Tugboats guide the giant container vessel MV Ever Given through the Suez Canal after it was finally refloated, ending a near week-long closure of the vital trade artery
Anathan "ana" Pham looked every bit like the legendary carry player that helped his team to back-to-back TI championships.
People in Singapore who are eligible to get COVID-19 vaccination can choose from the list of centres administering either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shots, according to a report by The Straits Times.
A Hong Kong couple have been found guilty of murdering their five-year-old daughter three years ago in one of the city’s most horrifying cases of child abuse. The girl’s 56-year-old step-grandmother was also convicted of two out of four counts of child cruelty. A High Court jury of three men and four women on Tuesday returned the verdicts after 10 hours of deliberations, following a month of heartbreaking testimony from family members, teachers and doctors.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Murder and manslaughter are both punishable by life imprisonment, while the cruelty charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. All three defendants had no prior convictions. The father was found guilty of murder by a unanimous vote, and the stepmother was convicted by a 6-1 majority. The grandmother was unanimously cleared of ill-treatment of the children, but was found guilty of two counts of neglect by a vote of 6-1. None of the defendants showed a visible reaction to the verdicts. Hong Kong child abuse escalating as pandemic sees children, stressed parents together more at home: expert The judge will hear mitigation on Wednesday and sentence them on April 20. The step-grandmother’s bail was revoked, while the parents have been remanded since their arrest in January 2018. The shocking abuse first came to light on January 6, 2018, when the child was rushed unconscious to Tuen Mun Hospital, in a diaper, her body covered with some 130 injuries. On the same day, her eight-year-old brother was also sent to hospital, where he was found to have about the same number of injuries on his underweight body. The children’s 29-year-old father, a transport worker, and 30-year-old stepmother, a housewife, admitted they had ill-treated and neglected them over a period of 150 days, since they moved in with the step-grandmother on August 10, 2017, but they denied murdering the girl. The death sparked public outrage and brought renewed attention to the city’s child protection measures. In the aftermath, the government announced new arrangements for reporting pupils’ absence and suspected abuse, introduced more social workers, and revised its guidelines on handling similar cases in the future. Public interest was also evident from the regular full attendance in court and heated online discussions, which included comments so alarming it prompted Mr Justice Albert Wong Sung-hau to ask correctional services to pay more attention to the couple’s life in prison. One post read: “Hope someone inside will take care of them.” “Convict them already and let the inmates assault them,” wrote another. Death of girl, 5, sparks calls for more help for Hong Kong schools in tackling child abuse The judge has issued a gag order barring the identification of the family members and schools involved, to protect the siblings and their stepsister, who was not abused. But that did not stop the online doxxing of one teacher, even after his full name was withheld by the media. An autopsy concluded the girl had died of septicaemia after she was infected by two kinds of bacteria: Salmonella enteritidis and Staphylococcus aureus. Derek Lai Kim-wah, senior assistant director of public prosecutions, said the chronic abuse was a significant cause of the girl’s death because it weakened her immune system’s ability to fight the salmonella infection that eventually killed her. That was reflected by the experts’ finding of the change in the girl’s thymus – a vital organ responsible for the production of white blood cells that fight salmonella – which had been reduced to its smallest size, despite it generally being at its largest in children her age, in response to toxic stress. The parents accepted they caused the death and offered to plead guilty to manslaughter, but that was rejected by the prosecution. The murder charge hinged on the question of whether the parents had the intent to cause the girl grievous bodily harm at some point through their ill-treatment or neglect. One example offered by prosecutors was denying her food for three to four days on three occasions in November and December 2017, when she was also experiencing other forms of abuse. But both parents had denied having such an intent, and said they did not know about the deterioration of the thymus when they used corporal punishment for the purpose of “teaching”. Number of child abuse cases in Hong Kong hits 14-year high, as activists urge action As for the step-grandmother, Lai said the most serious crime she committed was neglecting the children in her care, in the flat she owned, as she could have stopped the punishments and saved the girl. But the grandparent, an accounting clerk, said she did intervene, while questioning if the children were truly in her care. She also denied using a rattan stick on the children. Halfway through trial, her defence counsel Chase Pun argued she had no case to answer, because the prosecution’s allegations rested on inconsistent accounts given by the children. But Wong ruled against her on all four counts. She did not testify. The Social Welfare Department has been following up on the girl’s brother and stepsister since January 2018, providing clinical psychological services, residential care and financial assistance. A spokesman said the department would continue to provide support and services as appropriate. The Post has been told the boy has been returned to his paternal grandmother’s care, without requiring further counselling since 2019, while the stepsister has been placed in foster care. Both were accompanied by social workers when they testified against their parents and grandmother in a separate room via a live television link. Opinion: Hong Kong’s child abuse laws must be updated as a matter of urgency in 2021 In response to the verdict, top microbiologist Dr Ho Pak-leung shared on Facebook two verses from the Bible’s