Ghana will not quit IMF deal but wants changes, says president-elect
By Reuters
Ghana’s president-elect John Dramani Mahama has said he will not abandon the country’s US$3 billion rescue package with the International Monetary Fund, but wants to review the deal to tackle wasteful state spending and upgrade the energy sector.
Mahama, a former president who won the December 7 election by a wide margin, said late on Friday he would also seek to tackle inflation and currency depreciation to mitigate a cost-of-living crisis in the West African nation.
Mahama had said previously that he would renegotiate the IMF programme secured by the government of outgoing President Nana Akufo in 2023.
“When I talk about renegotiation, I don’t mean we’re jettisoning the programme,” Mahama said.
“We’re bound by it but what we’re saying is within the programme, it should be possible to make some adjustments to suit reality.”
Ghana’s electoral commission declared Mahama, who was in office from 2012-16, winner of the presidential poll with 56.55 per cent of the vote.
The president-elect of the world’s number two cocoa producer inherits a nation emerging from its worst economic crisis in a generation, with turmoil in its vital cocoa and gold industries.
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By Reuters
Ghana’s president-elect John Dramani Mahama has said he will not abandon the country’s US$3 billion rescue package with the International Monetary Fund, but wants to review the deal to tackle wasteful state spending and upgrade the energy sector.
Mahama, a former president who won the December 7 election by a wide margin, said late on Friday he would also seek to tackle inflation and currency depreciation to mitigate a cost-of-living crisis in the West African nation.
Mahama had said previously that he would renegotiate the IMF programme secured by the government of outgoing President Nana Akufo in 2023.
“When I talk about renegotiation, I don’t mean we’re jettisoning the programme,” Mahama said.
“We’re bound by it but what we’re saying is within the programme, it should be possible to make some adjustments to suit reality.”
Ghana’s electoral commission declared Mahama, who was in office from 2012-16, winner of the presidential poll with 56.55 per cent of the vote.
The president-elect of the world’s number two cocoa producer inherits a nation emerging from its worst economic crisis in a generation, with turmoil in its vital cocoa and gold industries.
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What’s stopping human-like machine intelligence? Chinese AI experts weigh in
By Holly Chik
China still has a long way to go to develop its own human-like self-learning software known as artificial general intelligence (AGI), two leading industry figures told an AI forum in Shanghai on Friday.
Addressing the Pujiang AI Conference, Qiao Yu, lead scientist at the Shanghai AI Laboratory, the event’s organiser, said there were technical challenges on the path to AGI, with room for innovation in model architecture, data and learning algorithms.
One of the barriers is creating multimodal large models, systems that can process a range of information such as text and video, laying a foundation for AGI.
“[I] hope that multimodal large models can achieve breakthroughs in strong generalisation capabilities, just as language models did,” he said, adding that he anticipated advances through “scaling laws”, where a model’s performance improves as its size and training data increase.
He also said the balance between AI performance and safety was key to driving a sustainable and healthy development of artificial intelligence.
Zhang Xiangyu, chief scientist at Shanghai-based AI start-up StepFun, agreed that there was a long way to go before AGI could be realised, saying the future would require smarter goal-oriented approaches and transparency.
“The industry should steer clear of blindly following trends and use white box [learning] models to guide practical applications to avoid wasting resources,” he said.
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By Holly Chik
China still has a long way to go to develop its own human-like self-learning software known as artificial general intelligence (AGI), two leading industry figures told an AI forum in Shanghai on Friday.
Addressing the Pujiang AI Conference, Qiao Yu, lead scientist at the Shanghai AI Laboratory, the event’s organiser, said there were technical challenges on the path to AGI, with room for innovation in model architecture, data and learning algorithms.
One of the barriers is creating multimodal large models, systems that can process a range of information such as text and video, laying a foundation for AGI.
“[I] hope that multimodal large models can achieve breakthroughs in strong generalisation capabilities, just as language models did,” he said, adding that he anticipated advances through “scaling laws”, where a model’s performance improves as its size and training data increase.
He also said the balance between AI performance and safety was key to driving a sustainable and healthy development of artificial intelligence.
