. Lam, the Beijing-backed chief executive of Hong Kong, suspended the proposed law indefinitely. But the protesters have continued taking to the streets of Hong Kong every week, especially on weekends, demanding a full withdrawal of the legislation and voicing a wider array of grievances.[“We cannot give up”: Protesters, government supporters and others spoke to us about their experiences.]Mrs. Lam has refused to make any further concessions and her advisers have indicated that the administration is confident it can ride out further protests, despite the escalating unrest and signs that the economy could suffer. Political tensions and the worsening trade war between the United States and China have already driven down Hong Kong stocks more than 5 percent since early April, and by the end of the day Monday shares were down more than 1 percent.China had promised to give Hong Kong wide-ranging autonomy after 1997, including maintaining its independent courts and other freedoms that set it apart from mainland China. But many Hong Kong residents say their city’s distinctive status has been sharply eroded, especially under Xi Jinping, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party since 2012.The demonstrators are increasingly angered by the lack of democratic government, a ruling class that has become more beholden to Beijing than to Hong Kong, and what protesters and some experts have said are excessively heavy-handed methods used by the police to subdue crowds.Government critics in Hong Kong said the comments did nothing to address the concerns of the public at large, and instead were directed at Mrs. Lam’s administration and its supporters.“We believe this press conference was not for the Hong Kong people to watch,” said Bonnie Leung of the Civil Human Rights Front, which has organized several large marches. “It is for the government and also the pro-government camp and the police force.”The Chinese government and its supporters in Hong Kong have focused their outrage on the demonstrators, especially those who have attacked government buildings and hurled bricks and steel poles at the phalanxes of police officers. The anger from Beijing grew after protesters vandalized the outside of the Chinese government liaison office in Hong Kong, including throwing paint on the national emblem.The cycle of protests and forceful police response continued over the weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, the police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at crowds of demonstrators who had come out to denounce a mob attack on protesters and what they say is a police force that acts without accountability.On Monday, the Chinese government defended the city’s police force. “We understand the huge pressure facing the Hong Kong police and their families, and would like to salute the Hong Kong police who have been fearlessly sticking to their posts and fulfilling their duties against all odds,” Mr. Yang said.Mr. Yang also condemned the violence of Saturday’s protest, in which demonstrators ripped off fences and moved steel barricades to form blockades, and threw hard objects at the police. But Mr. Yang did not specifically address the mob attack that had prompted that rally in the first place, deferring to earlier comments from the police. He appeared to dismiss as “unfounded” the fears some have that organized crime societies are colluding with the authorities to carry out political violence.Reports in the Chinese state news media have also defended the Hong Kong police and even urged them to take more forceful measures.“Hong Kong police must no longer be like gentle nannies when they’re enforcing the law,” an editorial in the overseas edition of People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s main newspaper, said on Monday.