Book of Proverbs: “Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.” Ho, an expert witness who had testified on the girl’s serious infection, said he hoped her tragic case could serve as a wake-up call for the community to pay more attention to child abuse and offer a helping hand when children were in need. He also expressed hope that the girl’s spirit would find peace now that justice had been served. In a statement, the Hong Kong Committee on Children’s Rights called on the community and the government to work together to strengthen laws and systems to protect the city’s 1.1 million children. “This was not a single case,” the statement said. “And such cases must be thoroughly reviewed to trace needs and loopholes to ensure responsible practices being the norm.” Against Child Abuse, the NGO, recognised improvements in government policies and mechanisms in the past three years, while making further recommendations, such as banning corporal punishment and establishing a system for mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse.More from South China Morning Post:Hong Kong nursery school teacher breaks down in court while testifying in 5-year-old girl’s murder trialHong Kong couple charged with murdering five-year-old daughter told police ‘she hurt herself’, while paramedics battled to save little girl’s lifeThis article Hong Kong couple found guilty of murdering 5-year-old daughter in horrific child abuse case first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
The European Union says it will not pay off Montenegro’s near-US$1 billion debts to China, rejecting the tiny Balkan nation’s repeated pleas for help. A spokesman for the EU told the South China Morning Post that it “does not repay loans of partners which they took from third parties”, although he did express concern “over the socioeconomic and financial effects of some of China’s investments in Montenegro”. He continued that Brussels was willing to work with the country, a candidate for EU membership, to put its debts on a sustainable footing.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Montenegro’s finance minister Milojko Spajic on Sunday became the latest cabinet member to ask Brussels for help in repaying a dollar-denominated loan signed with the Export-Import Bank of China in 2014 to build the first section of a highway linking the country with neighbouring Serbia. “This is a small but easy win for them. It’s low-hanging fruit,” Spajic told the Financial Times in an interview published on Sunday. The loan was agreed under the previous government, with Spaijic making it clear that the new administration, which took over in December, wanted closer ties with Brussels than Beijing. “For infrastructure we’re currently relying on China … The situation is dramatic from a geopolitical standpoint,” he told the FT. Debt-trap diplomacy? Report finds China can cancel loans if displeased The unfinished highway project has often been cited as an example of the “debt-trap diplomacy” China is accused of deploying as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, an infrastructure drive to connect the global East and West. Beijing has rejected the accusations saying its loans to developing countries have no strings attached. The FT reported that with an estimated cost of US$23.8 million per kilometre, the highway is thought to be among the most expensive strips of road in the world, with the first repayments due in July. It has helped increase the public debt rate in Montenegro – which is seeking to join the EU – from 65.9 per cent to an estimated 80 per cent of gross domestic product once the loan is repaid, according to figures cited by the European Parliament. To absorb the costs, Podgorica has had to raise cash elsewhere, such as a 21 per cent value-added tax on non-tourism activities. In an address to the European Parliament’s committee on foreign affairs in March, Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic asked members to “help us replace the credit with [a loan from] some European banks”, adding that it would help stymie Chinese influence in the country. Peter Stano, the EU’s spokesman for foreign affairs and security issues, told the Post that the bloc is already the biggest provider of financial help to Montenegro, as well as its biggest investor and trading partner. China pins hopes on Balkans as gateway to Europe but faces growing scepticism “The EU will continue to support Montenegro on its path towards EU membership, and in this context work with the country to find financial solutions for its investment projects and to ensure the sustainability of its public debt,” Stano said. “But while every country is free to establish its investment objectives, the EU has concerns over the socioeconomic and financial effects some of China’s investments in Montenegro can have, which risk macroeconomic imbalances and debt-dependency,” he added. Concerns have been rising in Brussels about China’s growing influence in the Western Balkans, where it has strong ties with regional powerhouse Serbia. It is not clear whether Montenegro will be able to gain support from other sources and major European public funding outfits had previously turned their noses up at the first section of the Bar-Boljare motorway, which will run from the Adriatic Sea to the border with Serbia. A report by the Dutch Clingendael Institute, a think tank, said last year that two feasibility studies had been conducted in 2006 and 2012 respectively, with both the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank expressing “no interest” in the project. Coronavirus runs roughshod over debt-laden belt and road projects “Montenegro sees China as a rising global power that brings new economic and financing opportunities. Local institutions and actors in Montenegro are positively disposed and keen to develop and deepen bilateral relations,” the report read. “Expectations continue to prevail over critical attitudes because of a perceived imperative to address the country’s development needs.”This article EU says it won’t pay off Montenegro’s billion-dollar highway debt to China first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
The UN rights chief warned Tuesday Myanmar could be spiralling towards a "full-blown" Syrian-style conflict, after a two-month crackdown that a local monitoring group says has already claimed more than 700 lives.