Zhang Xiangyu, chief scientist at Shanghai-based AI start-up StepFun, agreed that there was a long way to go before AGI could be realised, saying the future would require smarter goal-oriented approaches and transparency.
“The industry should steer clear of blindly following trends and use white box [learning] models to guide practical applications to avoid wasting resources,” he said.
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Syrians on a shopping spree in former rebel stronghold
By Agence France-Presse
Crowds of visitors wander brilliantly lit shopping aisles, stunned by the abundance of goods on offer in the heart of the former rebel stronghold in northwest Syria.
Dana, near Sarmada in Idlib province, is less than 40 kilometres east of the country’s second city Aleppo, but was cut off from the rest of the country until the fall of president Bashar al-Assad less than a week ago.
It is a major shopping centre because of its proximity to the border with Turkey.
People pay in Turkish lira or in US dollars, and all the big brands are available, brought in from Syria’s powerful neighbour.
Everything from clothes to electrical goods to furniture is on display in main street stores and four shopping malls with gleaming windows.
“It’s been a long time since I have seen so many things,” said 54-year-old mother Aisha Darkalt, visiting from Aleppo with her family.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Agence France-Presse
Crowds of visitors wander brilliantly lit shopping aisles, stunned by the abundance of goods on offer in the heart of the former rebel stronghold in northwest Syria.
Dana, near Sarmada in Idlib province, is less than 40 kilometres east of the country’s second city Aleppo, but was cut off from the rest of the country until the fall of president Bashar al-Assad less than a week ago.
It is a major shopping centre because of its proximity to the border with Turkey.
People pay in Turkish lira or in US dollars, and all the big brands are available, brought in from Syria’s powerful neighbour.
Everything from clothes to electrical goods to furniture is on display in main street stores and four shopping malls with gleaming windows.
“It’s been a long time since I have seen so many things,” said 54-year-old mother Aisha Darkalt, visiting from Aleppo with her family.
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Nearly half of young Hongkongers say they are ‘failures’, survey finds
By Fiona Sun
Nearly half of young people in Hong Kong consider themselves “failures”, primarily due to academic performance, a survey has found, with the group behind the poll calling for more mental health support.
The Hong Kong Christian Service released the findings of its survey on Saturday and said the high ratings on its “failure index” showed the need for strong support networks.
“This highlighted a critical need for a shift in society’s attitudes towards failure, emphasising the importance of the support network, including family, schools and peers, for young people in facing challenges to improve their mental health and achievement motive,” said Apple Ngo Hoi-ling, a service supervisor at a club run by the organisation in Sham Shui Po.
The Christian Service conducted the survey between June and September, interviewing 597 people aged 12 to 24 to look into their experiences with failure and the impact it has on them.
The findings showed that 48.3 per cent of respondents rated their “failure index” at 6 or above out of 10, indicating a tendency to view themselves as failures. A higher score indicates greater feelings of failure.
More than three-quarters of respondents said their most serious failures were related to academic achievement. Others said their failures were tied to personal development and interpersonal relationships.
The average score stood at 5.6, with most people defining failure as not achieving personal goals, being unable to demonstrate their strengths and abilities, as well as falling short of meeting others’ expectations.
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By Fiona Sun
Nearly half of young people in Hong Kong consider themselves “failures”, primarily due to academic performance, a survey has found, with the group behind the poll calling for more mental health support.
The Hong Kong Christian Service released the findings of its survey on Saturday and said the high ratings on its “failure index” showed the need for strong support networks.
“This highlighted a critical need for a shift in society’s attitudes towards failure, emphasising the importance of the support network, including family, schools and peers, for young people in facing challenges to improve their mental health and achievement motive,” said Apple Ngo Hoi-ling, a service supervisor at a club run by the organisation in Sham Shui Po.
The Christian Service conducted the survey between June and September, interviewing 597 people aged 12 to 24 to look into their experiences with failure and the impact it has on them.
The findings showed that 48.3 per cent of respondents rated their “failure index” at 6 or above out of 10, indicating a tendency to view themselves as failures. A higher score indicates greater feelings of failure.
More than three-quarters of respondents said their most serious failures were related to academic achievement. Others said their failures were tied to personal development and interpersonal relationships.
