US teen kills female student then shoots himself at Nashville high school
By Associated Press
A female student was killed and another student was wounded on Wednesday in shooting in a Nashville high school cafeteria, police said.
The 17-year-old shooter, who was also a student at Antioch High School, later shot and killed himself, Metro Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said during a news conference.
The student who was wounded in the shooting suffered a graze, Aaron said.
A spokesperson for Vanderbilt University Medical Centre told television station News 2 that another student was taken to Vanderbilt Pediatrics for treatment of an eye injury that happened after the shooting.
Aaron said there were two school resource officers in the building when the shooting happened.
They were not near the cafeteria where the shooting took place, and by the time they got down there, the shooting had stopped and the shooter had used a handgun to kill himself, Aaron said.
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By Associated Press
A female student was killed and another student was wounded on Wednesday in shooting in a Nashville high school cafeteria, police said.
The 17-year-old shooter, who was also a student at Antioch High School, later shot and killed himself, Metro Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said during a news conference.
The student who was wounded in the shooting suffered a graze, Aaron said.
A spokesperson for Vanderbilt University Medical Centre told television station News 2 that another student was taken to Vanderbilt Pediatrics for treatment of an eye injury that happened after the shooting.
Aaron said there were two school resource officers in the building when the shooting happened.
They were not near the cafeteria where the shooting took place, and by the time they got down there, the shooting had stopped and the shooter had used a handgun to kill himself, Aaron said.
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Pentagon appointments suggest Trump’s scepticism about Ukraine and its impact on Taiwan
在等待参议院确认新任首席官的同时，五角大楼已作出新任命，这些人选可能会影响美国在中国和乌克兰战争上的战略。特朗普总统的最新任命显示，负责印太事务的高级官员对援助乌克兰持怀疑态度，并且反对将乌克兰的防御与遏制中国对台湾的潜在侵略联系起来的观点。
本周，五角大楼宣布了几项重要人事任命，包括海军陆战队退伍军人奥斯丁·达默担任战略副助理国防部长，以及前中国特别委员会顾问约翰·诺担任东亚助理国防部长。此外，前保守派传统基金会的高级政策顾问亚历山大·维莱斯-格林被任命为国防政策副部长埃尔布里奇·科尔比的高级顾问。达默和维莱斯-格林被视为科尔比的门徒，他在特朗普首任期间帮助制定了将中国视为美国全球力量主要威胁的国家防御战略。
诺的职责是为五角大楼高级官员提供有关东亚的防御战略和安全关系的建议，这一地区是美国与中国争夺军事霸权的关键区域。随着新任命的官员们入职，五角大楼的政策方向可能会更加强调对中国的关注，而非乌克兰问题。
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在等待参议院确认新任首席官的同时，五角大楼已作出新任命，这些人选可能会影响美国在中国和乌克兰战争上的战略。特朗普总统的最新任命显示，负责印太事务的高级官员对援助乌克兰持怀疑态度，并且反对将乌克兰的防御与遏制中国对台湾的潜在侵略联系起来的观点。
本周，五角大楼宣布了几项重要人事任命，包括海军陆战队退伍军人奥斯丁·达默担任战略副助理国防部长，以及前中国特别委员会顾问约翰·诺担任东亚助理国防部长。此外，前保守派传统基金会的高级政策顾问亚历山大·维莱斯-格林被任命为国防政策副部长埃尔布里奇·科尔比的高级顾问。达默和维莱斯-格林被视为科尔比的门徒，他在特朗普首任期间帮助制定了将中国视为美国全球力量主要威胁的国家防御战略。
诺的职责是为五角大楼高级官员提供有关东亚的防御战略和安全关系的建议，这一地区是美国与中国争夺军事霸权的关键区域。随着新任命的官员们入职，五角大楼的政策方向可能会更加强调对中国的关注，而非乌克兰问题。
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US man says he set fire to congressman’s office over TikTok ban
一名威斯康星州男子因试图纵火焚烧一名国会议员办公室而面临多项指控，包括纵火罪。19岁的Caiden Stachowicz在接受警方询问时表示，他因对联邦禁用TikTok感到不满而采取了这一极端行为。检察官指控他涉嫌重罪纵火、进行恐怖威胁、企图入室偷窃及财产损坏，若全部罪名成立，他可能面临超过50年的监禁。
根据指控文件，警方在周日凌晨1点接到报告，前往共和党国会议员Glenn Grothman位于Fond du Lac的办公室查看火情。抵达现场时，警察发现Stachowicz站在附近并且承认自己点燃了火焰，他明确表示是因为不喜欢Grothman。此事件引发对年轻人行为动机的关注，说明了部分民众在面对政治和社会问题时的极端反应。
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一名威斯康星州男子因试图纵火焚烧一名国会议员办公室而面临多项指控，包括纵火罪。19岁的Caiden Stachowicz在接受警方询问时表示，他因对联邦禁用TikTok感到不满而采取了这一极端行为。检察官指控他涉嫌重罪纵火、进行恐怖威胁、企图入室偷窃及财产损坏，若全部罪名成立，他可能面临超过50年的监禁。