China’s military has introduced guidelines to prevent troops serving on the Tibetan plateau from getting altitude sickness, a move seen as boosting combat readiness as the country remains locked in a border dispute with India. “Altitude sickness is a common problem that has been affecting troops stationed on the plateau for a long time,” an unnamed army officer was quoted as saying in a report on Monday by PLA Daily, the mouthpiece of the People’s Liberation Army. One of the problems was that the early symptoms of altitude sickness were not too serious so soldiers tended to ignore them, the person said. But if it progressed it could result in them being unable to do their jobs.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. So to ensure their soldiers do not become incapacitated, the commanders of an army division serving on the plateau came up with a multi-point plan to keep them safe. The advice is to drink lots of water, use sanitising wipes after eating and going to the bathroom, avoid overeating and breathe pure oxygen for an hour a day, the report said. The recommendations were drawn up with the help of doctors, it said. “Because of the guidelines, officers and soldiers in the division are gradually developing good habits to prevent altitude sickness, and some of the milder symptoms that used to happen at the start of an exercise no longer do,” the officer said. Guo Lei, a doctor in the army division, said the guidelines were useful and had reduced the incidence of altitude sickness among the troops. Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, said they would help to ensure Chinese troops stationed at high altitude were always ready for combat. “Chinese soldiers come from all parts of China and it’s not easy for some of them to quickly adapt to the high plateau environment,” he said. “These new guidelines can be effective in sustaining combat ability during hard times.” Altitude sickness is the harmful effect of high altitude caused by rapid exposure to low amounts of oxygen. People respond in different ways but typical symptoms include headaches, vomiting, fatigue and dizziness. In the worst cases, the lack of oxygen can result in a cerebral oedema – a swelling of the brain that is potentially life threatening. Chinese soldiers serving in the Himalayas between China and India have been known to lose their way after experiencing altitude sickness. The two countries have been locked in a border stand-off in the region for almost a year. In June, 20 Indian soldiers and an unspecified number of Chinese troops were killed in a violent clash in the Galwan valley in Ladakh, the most serious incident of its kind for almost 60 years.More from South China Morning Post:China kits out army for winter combat as India border dispute drags onChina’s ‘new’ border rules in Tibet point to same old dispute with IndiaChina’s military trains in Tibetan plateau amid border dispute with IndiaBeijing sends upgraded tropical wear to make troops comfortable at disputed South China Sea outpostsDalai Lama gets coronavirus vaccine shot: ‘This injection is very, very helpful’This article Chinese soldiers given tips on how to prevent altitude sickness first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
Har kaw, siew mai, lor bak gou, dim sum so good you just can’t say no! Little morsels of deliciousness, carefully wrapped in paper-thin dough, topped with chives and cooked to perfection, dim sum (点心: dian xin) holds a special place in our hearts (and […] The post Dim Sum Promotions And Deals (April 2021) appeared first on SingSaver Blog - We Compare, You Save.