The average score stood at 5.6, with most people defining failure as not achieving personal goals, being unable to demonstrate their strengths and abilities, as well as falling short of meeting others’ expectations.
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In Hong Kong, AI is bringing conversations about wartime atrocities into the classroom
By Xinlu Liang
In a high school classroom in Hong Kong, a student asks a survivor of the Nanking massacre if she has ever thought about taking her own life.
Dressed in traditional Chinese clothing, her white hair neatly combed, 95-year-old Xia Shuqing calmly answers.
“I didn’t think about it. I just wanted to be brave and speak up more for justice – I wanted to live on,” Xia says.
It is a candid conversation, made possible by an innovative artificial intelligence project.
Using a mobile app, the students are engaging in dialogue with the interactive testimony of a survivor of the massacre, which took place over six weeks from December 13, 1937, when Japanese troops captured the city that is now known as Nanjing, in eastern China.
The project aims to preserve the testimonies and legacy of “comfort women” – wartime sex slaves – and survivors of other atrocities, including the massacre.
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By Xinlu Liang
In a high school classroom in Hong Kong, a student asks a survivor of the Nanking massacre if she has ever thought about taking her own life.
Dressed in traditional Chinese clothing, her white hair neatly combed, 95-year-old Xia Shuqing calmly answers.
“I didn’t think about it. I just wanted to be brave and speak up more for justice – I wanted to live on,” Xia says.
It is a candid conversation, made possible by an innovative artificial intelligence project.
Using a mobile app, the students are engaging in dialogue with the interactive testimony of a survivor of the massacre, which took place over six weeks from December 13, 1937, when Japanese troops captured the city that is now known as Nanjing, in eastern China.
The project aims to preserve the testimonies and legacy of “comfort women” – wartime sex slaves – and survivors of other atrocities, including the massacre.
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US starts relocating Marines from Japan’s Okinawa over base grievances
By Agence France-Presse
The United States has begun relocating thousands of Marines from the Japanese island of Okinawa, Tokyo and Washington said on Saturday, after decades of mounting grievances among locals over America’s military presence.
In 2012, the United States said it would redeploy 9,000 Marines from the island where communities complain bases are an unfair burden – with objections ranging from pollution to noise and helicopter crashes.
The relocation began with “a small detachment of approximately 100 logistics support Marines” transferred to the US island territory of Guam, Japan’s defence ministry and the US Marine Corps said.
“Commencement of relocation to Guam signifies the first phase of relocating Marines to locations outside of Japan,” said the joint statement.
There are currently around 19,000 Marines in Okinawa – strategically located east of Taiwan, which has become a flashpoint for tensions between the United States and China.
Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.
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By Agence France-Presse
The United States has begun relocating thousands of Marines from the Japanese island of Okinawa, Tokyo and Washington said on Saturday, after decades of mounting grievances among locals over America’s military presence.
In 2012, the United States said it would redeploy 9,000 Marines from the island where communities complain bases are an unfair burden – with objections ranging from pollution to noise and helicopter crashes.
The relocation began with “a small detachment of approximately 100 logistics support Marines” transferred to the US island territory of Guam, Japan’s defence ministry and the US Marine Corps said.
“Commencement of relocation to Guam signifies the first phase of relocating Marines to locations outside of Japan,” said the joint statement.
There are currently around 19,000 Marines in Okinawa – strategically located east of Taiwan, which has become a flashpoint for tensions between the United States and China.
Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.
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Iran confirms increase in IAEA nuclear inspections
By Agence France-Presse
Iran confirmed on Saturday that it has allowed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to increase the number of inspections it carries out into Tehran’s nuclear programme, state media reported.
“We have increased capacity – it is natural that the number of inspections should also increase,” the official IRNA news agency quoted the country’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami as saying.
“When we carry out nuclear activities, and where we deal with nuclear materials, changing the scale will naturally change the monitoring level,” he added.
Eslami’s comments came after an IAEA report that Iran had agreed to increased monitoring.
“Iran agreed to the agency’s request to increase the frequency and intensity of the implementation of safeguard measures at Fordo enrichment plant” south of Tehran, the IAEA report said.
Last week the UN nuclear watchdog said Iran had revamped Fordo so it could “significantly increase the rate of production of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent”, close to the 90 per cent needed to make a nuclear weapon.
