Hong Kong's 'umbrella revolution' opens wide

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HONG KONG — Pro-democracy protesters took to the streets Tuesday in a growing confrontation with China over the financial hub's future as either an enclave of freedom or another communist-controlled city.

Protest leaders set a Wednesday deadline for a response from the government to their demands for reforms and said they would soon announce new civil disobedience plans.

Some protesters are already labeling the movement "the umbrella revolution" for the umbrellas many are holding to deflect pepper spray and tear gas that was lobbed by police on Sunday night.

That fueled even more protesters to come out in force Monday. Tens of thousands of young demonstrators blocked what are normally some of Hong Kong's busiest streets.

"It's the 'umbrella revolution,'" said Emily Pang, 24, a cricket club receptionist who planned to stay overnight in the streets beside one of many barricades. "I have to protect our Hong Kong," she said.
The protest was sparked by anger over China's refusal to allow the open selection of candidates for Hong Kong's leader, called the chief executive, in the city's first democratic election scheduled for 2017. Instead, a panel will pick two or three candidates to run.

At stake is not just the election but the future of the former British colony as a semiautonomous city and the prospect of the pro-democracy movement spreading to the mainland.

"This is anything but a flash in the pan," said Scott Harold, a political scientist at RAND Corp. Beijing wants to crack down on the protests so that Hong Kong's political freedoms don't "infect" the rest of the country, he said.

Wall Street is also watching the protests nervously, as the world's second-largest economy can make global markets shudder. The Dow initially plunged 170 points early Monday before mostly recovering by day's end.

    Umbrella Men: Hong Kong’s #OccupyCentral goes viral & visual (PHOTOS) http://t.co/rCWbI5EfkUpic.twitter.com/HD2SBpL7IS
    — ☭rapidnewstweets☠ (@juergen_p) September 29, 2014

China, which has ruled Hong Kong since 1997 as "one country, two systems," has denounced the week-long protest and blocked information about it from reaching the mainland. Instagram was blocked Sunday. Beijing also blocks other globally popular sites, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Chinese state media have offered little coverage of what's happening in Hong Kong other than noting an illegal gathering was out of control and being curtailed by police.

In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the United States is closely watching the situation and is calling on authorities to "exercise restraint."

"The United States supports universal suffrage in Hong Kong," Earnest said, adding that people should have "a genuine choice of candidates."
USA TODAY

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Earthquake 'kills 175' in south-west China

At least 175 people have been killed and some 1,300 injured after a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck in south-west China, state media say.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck about 11km (7 miles) north-west of Wenping in Yunnan province at 16:30 local time (08:30 GMT).
A major rescue and relief operation is under way.
State broadcaster CCTV said the earthquake was the strongest to hit the province in 14 years.

The USGS said the quake struck at a depth of about 10km in a remote mountainous area in Yunnan province.
The tremor was also felt in the neighbouring provinces of Guizhou and Sichuan.

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Out of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.Chinese state broadcaster footage shows the moment the quake strikes

Xinhua said about 12,000 homes had collapsed in Ludian, a county of some 439,000 people, north-east of Yunnan province's capital, Kunming.
All of the casualties reported so far are in Qiaojia County of the Zhaotong region, which appeared to be the hardest hit.
Ma Liya, a resident of Zhaotong, told Xinhua that the streets there were like "battlefield after bombardment", adding her neighbour's house, a new two-storey building, had collapsed.
The government is sending 2,000 tents, 3,000 folding beds, 3,000 quilts and 3,000 coats to the disaster zone, the report said.

