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45,533 | AI biotech firm in first listing under Chapter 18C | Mainland artificial intelligence drug research firm QuantumPharm on Tuesday said it plans to raise up to HK$1.13 billion in a Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO), as it becomes the first company to take advantage of a new rule designed to entice technology firms to list in the SAR.The Tencent-backed firm, also known as XtalPi, is offering 187.37 million shares, 95 percent of which will be issued internationally and five percent of which will be issued in the SAR.The price range of the shares will be between HK$5.03 and HK$6.03, with an “entry fee” of HK$6,091. Trading will begin on June 13.The listing is under the Chapter 18C rule introduced by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing in March last year, which makes it easier for specialist technology firms to list in the city.Companies with a valuation of at least HK$10 billion are allowed to sell shares in IPOs even if they are yet to generate revenue. For firms that have generated revenue, the valuation threshold is reduced to HK$6 billion if they had at least HK$250 million in sales in the financial year prior to their IPO. At a press briefing, the firm’s chairman, Wen Shuhao, said the introduction of Chapter 18C shows the city’s capital markets value the technology sector.The company plans to bring in eight cornerstone investors with a combined contribution of nearly HK$338 million to subscribe for the shares, including Peter Lee, the chairman of Henderson Land Development.Ronald Tam, QuantumPharm's chief financial officer, said he believes the Shenzhen-headquartered firm will be able to generate profits in the near term, despite seeing losses over the past three financial years.The Chapter 18C rule applies to applicants in high-tech, advanced hardware and software, new materials, new energy, as well as food and agriculture technologies.The only other firm which has applied to list under the rule so far is Black Sesame International Holding, which produces chips for autonomous driving. | 1,717,477,950 | en |
45,532 | Overnight high-speed trains to run from June 15: CE | Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday said overnight high-speed trains would operate between Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong from June 15, making transportation more convenient and cost-effective for passengers.Intercity passenger services, running at normal speed, used to carry travellers between Hung Hom and mainland cities like Shanghai and Beijing, but all services were suspended following the pandemic.Speaking ahead of the weekly Exco meeting, Lee said high-speed trains would be used to replace the normal-speed trains, and trains would run to and from West Kowloon Station instead.He said the overnight trains would run from Friday to Monday, and would feature sleeping coaches for the first time."These are departures at night time, meaning that you board the train at night, and you arrive at your destination the next morning. Passengers spend the evening on the train, and there are also sleeping coaches, so after a night's sleep, you will arrive," he said."It's very convenient, with a shortened journey time. You cut your travelling time by about 12 hours. You can also save on hotel accommodation."Lee said the journey time for overnight trains from West Kowloon Station to Shanghai and Beijing would be about 11 hours and 12.5 hours respectively. He said people would also be able to travel between Hong Kong and Hunan Province from June 15, with six new destinations including Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang Ancient Town.Lee added there would be more short-haul train services as well. | 1,717,476,020 | en |
45,531 | Govt urged not to increase water charges | The government has been urged to abandon the idea of increasing charges for water, with a community campaigner warning that some people can't afford to pay any more. Officials note that Hong Kong's water charges haven't gone up for almost three decades and are much cheaper than in other advanced cities. They say any increases – to help plug a budget deficit – would be gradual and mild.But Sze Lai-shan from the Society for Community Organization told RTHK on Tuesday that low-income households would struggle to cover higher water bills.She said the authorities should consider waiving water charges altogether for people living in sub-divided flats, or provide them with a subsidy.DAB lawmaker Edward Leung, a member of Legco's development panel, said the Water Supplies Department should consider implementing cost-cutting measures before increasing charges."There are some new technologies, equipment, and materials. They can also simplify work procedures and outsource some tasks. Implementing these measures can reduce costs," he said"Right now they're running out of money, and need more income. Shouldn't they explore these options before they do what some people have described as 'pulling a knife on them?' Wouldn't this approach result in greater acceptance from the public?" | 1,717,475,775 | en |
45,530 | Law Society plans to reform lawyer disciplinary system | The outgoing head of the Law Society, CM Chan, has said the body would soon announce a reform package on disciplinary proceedings for solicitors. During his tenure as head of the regulator for solicitors, the society handled a number of high-profile complaints, with some still unfinished.This includes 16 cases the national security police referred to the body for alleged professional misconduct regarding the now-defunct 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund - which provided legal and other support for people arrested during the 2019 protests.Another unsettled probe is one against a law firm taken over by the society in 2020, after it was accused of violating solicitor accounting rules.In an interview with the Ming Pao Daily newspaper published on Tuesday, Chan said the Law Society hasn't undertaken major reforms in decades and has to "move with the times and make improvements in many aspects."He said the aim is to improve efficiency and shorten the time needed for investigation.Chan said while some people "find the wording and red lines of the national security laws to be vague", he thinks the public should read relevant judgments more to understand the reasoning and not just the verdicts.Hong Kong is a co-host of the National Games next year and Chan told the Sing Tao Daily that the SAR could make use of this to develop sports arbitration and promote relevant legal work. | 1,717,474,277 | en |