Iran insists on its right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and denies it is seeking an atomic weapons capability.
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By Agence France-Presse
Iran confirmed on Saturday that it has allowed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to increase the number of inspections it carries out into Tehran’s nuclear programme, state media reported.
“We have increased capacity – it is natural that the number of inspections should also increase,” the official IRNA news agency quoted the country’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami as saying.
“When we carry out nuclear activities, and where we deal with nuclear materials, changing the scale will naturally change the monitoring level,” he added.
Eslami’s comments came after an IAEA report that Iran had agreed to increased monitoring.
“Iran agreed to the agency’s request to increase the frequency and intensity of the implementation of safeguard measures at Fordo enrichment plant” south of Tehran, the IAEA report said.
Last week the UN nuclear watchdog said Iran had revamped Fordo so it could “significantly increase the rate of production of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent”, close to the 90 per cent needed to make a nuclear weapon.
Iran insists on its right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and denies it is seeking an atomic weapons capability.
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Farage challenges UK two-party system, threatens European-style fragmentation
By Bloomberg
At Britain’s general election in July, the populist Reform UK Party leader Nigel Farage finally won a seat in the House of Commons on his eighth attempt, entering Parliament with four colleagues. Now he is setting his sights on upturning the country’s traditional two-party duopoly.
“At the next election in 2029 or before, there will be hundreds of newcomers under the Reform UK label,” Farage promised rival politicians at a swanky London dinner earlier this month. “We are about to witness a political revolution.”
The Brexit campaigner and Donald Trump supporter is prone to grandiose statements, but as often in the past, he is impossible to ignore.
With the official Conservative opposition struggling for relevance, his right-wing party enjoys momentum off the back of faltering poll numbers for the new Labour government amid a rocky start by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Buttressed also by endorsements from billionaire Elon Musk, Reform is challenging both main parties in the polls, and Farage is now the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed Starmer as premier.
Politicians and strategists at the top of the two parties that have dominated British politics for a century told reporters they are increasingly alive to the threat posed by Reform. Speaking on condition of anonymity about internal party thinking, the Tory and Labour officials expressed concern at signs the UK could be shifting toward a less predictable multiparty politics more common on the European continent.
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By Bloomberg
At Britain’s general election in July, the populist Reform UK Party leader Nigel Farage finally won a seat in the House of Commons on his eighth attempt, entering Parliament with four colleagues. Now he is setting his sights on upturning the country’s traditional two-party duopoly.
“At the next election in 2029 or before, there will be hundreds of newcomers under the Reform UK label,” Farage promised rival politicians at a swanky London dinner earlier this month. “We are about to witness a political revolution.”
The Brexit campaigner and Donald Trump supporter is prone to grandiose statements, but as often in the past, he is impossible to ignore.
With the official Conservative opposition struggling for relevance, his right-wing party enjoys momentum off the back of faltering poll numbers for the new Labour government amid a rocky start by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Buttressed also by endorsements from billionaire Elon Musk, Reform is challenging both main parties in the polls, and Farage is now the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed Starmer as premier.
Politicians and strategists at the top of the two parties that have dominated British politics for a century told reporters they are increasingly alive to the threat posed by Reform. Speaking on condition of anonymity about internal party thinking, the Tory and Labour officials expressed concern at signs the UK could be shifting toward a less predictable multiparty politics more common on the European continent.
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‘I want to live’: death of China cancer fighter, worked to finance own education, saddens many
By Fran Lu
Many on social media are mourning the death of a 25-year-old Chinese woman who tenaciously fought terminal cancer until it ultimately took her life.
Lu Wenna, an auxiliary police officer in southwestern China’s Yunnan province, passed away on December 6 from a rare form of cancer known as rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of soft tissue sarcoma.
Since her diagnosis in May last year, she had been responding positively to treatment and documenting her journey on her Douyin account, @bunana, where she had amassed 32,000 followers.
Despite her deteriorating physical condition, Lu inspired many with her passion for life.
In one video shortly before her death, she stated: “I want to live.”
In another video from November, she expressed gratitude to her online supporters: “Yunnan is warm in winter. There is sunshine, my mum’s love, my sister, and your company. I am satisfied.”