Hong Kong’s leading independence activist has been jailed for six years for his involvement in some of the city’s worst protest violence for decades.Edward Leung was convicted in May of rioting over the 2016 running battles with police, when demonstrators hurled bricks torn up from pavements and set rubbish alight in the commercial district of Mong Kok.Handing down his jail term, Judge Anthea Pang said Leung actively participated in the riots and described his actions as “wanton and vicious”.The 27-year-old was already in custody after pleading guilty in January to a separate charge of assaulting a police officer during the 2016 clashes, and being sentenced to one year in jail.The two terms will be served concurrently. Pang said the court would not admit political reasons as a mitigating factor, adding that punishment must have a “deterrent” effect.Leung, who was present in court, looked calm throughout the hearing and waved at supporters – some of whom reacted emotionally to the sentence – before being led away.Two other protesters were sentenced alongside Leung to seven years and three and a half years in prison.At least 16 people have already been jailed over the clashes, with terms of up to four years and nine months for a man convicted of rioting and arson. Unlike Leung, none were known activists.The 2016 protest began as a seemingly innocuous rally to protect illegal hawkers from health inspectors but it quickly morphed into an outpouring of anger against authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing.Police fired warning shots in the air as the unrest worsened and scores of people including officers were injured, with dozens arrested.It was later dubbed the “Fishball Revolution” after one of the city’s best-loved street snacks.The sentencing of Leung is the latest in a string of jailings of democracy activists in Hong Kong. Last month two pro-independence activists were sentenced to four weeks in prison. Topics Hong Kong Asia Pacific news

Tens of thousands have again taken to the streets of Hong Kong as weeks of anti-government unrest show no sign of stopping. There were violent clashes between police and a small number of demonstrators in Sha Tin.The protests were sparked by a proposed extradition bill which would allow people to be sent to China for trial.But they now reflect broader demands for democratic reform and concerns Hong Kong's freedoms are being eroded. Why are the UK and China arguing about Hong Kong? Did Hong Kong violence sway public opinion? Hong Kong, a former British colony, is part of China but run under a "one country, two systems" arrangement that guarantees it a level of autonomy. It has its own judiciary, and a separate legal system, compared to mainland China.The Financial Times cited sources as saying Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam, had offered to resign several times over the the protests but China refused to let her.China insists she must "stay to clean up the mess she created", one of those quoted said.Some of those in Sha Tin repeated calls for Ms Lam to stand down while others carried banners demanding independence for the region."I'm not tired of the protests yet, we need to fight for our rights," one 25-year-old protester told the South China Morning Post. Police pepper-sprayed a number of demonstrators who had broken away from the official route. A stand-off developed when masked protesters built barricades. Another rally saw journalists march against what they say is the police mistreatment of reporters.It follows a march on Saturday against Hong Kong goods being smuggled into mainland China.Demonstrators turned out in Sheung Shui, a town near the border with China popular with mainland tourists.Traders use Sheung Shui to buy goods and sell them at inflated prices over the border, but locals have complained the influx of visitors has driven up prices, put pressure on services and changed the character of the area. The protests on Saturday were mostly peaceful, but police later charged protesters with batons, shields and pepper spray and were met with metal poles and other projectiles. Critics of the extradition bill said it would undermine Hong Kong's judicial independence and could be used to target those who speak out against the Chinese government.After huge protests, Carrie Lam said the bill was "dead" but stopped short of formally withdrawing it.This was not enough for protesters, who have vowed to keep up the pressure on the government and revived other demands, such as for universal suffrage.Hong Kong's leader, the chief executive, is currently elected by a 1,200-member election committee - a mostly pro-Beijing body chosen by just 6% of eligible voters.The background you need on the Hong Kong protestsThe BBC's China correspondent Stephen McDonell says that given that Beijing is likely to oppose genuine elections it is difficult to see an end to the crisis.

