Singapore Airlines joins platform to combat severe turbulence amid climate change concerns
By Kimberly Lim
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has joined a global turbulence data-sharing platform to improve in-flight safety, a move aviation analysts describe as significant amid increasing reports of severe mid-air jolts that can pose risks to passengers and crew.
“SIA is quick to adopt new technology, including artificial intelligence, to help mitigate future air turbulence issues,” said Shukor Yusof, founder of advisory firm Endau Analytics. “Airlines using this platform can share invaluable real-time data to avoid danger zones.”
The platform, known as Turbulence Aware, pools anonymised data from participating airlines, enabling pilots and dispatchers to chart smoother flight paths and improve fuel efficiency.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced on Tuesday that SIA, along with its budget arm Scoot, South Korean carrier Asiana Airlines and British Airways, had joined the initiative, which now includes more than 25 airlines contributing data from more than 2,600 aircraft.
“This real-time, accurate turbulence reporting enables pilots and dispatchers to choose optimal flight paths, avoiding turbulence and flying at optimum levels to maximise fuel efficiency and thereby reduce CO2 carbon emissions,” the statement read.
In May, one of this year’s most severe incidents of air turbulence occurred on SIA flight SQ321 from London to Singapore, which resulted in one fatality and injuries to dozens of passengers.
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By Kimberly Lim
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has joined a global turbulence data-sharing platform to improve in-flight safety, a move aviation analysts describe as significant amid increasing reports of severe mid-air jolts that can pose risks to passengers and crew.
“SIA is quick to adopt new technology, including artificial intelligence, to help mitigate future air turbulence issues,” said Shukor Yusof, founder of advisory firm Endau Analytics. “Airlines using this platform can share invaluable real-time data to avoid danger zones.”
The platform, known as Turbulence Aware, pools anonymised data from participating airlines, enabling pilots and dispatchers to chart smoother flight paths and improve fuel efficiency.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced on Tuesday that SIA, along with its budget arm Scoot, South Korean carrier Asiana Airlines and British Airways, had joined the initiative, which now includes more than 25 airlines contributing data from more than 2,600 aircraft.
“This real-time, accurate turbulence reporting enables pilots and dispatchers to choose optimal flight paths, avoiding turbulence and flying at optimum levels to maximise fuel efficiency and thereby reduce CO2 carbon emissions,” the statement read.
In May, one of this year’s most severe incidents of air turbulence occurred on SIA flight SQ321 from London to Singapore, which resulted in one fatality and injuries to dozens of passengers.
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Trump policies could ‘naturally’ bring US allies closer to China, analysts say
By Bochen Han
A Donald Trump administration could inadvertently push US allies closer to China, as Beijing is poised to capitalise on any weaknesses in Washington’s alliances, analysts said on Tuesday at an event in New York hosted by the Asia Society.
“If it’s an approach that we’re imposing tariffs or other punitive measures on EU trade partners and China, that naturally will bring them closer together,” said Michael Hirson, a fellow on Chinese economy and technology at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Centre for China Analysis.
Trump threatened 10 to 20 per cent universal tariffs on imports on the campaign trail and late last month specified that Canada and Mexico would be subject to 25 per cent tariffs, while China would be subject to “an additional 10 per cent tariff, above any additional tariffs”.
The president-elect has also repeatedly hit out at Nato for not fulfilling its share of defence spending and threatened to withdraw from the alliance if commitments were not met.
But Hirson, who was the US Treasury Department’s chief representative in China from 2014 to 2016, said the closeness of Beijing and EU member countries would depend on how “organised and disciplined” the Trump administration is.
Sungmin Cho, an Asia Society fellow focused on Chinese politics, foreign policy and national security, said he expected enhanced ties between China and South Korea in a second Trump administration.
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By Bochen Han
A Donald Trump administration could inadvertently push US allies closer to China, as Beijing is poised to capitalise on any weaknesses in Washington’s alliances, analysts said on Tuesday at an event in New York hosted by the Asia Society.