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By Fran Lu
Many on social media are mourning the death of a 25-year-old Chinese woman who tenaciously fought terminal cancer until it ultimately took her life.
Lu Wenna, an auxiliary police officer in southwestern China’s Yunnan province, passed away on December 6 from a rare form of cancer known as rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of soft tissue sarcoma.
Since her diagnosis in May last year, she had been responding positively to treatment and documenting her journey on her Douyin account, @bunana, where she had amassed 32,000 followers.
Despite her deteriorating physical condition, Lu inspired many with her passion for life.
In one video shortly before her death, she stated: “I want to live.”
In another video from November, she expressed gratitude to her online supporters: “Yunnan is warm in winter. There is sunshine, my mum’s love, my sister, and your company. I am satisfied.”
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Cross-strait exchanges under pressure by Taiwan’s ruling DPP
By Lawrence Chung
A push by Taiwan’s main opposition party to improve cross-strait relations is coming under pressure from the island’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
The annual Taipei-Shanghai Twin City Forum – set for Tuesday – hangs in the balance as Taipei mayor Wayne Chiang Wan-an faces growing demands to cancel the event if Beijing continues to escalate its military pressure on the island.
Citing the increasing military presence of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) around Taiwan, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) – the island’s top body overseeing cross-strait policy – has raised doubts about the forum, which was originally conceived in 2010 as a platform for Taipei and Shanghai to foster municipal-level cooperation.
The MAC has granted conditional approval for the event, saying it would be cancelled if the PLA’s activities caused a “deterioration in the situation”. On Wednesday, MAC spokesman Liang Wen-chieh said deterioration could take various forms and would be assessed through multiple indicators rather than a single factor.
This week, the PLA’s activities have included at least 146 aircraft sorties and 53 warship sailings, with 67 aircraft either crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entering Taiwan’s air defence identification zone. The manoeuvres, according to Taiwanese defence officials, reflect heightened pressure on the island.
On Friday, the MAC said it had denied entry to nine reporters from mainland China given “intensified political and military threats against Taiwan”, adding that their media agencies already had journalists on the island to cover the event.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Lawrence Chung
A push by Taiwan’s main opposition party to improve cross-strait relations is coming under pressure from the island’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
The annual Taipei-Shanghai Twin City Forum – set for Tuesday – hangs in the balance as Taipei mayor Wayne Chiang Wan-an faces growing demands to cancel the event if Beijing continues to escalate its military pressure on the island.
Citing the increasing military presence of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) around Taiwan, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) – the island’s top body overseeing cross-strait policy – has raised doubts about the forum, which was originally conceived in 2010 as a platform for Taipei and Shanghai to foster municipal-level cooperation.
The MAC has granted conditional approval for the event, saying it would be cancelled if the PLA’s activities caused a “deterioration in the situation”. On Wednesday, MAC spokesman Liang Wen-chieh said deterioration could take various forms and would be assessed through multiple indicators rather than a single factor.
This week, the PLA’s activities have included at least 146 aircraft sorties and 53 warship sailings, with 67 aircraft either crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entering Taiwan’s air defence identification zone. The manoeuvres, according to Taiwanese defence officials, reflect heightened pressure on the island.
On Friday, the MAC said it had denied entry to nine reporters from mainland China given “intensified political and military threats against Taiwan”, adding that their media agencies already had journalists on the island to cover the event.
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China’s annual growth on track to hit target of around 5%, senior official suggests
By Mandy Zuo
China’s economic growth this year will be about 5 per cent, a high-level official said on Saturday, suggesting that the country is hitting its annual target.
The world’s second largest economy is going to achieve major goals for 2024 and contribute to nearly 30 per cent of global growth, Han Wenxiu, deputy director of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission’s general office, told an economic forum in Beijing.
Describing employment and prices as stable, Han said China’s foreign exchange reserves – the world’s largest – are expected to remain above US$3.2 trillion, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Earlier this year the country’s annual growth target was set at “around 5 per cent” and policymakers have unveiled a series of stimulus measures in recent months in an effort to hit the target and revive the slowing economy.
It is the first comment about China’s economic prospects from a top official following the two-day Central Economic Work Conference last week, where planners looked back at 2024 and mapped out strategies for the new year.