Protesters have talked of sacrifice, hopelessness, and a loss of trust in their leaders. The four who died have become fixtures in protest art and been treated by some demonstrators as heroes of the cause.But experts warn that this kind of rhetoric is risky. With many protesters in their teens and early 20s in a city wheremental health support is lacking, they warn that treating protesters as heroes could be putting others in danger.The movement to block the extradition bill has been cast as a binary life or death struggle from the outset. When at least hundreds of thousands -- up to a million by some measures -- marched at the start of June, it was described by activists as the "last chance to fight for Hong Kong." The deaths of the protesters only added to that intensity. Mourners in Hong Kong place flowers and offer prayers on June 16, 2019, at the site where a protester died.At demonstrations, protesters created banners from yellow raincoats, giving the illusion that the first death by suicide, a 35-year-old man who died wearing a distinctive yellow raincoat, was floating above them. Protesters wore black and waved black flags to honor the dead. In the mass outpouring of grief, some protesters pointed the finger at the government. For a time, a blood-red placard became ubiquitous. It read: "Stop killing us.""He sacrificed a lot for us," a 16-year-old schoolgirl, who only gave her name as Athena, said of the man at one of the marches. "This is related to the political system of Hong Kong -- it's life-threatening and it's fateful."In places around the city, demonstrators held memorials for the dead. They piled flowers on footpaths that formed little mountains of white and plastic, and left notes to the dead that they would never read."Dear Hero, we will fight for you," read one on a piece of white paper decorated with a heart. "He was dragged down by the regime," read another.Protesters hold placards during a demonstration against the now-suspended extradition bill on June 16, 2019 in Hong Kong. Those lost to suicide became fixtures in protest art, too. One showed the 35-year-old man and another victim holding hands as they walked toward the light with the words: "Friend, don't leave. Hong Kong people, don't give up." Even messages that didn't depict the protesters took on a darker tone. "If we burn, you burn with us," read a huge, deep-red banner.Among some protesters, death was a point of discussion. "Die for Hong Kong," some protesters could be heard chanting. A manifesto shared on Telegram -- an encrypted app used widely during the protests -- thanked "heroes who pay their blood and their lives."Protest posters depict a 35-year-old suicide victim in Admiralty, Hong Kong, on July 1, 2019. The one on the left reads: "Friend, don't leave, Hong Kong people, don't give up." On the right: "No one can be lacking, we need to work hard together."At a press conference, pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mocalledon protesters to "drop the martyr mentality.""We need to remind them that it is not worth it. Time is always on the side of the young," she said.The problem is, the young don't necessarily feel like that. Hong Kong is a city familiar with protests. But the protests haven't always been like this movement.In 2014, pro-democracy protesters occupied Hong Kong's inner city streets for79 days. Although there were scuffles, it was largely peaceful and optimistic. The protesters -- among them, many high-school students -- sang songs, set up supply tents and even created areas to do their homework.Hope was in the air. There was a sense that democracy might finally be possible.Hong Kong has never had complete democracy. When the former British colony was handed over to China in1997, Beijing promised to maintain Hong Kong's freedoms for the next 50 years. Many see Hong Kong as having less than 30 years left until it becomes another mainland Chinese city, without the right to things like freedom of assembly and free speech that they've enjoyed in the past.Students do their homework at a study area occupied as part of the Umbrella Movement on October 10, 2014, in Hong Kong.Despite the optimism of the 2014 movement, when it ended, none of its aims had been achieved. Key protest leaders wereimprisonedand, in the following years, enthusiasm for protests waned.So when protesters took to the streets earlier this year, they released years of suppressed anger and distrust of the government, according to Samson Yuen, a political scientist at Hong Kong's Lingnan University.That anger was soon exacerbated. Police have firedpepper spray,tear gas and rubber bullets, actions which have been seen by protesters as heavy-handed. Although Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam suspended the bill, she has repeatedlyrefused to withdraw it or respond to other demands, such as an independent inquiry into police actions.The four suspected suicides added another emotional element -- especially because many saw the deaths as the fault of the government, said Yuen. "The protest is about the life and death of Hong Kong," he said. "The protests are about continuing the wishes