‘Undercover Grinch’ captures suspected drug dealers in Peru
By Ayman Ragab
A Peruvian police officer dressed as the Christmas character Grinch led a police operation in Lima to dismantle a drug trafficking gang on December 20, 2024.
The agent, dressed up as the famous character created by author Dr Seuss, entered the home of a family of suspected drug dealers in San Bartolo, southern Lima.
The police unit often dresses its agents as famous characters while carrying out operations during the holiday season, such as Halloween and Christmas.
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By Ayman Ragab
A Peruvian police officer dressed as the Christmas character Grinch led a police operation in Lima to dismantle a drug trafficking gang on December 20, 2024.
The agent, dressed up as the famous character created by author Dr Seuss, entered the home of a family of suspected drug dealers in San Bartolo, southern Lima.
The police unit often dresses its agents as famous characters while carrying out operations during the holiday season, such as Halloween and Christmas.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
EU tariffs slow Chinese EV exports, Geely looks to expand in Asia: 7 EV reads
By SCMP
We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
The value of China’s electric vehicle exports plunged last month to their lowest level since July 2022, driven by tariff challenges in Europe, large declines in shipments to emerging markets and intensified price cuts.
China’s car exports are likely to hit a speed bump in 2025 as leading EV players absorb additional tariffs from the European Union, the biggest overseas market where mainland-made cars enjoy a healthy profit margin.
China’s automotive industry will need components and software worth 2.6 trillion yuan (US$356.2 billion) a year by 2030 amid mainland buyers’ surging interest in smart cars with autonomous driving systems and digital cockpits even as a brutal price war envelops the industry.
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By SCMP
We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
The value of China’s electric vehicle exports plunged last month to their lowest level since July 2022, driven by tariff challenges in Europe, large declines in shipments to emerging markets and intensified price cuts.
China’s car exports are likely to hit a speed bump in 2025 as leading EV players absorb additional tariffs from the European Union, the biggest overseas market where mainland-made cars enjoy a healthy profit margin.
China’s automotive industry will need components and software worth 2.6 trillion yuan (US$356.2 billion) a year by 2030 amid mainland buyers’ surging interest in smart cars with autonomous driving systems and digital cockpits even as a brutal price war envelops the industry.
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Chinese satellite posed no danger but gave US observers ‘spectacular’ light show
By Ling Xin
The re-entry of what is believed to be a defunct Chinese satellite over US skies last week created a spectacular light show but posed no real danger, according to space experts, who also said the event was unintentional.
A giant fireball that was spotted piercing the atmosphere in a giant fireball above Louisiana at around 10pm local time on Saturday was probably the remains of a Gaojing SuperView 1-02, a high-resolution commercial imaging satellite, they said.
A social media user captured a video of the event, taken while he was outside his Prairieville home with friends. “What is that? “Wow. This was real. Just happened at 22:08 CST Louisiana. Meteor shower,” he posted.
“It was crazy. Took us off guard by the fire,” he added later. Observers across social media continued to report sightings as the fireball streaked northward, illuminating the skies over Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri.
Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astronomer and satellite tracker, saw the posts and identified the event as a space debris re-entry. Checking the US Space Force’s tracking data for possible candidates, he found a match with the Gaojing 1-02 orbit.
Gaojing 1-02 weighed 560kg (1,234.5 pounds) and was operational from late 2016 to early 2023, at an altitude of 530km (329 miles) where it captured high-resolution images for resource surveys, environmental monitoring, and mapping in China.
The satellite, which was decommissioned two years ago, had no active manoeuvring capability and it was not possible to target a specific landing location, McDowell said. No reports of debris recovery have emerged since its re-entry.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Ling Xin
The re-entry of what is believed to be a defunct Chinese satellite over US skies last week created a spectacular light show but posed no real danger, according to space experts, who also said the event was unintentional.
A giant fireball that was spotted piercing the atmosphere in a giant fireball above Louisiana at around 10pm local time on Saturday was probably the remains of a Gaojing SuperView 1-02, a high-resolution commercial imaging satellite, they said.