Economic planners pledged to seek a sustainable growth rate through a number of policy changes including a higher fiscal deficit ceiling, more treasury bonds and cuts to interest rates and the reserve requirement ratio.
The new policy proposals “carry significant weight”, and specific plans will be unveiled during the annual parliamentary session in March, Han said.
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By Mandy Zuo
China’s economic growth this year will be about 5 per cent, a high-level official said on Saturday, suggesting that the country is hitting its annual target.
The world’s second largest economy is going to achieve major goals for 2024 and contribute to nearly 30 per cent of global growth, Han Wenxiu, deputy director of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission’s general office, told an economic forum in Beijing.
Describing employment and prices as stable, Han said China’s foreign exchange reserves – the world’s largest – are expected to remain above US$3.2 trillion, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Earlier this year the country’s annual growth target was set at “around 5 per cent” and policymakers have unveiled a series of stimulus measures in recent months in an effort to hit the target and revive the slowing economy.
It is the first comment about China’s economic prospects from a top official following the two-day Central Economic Work Conference last week, where planners looked back at 2024 and mapped out strategies for the new year.
Economic planners pledged to seek a sustainable growth rate through a number of policy changes including a higher fiscal deficit ceiling, more treasury bonds and cuts to interest rates and the reserve requirement ratio.
The new policy proposals “carry significant weight”, and specific plans will be unveiled during the annual parliamentary session in March, Han said.
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South Korean President Yoon impeached over martial law debacle
By Park Chan-kyongAgence France-Presse
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was impeached on Saturday over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, throwing the nation into months of caretaker rule.
Police said least 200,000 people rallied in Seoul outside the National Assembly, which voted on the resolution for “insurrectionary acts”, a week after a first attempt to remove Yoon for the martial law debacle failed.
Out of 300 lawmakers, 204 backed the measure while 85 voted against. Three abstained, with eight votes nullified.
Under South Korea’s Constitution, Yoon is immediately suspended from office upon impeachment.
The prime minister or a member of the State Council, following the order of succession determined by law, assumes the role of acting president until the Constitutional Court delivers its final ruling within 180 days.
If it backs his removal, he would become the second president in South Korean history to be successfully impeached.
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By Park Chan-kyongAgence France-Presse
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was impeached on Saturday over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, throwing the nation into months of caretaker rule.
Police said least 200,000 people rallied in Seoul outside the National Assembly, which voted on the resolution for “insurrectionary acts”, a week after a first attempt to remove Yoon for the martial law debacle failed.
Out of 300 lawmakers, 204 backed the measure while 85 voted against. Three abstained, with eight votes nullified.
Under South Korea’s Constitution, Yoon is immediately suspended from office upon impeachment.
The prime minister or a member of the State Council, following the order of succession determined by law, assumes the role of acting president until the Constitutional Court delivers its final ruling within 180 days.
If it backs his removal, he would become the second president in South Korean history to be successfully impeached.
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Chinese surveillance firm Hikvision ends Xinjiang government contracts ahead of Trump 2.0
By Xinmei Shen
US-sanctioned Chinese surveillance giant Hikvision has terminated five contracts with local government authorities in Xinjiang, as it braces for the second term of US president-elect Donald Trump, who first put Hikvision on a trade blacklist in 2019.
Hikvision ended the contracts for its public security projects in the far-western region of China, where local subsidiaries signed the deals with municipal governments in the region in 2017, the state-owned surveillance equipment maker said in a statement on Friday.
The projects have been completed since 2018 and entered a maintenance phase, according to Hikvision. The five local subsidiaries will continue to work on clearing debts and receivables, but will no longer engage in other business activities, the company added.
The five Hikvision subsidiaries – Luopu Haishi Dingxin Electronic Technology, Moyu Haishi Electronic Technology, Pishan Haishi Yongan Electronic Technology, Urumqi Haishi Xinan Electronic Technology, and Yutian Haishi Meitian Electronic Technology – were added in March last year to the so-called Entity List managed by a bureau under the US Department of Commerce.