Guo Meiling, a Chinese influencer better known as Guo Meimei, was among 75 people arrested by Shanghai police for selling diet food that contains banned substances, news portal The Paper reported on Monday. The Pudong district police in Shanghai issued a notice in March on Guo’s detention and later confirmed the arrest. There have been 74 other people arrested across the country in relation to the case, which involves more than 50 million yuan (US$7.6 million), according to the The Paper report. The police received a tip in December that some people were advertising “special dietary foods” online, but the products had added sibutramine, an appetite suppressant that is banned in China, which has health side effects, the report said. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Police hold celebrity Guo Meimei on World Cup gambling charges The police had tracked the chain in several provinces and arrested 75 suspects, including Guo, The Paper said. They also shut down three production headquarters and 24 sales headquarters, obtaining more than 65,000 pills, 34 kilograms of raw material, three pieces of machinery and more than 20,000 pieces of packaging material. Born in 1991 in Hunan province, Guo was one of the first generation of socialites and viral celebrities, but is best known for her scandals. In 2011, she posted a series of pictures of her extravagant lifestyle on Weibo, in which she either sported high jewellery or limited-edition Hermès purses or was seen driving pricey supercars. She had also claimed to be the general manager of a firm called Red Cross Commerce, which caused public anger and attracted the attention of officials. The scandal badly tarnished the state-backed Red Cross’ reputation in China, as the Chinese public raised doubts about the misuse of donations. The organisation denied any links with Guo, who became a poster girl for the worst excesses of China’s wealthy elite. She also confessed in a live broadcast on CCTV that her lifestyle was financed by her wealthy “sugar daddy” lovers and she had sexual relationships with a number of men for money, as well as her casino operation. “I like to show off ... I have the vain mindset of a little girl,” she said. “There are many men who want to sleep with me no matter how much it costs.” In 2014, Guo was detained on suspicion of running gambling sessions, engaging in prostitution and posting fraudulent information online during the World Cup. In 2015, Guo was sentenced to five years in prison for operating illegal casinos. She was released in July 2019. More from South China Morning Post:Easy as pie? Chinese police find suspect in iPhone apple milk caseChinese police detain 80 for selling fake Covid-19 vaccinesChina jails citizen journalist Zhang Zhan for four years over Wuhan coronavirus reportsChinese woman says malicious gossip forced her out of jobChinese steel production powers ahead despite curbs in industry’s heartlandThis article Chinese influencer Guo Meiling among 75 arrested for selling diet pills containing banned substances first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
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For a woman surnamed Wu, a mundane trip to a shopping centre resulted in her helping a man who had been tricked into forced labour ten years ago reunite with his long-lost family. Wu, who was from the same village in Guizhou in southern China, found the man, who was homeless at the time, at a local shopping centre in Kaili City, according to the Guizhou Metropolis News. “We were very young and we only heard the adults saying the man lost touch with his family after leaving home to work and they couldn’t find him anywhere,” said Wu. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. The man, who shares the same surname and is named Wu Fangwen, had been tricked into forced labour by an illegal brickmaking factory when he left home a decade ago. He said the organisation took away his mobile phone and ID card, making it impossible to escape. Wu Fangwen was forced to make bricks for a decade and was treated terribly, eventually losing his memory because of ill health. Finally, a moment presented itself, and the man was able to run away in February. With no identification and in ill health, he was left to wander about until aid workers at the regional civil affairs office found him and guided him from Maoming, in Guangdong, to Kaili City, about 850km away. Unfortunately, the ordeal was not finished, as the man still could not get home from Kaili City for ten days until he randomly bumped into Wu, the woman who helped him get home. Wu, for her part, was doubtful that such a once-in-a-billion coincidence could exist, but she decided to take a chance: “I called his name in my home dialect and he immediately cried. I knew then I’d found him,” she said. The woman then began to ask Wu Fangwen where he had been, telling him his family had searched everywhere for the man, who now looked very thin and had a hunched back. “Your mother was always crying when she lost touch and she became ill,” she told him. The woman then contacted Wu Fangwen’s family, who cried upon hearing their long-lost family member had been discovered. “He cried after I told him that I would take him home. I am emotional too. I feel so distressed looking at him,” the woman said. Many on social media expressed their sympathy for the man and applauded the woman for her kindness. Pakistani victim of forced labour in Hong Kong loses Court of Final Appeal bid to create new human trafficking offence “What kind of life he must have been through for the past ten years… It’s very lucky that he met this kind woman,” one user on the Twitter-like platform Weibo said. “This woman was really clever to use the home dialect first to confirm. Her kindness should be rewarded,” another added. Incidents of captured labour in China are rare but not unprecedented. A court in Fangcheng county in Henan, a province in central China, sentenced four men to between seven and nine months in jail for forcing more than 20 mentally challenged people to work at a factory that makes kilns for about a year between 2006 and 2007, according to People’s Court Daily. The workers were trafficked from cities in Henan, beaten, locked in the factory and forced to work long hours before being reported and released in 2007.This article Man forced to work at illegal factory for a decade reunited with family after chance encounter at shopping centre first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