A social media user captured a video of the event, taken while he was outside his Prairieville home with friends. “What is that? “Wow. This was real. Just happened at 22:08 CST Louisiana. Meteor shower,” he posted.
“It was crazy. Took us off guard by the fire,” he added later. Observers across social media continued to report sightings as the fireball streaked northward, illuminating the skies over Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri.
Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astronomer and satellite tracker, saw the posts and identified the event as a space debris re-entry. Checking the US Space Force’s tracking data for possible candidates, he found a match with the Gaojing 1-02 orbit.
Gaojing 1-02 weighed 560kg (1,234.5 pounds) and was operational from late 2016 to early 2023, at an altitude of 530km (329 miles) where it captured high-resolution images for resource surveys, environmental monitoring, and mapping in China.
The satellite, which was decommissioned two years ago, had no active manoeuvring capability and it was not possible to target a specific landing location, McDowell said. No reports of debris recovery have emerged since its re-entry.
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Will India’s undersea cable overhaul make it a global data powerhouse?
By Vasudevan Sridharan
With several advanced undersea cable systems poised to go live by 2025, India is positioning itself as a major player in global data infrastructure, bolstering its technological clout amid growing concerns over the security of these networks.
Multiple next-generation systems – including IAX, IEX, 2Africa Pearl, Blue Raman and MIST – are due to become operational by 2025, replacing ageing cables nearing the end of their 25-year lifespans.
These cables will connect different locations in India to over a dozen countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia via crucial sea routes.
Global tech giants Google and Meta, along with Indian powerhouses Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, are driving the expansion of these systems amid soaring demand for data services, the rise of artificial intelligence and a flourishing data centre market.
“These cable systems undoubtedly bolster India’s geopolitical play by creating ready-to-use information superhighways across multiple countries,” said Suvesh Chattopadhyaya, an independent telecom consultant and undersea cable industry veteran, told this Week in Asia
Undersea cables are fibre-optic lines laid on the ocean floor, connecting continents and forming the foundation of modern digital infrastructure. They are estimated to handle around US$10 trillion in financial transactions daily.
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By Vasudevan Sridharan
With several advanced undersea cable systems poised to go live by 2025, India is positioning itself as a major player in global data infrastructure, bolstering its technological clout amid growing concerns over the security of these networks.
Multiple next-generation systems – including IAX, IEX, 2Africa Pearl, Blue Raman and MIST – are due to become operational by 2025, replacing ageing cables nearing the end of their 25-year lifespans.
These cables will connect different locations in India to over a dozen countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia via crucial sea routes.
Global tech giants Google and Meta, along with Indian powerhouses Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, are driving the expansion of these systems amid soaring demand for data services, the rise of artificial intelligence and a flourishing data centre market.
“These cable systems undoubtedly bolster India’s geopolitical play by creating ready-to-use information superhighways across multiple countries,” said Suvesh Chattopadhyaya, an independent telecom consultant and undersea cable industry veteran, told this Week in Asia
Undersea cables are fibre-optic lines laid on the ocean floor, connecting continents and forming the foundation of modern digital infrastructure. They are estimated to handle around US$10 trillion in financial transactions daily.
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How ‘made in China’ became trendy, thanks to Labubu toy’s Asia-wide success
By Mandy Zuo
What was the hottest toy in Asia this year? For many, the answer is a quirky, rubber-coated plush character with pointy ears, devilish eyes, jagged teeth and a mischievous grin.
Labubu, designed by Hong Kong-born Kasing Lung and made by Pop Mart, China’s leading retailer of trendy toys, has captured the hearts of fans across the continent with its unusual and eye-catching design.
Pop Mart, the “largest and fastest-growing enterprise in the trendy toy industry” according to a report by Guosen Securities released at the end of last month, has witnessed double-digit sales growth in China and triple-digit growth in international markets in the past year.
Labubu and other mystery collectibles, often kept in sealed packaging known as blind boxes, are helping to reshape the global perception of “made in China” products. Instead of being seen as cheap, mass-produced items, the toys are gaining global recognition for their unique designs, brand power, and their ability to tap into emerging consumer trends.