The US Bureau of Industry and Security alleged the companies were involved in “human rights violations and abuses in the implementation of China’s campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention and high-technology surveillance against the Uygur people and members of other Muslim minority groups in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region”.
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By Xinmei Shen
US-sanctioned Chinese surveillance giant Hikvision has terminated five contracts with local government authorities in Xinjiang, as it braces for the second term of US president-elect Donald Trump, who first put Hikvision on a trade blacklist in 2019.
Hikvision ended the contracts for its public security projects in the far-western region of China, where local subsidiaries signed the deals with municipal governments in the region in 2017, the state-owned surveillance equipment maker said in a statement on Friday.
The projects have been completed since 2018 and entered a maintenance phase, according to Hikvision. The five local subsidiaries will continue to work on clearing debts and receivables, but will no longer engage in other business activities, the company added.
The five Hikvision subsidiaries – Luopu Haishi Dingxin Electronic Technology, Moyu Haishi Electronic Technology, Pishan Haishi Yongan Electronic Technology, Urumqi Haishi Xinan Electronic Technology, and Yutian Haishi Meitian Electronic Technology – were added in March last year to the so-called Entity List managed by a bureau under the US Department of Commerce.
The US Bureau of Industry and Security alleged the companies were involved in “human rights violations and abuses in the implementation of China’s campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention and high-technology surveillance against the Uygur people and members of other Muslim minority groups in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region”.
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Hong Kong’s John Lee wraps up Beijing duty visit with meeting on talent
By Willa Wu
Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu concluded his four-day duty visit to Beijing on Saturday with a visit to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
Principal officials and members of the key decision-making Executive Council also voiced their full support for Lee and the pledge he made to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday over his reform efforts.
Lee met the country’s human resources and social security minister, Wang Xiaoping, on his final stop in the capital, with No 2 official Eric Chan Kwok-ki also flying in to join the discussions.
“[Lee] hopes that the HKSAR government can create joint forces with the ministry in serving the country’s workforce development strategy and make greater contributions to building a great country in all respects through Chinese modernisation,” the Hong Kong government said.
During the meeting, Chief Secretary Chan reported on the work of a new committee on education, technology and talent that he chairs. He vowed to promote coordinated development in technological and industrial innovation, as well as the supply and demand of human resources.
The 16 non-official Exco members said in a joint statement on Saturday morning that they would continue to “fully support” Lee in leading Hong Kong to pursue reforms and changes by offering their advice and collaboration.
“With a view to creating new momentum and advantages for economic development, [we support Lee in] promoting Hong Kong’s transition from stability to prosperity through innovation and invention, and advancing high-quality development in Hong Kong together,” the members said.
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By Willa Wu
Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu concluded his four-day duty visit to Beijing on Saturday with a visit to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
Principal officials and members of the key decision-making Executive Council also voiced their full support for Lee and the pledge he made to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday over his reform efforts.
Lee met the country’s human resources and social security minister, Wang Xiaoping, on his final stop in the capital, with No 2 official Eric Chan Kwok-ki also flying in to join the discussions.
“[Lee] hopes that the HKSAR government can create joint forces with the ministry in serving the country’s workforce development strategy and make greater contributions to building a great country in all respects through Chinese modernisation,” the Hong Kong government said.
During the meeting, Chief Secretary Chan reported on the work of a new committee on education, technology and talent that he chairs. He vowed to promote coordinated development in technological and industrial innovation, as well as the supply and demand of human resources.
The 16 non-official Exco members said in a joint statement on Saturday morning that they would continue to “fully support” Lee in leading Hong Kong to pursue reforms and changes by offering their advice and collaboration.
“With a view to creating new momentum and advantages for economic development, [we support Lee in] promoting Hong Kong’s transition from stability to prosperity through innovation and invention, and advancing high-quality development in Hong Kong together,” the members said.
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‘New history’: Assad’s fall brings joy, hope to Syrian students in Hong Kong
By Connor MycroftAleksander Solum
For Abdulwahab Tahhan, a Syrian student in Hong Kong, the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime may mean reuniting with his friends and loved ones for the first time in 12 years within reach.
The 37-year-old communications PhD student at Baptist University, who fled his country shortly after a popular uprising against president Assad evolved into a brutal civil war, is among millions who see the success of rebel fighters as a turning point.