of those who 'gave their lives.'"It's about how people trust the system, how people can still have confidence about the future of Hong Kong."At a press conference earlier this month, Hong Kong's leader Lam said she was saddened by the protesters who had hurt themselves as a result of the bill. She added that the government had asked many non-governmental organizations to offer emotional consultation services, "hoping to ease the negative emotions that plague the Hong Kong society." Police fire tear gas at protesters outside the Legislative Council Complex in the early hours of July 2, 2019 in Hong Kong.A 34-year-old protester, who asked not to be named, said he joined the protests after seeing the "brutal" police actions on June 12 -- and was given "faith and courage" by the death of the first protester on June 15. "The death of (the protester) forced people to acknowledge our city's government has changed," he said. "Our impression of a government that cares for the people is shattered.""We chose to ignore it for years that our city is slowly changing. But this time, we can't."The bleak language -- and spate of deaths -- has lawmakers and mental health experts worried.Paul Yip, the director for the Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention (CSRP), was concerned about the risk of copycat suicides, and the effect the negative atmosphere could have on youth who are suffering from preexisting mental health issues. Yip cautioned that turning people who may have had mental health issues already into martyrs risked glamorizing suicide, which could create a contagion effect."These people ... are the victims of a mentally stressed environment," he said. People hold flowers in the rain ahead of a memorial service on July 11, 2019, in Hong Kong, for a protester who died.He was also concerned about the way media outlets have reported on the deaths, which he believed could encourage others to take their lives. Some local outlets have simplified the reasons behind suicide and referenced suicide methods -- both things that are discouraged by theWorld Health Organization's suicide reporting guidelines, as they could trigger suicidal ideation in vulnerable readers.In 2017 -- the latest year for which there is data -- Hong Kong's estimated age-standardized suicide rate was9.5out of every 100,000, compared with 10.5 globally. Between 2015 and 2017, Hong Kong's overall suicide rate trended downward, while the the suicide rate for those aged 15 to 24 has gone up, according to data from CSRP.And there's evidence that mental health in the city has been negatively impacted by the protests. Clarence Tsang, executive director of Samaritans Befrienders Hong Kong, said his organization had seen 73 calls in June by people distressed about the social movement, compared to only a handful on this topic in the previous months. "Most of them are feeling hopeless, said that there is no way out, they didn't see a future," he said, adding that some were sad about the deaths, while others were upset byfamily tensions over the movements.People offer prayers during a vigil in Hong Kong on July 6, 2019, in memory of the four protesters who died.Recent Hong Kong University Faculty of Medicineresearchfound there was a 9.1% increase in the prevalence of probable depression among participants surveyed between June 22 and July 7 compared with the baseline in 2011 to 2014. The study showed probable depression had been increasing in the city over the past few years, from 5.3% during 2014's Occupy Central movement to 6.1% in September 2017, three years after the failed movement ended.In the face of all the negativity, some people in Hong Kong have rallied around each other. Candice Powell, a clinical psychologist, has set up a hotline for journalists who have been traumatized by the violence they have seen. Lawmaker Roy Kwong -- a former social worker -- has emerged as a volunteer, on-call support person to protesters. In so-called Lennon Walls around the city, protesters have written notes on Post-its, spurring each other on. "Dear Hong Kong, everything will be alright," read one.People walk in front of a so-called "Lennon Wall" where messages of support have been left for anti-extradition bill protesters on July 1, 2019 in Hong Kong.Yong Pui-tung, the 28-year-old best friend of Mak, said others should talk more and not to feel alone."I'm really afraid there will be more and more, and I don't want to see that kind of thing happen again," she said. "We should all talk more to our friends -- you shouldn't feel alone because everyone is with us."Hong Kong people, we stand as one and we should stay strong." Kwong, meanwhile, urged protesters to think of the future, which he didn't believe was as negative as many expected. "I think people need to keep a normal, calm attitude," he said. "They need to know this is a continuous fight."How to get help: In Hong Kong, call +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also provide contact information for crisis centers around the world.