At a Pop Mart store in Shanghai’s Xuhui district, one customer said she had finally managed to buy a Labubu set after months of waiting.
“I could never get one when the stock was replenished online because so many people rushed to buy at the same time,” she said. “Today, I finally got one at an official store, and I’m so happy!”
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Mandy Zuo
What was the hottest toy in Asia this year? For many, the answer is a quirky, rubber-coated plush character with pointy ears, devilish eyes, jagged teeth and a mischievous grin.
Labubu, designed by Hong Kong-born Kasing Lung and made by Pop Mart, China’s leading retailer of trendy toys, has captured the hearts of fans across the continent with its unusual and eye-catching design.
Pop Mart, the “largest and fastest-growing enterprise in the trendy toy industry” according to a report by Guosen Securities released at the end of last month, has witnessed double-digit sales growth in China and triple-digit growth in international markets in the past year.
Labubu and other mystery collectibles, often kept in sealed packaging known as blind boxes, are helping to reshape the global perception of “made in China” products. Instead of being seen as cheap, mass-produced items, the toys are gaining global recognition for their unique designs, brand power, and their ability to tap into emerging consumer trends.
At a Pop Mart store in Shanghai’s Xuhui district, one customer said she had finally managed to buy a Labubu set after months of waiting.
“I could never get one when the stock was replenished online because so many people rushed to buy at the same time,” she said. “Today, I finally got one at an official store, and I’m so happy!”
via SCMP Full Text Feed
As Trudeau battles political crisis, Canada’s regional leaders court Trump to avert trade war
By Bloomberg
Although Canada faces a major trade war with the US as soon as president-elect Donald Trump enters office in less than a month, Justin Trudeau has been distracted by a leadership crisis that could topple him as prime minister.
The situation has Canada’s regional leaders hopping on flights to influence the incoming Trump administration themselves.
For Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai, that led to chewing the fat with the president-elect’s eldest son, Donald J. Trump Jnr, over meals of black bear spring rolls, turkey, deer and oysters at a hunting lodge in North Carolina.
Don Jnr, as he is often called, has frequented the Yukon for hunting trips, a passion Pillai shares. And the Trumps have ties to the region. More than a century ago, Donald Trump Snr’s grandfather Friedrich Trump capitalised on the Yukon gold rush with a restaurant, bar and brothel in a remote town close to the northern territory’s border.
“I made sure that I brought him, Don, some clothing, because I wanted to remind him that the Trump family businesses were Yukon-built,” Pillai said by phone. The two first met at a conference in Nevada a few months prior.
Pillai said the conversations were “incredibly positive” and an opportunity to “share some data points” and argue that the US-Canada trading deficit that stokes the president-elect’s ire “is only because we’re sending raw materials to them, and they’re creating jobs and value from that”.
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By Bloomberg
Although Canada faces a major trade war with the US as soon as president-elect Donald Trump enters office in less than a month, Justin Trudeau has been distracted by a leadership crisis that could topple him as prime minister.
The situation has Canada’s regional leaders hopping on flights to influence the incoming Trump administration themselves.
For Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai, that led to chewing the fat with the president-elect’s eldest son, Donald J. Trump Jnr, over meals of black bear spring rolls, turkey, deer and oysters at a hunting lodge in North Carolina.
Don Jnr, as he is often called, has frequented the Yukon for hunting trips, a passion Pillai shares. And the Trumps have ties to the region. More than a century ago, Donald Trump Snr’s grandfather Friedrich Trump capitalised on the Yukon gold rush with a restaurant, bar and brothel in a remote town close to the northern territory’s border.
“I made sure that I brought him, Don, some clothing, because I wanted to remind him that the Trump family businesses were Yukon-built,” Pillai said by phone. The two first met at a conference in Nevada a few months prior.
Pillai said the conversations were “incredibly positive” and an opportunity to “share some data points” and argue that the US-Canada trading deficit that stokes the president-elect’s ire “is only because we’re sending raw materials to them, and they’re creating jobs and value from that”.