根据指控文件，警方在周日凌晨1点接到报告，前往共和党国会议员Glenn Grothman位于Fond du Lac的办公室查看火情。抵达现场时，警察发现Stachowicz站在附近并且承认自己点燃了火焰，他明确表示是因为不喜欢Grothman。此事件引发对年轻人行为动机的关注，说明了部分民众在面对政治和社会问题时的极端反应。
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Musk slams Trump-backed AI megaproject in rare split with US president
By Agence France-Presse
Tech titan Elon Musk cast doubt on Wednesday on a US$500 billion AI project announced by US President Donald Trump, saying the money promised for the investment actually was not there.
The comments marked a rare instance of a split between the world’s richest man and Trump, with Musk playing a key role in the newly installed administration after spending US$270 million on the election campaign.
In his first full day in the White House, Trump on Tuesday announced a major investment to build infrastructure for artificial intelligence led by Japanese giant SoftBank and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.
Trump said the venture, called Stargate, “will invest US$500 billion, at least, in AI infrastructure in the United States”.
But in a post on social media, Musk said the main investors “don’t actually have the money”.
“SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority,” Musk added in a subsequent post.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Agence France-Presse
Tech titan Elon Musk cast doubt on Wednesday on a US$500 billion AI project announced by US President Donald Trump, saying the money promised for the investment actually was not there.
The comments marked a rare instance of a split between the world’s richest man and Trump, with Musk playing a key role in the newly installed administration after spending US$270 million on the election campaign.
In his first full day in the White House, Trump on Tuesday announced a major investment to build infrastructure for artificial intelligence led by Japanese giant SoftBank and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.
Trump said the venture, called Stargate, “will invest US$500 billion, at least, in AI infrastructure in the United States”.
But in a post on social media, Musk said the main investors “don’t actually have the money”.
“SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority,” Musk added in a subsequent post.
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Chinese mine worker killed in Isis-claimed attack in Afghanistan
By Agence France-Presse
Police said Wednesday a Chinese mine worker was killed in an attack in Afghanistan which the Islamic State group later claimed responsibility for, as the Taliban government attempts to project an image of security to encourage investment from Beijing.
The Chinese citizen was travelling on Tuesday evening in northern Takhar province bordering Tajikistan when he was killed by “unknown armed men”, provincial police spokesman Mohammad Akbar Haqqani said.
He said the man was travelling “for an unknown reason” and without notifying security officials, who typically accompany Chinese nationals on trips in the country.
A translator travelling with the man was unharmed, Haqqani added.
The Islamic State (Isis) group’s regional chapter claimed responsibility for the attack later on Wednesday, according to jihadist monitor SITE.
“[Islamic State] issued a communique … reporting that fighters fired at a vehicle carrying a ‘communist Chinese’ in Takhar, a province in which the group was last active in 2022,” the monitor said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Agence France-Presse
Police said Wednesday a Chinese mine worker was killed in an attack in Afghanistan which the Islamic State group later claimed responsibility for, as the Taliban government attempts to project an image of security to encourage investment from Beijing.