“If it’s an approach that we’re imposing tariffs or other punitive measures on EU trade partners and China, that naturally will bring them closer together,” said Michael Hirson, a fellow on Chinese economy and technology at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Centre for China Analysis.
Trump threatened 10 to 20 per cent universal tariffs on imports on the campaign trail and late last month specified that Canada and Mexico would be subject to 25 per cent tariffs, while China would be subject to “an additional 10 per cent tariff, above any additional tariffs”.
The president-elect has also repeatedly hit out at Nato for not fulfilling its share of defence spending and threatened to withdraw from the alliance if commitments were not met.
But Hirson, who was the US Treasury Department’s chief representative in China from 2014 to 2016, said the closeness of Beijing and EU member countries would depend on how “organised and disciplined” the Trump administration is.
Sungmin Cho, an Asia Society fellow focused on Chinese politics, foreign policy and national security, said he expected enhanced ties between China and South Korea in a second Trump administration.
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China’s semiconductor firms cash in chips as export boom bucks overall trend
By Luna Sun
Despite intensifying restrictions from the US intended to stifle China’s semiconductor trade, Beijing’s shipments of the bedrock technology stood out as a rare bright spot in a recent export data release.
China’s integrated circuit exports hit a record US$144.7 billion in value for the first 11 months of 2024, growing 18.8 per cent year on year according to customs data released on Tuesday.
In addition to rising global demand and the rapid development of AI, the scale of manufacturing for China’s “legacy” chips – semiconductors behind the bleeding edge of innovation but still widely used for less intensive applications – is reshaping the market.
Chip export volume reached 271.6 billion units from January through November, an 11.4 per cent gain over the same period last year.
China’s mastery of 28-nanometre chip production has helped its companies leverage cost advantages and export aggressively, capturing a significant share of the global market, said Xu Tianchen, senior China economist with the Economist Intelligence Unit.
“Once the technological bottleneck is resolved, it typically leads to large-scale domestic substitution, a surge in exports and eventual overcapacity in production,” he added.
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By Luna Sun
Despite intensifying restrictions from the US intended to stifle China’s semiconductor trade, Beijing’s shipments of the bedrock technology stood out as a rare bright spot in a recent export data release.
China’s integrated circuit exports hit a record US$144.7 billion in value for the first 11 months of 2024, growing 18.8 per cent year on year according to customs data released on Tuesday.
In addition to rising global demand and the rapid development of AI, the scale of manufacturing for China’s “legacy” chips – semiconductors behind the bleeding edge of innovation but still widely used for less intensive applications – is reshaping the market.
Chip export volume reached 271.6 billion units from January through November, an 11.4 per cent gain over the same period last year.
China’s mastery of 28-nanometre chip production has helped its companies leverage cost advantages and export aggressively, capturing a significant share of the global market, said Xu Tianchen, senior China economist with the Economist Intelligence Unit.
“Once the technological bottleneck is resolved, it typically leads to large-scale domestic substitution, a surge in exports and eventual overcapacity in production,” he added.
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Peer pressure may be fuelling hawkish stances on China among US foreign policy elite
By Maple Leung
American foreign policy specialists are being pushed to appear more hawkish towards China than they actually are because of professional and social pressures, a new survey has concluded.
It said there is “a degree of pluralistic ignorance in the foreign policy community, where people overestimate the level of consensus, inflate the level of threat, and believe collective opinion to be more confrontational than it really is”.
The authors, Michael Cerny, a PhD student in the Department of Government at Harvard, along with Rory Truex, an associate professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton, surveyed 495 foreign policy specialists and conducted 55 in-depth interviews.
They found that 21.8 per cent of respondents experienced social pressure to express certain views on US policy towards China and this disproportionately affected women and younger or non-white specialists.
“I think that as a young person and a liberal person and a woman in this field, there’s a pressure to overcompensate by being more hawkish,” one interviewee told them.
Donald Trump’s incoming administration is expected to take a hardline stance and the president-elect has nominated several prominent China hawks for cabinet roles.