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Former Taiwan leader emphasises shared historical roots of island and mainland Chinese
By Lawrence Chung
Former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou has vowed to protect the island’s deep-rooted cultural and historical ties with mainland China while accusing the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) of having a “misguided political agenda” in attempting to sever these links.
“In the past several decades, Taiwan has played a vital role in preserving and promoting Chinese culture. But today, Chinese culture in Taiwan faces an unprecedented crisis,” Ma said at a seminar in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Monday. “The DPP’s political manipulations have steered Taiwan in the wrong direction of de-sinicisation.”
The seminar, held at Chengdu’s renowned Du Fu Thatched Cottage in the southwestern province, was co-hosted by the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office’s (TAO) Centre for Cross-Strait Research and Sichuan University.
It brought together high-ranking mainland officials, including TAO director Song Tao, academics and participants from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to discuss preserving Chinese cultural heritage.
In his speech, Ma highlighted the linguistic, cultural and historical commonalities shared across the strait, emphasising that people on both sides were descendants of Emperor Yan and the Yellow Emperor.
“Chinese civilisation is the world’s only ancient culture to have endured 5,000 years without interruption,” he said. “This is a testament to the combined efforts across the strait that have ensured Chinese culture not only survives but continues to thrive.”
Ma highlighted the core values of Chinese culture, including reverence for history, gratitude and a deep sense of heritage. These traditions, he argued, had been the cornerstone of Chinese resilience over millennia.
“Most Taiwanese people maintain a strong sense of identity with Chinese culture and the Chinese nation,” Ma asserted. “Any attempts by the DPP to promote de-sinicisation are bound to fail because Chinese culture is deeply rooted in the bloodline of its people.”
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By Lawrence Chung
Former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou has vowed to protect the island’s deep-rooted cultural and historical ties with mainland China while accusing the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) of having a “misguided political agenda” in attempting to sever these links.
“In the past several decades, Taiwan has played a vital role in preserving and promoting Chinese culture. But today, Chinese culture in Taiwan faces an unprecedented crisis,” Ma said at a seminar in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Monday. “The DPP’s political manipulations have steered Taiwan in the wrong direction of de-sinicisation.”
The seminar, held at Chengdu’s renowned Du Fu Thatched Cottage in the southwestern province, was co-hosted by the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office’s (TAO) Centre for Cross-Strait Research and Sichuan University.
It brought together high-ranking mainland officials, including TAO director Song Tao, academics and participants from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to discuss preserving Chinese cultural heritage.
In his speech, Ma highlighted the linguistic, cultural and historical commonalities shared across the strait, emphasising that people on both sides were descendants of Emperor Yan and the Yellow Emperor.
“Chinese civilisation is the world’s only ancient culture to have endured 5,000 years without interruption,” he said. “This is a testament to the combined efforts across the strait that have ensured Chinese culture not only survives but continues to thrive.”
Ma highlighted the core values of Chinese culture, including reverence for history, gratitude and a deep sense of heritage. These traditions, he argued, had been the cornerstone of Chinese resilience over millennia.
“Most Taiwanese people maintain a strong sense of identity with Chinese culture and the Chinese nation,” Ma asserted. “Any attempts by the DPP to promote de-sinicisation are bound to fail because Chinese culture is deeply rooted in the bloodline of its people.”
via SCMP Full Text Feed
‘Very worrying’: record 78% of people in Japan feel anxious, survey shows
By Julian Ryall
A record high 78.2 per cent of Japanese people are anxious about their lives, according to a government survey, with the economy, rising prices, uncertain job prospects and the state of the world cited as reasons for their disquiet.
The percentage of Japanese expressing concern about their day-to-day lives is the highest since the Cabinet Office started conducting the annual survey in 1981 and up from 75.9 per cent last year, while the survey also revealed that a growing number feel their standard of living is declining.