The Chinese citizen was travelling on Tuesday evening in northern Takhar province bordering Tajikistan when he was killed by “unknown armed men”, provincial police spokesman Mohammad Akbar Haqqani said.
He said the man was travelling “for an unknown reason” and without notifying security officials, who typically accompany Chinese nationals on trips in the country.
A translator travelling with the man was unharmed, Haqqani added.
The Islamic State (Isis) group’s regional chapter claimed responsibility for the attack later on Wednesday, according to jihadist monitor SITE.
“[Islamic State] issued a communique … reporting that fighters fired at a vehicle carrying a ‘communist Chinese’ in Takhar, a province in which the group was last active in 2022,” the monitor said.
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Thailand assures Hongkongers over safety amid forced labour scams
By Danny Mok
Authorities in Thailand have assured Hongkongers that the country remains a safe destination following a spate of human-trafficking cases linked to notorious scam farms along its border with Myanmar.
The Thai consulate in Hong Kong on Wednesday also pledged to cooperate with the Hong Kong government and private bodies to address concerns and coordinate with agencies in the country to follow up on any requests.
In a statement on Wednesday, the consulate expressed its deep regret that many people had fallen victim to scam centres.
“The Royal Thai Consulate-General understands that the incident has raised concern about the safety among Hong Kong travellers as trafficking and scamming operations use Thailand as a transit point to carry out illegal activities across its border with neighbouring countries,” it wrote.
“However, I would like to assure that Thailand remains a safe destination for all international visitors since none of the victims are tourists.”
The consulate said it had taken significant steps to enhance measures to tackle transnational crime and human trafficking to help reassure international tourists about their safety.
It said the Thai government had launched a multilingual “Tourist Police” mobile application and strengthened border controls by deploying both military and police along the eastern and western borders across 14 provinces, among other measures.
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By Danny Mok
Authorities in Thailand have assured Hongkongers that the country remains a safe destination following a spate of human-trafficking cases linked to notorious scam farms along its border with Myanmar.
The Thai consulate in Hong Kong on Wednesday also pledged to cooperate with the Hong Kong government and private bodies to address concerns and coordinate with agencies in the country to follow up on any requests.
In a statement on Wednesday, the consulate expressed its deep regret that many people had fallen victim to scam centres.
“The Royal Thai Consulate-General understands that the incident has raised concern about the safety among Hong Kong travellers as trafficking and scamming operations use Thailand as a transit point to carry out illegal activities across its border with neighbouring countries,” it wrote.
“However, I would like to assure that Thailand remains a safe destination for all international visitors since none of the victims are tourists.”
The consulate said it had taken significant steps to enhance measures to tackle transnational crime and human trafficking to help reassure international tourists about their safety.
It said the Thai government had launched a multilingual “Tourist Police” mobile application and strengthened border controls by deploying both military and police along the eastern and western borders across 14 provinces, among other measures.
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3 people stabbed near central Japan station, 1 dead
在日本长野市的JR长野站附近，周三晚上发生了一起持刀袭击事件，导致三人受伤，其中一名40多岁的男子不幸遇难。袭击发生在一个繁忙的公交车站附近，嫌疑人随后逃离现场，警方正在全力追捕。
事件发生在晚上8点左右，警方接到报警后迅速赶到现场。至少一名受害者表示，他们与袭击者并不相识。另一名30多岁的男子在背部被刺，伤势严重，而一名女性在被攻击后摔倒也受了伤。目击者描述嫌疑人为一名身材瘦削、身高在165至175厘米之间的男子，年龄大约在40岁左右。
袭击发生在车站前的公交车终点站和餐馆附近，目击者称嫌疑人持有锐器并向南逃离。警方正在调查事件的动机，并呼吁公众提供任何相关信息，以便尽快抓捕嫌疑人。
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在日本长野市的JR长野站附近，周三晚上发生了一起持刀袭击事件，导致三人受伤，其中一名40多岁的男子不幸遇难。袭击发生在一个繁忙的公交车站附近，嫌疑人随后逃离现场，警方正在全力追捕。
事件发生在晚上8点左右，警方接到报警后迅速赶到现场。至少一名受害者表示，他们与袭击者并不相识。另一名30多岁的男子在背部被刺，伤势严重，而一名女性在被攻击后摔倒也受了伤。目击者描述嫌疑人为一名身材瘦削、身高在165至175厘米之间的男子，年龄大约在40岁左右。
袭击发生在车站前的公交车终点站和餐馆附近，目击者称嫌疑人持有锐器并向南逃离。警方正在调查事件的动机，并呼吁公众提供任何相关信息，以便尽快抓捕嫌疑人。
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Knife attacker in Germany kills 2, including child
By Agence France-Presse
A 41-year-old man and a two-year-old boy were killed and two other people severely wounded in a knife attack in the German city of Aschaffenburg on Wednesday, police said.