Our issue for today is: topics to be banned at weekend barbecues.Or, maybe for the entire month of August. Do you want to take a vacation from politics? From any mention of the word “collusion?” From all discussions about the prospects for the Senate election in North Dakota?My old pal Arthur Brooks argues that people need at least two weeks of politics cleanse. (“Think of it as ideological veganism.”) I would never want to disagree with Arthur, but this time I think he’s only half right.I’d say, try sticking to the stuff that isn’t going to come back all over again in September. For instance, there’s a very interesting congressional race next week in Ohio that your friends might enjoy hearing about. For a minute or two. On the other hand, you could skip over Paul Manafort’s trial, given that there will be another one next month.Wait, a second Paul Manafort trial? Yeah, they’re just doing tax evasion and bank fraud now. Still have to get through money laundering.Is there going to be more testimony about the ostrich coat? Or was it lizard? Or python? I honestly did not know people wore any of these things. This is one part of the trial you could definitely discuss over a bottle of wine on the back porch with the cicadas chirping in the background. Did you even know they made jackets out of pythons? That they were so awful-looking? Is there any kind of snake you think would be better suited for men’s outerwear? So a little Manafort …Conspicuous consumption, yes. Cyprus bank accounts — maybe not until the weather cools. And in the meantime, avoid entertaining visitors who are lobbyists for thug-like Ukrainian dictators. … O.K.This could be harder than you think. It appears that half of the people in American politics were making money off Ukraine, including one of Bernie Sanders’ top advisers. When your guests arrive, just drop the name “Viktor Yanukovych” and see if anybody twitches. This is making me nervous. I think I’m just going to go play golf.Sorry, every single thing about golf is now the beginning of a political discussion. Did you know that the president thinks Robert Mueller has a conflict of interest because he resigned his membership at a Trump golf course in a fight over fees?It doesn’t sound like it actually happened, but you can move from that right on to the question of how Trump got the money to acquire 19 golf courses in the first place … I’m not going to talk about any of those things! Although I may mention the way the president keeps driving his golf cart onto the putting green. Really, that says something about a person’s character.See, it’s already dragging you back.A party is sounding better. Could I invite Chris Christie? I always thought it’d be interesting to invite Chris Christie to something.It’s your house. Rudy Giuliani?Don’t go overboard. Ignoring Rudy Giuliani is sort of the definition of a vacation.What ever happened to Giuliani anyway? Didn’t he used to be — not crazy?We haven’t been really sure about his mental balance since the day, long ago, that he called a news conference to announce he was separating from his wife before he told the wife in question. Now he’s getting divorced again — perhaps that’s a trigger.I get the idea about not bringing up topics at summer festivities that will cause people to sweat with rage. Anything else?Even in the best of times there are certain subjects that tend to send good citizens into a state of stupor. So I would avoid, say, the future of John Kelly. Or soybean prices. Or anything involving Congress, which happens to be on vacation all month.And I can ignore the elections?Well, except for the one in Ohio next week. The Republicans are spending a fortune trying to protect a seat that hasn’t been Democratic since “Thriller” was a new album. But when it comes to the rest, even President Trump says he won’t be out campaigning every day until September.Pardon me, did you say the president is planning to be out on the road making campaign speeches for Republicans every day for two months? To be fair, he actually said “six or seven days a week.” So there will still be at least 24 hours available for governing. Is that what he was doing in Florida the other day when he claimed people had to have a picture ID to buy groceries?Yeah, it was at a rally for a Republican running in the primary for governor. The guy who has a TV ad showing him teaching his little girl how to build a wall with toy blocks.The ad where the candidate was reading his baby “The Art of the Deal”? Yeah. Do you see why you need to be judicious in bringing this stuff up during people’s vacation? Somebody could wind up throwing a barbecue spit at you. Now that I think about it, that’s how I ruined Thanksgiving. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter (@NYTopinion), and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s People’s Liberation Army is a strong force and will defend every part of its territory, a spokesman of China’s Hong Kong affairs office said, when asked about possible use of Chinese troops in the Asian financial hub riven by protests. Yang Guang, spokesman for China’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, told a briefing in Beijing that Hong Kong authorities were capable of bringing under control the situation there. Reporting by Cate Cadell and Beijing Monitoring DeskOur Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