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By Maple Leung
American foreign policy specialists are being pushed to appear more hawkish towards China than they actually are because of professional and social pressures, a new survey has concluded.
It said there is “a degree of pluralistic ignorance in the foreign policy community, where people overestimate the level of consensus, inflate the level of threat, and believe collective opinion to be more confrontational than it really is”.
The authors, Michael Cerny, a PhD student in the Department of Government at Harvard, along with Rory Truex, an associate professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton, surveyed 495 foreign policy specialists and conducted 55 in-depth interviews.
They found that 21.8 per cent of respondents experienced social pressure to express certain views on US policy towards China and this disproportionately affected women and younger or non-white specialists.
“I think that as a young person and a liberal person and a woman in this field, there’s a pressure to overcompensate by being more hawkish,” one interviewee told them.
Donald Trump’s incoming administration is expected to take a hardline stance and the president-elect has nominated several prominent China hawks for cabinet roles.
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Assad’s fall in Syria will not weaken ‘strong and powerful’ Iran: Khamenei
By Agence France-Presse
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the weakening of the anti-Israel “resistance” after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in Syria would not diminish Tehran’s power.
Some, “unaware of the meaning of resistance, imagine that when the resistance becomes weak, Islamic Iran will also become weak … Iran is strong and powerful and will become even more powerful”, Khamenei said in his first speech after Assad’s fall.
Syrian rebels’ lightning push to Damascus from their strongholds in the northwest ended the decades-long rule of Assad’s family, once an ally of Tehran.
Assad had long played a strategic role in Iran’s anti-Israel “axis of resistance”, particularly in facilitating the supply of weapons to Tehran’s ally Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon.
The axis of resistance includes Hezbollah, as well as Hamas in Gaza, Houthi rebels in Yemen and smaller Shia militia groups in Iraq.
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By Agence France-Presse
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the weakening of the anti-Israel “resistance” after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in Syria would not diminish Tehran’s power.
Some, “unaware of the meaning of resistance, imagine that when the resistance becomes weak, Islamic Iran will also become weak … Iran is strong and powerful and will become even more powerful”, Khamenei said in his first speech after Assad’s fall.
Syrian rebels’ lightning push to Damascus from their strongholds in the northwest ended the decades-long rule of Assad’s family, once an ally of Tehran.
Assad had long played a strategic role in Iran’s anti-Israel “axis of resistance”, particularly in facilitating the supply of weapons to Tehran’s ally Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon.
The axis of resistance includes Hezbollah, as well as Hamas in Gaza, Houthi rebels in Yemen and smaller Shia militia groups in Iraq.
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Hong Kong finds 30 more rocks containing dinosaur fossils on Port Island
By Lo Hoi-ying
About 30 more rocks containing dinosaur fossils have been found on a remote island off the northern portion of Hong Kong, just two months after the first such discovery was made.
Authorities also announced on Wednesday that Port Island, where the fossils were found, would reopen to the public on Thursday. But it warned visitors against exploring the area on their own, citing safety concerns.
A Development Bureau spokesman said experts from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences had excavated about 30 rocks containing dinosaur fossils since late October.
“The actual quantity of dinosaur fossils could only be confirmed after the fossil preparation is completed,” he said.
“After thorough inspections by the IVPP experts and local palaeontologists at the fossil discovery site, it was confirmed that all exposed fossils have been removed.”
The team of experts, alongside the city’s Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, will work on preparing the dinosaur fossils and identifying the species of dinosaur found on Port Island.
They will also explore Hong Kong’s palaeoecology, or past ecosystems.
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By Lo Hoi-ying
About 30 more rocks containing dinosaur fossils have been found on a remote island off the northern portion of Hong Kong, just two months after the first such discovery was made.
Authorities also announced on Wednesday that Port Island, where the fossils were found, would reopen to the public on Thursday. But it warned visitors against exploring the area on their own, citing safety concerns.
A Development Bureau spokesman said experts from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences had excavated about 30 rocks containing dinosaur fossils since late October.