A 28-year-old man from Afghanistan was arrested close to the crime scene, they said on social media platform X, without indicating a motive.
The stabbings happened in a public park in the centre of the Bavarian city at around 11.45am.
“Two people were fatally injured,” police said, while “two seriously injured people are receiving treatment in hospital.
“The suspect was arrested in the immediate vicinity of the crime scene.”
A second person arrested was a witness and was being questioned, police said
“There are no indications of other suspects” and no further danger to the public, police said.
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By Agence France-Presse
A 41-year-old man and a two-year-old boy were killed and two other people severely wounded in a knife attack in the German city of Aschaffenburg on Wednesday, police said.
A 28-year-old man from Afghanistan was arrested close to the crime scene, they said on social media platform X, without indicating a motive.
The stabbings happened in a public park in the centre of the Bavarian city at around 11.45am.
“Two people were fatally injured,” police said, while “two seriously injured people are receiving treatment in hospital.
“The suspect was arrested in the immediate vicinity of the crime scene.”
A second person arrested was a witness and was being questioned, police said
“There are no indications of other suspects” and no further danger to the public, police said.
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Chen Jing, award-winning computer scientist and blockchain expert, returns to China from US
著名区块链研究者陈静已离开美国，加入北京清华大学担任全职教授。她表示将利用自己在学术界和行业的双重视角，推动中国的计算经济学发展。清华大学在周二的公告中提到，陈静希望填补国内研究的空白，并发展前沿理论，以提升中国的区块链技术。
陈静于去年回国，之前在美国生活了15年。她在清华大学获得计算机科学学士和硕士学位后，又在麻省理工学院获得博士学位，师从图灵奖得主Silvio Micali。她表示，回国的原因是希望将自己的研究经验分享给中国的学生，并利用国际影响力支持清华大学及其计算机科学系的发展。
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著名区块链研究者陈静已离开美国，加入北京清华大学担任全职教授。她表示将利用自己在学术界和行业的双重视角，推动中国的计算经济学发展。清华大学在周二的公告中提到，陈静希望填补国内研究的空白，并发展前沿理论，以提升中国的区块链技术。
陈静于去年回国，之前在美国生活了15年。她在清华大学获得计算机科学学士和硕士学位后，又在麻省理工学院获得博士学位，师从图灵奖得主Silvio Micali。她表示，回国的原因是希望将自己的研究经验分享给中国的学生，并利用国际影响力支持清华大学及其计算机科学系的发展。
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Hong Kong’s Octopus to hand out HK$68.8 million in lai see, deals
香港的电子支付服务提供商八达通正在推出6800万港元（约合880万美元）的红包和优惠，以刺激农历新年期间的消费。该公司周三宣布，将发放888万港元的虚拟红包，并与二十多家商户合作，提供总价值6000万港元的优惠，从1月27日至2月28日进行促销活动。
此次活动是八达通针对农历新年的最大规模促销，旨在应对经济疲软和越来越多香港人前往中国大陆购物用餐的趋势。八达通市场营销、传播和数据总监贾斯琳·高表示，预期此次活动将使交易金额增长30%至50%。她强调，这一活动的目标是鼓励本地消费，同时也为节庆期间的消费带来积极影响。
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香港的电子支付服务提供商八达通正在推出6800万港元（约合880万美元）的红包和优惠，以刺激农历新年期间的消费。该公司周三宣布，将发放888万港元的虚拟红包，并与二十多家商户合作，提供总价值6000万港元的优惠，从1月27日至2月28日进行促销活动。
此次活动是八达通针对农历新年的最大规模促销，旨在应对经济疲软和越来越多香港人前往中国大陆购物用餐的趋势。八达通市场营销、传播和数据总监贾斯琳·高表示，预期此次活动将使交易金额增长30%至50%。她强调，这一活动的目标是鼓励本地消费，同时也为节庆期间的消费带来积极影响。
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Hong Kong bakery receives warning after staff clean shelf with floor mop
By Danny Mok
Hong Kong’s food hygiene authorities have issued a warning to a local bakery after some of its staff were shown cleaning a shelf with a floor mop in a viral online photo.