On the eve of International Women’s Day in 2015, Chinese authorities jailed five feminist activists for planning to hand out stickers against sexual harassment on subways and buses.China’s leaders evidently thought they could crush a nascent feminist movement by detaining five young women, but they were sorely mistaken. News of the arrest of the “Feminist Five” spread swiftly, sparking protests and expressions of diplomatic outrage around the world.Faced with enormous global diplomatic and social media pressure, the Chinese government released the women – Li Maizi, Zheng Churan, Wei Tingting, Wu Rongrong and Wang Man – after holding them in a detention centre for 37 days.Four years later, against all odds, the fledging women’s rights movement has not only survived an intense crackdown by the government, but grown larger.China has no press freedom, no freedom of assembly, no independent judiciary and the world’s most aggressive system of internet censorship and surveillance. Beijing perceived the threat from feminist activists to be so dire that in May 2017, the People’s Daily online – the official mouthpiece of the Communist Party – published an announcement from the vice-president of the All-China Women’s Federation warning that “Western hostile forces” were using “Western feminism” and the notion of “putting feminism above all else” to attack China’s views on women and the country’s “basic policies on gender equality”.In January 2018, thousands of students and alumni in China – women as well as men – signed #MeToo petitions at dozens of universities, demanding action against sexual harassment. But many of the petitions were deleted by censors soon after being posted on social media.Late on the night of International Women’s Day last year, Weibo (China’s equivalent of Twitter) banned the most influential feminist social media account, Feminist Voices, because it “posted sensitive and illegal information”.The following day, the group messaging app WeChat banned their account as well. At the time the ban was imposed, Feminist Voices had over 180,000 followers on Weibo and over 70,000 followers on WeChat.The shrinking public space for discussing women’s rights in China makes it even more extraordinary that a feminist movement is able to survive at all. The party-state’s ongoing crackdown on women’s rights activists is particularly ironic, given the central importance of gender equality during the communist revolution and the early Mao era, following the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.The early communists enshrined “the equality of women and men” in the Constitution of the People’s Republic and the new government introduced ambitious initiatives to put women to work in building the new communist nation. By the 1970s, the Chinese government boasted the biggest female workforce in the world. With the onset of market reforms and the dismantling of the planned economy in the 1980s and 1990s, however, gender inequality came roaring back, leading to the rise of the contemporary feminist movement.While prominent male human rights activists have emerged over the years (most notably, the Nobel peace prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, who died in custody in 2017), very few ordinary Chinese citizens knew about them or could relate to their abstract goals.By contrast feminist activists today take up causes that are not directly confronting Communist party rule, but have broad resonance with millions of young, urban women across China, such as sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, and gender discrimination in employment and university admissions.The feminist activists have cultivated a networked community numbering into the thousands, revolving around university students and graduates. They have become effective organisers and arguably pose a larger, more complicated challenge to the communist regime than the male activists who preceded them.“The feminist movement is about women’s everyday concerns and building a community, rather than just having one or two famous individuals who can enlighten everybody else,” says Lü Pin, the founding editor of Feminist Voices, who is completing graduate studies at SUNY Albany. “Chinese women feel very unequal every day of their lives, and the government cannot make women oblivious to the deep injustice they feel.”Even as the government cracks down on feminist organising, ordinary women are increasingly sharing information and voicing their anger about sexism on the internet – even if they do not embrace the label of “feminist”.One of the most prominent voices in China’s #MeToo movement is 25-year-old Zhou Xiaoxuan, known by the nickname “Xianzi”, a former intern at China’s state-run television agency, who has accused a famous TV host, Zhu Jun, of forcibly groping her. Rather than backing down when Zhu sued her for defamation, Zhou Xiaoxuan decided to file a counter lawsuit, charging the TV host of hurting her right to personal dignity.As the #MeToo lawsuits continue, Feminist Voices founder Lü Pin describes the government’s backlash against feminism as “loose on the outside, tight on the inside” (waisong neijin), meaning that the authorities want to crack down while giving the world the impression that they are not too repressive. Meanwhile, Lü Pin foresees a difficult battle in the years ahead.“We must out-survive our enemies,” she says.• Leta Hong Fincher is the author of Betraying Big Brother: The Feminist Awakening in China and will appear at All About Women on 10 March Topics China Opinion Women's rights and gender equality International Women's Day Feminism #MeToo movement Social media Asia Pacific comment