People walk among debris after the earthquake in Ludian county

Rescuers work in rubble in Zhaotong

Rescuers carry an injured child on a stretcher, also in Zhaotong

Earthquake damage can be seen on this building in Ludian county

After initial reports of a death toll of 26, Xinhua reported that the number killed had risen sharply, to 150.
The news agency says the epicentre of the earthquake was in Longtoushan in Yunnan's Ludian county.
Chen Guoyong, the head of Longtoushan township, told Xinhua that many houses had fallen and rescuers had been sent to the epicentre.
Many people rushed out of buildings onto the street after the quake hit, electricity supplies were cut and at least one school collapsed, Xinhua reports.
Communications have also been seriously affected.
South-west China lies in an area that is prone to earthquakes.
An earthquake in Sichuan in 2008 killed tens of thousands of people.
And in 1970, a magnitude 7.7 quake in Yunnan killed at least 15,000 people.
BBC

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Typhoon Matmo Slams Taiwan, China Next Target

 
Typhoon Matmo is bearing down on Taiwan with landfall to occur Tuesday night local time.
Matmo is approaching the east coast of Taiwan with maximum wind gusts over 160 kph (100 mph).
The heaviest rain thus far has fallen across Lanyu Township, just east of the main island of Taiwan. Rainfall of 250-300 mm (10-12 inches) has been reported. Also wind gusts over 100 mph have pelted the small island for several hours as the eye of the storm passed just to the northeast.
Heavy rain and strong winds will worsen across much of Taiwan through Wednesday morning as the storm crosses the island and then moves into the Formosa Strait (Taiwan Strait) during the day on Wednesday.
Since mountains cover much of the island, heavy rainfall will likely create dangerous and life-threatening mudslides, while flooding will be a major concern across all areas.



Rainfall will average 100-200 mm (4-8 inches) across much of Taiwan, with local amounts in excess of 300 mm (12 inches).
Coastal areas along the northeast and east of Taiwan will likely endure flooding as the strong winds push water inland.
This satellite image of Typhoon Matmo, courtesy of NOAA, was taken Tuesday night, local time.
After Matmo leaves Taiwan, a second landfall is likely on the China coast Wednesday afternoon or evening local time.
Areas from northern Fujian to Zhejiang will be at the greatest risk during this time. Rainfall of 100-200 mm (4-8 inches) is expected along with locally damaging winds.

While Matmo will not make landfall in the Philippines, northern parts of the country will still feel some effects from the storm as it passes by to the northeast.
Heavy rain will target western parts of the Philippines as Matmo enhances a tropical southwesterly flow from the South China Sea leading to a threat for dangerous flooding in parts of Mimaropa, Visayas and Luzon.
Through Wednesday, highly populated areas, such as Manila, can get 50-100 mm (2-4 inches) of rain with isolated total in excess of 200 mm (8 inches) which will lead to the threat for flooding.
Rammasun brought damaging wind and flooding rainfall to this same area less than a week ago.

Matmo will also bring rain and wind to the southern Ryukyu Islands of Japan into Wednesday. However, impacts will be confined to the islands immediately east of Taiwan and will remain to the south and west of Okinawa which was impacted by Typhoon Neoguri early in July.

After pushing into eastern China, Matmo will be pulled northward by a trough, tracking west of Shanghai across the interior of China. This interaction with land will weaken the cyclone to a tropical storm by Thursday.
A northeast turn will eventually take Matmo into the Korean Peninsula later this week where heavy rain and flooding will be major concerns.
Impacts from Matmo will be well to the north of southern China and northern Vietnam, areas that were recently impacted by Rammasun just days ago.

By Eric Leister, Meteorologist   http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/typhoon-matmo-to-threaten-taiw-1/30703680

July 22, 2014; 7:59 AM

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Typhoon Kills 17 in China

 A dog walks past as a man stands in front of a factory building which was destroyed by Typhoon Rammasun, in Leizhou, Guangdong province, China, July 19, 2014.

July 20, 2014 

Typhoon Rammasun's violent winds and heavy rains are continuing a destructive path, killing 17 people in China after claiming nearly 100 lives in the Philippines.
The storm left eight people dead in the island province of Hainan before reaching the mainland, where nine died in Guangxi, according to Chinese state media.
At least 94 people are dead and six still missing in the Philippines following the storm, which knocked out power to millions in the capital of Manila.
The typhoon regained strength over the South China Sea and made landfall Friday in China with winds exceeding 200 kilometers an hour, making it the strongest storm to hit the area in 41 years.
Heavy rains are expected to lash northern China early this week.
A new storm, Matmo, could bring another round of heavy wind and rains to the same areas battered by Rammasun.
VOA News

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