Nearly 64 per cent of the 1,831 people who responded to the survey said they were worried about their health, with 62.8 per cent saying they were fearful about how they would manage after retirement. The study, released on Friday, also showed that 58 per cent were concerned about their future income and savings.
Some 64.5 per cent said they were unhappy with their incomes, down 3.5 percentage points from last year, with just 34.9 per cent happy with how much they were earning, although that figure was a 3.5 percentage point improvement on the December 2023 survey.
Asked where they estimate they are on a standard of living scale, 1.7 per cent said they were in the top echelon of Japanese society, the same as last year, while 14.2 per cent said they were in the top of the middle class, down from 14.7 per cent one year ago.
Some 46.3 per cent said they were in the middle of the middle class, down from 46.7 per cent last year, while 28.1 per cent said they were in the lower middle class, a decline from 25.5 per cent. Those identifying as being in the lowest class of Japanese society went from 8.1 per cent last year to 8.7 per cent in the most recent study.
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By Julian Ryall
A record high 78.2 per cent of Japanese people are anxious about their lives, according to a government survey, with the economy, rising prices, uncertain job prospects and the state of the world cited as reasons for their disquiet.
The percentage of Japanese expressing concern about their day-to-day lives is the highest since the Cabinet Office started conducting the annual survey in 1981 and up from 75.9 per cent last year, while the survey also revealed that a growing number feel their standard of living is declining.
Nearly 64 per cent of the 1,831 people who responded to the survey said they were worried about their health, with 62.8 per cent saying they were fearful about how they would manage after retirement. The study, released on Friday, also showed that 58 per cent were concerned about their future income and savings.
Some 64.5 per cent said they were unhappy with their incomes, down 3.5 percentage points from last year, with just 34.9 per cent happy with how much they were earning, although that figure was a 3.5 percentage point improvement on the December 2023 survey.
Asked where they estimate they are on a standard of living scale, 1.7 per cent said they were in the top echelon of Japanese society, the same as last year, while 14.2 per cent said they were in the top of the middle class, down from 14.7 per cent one year ago.
Some 46.3 per cent said they were in the middle of the middle class, down from 46.7 per cent last year, while 28.1 per cent said they were in the lower middle class, a decline from 25.5 per cent. Those identifying as being in the lowest class of Japanese society went from 8.1 per cent last year to 8.7 per cent in the most recent study.
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Israel says Rafah military operations led to killing of 6 Gaza hostages by Hamas
By Agence France-Presse
The Israeli army said on Tuesday it had concluded that military operations in southern Gaza likely led to the killing by Hamas of six hostages in August.
As the fighting churns on, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, said that an Israeli delegation returned from a “significant” round of talks in Qatar aiming to secure a truce and the release of dozens of hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.
In late August, after troops found the six hostages’ bodies in an underground shaft in Rafah, the military said they were killed just before soldiers reached them.
Netanyahu said at the time that the six – Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino – were “executed” with a bullet “to the head”.
The military probe into their deaths found that Israeli “ground activities in the area, although gradual and cautious, had a circumstantial influence on the terrorists’ decision to murder the six hostages”, the army said in a statement on Tuesday.
It said that “based on the investigation, the hostages were murdered by gunfire from Hamas terrorists” while Israeli forces were operating in the Tel al-Sultan area.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group responded to the army’s statement by calling for action to bring back all remaining hostages.
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By Agence France-Presse
The Israeli army said on Tuesday it had concluded that military operations in southern Gaza likely led to the killing by Hamas of six hostages in August.
As the fighting churns on, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, said that an Israeli delegation returned from a “significant” round of talks in Qatar aiming to secure a truce and the release of dozens of hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.
In late August, after troops found the six hostages’ bodies in an underground shaft in Rafah, the military said they were killed just before soldiers reached them.
Netanyahu said at the time that the six – Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino – were “executed” with a bullet “to the head”.
The military probe into their deaths found that Israeli “ground activities in the area, although gradual and cautious, had a circumstantial influence on the terrorists’ decision to murder the six hostages”, the army said in a statement on Tuesday.