“The actual quantity of dinosaur fossils could only be confirmed after the fossil preparation is completed,” he said.
“After thorough inspections by the IVPP experts and local palaeontologists at the fossil discovery site, it was confirmed that all exposed fossils have been removed.”
The team of experts, alongside the city’s Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, will work on preparing the dinosaur fossils and identifying the species of dinosaur found on Port Island.
They will also explore Hong Kong’s palaeoecology, or past ecosystems.
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China may bank on balance-sheet expansion, not interest rate cuts, for growth: economist
By Alice Li
China’s central bank may have to greatly expand its balance sheet next year to empower the country’s desired economic growth, according to a prominent economist, as Beijing embraces a “moderately loose” monetary policy for the first time in 14 years.
This means that purchases of government bonds may be poised to jump, in terms of issuance, to fund construction projects in 2025, Lu Ting, chief China economist at Japanese investment bank Nomura, said at a media briefing on Wednesday.
The comments came as market analysts are trying to piece together a picture of Beijing’s policy moves after Monday’s strongly worded statement from the Politburo, the centre of power within the ruling Communist Party, and with the annual central economic work conference reportedly kicking off in Beijing.
The People’s Bank of China may adopt a different approach from what it took in 2009 – when its relaxed credit line and monetary stance led to a frenzy of local government financing vehicles and a mountain of interest-bearing debt.
The central bank has already bought more than 500 billion yuan (US$68.8 billion) worth of government bonds in the secondary market since the tool was redeployed in August, and a coordination mechanism with the Ministry of Finance has been established.
Lu expected that Beijing would try to empower central government financing, as it is in a position to defuse the local debt crisis.
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By Alice Li
China’s central bank may have to greatly expand its balance sheet next year to empower the country’s desired economic growth, according to a prominent economist, as Beijing embraces a “moderately loose” monetary policy for the first time in 14 years.
This means that purchases of government bonds may be poised to jump, in terms of issuance, to fund construction projects in 2025, Lu Ting, chief China economist at Japanese investment bank Nomura, said at a media briefing on Wednesday.
The comments came as market analysts are trying to piece together a picture of Beijing’s policy moves after Monday’s strongly worded statement from the Politburo, the centre of power within the ruling Communist Party, and with the annual central economic work conference reportedly kicking off in Beijing.
The People’s Bank of China may adopt a different approach from what it took in 2009 – when its relaxed credit line and monetary stance led to a frenzy of local government financing vehicles and a mountain of interest-bearing debt.
The central bank has already bought more than 500 billion yuan (US$68.8 billion) worth of government bonds in the secondary market since the tool was redeployed in August, and a coordination mechanism with the Ministry of Finance has been established.
Lu expected that Beijing would try to empower central government financing, as it is in a position to defuse the local debt crisis.
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What Assad’s downfall in Syria and the rise of HTS mean for the world
By Marco Vicenzino
After more than 50 years of repressive autocratic rule, over 13 years of bloody civil war that displaced more than 12 million people and a 12-day lightning offensive by opposition forces, the Assad family’s dominance of Syria has ended. With elation comes deep uncertainty about what comes next in Syria and its implications for the region and beyond.
A fundamental question prevails: will Syria transition from a secular dictatorship to a stable representative government or hardline Islamist authoritarianism, or something in between?
The politically and diplomatically correct reply is to express cautious optimism that Syria will pursue the path of a brighter future for its people. But most indications point to a greater cause for caution than optimism.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded Bashar al-Assad’s downfall, arguably remains the strongest opposition force in Syria, yet is listed as a terrorist group by the United States, European Union, Turkey and others. The US has a US$10 million bounty on HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, a former Islamic State (Isis) fighter, despite attempts to rebrand himself and his group as mainstream Islamists.
So far, HTS has been preaching what most, at home and abroad, want to hear: political moderation and inclusion of minorities. But its iron-fisted governance of Syria’s northwestern Idlib province points to the need for extreme vigilance of the group’s intentions and long-term agenda.