Tahhan first sought asylum in the United Kingdom before coming to Hong Kong five years ago to work and study.
“I cannot contain my happiness,” he said after the fall of the dictatorship.
“We’ve been living in an actual hell for over 13 years … and what happened now has given [people] hope. People on the ground are hopeful.”
Five decades of dynastic rule crumbled swiftly earlier this week after rebel fighters captured the Syrian capital Damascus after an 11-day offensive across the country.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Connor MycroftAleksander Solum
For Abdulwahab Tahhan, a Syrian student in Hong Kong, the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime may mean reuniting with his friends and loved ones for the first time in 12 years within reach.
The 37-year-old communications PhD student at Baptist University, who fled his country shortly after a popular uprising against president Assad evolved into a brutal civil war, is among millions who see the success of rebel fighters as a turning point.
Tahhan first sought asylum in the United Kingdom before coming to Hong Kong five years ago to work and study.
“I cannot contain my happiness,” he said after the fall of the dictatorship.
“We’ve been living in an actual hell for over 13 years … and what happened now has given [people] hope. People on the ground are hopeful.”
Five decades of dynastic rule crumbled swiftly earlier this week after rebel fighters captured the Syrian capital Damascus after an 11-day offensive across the country.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Is India losing its fight against tuberculosis eradication by 2025?
By Vasudevan Sridharan
For months, a relentless spiral of coughing, fever and fading strength defined Sivaranjani’s life. The 24-year-old from Barur, a quiet village in Tamil Nadu, had seen doctor after doctor, endured test after test, yet no one could explain why her body was wasting away.
By early 2020, her weight had plummeted to a shocking 28kg (62lbs). Her family could only watch in helpless despair as her health deteriorated. Then came the seizure – a violent culmination of months of fever and exhaustion.
Rushed unconscious to a government hospital, Sivaranjani spent two days in the intensive care unit while doctors fought to stabilise her.
Finally, the mystery was solved: she had tuberculosis.
“It was just hell,” Sivaranjani told This Week in Asia, her voice trembling as she recounted the diagnosis. “Once I was diagnosed with TB, my entire life was turned upside down.”
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Vasudevan Sridharan
For months, a relentless spiral of coughing, fever and fading strength defined Sivaranjani’s life. The 24-year-old from Barur, a quiet village in Tamil Nadu, had seen doctor after doctor, endured test after test, yet no one could explain why her body was wasting away.
By early 2020, her weight had plummeted to a shocking 28kg (62lbs). Her family could only watch in helpless despair as her health deteriorated. Then came the seizure – a violent culmination of months of fever and exhaustion.
Rushed unconscious to a government hospital, Sivaranjani spent two days in the intensive care unit while doctors fought to stabilise her.
Finally, the mystery was solved: she had tuberculosis.
“It was just hell,” Sivaranjani told This Week in Asia, her voice trembling as she recounted the diagnosis. “Once I was diagnosed with TB, my entire life was turned upside down.”
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Hong Kong taxi driver, 72, injured after veering into pavement
By Cannix Yau
A 72-year-old taxi driver has been injured after his vehicle veered onto a pavement and flipped on its side in Hong Kong’s Cheung Sha Wan.
At least four passers-by were seen rushing to help the stranded elderly driver following the crash, which took place on Wing Hong Street at around 8am on Saturday.
According to police, the taxi struck pavement fences and tipped over onto its left side after the driver lost control. The vehicle’s windscreen was also damaged.
“The driver suffered bleeding from the mouth and abrasions to his limbs. He was later transported to hospital,” the force said.
The force is currently investigating the cause of the accident.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Cannix Yau
A 72-year-old taxi driver has been injured after his vehicle veered onto a pavement and flipped on its side in Hong Kong’s Cheung Sha Wan.
At least four passers-by were seen rushing to help the stranded elderly driver following the crash, which took place on Wing Hong Street at around 8am on Saturday.
According to police, the taxi struck pavement fences and tipped over onto its left side after the driver lost control. The vehicle’s windscreen was also damaged.
“The driver suffered bleeding from the mouth and abrasions to his limbs. He was later transported to hospital,” the force said.
The force is currently investigating the cause of the accident.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