It said that “based on the investigation, the hostages were murdered by gunfire from Hamas terrorists” while Israeli forces were operating in the Tel al-Sultan area.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group responded to the army’s statement by calling for action to bring back all remaining hostages.
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Call for Hong Kong to subsidise smart trackers for dementia sufferers
By Fiona Sun
Experts and groups dedicated to helping people with dementia in Hong Kong have called for more community and technological support to prevent sufferers from going missing in wake of recent tragedies involving those with the illness.
Technologies such as smart tracking devices had become an increasingly useful tool in protecting dementia patients from getting lost, they said, calling for more resources to boost their popularity.
The Post found that at least four elderly residents with dementia were reported missing by media and authorities between August and this month.
Among the recent tragedies was a case involving a 72-year-old Pakistani man who was found dead next to Tuen Mun Road earlier this month after being missing for six days. A source said he had dementia.
Initial investigations suggested the man could have fallen from the adjacent 30-metre (98-foot) slope and hit a hard object.
The Post also found that at least five dementia sufferers, all aged above 60, were reported missing by media and authorities in 2023.
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By Fiona Sun
Experts and groups dedicated to helping people with dementia in Hong Kong have called for more community and technological support to prevent sufferers from going missing in wake of recent tragedies involving those with the illness.
Technologies such as smart tracking devices had become an increasingly useful tool in protecting dementia patients from getting lost, they said, calling for more resources to boost their popularity.
The Post found that at least four elderly residents with dementia were reported missing by media and authorities between August and this month.
Among the recent tragedies was a case involving a 72-year-old Pakistani man who was found dead next to Tuen Mun Road earlier this month after being missing for six days. A source said he had dementia.
Initial investigations suggested the man could have fallen from the adjacent 30-metre (98-foot) slope and hit a hard object.
The Post also found that at least five dementia sufferers, all aged above 60, were reported missing by media and authorities in 2023.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Beijing urged to strengthen legal talent pool in South China Sea dispute with Philippines
By Alyssa Chen
Beijing has been urged to strengthen its team of specialists in maritime law as the Philippines threatens a further challenge over the long-running dispute in the South China Sea.
Wu Shicun, founder of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies and chairman of the Huayang Centre for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, said the coming year is a critical window of opportunity for Beijing.
Manila is threatening to launch new arbitration proceedings, while the re-election of Donald Trump as US president adds further uncertainty to the dynamics in the South China Sea, Wu said.
“To more effectively safeguard China’s maritime interests and address the challenges posed by other claimant nations, there is an urgent need for China to develop a cadre of legal experts,” Wu said.
These professionals must not only have a deep understanding of international law but also be proficient in foreign languages and well informed about other countries’ politics, he said.
Wu was speaking at a workshop focused on international dispute resolution held in Beijing last week, which the Huayang centre co-hosted.
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By Alyssa Chen
Beijing has been urged to strengthen its team of specialists in maritime law as the Philippines threatens a further challenge over the long-running dispute in the South China Sea.
Wu Shicun, founder of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies and chairman of the Huayang Centre for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, said the coming year is a critical window of opportunity for Beijing.
Manila is threatening to launch new arbitration proceedings, while the re-election of Donald Trump as US president adds further uncertainty to the dynamics in the South China Sea, Wu said.
“To more effectively safeguard China’s maritime interests and address the challenges posed by other claimant nations, there is an urgent need for China to develop a cadre of legal experts,” Wu said.
These professionals must not only have a deep understanding of international law but also be proficient in foreign languages and well informed about other countries’ politics, he said.
Wu was speaking at a workshop focused on international dispute resolution held in Beijing last week, which the Huayang centre co-hosted.
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Man accused of burning New York woman to death fanned flames with shirt, prosecutors say
By Associated Press
The man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York subway train used a shirt to fan the flames, a prosecutor said Tuesday at his arraignment on murder charges.
Sebastian Zapeta, 33, who federal immigration officials said is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the US illegally, was not required to enter a plea and did not speak at the hearing in Brooklyn criminal court.