Images widely shared on social media show two female employees at a bakery in the Tsz Wan Shan Shopping Centre using the floor mop to wipe a shelf with no items on it.
The pictures also show a nearby mop bucket on the floor, while some packaged pastries and festive items can be seen on an upper shelf. It was unclear if the mop had previously touched the ground.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said on Wednesday that it had received five complaints over the incident, and said it would review the provided information and consider prosecution if there was sufficient evidence.
The department added that its personnel also visited the shop in the morning but found it had temporarily closed for cleaning.
“We have issued a verbal warning to the person in charge and provided hygiene education, reminding them to always maintain food, personal and environmental hygiene,” a spokesman said.
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By Danny Mok
Hong Kong’s food hygiene authorities have issued a warning to a local bakery after some of its staff were shown cleaning a shelf with a floor mop in a viral online photo.
Images widely shared on social media show two female employees at a bakery in the Tsz Wan Shan Shopping Centre using the floor mop to wipe a shelf with no items on it.
The pictures also show a nearby mop bucket on the floor, while some packaged pastries and festive items can be seen on an upper shelf. It was unclear if the mop had previously touched the ground.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said on Wednesday that it had received five complaints over the incident, and said it would review the provided information and consider prosecution if there was sufficient evidence.
The department added that its personnel also visited the shop in the morning but found it had temporarily closed for cleaning.
“We have issued a verbal warning to the person in charge and provided hygiene education, reminding them to always maintain food, personal and environmental hygiene,” a spokesman said.
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Will Trump succeed in containing China – or fuel its rise?
By Jeffrey Wu
History was made at Donald Trump’s inauguration when China’s Vice-President Han Zheng became the first senior Chinese leader to attend a US presidential inauguration. While the invitation by the new administration is seen as a sign of a thaw in the strained relationship between the two superpowers, it comes against a backdrop of deep economic and geopolitical tensions.
Joe Biden has handed over a US-China relationship marked by years of conflict – trade wars, blacklists and sanctions, all aimed at curbing China’s rise. Yet the effectiveness of these measures remains hotly debated. Have they hindered China’s growth or fuelled its ability to adapt and thrive in a multipolar world?
Consider the recent addition of Tencent and Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL) to a Pentagon blacklist. While this blacklisting, unlike sanctions, does not impose direct restrictions, it still signals political scrutiny and raises reputational risks for these companies.
Tencent, the world’s largest gaming company, controls an estimated 17 per cent of the over US$200 billion global gaming market, deriving over 25 per cent of its gaming revenue from overseas. CATL supplies as much as 37 per cent of the world’s electric vehicle (EV) batteries to carmakers such as Tesla and Volkswagen. Tencent and CATL anchor industries that define the 21st century: digital infrastructure and renewable energy.
While the blacklisting does not immediately impede their operations, it underscores intensifying US-China economic tensions, where the lines between competition, security and strategy are growing increasingly blurred.
In 2011, when the US barred China from the International Space Station through the Wolf Amendment, it sought to stifle Beijing’s space ambitions. Instead, it spurred China’s push for self-reliance, culminating in the Tiangong space station. Recently, Chinese astronauts achieved a breakthrough in producing industrial-grade niobium-silicon alloy, a development with transformative potential for aerospace technology.