To provide assurances, HTS must genuinely reach out to a wide range of opposition parties within an all-embracing political framework. This is key to an orderly transition that guarantees security and stability at home and the broader region. In the longer term, a new national compact is needed. A zero-sum approach by HTS, or any other opposition group, will backfire.
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By Marco Vicenzino
After more than 50 years of repressive autocratic rule, over 13 years of bloody civil war that displaced more than 12 million people and a 12-day lightning offensive by opposition forces, the Assad family’s dominance of Syria has ended. With elation comes deep uncertainty about what comes next in Syria and its implications for the region and beyond.
A fundamental question prevails: will Syria transition from a secular dictatorship to a stable representative government or hardline Islamist authoritarianism, or something in between?
The politically and diplomatically correct reply is to express cautious optimism that Syria will pursue the path of a brighter future for its people. But most indications point to a greater cause for caution than optimism.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded Bashar al-Assad’s downfall, arguably remains the strongest opposition force in Syria, yet is listed as a terrorist group by the United States, European Union, Turkey and others. The US has a US$10 million bounty on HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, a former Islamic State (Isis) fighter, despite attempts to rebrand himself and his group as mainstream Islamists.
So far, HTS has been preaching what most, at home and abroad, want to hear: political moderation and inclusion of minorities. But its iron-fisted governance of Syria’s northwestern Idlib province points to the need for extreme vigilance of the group’s intentions and long-term agenda.
To provide assurances, HTS must genuinely reach out to a wide range of opposition parties within an all-embracing political framework. This is key to an orderly transition that guarantees security and stability at home and the broader region. In the longer term, a new national compact is needed. A zero-sum approach by HTS, or any other opposition group, will backfire.
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Hong Kong yoga ball murder case: ‘lethal gas was to kill shrews lured by ham’
By Fiona Chow
A former university professor brought two yoga balls filled with lethal gas to his Hong Kong home to exterminate shrews that had been attracted by the smell of Spanish ham, a court has heard in the trial over the alleged murder of his wife and daughter.
Anaesthesiologist Khaw Kim Sun, 60, told the High Court on Wednesday that he decided to bring the surplus carbon monoxide from his laboratory back to their three-storey Sai Kung after he had tried various pest control methods in vain.
The Malaysian, representing himself in the retrial, has denied filling an inflatable yoga ball with carbon monoxide and placing it inside the family’s yellow Mini Cooper to kill his wife Wong Siew Fing, 47, and second daughter, Lily Khaw Li Ling, 16.
The pair died in the car on May 22, 2015.
“There is no reason for me to sit here trying to defend myself if I am not innocent,” the former university professor told the jury.
He also said the timeline of his whereabouts on the day of the deaths, and other scientific evidence, would prove him to be not guilty.
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By Fiona Chow
A former university professor brought two yoga balls filled with lethal gas to his Hong Kong home to exterminate shrews that had been attracted by the smell of Spanish ham, a court has heard in the trial over the alleged murder of his wife and daughter.
Anaesthesiologist Khaw Kim Sun, 60, told the High Court on Wednesday that he decided to bring the surplus carbon monoxide from his laboratory back to their three-storey Sai Kung after he had tried various pest control methods in vain.
The Malaysian, representing himself in the retrial, has denied filling an inflatable yoga ball with carbon monoxide and placing it inside the family’s yellow Mini Cooper to kill his wife Wong Siew Fing, 47, and second daughter, Lily Khaw Li Ling, 16.
The pair died in the car on May 22, 2015.
“There is no reason for me to sit here trying to defend myself if I am not innocent,” the former university professor told the jury.
He also said the timeline of his whereabouts on the day of the deaths, and other scientific evidence, would prove him to be not guilty.
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Hong Kong’s John Lee heads to Beijing for duty visit, set to brief Xi Jinping on Friday
By Willa WuEdith Lin
Hong Kong’s leader has travelled to Beijing for his annual duty visit and is expected to brief Chinese President Xi Jinping on the city’s social, political and economic situation on Friday.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu did not meet the press at Hong Kong airport before departing at Wednesday noon for his four-day duty visit.
