World News Briefs For Monday, 18 November 2019
Hello Australia!! - The battle for Hong Kong is getting more violent - Israel Folau sees fire, lights a match - A new threat to Sri Lanka's fragile peace - And more in your CareerSpot Global News Briefs:
Police in Hong Kong are warning protesters that they will use "live rounds" after a media liaison officer was hit in the leg with an arrow during a student protest near the city's Polytechnic University (PolyU). The two sides have been battling all night, with cops dodging projectiles and molotovs to dislodge the protesters. "I hereby warn rioters not to use petrol bombs, arrows, cars or any deadly weapons to attack police officers," police spokesman Louis Lau said, "If they continue such dangerous actions, we would have no choice but to use the minimum force necessary, including live rounds, to fire back." Police have shot three protesters in the months of demonstrations demanding more autonomy from Beijing.
Saudi Aramco is valuing itself at between US$1.6 and $1.7 Trillion, which would make its upcoming initial public offering (IPO) of its shares at US$25.6 Billion. That is reportedly short of the $2 Trillion that crown prince Mohammed bin Salman had wanted. If it achieves the top end of the range, the Saudi Aramco IPO will be the biggest, edging out the $25 Billion raised by China's Ali Baba in 2014.
Ford will unveil a new electric car today (Sunday night in America), not its first one but definitely the first from the "big three" US automakers to directly challenge Tesla. The Mustang Mach e is a SUV crossover thingee that promises to combine Mustang looks and performance with the family wagon. If/when it gets to Oz in two years, the starting price will be around AU$65,000.
Sri Lanka's controversial former wartime defense chief Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the winner of the presidential election, the first since 259 were killed in the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks claimed by the so-called Islamic State. Winning more than 52 percent of the vote, Mr. Rajapaksa is popular with the majority Sinhalese community for his defeat of separatist Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009, ending a decades-long war in which at least 100,000 people died. Naturally, northern Tamils, Hindus, and Muslims are concerned. "It is my duty to serve all Sri Lankans without racial or religious discrimination," Rajapaksa said, "I promise to discharge my duties in a fair manner."
Wildfires are still a big problem in Eastern Australia, so do be careful if you're in one of the hot and dry areas - For the latest information on the bushfire emergency, please click through to QLD RFS for Queensland, NSW RFS for New South Wales and Emergency WA for Western Australia.
Former Rugby Union player Israel Folau managed to throw some gasoline on a terrible situation by claiming Australia's bushfires are "God's punishment for legalizing abortion and same-sex marriage". The comments have drawn widespread condemnation from LGBT+ activists and Christians alike: "If God was angry, God's aim was off," noted Anglican minister Peter Kurti, who noted that "Parliament House in Macquarie Street and the Parliament House in Canberra" are responsible for law, not the bush in QLD and NSW. Sally Rugg of Change.org Australia said adults can roll their eyes, but "for kids who are beginning to figure out who they are and whether they’ll be okay, these horrible comments can have profound, lasting damage".