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By Jeffrey Wu
History was made at Donald Trump’s inauguration when China’s Vice-President Han Zheng became the first senior Chinese leader to attend a US presidential inauguration. While the invitation by the new administration is seen as a sign of a thaw in the strained relationship between the two superpowers, it comes against a backdrop of deep economic and geopolitical tensions.
Joe Biden has handed over a US-China relationship marked by years of conflict – trade wars, blacklists and sanctions, all aimed at curbing China’s rise. Yet the effectiveness of these measures remains hotly debated. Have they hindered China’s growth or fuelled its ability to adapt and thrive in a multipolar world?
Consider the recent addition of Tencent and Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL) to a Pentagon blacklist. While this blacklisting, unlike sanctions, does not impose direct restrictions, it still signals political scrutiny and raises reputational risks for these companies.
Tencent, the world’s largest gaming company, controls an estimated 17 per cent of the over US$200 billion global gaming market, deriving over 25 per cent of its gaming revenue from overseas. CATL supplies as much as 37 per cent of the world’s electric vehicle (EV) batteries to carmakers such as Tesla and Volkswagen. Tencent and CATL anchor industries that define the 21st century: digital infrastructure and renewable energy.
While the blacklisting does not immediately impede their operations, it underscores intensifying US-China economic tensions, where the lines between competition, security and strategy are growing increasingly blurred.
In 2011, when the US barred China from the International Space Station through the Wolf Amendment, it sought to stifle Beijing’s space ambitions. Instead, it spurred China’s push for self-reliance, culminating in the Tiangong space station. Recently, Chinese astronauts achieved a breakthrough in producing industrial-grade niobium-silicon alloy, a development with transformative potential for aerospace technology.
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Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai admits to urging US to revoke visas of officials’ children
By Brian Wong
Former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has admitted to aggressively urging the United States to revoke visas granted to the children of Chinese officials as part of his push for Western sanctions before the national security law took effect in Hong Kong.
Lai told West Kowloon Court on Wednesday that he had suggested retaliatory measures against the overseas family members of those in power in Beijing and Hong Kong, an idea he earlier attributed to an American official, in a New York Times article published in May 2020.
On the 31st day of Lai’s verbal testimony in his marathon national security trial, prosecutors questioned him about his overseas political connections and attitude towards Western sanctions before Beijing imposed the national security law in June 2020.
The 77-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid newspaper has denied two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third count of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.
The court earlier heard that the idea of sanctioning the children of mainland Chinese and Hong Kong officials was first proposed to Lai by Mary Kissel, an assistant to then US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, when the former media owner visited Washington in July 2019.
Lai appeared to incorporate the advice in an unpublished article dated August of that year, in which he said America could help Hong Kong by “denying student visas for children of leaders of Hong Kong and [Communist Party of China] who crack down on us”.
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By Brian Wong
Former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has admitted to aggressively urging the United States to revoke visas granted to the children of Chinese officials as part of his push for Western sanctions before the national security law took effect in Hong Kong.
Lai told West Kowloon Court on Wednesday that he had suggested retaliatory measures against the overseas family members of those in power in Beijing and Hong Kong, an idea he earlier attributed to an American official, in a New York Times article published in May 2020.
On the 31st day of Lai’s verbal testimony in his marathon national security trial, prosecutors questioned him about his overseas political connections and attitude towards Western sanctions before Beijing imposed the national security law in June 2020.
The 77-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid newspaper has denied two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third count of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.
The court earlier heard that the idea of sanctioning the children of mainland Chinese and Hong Kong officials was first proposed to Lai by Mary Kissel, an assistant to then US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, when the former media owner visited Washington in July 2019.
Lai appeared to incorporate the advice in an unpublished article dated August of that year, in which he said America could help Hong Kong by “denying student visas for children of leaders of Hong Kong and [Communist Party of China] who crack down on us”.
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The PLA is building a fleet of barges with Taiwan in mind, analysts say
By Amber Wang
New barges being built in China could strengthen the amphibious capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army against Taiwan and other targets by enabling faster landings, according to analysts.
“At least three” of the barges are under construction, defence website Naval News reported earlier this month citing multiple sources.