Upon arrival in the country’s capital, he had “private engagements” at night, the Post has learned.
Sources said Lee would have lunch with Beijing-based Hong Kong business leaders on Thursday, before attending a closed-door meeting with representatives from the capital’s tertiary education institutions.
He was also expected to brief Xi and Premier Li Qiang on Hong Kong’s development on Friday, with the itinerary also including meetings with members of various central government ministries, they added.
Analysts said they believed the high-level meetings between Lee and the state leaders would focus on efforts to stimulate Hong Kong’s stagnant economy and counter geopolitical risks.
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By Willa WuEdith Lin
Hong Kong’s leader has travelled to Beijing for his annual duty visit and is expected to brief Chinese President Xi Jinping on the city’s social, political and economic situation on Friday.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu did not meet the press at Hong Kong airport before departing at Wednesday noon for his four-day duty visit.
Upon arrival in the country’s capital, he had “private engagements” at night, the Post has learned.
Sources said Lee would have lunch with Beijing-based Hong Kong business leaders on Thursday, before attending a closed-door meeting with representatives from the capital’s tertiary education institutions.
He was also expected to brief Xi and Premier Li Qiang on Hong Kong’s development on Friday, with the itinerary also including meetings with members of various central government ministries, they added.
Analysts said they believed the high-level meetings between Lee and the state leaders would focus on efforts to stimulate Hong Kong’s stagnant economy and counter geopolitical risks.
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Afghanistan’s refugees minister killed in explosion
By Agence France-Presse
The Afghan minister for refugees was killed on Wednesday in an explosion at the ministry’s offices in the capital Kabul, a government source told AFP.
“Unfortunately an explosion happened at the Ministry of Refugees and Minister Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani has been martyred along with some of his colleagues,” the official said, requesting not to be named.
Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani was the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, who founded the feared Haqqani network responsible for some of the most violent attacks during the Taliban’s two-decade insurgency.
He was also the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the current interior minister.
Violence has waned in Afghanistan since the Taliban forces took over the country in 2021, ending their war against the United States and Nato-led foreign forces.
However the regional chapter of Islamic State, known as Islamic State Khorasan, is active in Afghanistan and has regularly targeted civilians, foreigners and Taliban officials with gun and bomb attacks.
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By Agence France-Presse
The Afghan minister for refugees was killed on Wednesday in an explosion at the ministry’s offices in the capital Kabul, a government source told AFP.
“Unfortunately an explosion happened at the Ministry of Refugees and Minister Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani has been martyred along with some of his colleagues,” the official said, requesting not to be named.
Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani was the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, who founded the feared Haqqani network responsible for some of the most violent attacks during the Taliban’s two-decade insurgency.
He was also the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the current interior minister.
Violence has waned in Afghanistan since the Taliban forces took over the country in 2021, ending their war against the United States and Nato-led foreign forces.
However the regional chapter of Islamic State, known as Islamic State Khorasan, is active in Afghanistan and has regularly targeted civilians, foreigners and Taliban officials with gun and bomb attacks.
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South Korea’s diplomacy in limbo after Yoon’s martial law bid, ties with allies undermined
By Maria Siow
South Korea’s diplomacy has been “effectively paralysed” by President Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed martial law bid, with analysts saying Seoul’s preparations for its external engagements ahead of US president-elect Donald Trump’s second White House term and on the security front have stalled.
Criminal investigations and impeachment efforts targeting Yoon and several cabinet members over the hours-long martial law have thrown South Korea’s government into disarray.
Yoon survived an initial impeachment vote on Saturday, but the opposition has vowed to resume efforts to oust him. The ruling People Power Party has said that it is preparing a plan for Yoon’s eventual exit.
On Monday, the justice ministry approved a travel ban on Yoon, which would bar him from overseas trips, including summits with foreign leaders.
Benjamin Engel, a visiting international studies and political science professor at Dankook University in South Korea, said last week’s events have been “very detrimental” to Seoul’s preparations for Trump’s return to Washington, particularly over possible US tariffs on South Korean exports.