Mr. Chernow described Hamilton as “an immigrant who arrived, thank God, before the country was full.” He noted that John Adams, who took steps to outlaw criticism of the government, failed to earn a second term. “Campaigns against the press don’t get your face carved into the rocks of Mount Rushmore,” he said, “for when you chip away at the press, you chip away at our democracy.” He concluded his remarks by saying: “Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.” (Mr. Chernow attributed the quote to Mark Twain, though its origins are murky.)A year ago, Matt Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union, stormed out in the middle of Ms. Wolf’s raucous set. On Saturday, he stuck around to the end, though he stopped short of endorsing Mr. Chernow’s remarks. “I had a lot of college professors who said the same thing,” Mr. Schlapp, whose wife, Mercedes, is a top White House adviser, said as he left the Hilton ballroom.Another Trump associate in attendance gave better marks. “It was perfectly spot-on for the time and for where we are in the world,” Gary Cohn, the president’s former chief economic adviser, said afterward. “It sort of hit the spot.”The writer and director Judd Apatow defended Ms. Wolf last year. But on Sunday, he praised Mr. Chernow’s performance as “a refreshing new approach.”“On the surface, one might think it is a safe choice, a retreat,” Mr. Apatow wrote in an email. “But having someone who actually reads and understands the lessons of history, as opposed to our president, makes a very strong, even aggressive statement about the dangers of having a president with no grasp of history or the true spirit of our country.”Once a high point of the Washington social calendar, the dinner has lost some of its glamour since Mr. Trump came to town. Hollywood agencies still threw parties the night before, but the big celebrity attraction this year was the actor Michael Kelly, who played Doug Stamper on the now-canceled political drama “House of Cards.” Sean Spicer, the former press secretary, showed up to an event with a camera crew from “Extra,” his current employer.At a charity brunch on Saturday hosted by the Washington doyenne Tammy Haddad, Jay Leno was the featured guest — and even he seemed unimpressed. “We’ve pretty much reached the bottom of the barrel here,” the former “Tonight Show” host quipped of his appearance. Mr. Leno’s next joke, which compared the event’s “spring garden” dress code to a feminine hygiene product, did not exactly kill.

The recent sentencing of Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort demonstrates again that white-collar defendants in the American legal system get off lightly compared with their street counterparts.The first sentence meted out to Manafort in Virginia would be seen as entirely misguided by almost all legal experts. Judge Ellis essentially trivialized the seriousness of the charges and politicized them in his fully biased and inappropriate remarks during the trial as due only to the special prosecutor’s quest to get to Trump. The punishment amounted to nothing more than a slap on the wrist.Manafort’s second sentence in Washington DC given by a more measured jurist was still quite magnanimous given the charges, which included witness tampering, and was well under the maximum penalty of 10 years. Public outrage over the sentences is not surprising. A number of issues are at play that assure that most white-collar offenders will get off lightly; or not be caught at all.First, consider that Paul Manafort, who the Virginia judge erroneously concluded led a “blameless life” would still be committing major financial frauds had he not put himself in the spotlight by volunteering to run Trump’s campaign. Little did he know that he would end up in the crosshairs of a special prosecutor’s investigation looking into Russian connections in the election, and even if he had thought of it, he might not have cared much. He had committed numerous major financial crimes, they were well-hidden, and he had cleverly avoided legal scrutiny in the past.He had successfully played the limited capacity of the legal system to identify complex financial schemes, and to investigate and sanction them. Like others of his ilk, his illusion of invulnerability allowed him to commit major white-collar crimes with impunity. If he had not been in financial debt to Russian oligarchs, Manafort would not have had to volunteer as a campaign manager in order to sell political favors, and would likely never have come under any prosecutorial scrutiny at all.Both sentences show the favorable results that can be attained by wealthy high-status defendants who can afford a bevy of very talented defense lawyers. Lower-end punishments can also be seen in relation to other less powerful white-collar offenders as well as to street criminals.For example, simply compare Manfort’s 7.5-year sentence to the Fyre Festival