Authorities are investigating alleged violations of coronavirus social-distancing rules at the headquarters of the Scout Association of Hong Kong in Kowloon, where a banquet of more than 100 people was held – five times greater than the legal limit. The Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department conducted a joint investigation of the 25-storey Hong Kong Scout Centre on Austin Road in Jordan on Monday, a spokesman from the Home Affairs Department said. He said the person responsible for the centre’s clubhouse had reportedly allowed a banquet with more than 20 participants on Saturday, adding that another banquet with over 100 guests took place the same day. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Restaurant, bar owners angry and disappointed over requirements for lifting restrictions Existing social-distancing regulations allow for a maximum of 20 guests for the large dinners. The investigation was triggered by news reports that a former deputy Kowloon regional commissioner hosted a retirement banquet at the centre’s Chinese restaurant Yue Cuisine, which involved 34 tables with at least 100 guests on Saturday night. The spokesman urged those who attended the banquet or anyone who had details of the event to contact the Home Affairs office at 2881 7498. “Depending on the progress of the investigation, the OLA may consider further legal action, including listing the persons concerned as wanted or instigating prosecution,” he added. Hong Kong residents will be allowed to dine out in larger groups, access travel privileges under ‘vaccination bubble’ incentives The office will also continue to take stringent enforcement action and step up inspections at clubhouses in various districts. The Post has contacted the association for comment. Persons responsible for venues allowing more than 20 people at a banquet could be subject to a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and imprisonment for six months under Prevention and Control of Disease regulations. Those suspected of violating the ban on group gatherings can face a maximum fine of HK$25,000 and six months’ jail, though may also be allowed to discharge their liability by paying a fixed penalty of HK$5,000.This article Hong Kong coronavirus: Scout Association headquarters in Kowloon investigated for allegedly hosting banquet with more than 100 guests first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
Heading out for a cheat meal this weekend? Check out one of these lip-smacking a la carte buffets that are also pocket-friendly! Like most self-professed foodies in Singapore, the one thing that made everything feel better during Circuit Breaker was the fact that you could […] The post 8 A La Carte Buffets To Enjoy During Phase 3 appeared first on SingSaver Blog - We Compare, You Save.
Taiwan is making arrangements for former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo to visit the island later this year -a move that is likely to anger Beijing. Pompeo, known for his strong support of the island during his time as the US secretary of state, had expressed his interest in visiting the island soon after he stepped down in January. On Monday deputy foreign minister Tien Chung-kwang said “we’re working hard on this” in response to questions in the legislature.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. When further asked whether Pompeo would be able to visit Taiwan this year, Tien said: “Yes.” Taiwan to stage live-fire drills as fears of possible PLA attack grow The announcement comes at a time of escalating tensions between Taiwan and the mainland, which has stepped up military intimidation against the island by staging war games nearby and sending warplanes into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone. This month the aerial incursions have taken place on a daily basis, with more than 20 planes taking part in some sorties, and the Liberty Times in Taipei estimates they have happened on at least 86 days this year. On Monday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said the mainland had sent a record 25 warplanes into the island’s defence zone. During an interview with Taiwan’s semi-official Central News Agency last month, Pompeo said he was looking forward to visiting the island. “It would be wonderful to get the chance to travel there someday. I would truly enjoy that. It would be a real treat,” he said. In a sign of his staunch support for Taiwan, on Monday Pompeo tweeted a photo of him sitting in front of a chessboard and having a bite of dried pineapple given to him by Taiwan’s de facto envoy to Washington Hsiao Bi-khim. “As a proponent of freedom, enjoying some Taiwanese dried pineapple. Checkmate,” he tweeted. In response, Hsiao tweeted: “Glad that @mikepompeo likes Taiwanese dried pineapples which I have been sharing around town.” Beijing suspended the import of Taiwan’s pineapples at the start of March on the grounds that they had pest problem, but the move was seen by the island as a new move to ramp up pressure on Taipei and to force the island’s president Tsai Ing-wen, from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, to accept the “one China principle”. As a proponent of freedom, enjoying some Taiwanese dried pineapple. Checkmate. pic.twitter.com/Y0wD2E3GDt — Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) April 11, 2021 Pompeo won support from the Taiwanese public but angered Beijing by supporting the island while in office, and has condemned the mainland