“But probably most devastating when it comes to Trump is there is no [South Korean] leader to fly to Mar-a-Lago to sit down with him and build a relationship, which has proven important [previously],” Engel said. Such a strategy was “used effectively” by the late former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in his engagements with Trump during the Republican’s first term in the White House he added.
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By Maria Siow
South Korea’s diplomacy has been “effectively paralysed” by President Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed martial law bid, with analysts saying Seoul’s preparations for its external engagements ahead of US president-elect Donald Trump’s second White House term and on the security front have stalled.
Criminal investigations and impeachment efforts targeting Yoon and several cabinet members over the hours-long martial law have thrown South Korea’s government into disarray.
Yoon survived an initial impeachment vote on Saturday, but the opposition has vowed to resume efforts to oust him. The ruling People Power Party has said that it is preparing a plan for Yoon’s eventual exit.
On Monday, the justice ministry approved a travel ban on Yoon, which would bar him from overseas trips, including summits with foreign leaders.
Benjamin Engel, a visiting international studies and political science professor at Dankook University in South Korea, said last week’s events have been “very detrimental” to Seoul’s preparations for Trump’s return to Washington, particularly over possible US tariffs on South Korean exports.
“But probably most devastating when it comes to Trump is there is no [South Korean] leader to fly to Mar-a-Lago to sit down with him and build a relationship, which has proven important [previously],” Engel said. Such a strategy was “used effectively” by the late former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in his engagements with Trump during the Republican’s first term in the White House he added.
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Hong Kong police consider using drones to patrol streets as authorities review rules
By Jess Ma
Hong Kong police will use drones for patrol if regulations permit, with images collected for artificial intelligence analysis to improve effectiveness, the city’s security minister has revealed.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Wednesday that the force would look into introducing drone patrols on set routes, if the city’s rules on such gadgets flying beyond the sight of pilots were relaxed.
“While developing drone technology, various departments will exercise stringent control and supervision in the course of enforcing the relevant legislation to ensure that the operation of the drone is safe and complies with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, so as to protect the privacy of the public,” Tang said in the Legislative Council.
He added that the force was also considering keeping drones hovering at specific locations to illuminate the surroundings and broadcast reminders to the public against possible crime.
In July, police used drones to broadcast messages in Cantonese, English and Bahasa Indonesia in Sheung Sze Wan in Sai Kung, as well as in hillside residential areas in Clear Water Bay. The messages asked members of the public to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity in bushland and forests nearby.
Addressing lawmakers’ concerns, the security chief unveiled the proposed plan as he laid out the use of drones among the city’s six disciplined services.
Currently, police have been using drones at remote sites and crowded large-scale events to collect evidence, detect suspicious people hiding in difficult terrain, and monitor crowd and traffic flow.
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By Jess Ma
Hong Kong police will use drones for patrol if regulations permit, with images collected for artificial intelligence analysis to improve effectiveness, the city’s security minister has revealed.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Wednesday that the force would look into introducing drone patrols on set routes, if the city’s rules on such gadgets flying beyond the sight of pilots were relaxed.
“While developing drone technology, various departments will exercise stringent control and supervision in the course of enforcing the relevant legislation to ensure that the operation of the drone is safe and complies with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, so as to protect the privacy of the public,” Tang said in the Legislative Council.
He added that the force was also considering keeping drones hovering at specific locations to illuminate the surroundings and broadcast reminders to the public against possible crime.
In July, police used drones to broadcast messages in Cantonese, English and Bahasa Indonesia in Sheung Sze Wan in Sai Kung, as well as in hillside residential areas in Clear Water Bay. The messages asked members of the public to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity in bushland and forests nearby.
Addressing lawmakers’ concerns, the security chief unveiled the proposed plan as he laid out the use of drones among the city’s six disciplined services.
Currently, police have been using drones at remote sites and crowded large-scale events to collect evidence, detect suspicious people hiding in difficult terrain, and monitor crowd and traffic flow.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