Zapeta, wearing a white jumpsuit over a weathered black hooded sweatshirt, will remain jailed at the city’s Rikers Island complex and is due back in court on Friday. His lawyer did not ask for bail.
Zapeta is charged with two counts of murder, accusing him of intentionally killing the woman and killing her while committing arson. He is also charged with one count of arson. The top charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez called the attack a “gruesome and senseless act of violence” and said it would be “met with the most serious consequences”.
The apparently random attack occurred Sunday morning on an F train that was stopped at the Coney Island station. The victim’s identification is still pending.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Associated Press
The man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York subway train used a shirt to fan the flames, a prosecutor said Tuesday at his arraignment on murder charges.
Sebastian Zapeta, 33, who federal immigration officials said is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the US illegally, was not required to enter a plea and did not speak at the hearing in Brooklyn criminal court.
Zapeta, wearing a white jumpsuit over a weathered black hooded sweatshirt, will remain jailed at the city’s Rikers Island complex and is due back in court on Friday. His lawyer did not ask for bail.
Zapeta is charged with two counts of murder, accusing him of intentionally killing the woman and killing her while committing arson. He is also charged with one count of arson. The top charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez called the attack a “gruesome and senseless act of violence” and said it would be “met with the most serious consequences”.
The apparently random attack occurred Sunday morning on an F train that was stopped at the Coney Island station. The victim’s identification is still pending.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Biden signs Pentagon budget bill that extends sanctions on Hong Kong officials
By Mark Magnier
US President Joe Biden has signed key legislation into law that extends for another five years the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, including its sanctions on key Chinese officials.
On Monday, Biden signed the massive US$895 billion National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), annual legislation that finances and directs policy for the US military and security agencies for the coming fiscal year.
Because the NDAA is a “must pass” bill – given political pressure to ensure that military personnel receive their pay and benefits on time – it draws a bevy of provisions not strictly tied to defence. This year, these included the extension of the Hong Kong act, as well as those for the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018 and the Uygur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020.
Drawing on the Hong Kong legislation, the US Treasury Department in 2020 sanctioned 11 city and mainland Chinese officials, including current Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, at that time the city’s security chief, and then-chief executive Carrie Lam.
Hong Kong and Beijing have strongly and repeatedly condemned the US sanctions. Lee vowed on taking office in 2022 that the measures imposed by “some bullying countries” would not deter him and his government from assuming the “must fulfil” responsibility of safeguarding national security.
US sanctions backed by the US dollar and its grip over the global financial system – under its provisions, individuals, US banks and companies are generally prohibited from dealing with sanctioned officials – have upended the travel plans and bank access of those targeted.
Lam said in 2022 that she circumvented the restrictions by collecting her salary in cash, some of which she kept in a drawer in her residence at Government House.
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By Mark Magnier
US President Joe Biden has signed key legislation into law that extends for another five years the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, including its sanctions on key Chinese officials.
On Monday, Biden signed the massive US$895 billion National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), annual legislation that finances and directs policy for the US military and security agencies for the coming fiscal year.
Because the NDAA is a “must pass” bill – given political pressure to ensure that military personnel receive their pay and benefits on time – it draws a bevy of provisions not strictly tied to defence. This year, these included the extension of the Hong Kong act, as well as those for the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018 and the Uygur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020.
Drawing on the Hong Kong legislation, the US Treasury Department in 2020 sanctioned 11 city and mainland Chinese officials, including current Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, at that time the city’s security chief, and then-chief executive Carrie Lam.
Hong Kong and Beijing have strongly and repeatedly condemned the US sanctions. Lee vowed on taking office in 2022 that the measures imposed by “some bullying countries” would not deter him and his government from assuming the “must fulfil” responsibility of safeguarding national security.
US sanctions backed by the US dollar and its grip over the global financial system – under its provisions, individuals, US banks and companies are generally prohibited from dealing with sanctioned officials – have upended the travel plans and bank access of those targeted.
Lam said in 2022 that she circumvented the restrictions by collecting her salary in cash, some of which she kept in a drawer in her residence at Government House.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