for suppressing the island after he stepped down. Chinese state media has responded by describing Pompeo as the worst secretary of state. Pompeo, who saw Beijing as a threat to the US and the world, lifted decades-old US administrative restrictions on official exchanges with Taiwan in January, just days before he left office. Meetings with Taiwanese officials are now encouraged in federal buildings and can also take place at Taiwan’s representative office – activities strictly prohibited in the past. US navy sends China the message: ‘we’re watching you’ “We started staring at them [the rules] and realised it was just crazy. We had this completely separate set of rules that made no sense,” he told Central News Agency. “It made sense for us to have more conversations, not fewer. To have more open conversations, not more clandestine conversations.” Beijing, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan and vows to retake the island by force if necessary, has strongly protested against Washington having official contacts with and supplying defensive arms to the island. It has demanded that the US – which switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taipei in 1979 – abide by the “one-China” policy. But relations between Taiwan and the US under the Trump administration warmed significantly with Washington sending government ministers, including the health secretary Alex Azar, to visit last year.More from South China Morning Post:Taiwan says PLA flies 25 warplanes into its airspace, the largest incursion yetUS-China relations: military tensions continue to rise over TaiwanThis article Taiwan ready to welcome former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
US biotech company Moderna announced Covid vaccine is 90 percent effective against all forms of the disease and 95 percent effective against severe disease.
The megaship which blocked Egypt's Suez Canal and crippled world trade for nearly a week has been "seized" on court orders until the vessel's owners pay $900 million, canal authorities said Tuesday.
The former head of cyber operations at China’s Ministry of Public Security, who has championed the role of “big data” and other technologies in policing, is under investigation by the country’s top anti-corruption watchdog on suspicion of “severe violation of discipline and laws”, the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a statement over the weekend. Liu Xinyun, 59, is the latest senior-ranking police officer to be investigated in a years-long anti-corruption campaign started by President Xi Jinping that is now sweeping China’s domestic security apparatus. Currently a vice-governor in the northern Chinese province of Shanxi and the province’s police chief, Liu served as the chief of the Network Security Bureau within the Ministry of Public Security from December 2014 to January 2018. The latest investigation follows the downfall of former Shanghai police chief Gong Daoan, former Chongqing police chief Deng Huilin, and former deputy public security minister Sun Lijun, who was put under investigation last April.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. The Communist Party’s disciplinary body, also known as the National Supervisory Commission, did not provide details on the suspected wrongdoings of Liu, who has spent his entire four-decade career in China’s police system. Liu has been a key figure in promoting the application of information technology in policing, according to the Chinese-language journal China News Weekly. China triples the size of internet regulation, includes fake news and fraud The scope of responsibility for the Network Security Bureau makes it a powerful institution within the Ministry of Public Security, where it is known as the No 11 Bureau. Its duties include computer system security, cracking down on cyberspace crime, emergency handling of key cyberspace attacks, and administering cyberspace security services and products. In a clean-up operation in 2018, the bureau arrested 83,000 suspects in connection with 57,000 cyberspace crimes and deleted 4.29 million pieces of “illegal information” from the internet, according to an official review of the bureau’s work published in 2019. In addition to heading the bureau, Liu also held the title of director of the National Network and Information Security Information Centre at the ministry, where he promoted the use of technology to monitor the internet. In a public speech at the 2015 World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Liu said his bureau had set up more than 200 digital data sampling labs across the country in that year alone to improve the country’s ability to crack down on internet crimes. More recently, during his tenure in Shanxi, Liu promoted the use of “big data” in policing practices, including setting up various data monitoring centres, according to the local Shanxi public security bureau. Liu said that establishing public security big data is critical in enhancing the police’s ability to serve the people. Information is the “ears” and “eyes” of the police, he added, allowing law enforcement to be proactive. More from South China Morning Post:China’s anti-graft watchdog investigates police chief of scandal-ridden ChongqingChina’s deputy public security minister faces corruption probe for ‘serious violations of discipline and the law’Shanghai police chief under investigation as anti-corruption campaign targets security servicesChina’s corruption busters warn ‘poisonous elements’ are still part of domestic security apparatusCorruption in China: retired Xinjiang police chief to face trial on bribery chargesThis article Former head of China’s internet police who promoted proactive policing faces corruption probe first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
As part of a push to get more of its population vaccinated, Hong Kong is planning to only allow those who’ve had COVID-19 shots to fly from the city to Singapore once both governments finalise a travel bubble.
China’s People Liberation Army flew 25 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday, its largest incursion yet as tension in the Taiwan Strait continues to escalate. According to Taiwan’s defence ministry, the PLA warplanes – 14 Jian-16 fighter jets, four Jian-10s, four H-6K bombers, two Y-8 anti-submarine warfare planes and one KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft – entered the island’s southwest zone on Monday. “[Taiwan’s] air force sent its air patrol force to shadow them, issued radio warnings and deployed missiles to monitor their movements,” the ministry said in a statement late Monday night. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. It marked the largest incursion by PLA warplanes since Taiwan’s ministry made public last year the movements of PLA aircraft which flew into the AIDZ or across the maiden line that separates the narrow Taiwan Strait in training missions either off the island or over the disputed South China Sea. The latest flights came a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Beijing against invading Taiwan, a self-ruled island of 24 million that the Chinese government regards as a breakaway province that must eventually be reunited with the mainland - by force if necessary. US-China military tensions build over Taiwan This month the aerial incursions have taken place on a daily basis, and the Liberty Times in Taipei estimated that they have occurred on at least 86 days this year; Monday was the 102nd day of 2021 so far. “What we’ve seen, and what is of real concern to us, is increasingly aggressive actions by the government in Beijing directed at Taiwan, raising tensions in the straits,” Blinken said in an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press”. Blinken stressed that Washington has a long-standing commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to ensure that the island “has the ability to defend itself” and to assure that the US sustains peace and security in the Western Pacific. “We stand behind those commitments,” he added. Blinken’s comments came as tensions escalated between Taiwan and the mainland, which has stepped up its military presence near the island, staging war games in addition to warplane flights into the ADIZ. PLA warplanes made a record 380 incursions into Taiwan airspace in 2020 On March 26, 20 PLA warplanes flew into the zone shortly after Taipei and Washington signed their first agreement under the administration of new president Joe Biden for coastguard cooperation. That followed Beijing’s enactment of a new law permitting its coastguard to fire on foreign ships. Beijing has repeatedly warned the US – which does not have formal ties with Taipei – against having official contacts with or supplying arms to the island. More from South China Morning Post:Taiwan says Chinese warplanes, US aircraft entered its air defence zoneTaiwan reports largest ever incursion by Chinese air forceThis article Taiwan says PLA flies 25 warplanes into its airspace, the largest incursion yet first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
Two former opposition lawmakers currently facing prosecution under Hong Kong’s national security law were slapped with more charges on Tuesday, as prosecutors accused them of contempt of the legislature over an incident that took place when they were still members last year. Andrew Wan Siu-kin and Helena Wong Pik-wan were not required to enter pleas at their first appearance over the new case at Eastern Court on Tuesday, with the defence requesting an adjournment pending the Court of Final Appeal’s ruling on the constitutionality of a similar prosecution. The two Democratic Party members, who are among the 47 opposition politicians and activists charged with subversion over an unofficial primary election last summer, are now facing a combined total of three counts of contempt under Section 17(c) of the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance, which penalises interruptions of Legco sessions.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Wong, 62, was technically charged in two separate cases, the first for allegedly creating or joining “a disturbance which interrupted or was likely to interrupt” a Legco committee hearing on October 15 last year. She was said to have committed the offence together with fugitive ex-lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung, who is now in Australia. In the second case, Wong was charged alongside Wan, 51, with creating another disturbance in a separate committee meeting the next day. The legality of prosecuting lawmakers by invoking a provision designed to protect their rights has been the subject of debate in a separate case involving former legislator “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung, who was charged with the same offence for snatching a folder from a government official during a Legco sitting in 2016. The 64-year-old has applied to overturn an appellate court’s ruling that upheld the constitutionality of his prosecution. The full hearing before the top court is slated for August 31. Judiciary reveals bail decision reasons in several security law cases In Tuesday’s hearing, Principal Magistrate Peter Law Tak-chuen granted defence lawyers’ request to postpone the case to October 4, pending the determination of Leung’s appeal. He released Wan and Wong on HK$1,000 (US$129) cash bail, though Wan will remain behind bars as he was previously remanded in custody in the security law case. Wong had been granted bail in the earlier proceedings. Contempt of the Legislative Council is punishable by one year imprisonment and a fine for a first offence.This article Former Hong Kong lawmakers facing prosecution under national security law hit with fresh charges of contempt of Legislative Council first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
As the world’s two biggest naval fleets engage in the Indo-Pacific region, China’s People’s Liberation Army can observe and learn from the United States Navy in adapting future tactical combined operations, according to defence analysts. They said the operators of China’s Type 075 amphibious assault vessels could examine the US deployment of an amphibious-ready group (ARG) to the South China Sea which was led by the USS Makin Island landing helicopter dock (LHD) and joined the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group on April 9 for exercises. The USS Makin Island is a 40,000-tonne Wasp-class amphibious assault ship able to carry a detachment of Marine F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters. The LHD and two San Antonio-class landing platform dock (LPD) amphibious transport ships – the USS Somerset and USS San Diego – as well as several helicopter and assault craft units form the Makin Island ARG.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. “The displacement size and functions of the Wasp-class LHD are similar to the PLA’s Type 075 LHD, while the San Antonio-class transport docks are similar to China’s Type 071 landing platform docks (LPD),” Hong Kong-based military commentator Song Zhongping said. Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie said the PLA would learn from the experiences of its American counterpart in turning its LHD and LPD into mini-aircraft carrier strike groups, an effective cost-saving measure. “The US has studied how to operate their ARG in a more feasible and efficient way,” Li said. “For China, the key mission of their Type 075 and Type 071 will be defending the country’s territorial sovereignty in the East and South China seas, as well as overseas interests, meaning the ARG combination is a better option than aircraft carrier strike groups.” Macau-based military observer Antony Wong Tong said deploying both LHDs and LPDs indicated the US Navy’s capacity for tactical manoeuvres and joint cooperation on the high seas. “The combination of LHD and LPD is an integrated expeditionary strike group, which is worth the PLA learning from if they are going to better deploy their Type 075 and Type 071 amphibious warships,” Wong said. Philippines, US to start two-week joint military drills amid South China Sea tensions Beijing plans to own at least six aircraft carrier strike groups by 2035, but so far it just launched two. The third is expected to be completed later this year. China has launched three Type 075 LHDs, which were designed to each carry up to 30 attack helicopters and armoured vehicles, and eight smaller Type 071 LPDs with the displacement of 25,000 tonnes. The Type 075 is the world’s third largest amphibious assault vessel behind the USS Wasp and America classes. It is bigger than Japan’s Izumo class and France’s Mistral class. However, Song said that in addition to the amphibious ships, the most powerful weapon of the Makin Island ARG were the F-35B squadrons and detachments of multi-role helicopters suited to different types of sea warfare missions. “The most challenging problem of the PLA is a lack of new-generation fixed-wing carrier-based aircraft like the F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter jets,” Song said. “The F-35B helps the USS Marines grab air supremacy in both ARG operations, making its function like that of the mini-carrier strike groups … that means the US Navy owns nearly 20 carrier strike groups around the world.” To solve the current shortcomings, Song suggested the PLA install a catapult on the deck of the Type 075 LHD to upgrade the platform and allow it to operate the country’s carrier-based J-15 fighter jet. The US navy was reported to have tested the idea of smaller carriers, which would reduce the range, speed and capacity of its US$13 billion nuclear-powered supercarriers known as CVNs, but cost half as much or even less, Forbes reported in December. The ARG operation could be seen as testing a mini-carrier option, an exercise China could learn from, Song and Li said. More from South China Morning Post:China’s military tracks US warship traversing Taiwan StraitChinese Type 055 destroyer joins aircraft carrier group for first timeChinese military: fourth aircraft carrier likely to be nuclear powered, sources sayUS navy warns China ‘we’re watching you’ as destroyer shadows Liaoning carrier groupChina-Philippines Whitsun Reef dispute could get worse as US chips inThis article South China Sea: Can PLA learn from US Navy tactics with mini-carrier strike group? first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