The vessels are said to be equipped with ramps that can extend more than 120 metres (over 390 feet) from the front of the barge. They could be used to reach a coastal road or hard surface beyond a beach to deliver equipment such as tanks.
In a follow-up report last week citing recent satellite images, the Financial Times said six such vessels were being built at state-owned Guangzhou Shipyard International in southern China.
Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, sad the barges were likely to be part of the PLA strategy on Taiwan.
“Certainly whilst these barges could be used to support other amphibious operations – for example to seize territory in the South China Sea – it is more likely they are being acquired to support the invasion of Taiwan,” Davis said.
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By Amber Wang
New barges being built in China could strengthen the amphibious capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army against Taiwan and other targets by enabling faster landings, according to analysts.
“At least three” of the barges are under construction, defence website Naval News reported earlier this month citing multiple sources.
The vessels are said to be equipped with ramps that can extend more than 120 metres (over 390 feet) from the front of the barge. They could be used to reach a coastal road or hard surface beyond a beach to deliver equipment such as tanks.
In a follow-up report last week citing recent satellite images, the Financial Times said six such vessels were being built at state-owned Guangzhou Shipyard International in southern China.
Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, sad the barges were likely to be part of the PLA strategy on Taiwan.
“Certainly whilst these barges could be used to support other amphibious operations – for example to seize territory in the South China Sea – it is more likely they are being acquired to support the invasion of Taiwan,” Davis said.
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Hong Kong needs total ban on flavoured cigarettes, anti-smoking group says
香港反烟草组织呼吁全面禁止香味香烟。一项调查显示，近90%的年轻女性吸烟者选择了这种特别上瘾的产品。香港吸烟与健康委员会及香港大学医学院的研究人员在周三敦促当局尽快实施这一禁令。
委员会主席唐秀才表示：“香味烟草被宣传为‘更健康’，特别是针对年轻人和女性。”此次提议的禁令还将涵盖薄荷味产品以及任何可以为香烟添加香味的配件。去年六月，卫生当局提出的十项短期措施中就包括禁止香味香烟，旨在将香港的吸烟率从2023年的9.1%降低到2025年的7.8%。这些措施有望在今年年底前获得立法机构的批准。
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香港反烟草组织呼吁全面禁止香味香烟。一项调查显示，近90%的年轻女性吸烟者选择了这种特别上瘾的产品。香港吸烟与健康委员会及香港大学医学院的研究人员在周三敦促当局尽快实施这一禁令。
委员会主席唐秀才表示：“香味烟草被宣传为‘更健康’，特别是针对年轻人和女性。”此次提议的禁令还将涵盖薄荷味产品以及任何可以为香烟添加香味的配件。去年六月，卫生当局提出的十项短期措施中就包括禁止香味香烟，旨在将香港的吸烟率从2023年的9.1%降低到2025年的7.8%。这些措施有望在今年年底前获得立法机构的批准。
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Lion mauls Pakistani man who was filming TikTok video
在巴基斯坦，一名男子在私人繁育设施内拍摄TikTok视频时遭到狮子袭击，警方已对此事件展开调查。这一事件引发了公众对安全和动物福利的广泛关注，警方已对繁育场的所有者提起诉讼，指控其危害他人生命。
袭击发生在东部城市拉合尔，社交媒体爱好者在进入狮子笼拍摄视频时遭到攻击。尽管该男子受了重伤，但目前情况稳定。巴基斯坦旁遮普省有超过100个私人繁育场，省政府正在修订有关在家庭和商业目的下饲养大型猫科动物的法律，以加强对动物的保护和管理。
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在巴基斯坦，一名男子在私人繁育设施内拍摄TikTok视频时遭到狮子袭击，警方已对此事件展开调查。这一事件引发了公众对安全和动物福利的广泛关注，警方已对繁育场的所有者提起诉讼，指控其危害他人生命。
袭击发生在东部城市拉合尔，社交媒体爱好者在进入狮子笼拍摄视频时遭到攻击。尽管该男子受了重伤，但目前情况稳定。巴基斯坦旁遮普省有超过100个私人繁育场，省政府正在修订有关在家庭和商业目的下饲养大型猫科动物的法律，以加强对动物的保护和管理。
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