co-founder Billy McFarland’s sentence of six years for what most would consider far less serious crimes regarding wire fraud, false ticket sales and misrepresentation. Even he was able to dodge a 15-year sentence sought by the prosecution. The sophisticated “starched” white-collar criminal fared practically the same as the music festival organizer who the judge referred to as a “serial fraudster”. The same label could have applied to Manafort, only for more serious and costly offenses.These results aren’t entirely surprising. Criminological research demonstrates that white-collar defendants are likely to fare well compared with lower-status offenders. In a study of doctors convicted of fraud in California, for example, it was found that physicians were sanctioned significantly less than other first-time offenders who, on average, stole 10 times less. Similarly, during the savings and loan crisis a well-cited study showed that major financial fraudsters fared significantly better than federal offenders convicted of far less costly property crimes.Public outrage at the sentences of powerful white-collar criminals such as Manafort, more broadly indicates the normalization of such acts before the legal system, and highlights the need to understand the pernicious nature of the offenses and to take them more seriously. Since such crimes must be proactively policed by persons well-trained to do so, that means funding regulatory and policing agencies at much higher levels as well as sustained attention toward effective policies to induce compliance with the law.Just a few days after Manafort was sentenced another national scandal emerged when the justice department charged 50 individuals for their participation in a college admissions cheating scam. Wealthy parents paid a consultant to bribe athletic coaches, falsify test scores and even submit doctored photos of their children’s athletic bodies in order for them to gain admission to elite colleges and universities.That scandal may seem less significant than Manafort’s, but has similar implications. Both cases, widely covered by the media, confirmed what many Americans had long suspected about the institutions that dominate our lives: that they are neither fair nor unbiased and favor the wealthy at every step. Topics Paul Manafort Opinion Donald Trump comment

(Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Thursday said a software engineer has been indicted on charges he stole trade secrets from the suburban Chicago locomotive manufacturer where he once worked and took them to China. Xudong Yao, also known as William Yao, faces nine criminal counts in the indictment, which was unsealed this week in the federal court in Chicago. Yao, 57, is still at large and believed to be in China, according to prosecutors. A lawyer for him could not immediately be identified. Yao’s former employer was not identified. The December 2017 indictment was unveiled at a time the United States is demanding that China make sweeping policy changes to better protect American intellectual property, including by curbing alleged thefts of trade secrets. According to the indictment, within two weeks of being hired in August 2014, Yao downloaded more than 3,000 files containing proprietary and trade secret information related to the operating system for his former employer’s locomotives. The indictment said this included nine complete copies of the company’s control system source code, and specifications explaining how the code worked. Prosecutors said Yao soon began looking for a job in China, and kept downloading more trade secrets until February 2015, when he was fired for reasons unrelated to the theft, which had yet to be discovered. According to the indictment, Yao began working in China for a provider of automotive telematics service systems in July 2015, traveled to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport four months later with the stolen materials and later returned to China. Trade secret theft carries a maximum 10-year prison term. The case is U.S. v Yao, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, No. 17-cr-00795. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, editing by G CrosseOur Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Republican Senator Mike Lee, who had been shopping a second bill that would keep the emergency declaration in effect temporarily, said on Wednesday the White House had said Trump would not support his proposal, so he would be voting on Thursday to end the emergency declaration. “For decades, Congress has been giving far too much legislative power to the executive branch,” Lee said in a statement. “I will be voting to terminate the latest emergency declaration.” The Utah lawmaker was the fifth Republican senator to say they back a measure passed by the Democratic-led House of Representatives to terminate Trump’s declaration. In the 100-seat Senate, votes from at least four Republicans are needed to pass the measure, along with all 45 Democrats and two independents. Given Trump’s threat to veto the legislation, it is unlikely to become law. “We’ll see whether or not I have to do the veto. And it will be, I think, all very successful, regardless of how it all works out, but it’s going to be very successful,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday.