The Trump administration said it could no longer certify Hong Kong’s political autonomy from China, a move that could trigger sanctions and have far-reaching consequences on the former British colony’s special trading status with the U.S.

Secretary of State Michael Pompeo announced the decision Wednesday, a week after the government in Beijing declared its intention to pass national security legislation curtailing the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong citizens. The National People’s Congress, China’s legislature, is expected to pass the measure later on Thursday.

“Hong Kong does not continue to warrant treatment under United States laws in the same manner as U.S. laws were applied to Hong Kong before July 1997,” Pompeo said in a statement. “No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China, given facts on the ground.”

The move comes as tensions between the world’s two largest economies continue to escalate, fueled by accusations from President Donald Trump that China was slow to disclose the peril of coronavirus. Trump has threatened consequences for Beijing over its handling of the pandemic and more recently its steps to assert more control over Hong Kong. Congress also passed a bill that would sanction Chinese officials for human rights abuses against Muslim minorities.

Hong Kong shares tumbled in the wake of the news, with the Hang Seng Index flirting with the lowest level since global strains peaked in March. The offshore yuan dipped, as it continues to test record levels amid speculation the government would be willing to permit a weaker currency in response to fresh punitive measures from the U.S.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-27/pompeo-finds-hong-kong-is-no-longer-autonomous-from-china
— With assistance by George Lei

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has assured Hongkongers that her government would come up with special measures to help them relocate to the island, in an apparent effort to counter claims that she is giving up on Hong Kong.

Tsai said her cabinet would form an ad hoc committee to work out a humanitarian action plan for Hong Kong people.

Under the plan, the Mainland Affairs Council, the island’s top mainland policy planner, would establish concrete ways for the administration to help Hongkongers “live, relocate and work in Taiwan”, Tsai said.
She said a special budget and resources would be set aside for the programme, which would launched as soon as possible to address the needs of Hongkongers wanting to move amid concerns about threats to freedoms posed by the introduction of a national security law
.

After months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong, the National People’s Congress is expected to pass on Thursday a resolution to set up and improve legal and enforcement mechanisms for national security in Hong Kong, a move that has been widely condemned overseas and in the city.

The decision to form the committee comes after Tsai came under attack for suggesting in a Facebook post on Sunday that she might consider invoking Article 60 of the Laws and Regulations Regarding Hong Kong and Macau Affairs by suspending the “application of all or part of the provisions of the act” if the NPC bypassed Hong Kong’s Legislative Council to approve the security law.
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3086374/taiwan-will-help-fleeing-hongkongers-move-island-tsai-ing

Zakary Ray Linzy is a pedophile his Twitter is @footlover204 and his Snapchat is @zaklmao

Check out Zakary Ray Linzy (@ZakaryRayLinzy): https://twitter.com/ZakaryRayLinzy?s=09

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is prepared to offer extended visa rights and a pathway to citizenship for almost 3 million Hong Kong residents in response to China’s push to impose national security legislation in the former British colony.

China’s parliament has approved a decision to go forward with national security legislation for Hong Kong that democracy activists, diplomats and some in the business world fear will jeopardise its semi-autonomous status and its role as a global financial hub.

Britain, the United States, Australia, Canada and the EU have all sharply criticised the move.

Foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Thursday that if Beijing went ahead, Britain would extend the rights of 350,000 ‘British National Overseas’ passport holders.

On Friday the interior ministry said that this policy would apply to all BNOs currently in Hong Kong - a much larger group of around 2.9 million people according to British government figures.

“If China imposes this law, we will explore options to allow British Nationals Overseas to apply for leave to stay in the UK, including a path to citizenship,” Home Secretary Priti Patel said in a statement.

“We will continue to defend the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong.”

Beijing says the new legislation, likely to come into force before September, will tackle secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference in the city.

Chinese authorities and Hong Kong’s government say the legislation poses no threat to the city’s autonomy and the interests of foreign investors will be preserved.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-protests-britain-visas/britain-may-offer-path-to-citizenship-for-nearly-3-million-in-hong-kong-idUSKBN2352ZI

The president shared eight posts from John K Stahl — who also has called Ms Abrams “Shamu” and the House Speaker “Super Skank”, while the nation’s death toll from the coronavirus pandemic approaches 100,000.

One post attacked vice president Biden as “Malarkey the Racist” for his you "aint black"-jack comment.
In a post with two Photoshopped images of Trump-branded face coverings and duct tape covering her mouth,Trump reposted Mr Stahl saying: “She will be able to tongue and adjust her dentures more easily. With duct tape, she won’t be able to drink booze on the job as much.”

Last week, Speaker Pelosi called Mr Trump ”morbidly obese”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-twitter-hilary-clinton-democrats-sexist-tweets-a9530556.html

'Half your crew's not wearing them!' MSNBC reporter trying to shame people for not wearing masks is caught out by bystander

MSNBC reporter Cal Perry was called out during a live TV report Monday as his crew were not wearing face masks
Perry had been attempting to use a bystander as an example of how visitors to the area were not covering their faces
The unidentified man clapped back that his crew were doing the same
A video filmed by the passerby shows Perry's crew without masks on
Perry looked sheepish as he passed back to the studio
Wisconsin began to reopen from May 13 when the state Supreme Court deemed Gov Tony Evers' extended Safer at Home order unconstitutional
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8359431/MSNBC-reporter-trying-shame-people-not-wearing-masks-caught-bystander.html
And if you get stuck by the paywall
https://outline.com/3np7bA

Entire article at:
https://abcnews.go.com/International/sweden-stayed-open-coronavirus-pandemic-model-future/story?id=70666450
May 27, 2020

Sweden stayed open during the coronavirus pandemic: Is it a model for the future?
The country's approach has drawn international praise and criticism.

LONDON -- Sweden has pursued its own distinct path when it comes to tackling the coronavirus pandemic. By choosing to stay open rather than instituting a policy of lockdown, Sweden's policies have drawn both international praise and criticism.

While Sweden's decision early in the pandemic to allow bars, restaurants, schools and shops to remain open was almost unthinkable for the rest of the world under lockdown, the Scandinavian country is now being looked at by some as a model for the future.

Recently, Republican Sen. Rand Paul said the U.S. must “keep an open mind” when it comes to the Swedish approach, as governments across Europe and the U.S. chart a way out of lockdown.

Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, the architect behind Sweden’s policy, has repeatedly doubled down on the merits of his country's approach. Sweden, he said, is playing the long game despite the country having a much higher death rate than its neighbors.

“In the autumn, there will be a second wave. Sweden will have a high level of immunity and the number of cases will probably be quite low,” Tegnell told The Financial Times earlier this month. “But [neighboring] Finland will have a very low level of immunity. Will Finland have to go into a complete lockdown again?”

Entire article at:
https://abcnews.go.com/International/sweden-stayed-open-coronavirus-pandemic-model-future/story?id=70666450