45,529 | National security threats are very real, CE says | Chief Executive John Lee has warned that Hong Kong must remain on guard against attempts to endanger national security or disrupt public order.Speaking to reporters ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lee said that a landmark subversion ruling handed down by a local court last week demonstrated that national security threats are very real.Fourteen people were found guilty of conspiring to commit subversion by taking part in a plot to seriously obstruct, disrupt or undermine the duties and functions of the Hong Kong government. Another 31 people had earlier pleaded guilty.Asked how the authorities would deal with people marking June 4 in public, Lee said all activities must be conducted according to the law."We should not forget the pain that we all went through in the attempted colour revolution which took place in 2019," Lee said.Acts which endanger national security can happen "all of a sudden", and perpetrators may use different excuses to disguise their intentions, he warned.Law enforcement agencies will take action according to existing provisions, Lee stressed, including the Public Order Ordinance and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. | 1,717,474,143 | en |
45,528 | Education officials to look into HKU reshuffle: CE | Education authorities are to look into reported infighting within the governing council of the University of Hong Kong after it reportedly approved changes to senior staff without consulting its president, Chief Executive John Lee said on Tuesday. According to a report by the South China Morning Post, the university's president and vice-chancellor, Zhang Xiang, is seeking legal advice after being kept in the dark about the appointment of several interim vice-presidents.The changes reportedly include a demotion for Richard Wong, Zhang’s right-hand man and deputy vice-chancellor, who has been serving as the university’s interim provost since 2019. It is understood that Wong has been appointed as a vice-president and will oversee institutional advancement, while his original post will be taken up by Vivian Yam, a professor at the science faculty. Ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lee, who is chancellor of the university, was asked what will be done to protect the institution's reputation."HKU is a successful university that belongs to the Hong Kong SAR. Hong Kong citizens and I myself, of course, have high expectations of good governance in HKU," he said. "I have tasked the Education Bureau to learn more about what is happening. They will report to me, and then I shall discuss with them about the way forward." | 1,717,473,443 | en |
45,527 | Chang'e-6 lunar probe successfully lifts off from moon | China said a spacecraft carrying rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon lifted off from the lunar surface on Tuesday to start its journey back to Earth.The ascender of the Chang’e-6 probe lifted off and entered a preset orbit around the moon, the China National Space Administration said.The Chang'e-6 probe, comprising an orbiter, a lander, an ascender and a returner -- like its predecessor Chang'e-5 -- was launched on May 3. Its lander-ascender combination touched down at the designated landing area in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on June 2.Missions to the moon’s far side are more difficult because it doesn’t face the Earth, requiring a relay satellite to maintain communications. The terrain is also more rugged, with fewer flat areas to land.During its mission, the probe adopted two methods of moon sampling, including using a drill to collect subsurface samples and grabbing samples on the surface with a robotic arm. It automatically gathered diverse samples at different sites.The samples collected will be transferred to a reentry capsule that is due to return to Earth in the Inner Mongolia region on June 25.The mission is the sixth in the Chang’e moon exploration program, which is named after a Chinese moon goddess. It is the second designed to bring back samples, following the Chang’e-5, which did so from the near side in 2020. (Xinhua/AP) | 1,717,470,263 | en |
45,526 | China's top gymnasts turn pressure into motivation | Three of China's top gymnasts said they have different ways of dealing with the pressure that comes with intense training ahead of the Paris Olympics, as they shared with RTHK their journeys to reach the highest level of their sport. Xiao Ruoteng, who won silver in the individual all-around and bronze in the floor event at the Tokyo Olympics, said he has been battling injuries, including shoulder, wrist and ankle problems. The 28-year-old stressed the importance of pushing himself to the limit, adding that he still sees himself as a young athlete hungry for success."There is no going back if we want to get to the top. We have to do what ordinary people can't do... Although this will be my second time at the Olympics and people might think I'm experienced... my mentality is that of a first-time Olympian. I'm excited about it," he said. Xiao noted that the national team would focus on the team competition as a crucial opportunity to win the gold medal, which will then give them momentum in the subsequent individual events.Zou Jingyuan won gold on the parallel bars at the Tokyo Olympics. Zou acknowledged the pressure that comes with being in the spotlight, but said he got help from his teammates in handling that."We are all under pressure. Athletes need confidence during competitions, regardless of the pressure. Other athletes are under pressure too and I try to learn from my teammates. If they can handle it well, what can I do to be like them?" he said. Qiu Qiyuan, a promising 16-year-old specialising in the uneven bars, said support from her coach and family helped her overcome the pressure and injuries she has faced."The pressure is definitely there, but we have to turn that pressure into motivation because if we can't take that pressure, there's no way we're going to fight for Olympic gold," she said."I had this injury two years ago and I had an operation. It's not a big problem. I'm recovering well. Now I have adjusted mentally. My coach and my family are helping and encouraging me." | 1,717,468,491 | en |
45,525 | HK market opens lower, tracking Asian falls | Hong Kong stocks opened lower on Tuesday, in line with losses across Asia, following US data pointing to further weakness in the world's number one economy.The Hang Seng Index sank 0.4 percent to 18,335.The Shanghai Composite Index shed 0.2 percent to 3,071, while the Shenzhen Composite Index eased 0.3 percent to 1,713. (AFP) | 1,717,465,333 | en |
45,524 | Djokovic sows doubt after hurting knee in thriller | Novak Djokovic sparked concerns about his injured knee for the rest of his French Open title defence, with the top seed saying he briefly considered pulling out midway through his five-sets win over Argentine Francisco Cerundolo on Monday.The 37-year-old had to dig deep for a second straight match after a third-round marathon against Lorenzo Musetti and needed medication during a 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over Cerundolo that sent him to the quarter-finals after four hours and 39 minutes.Djokovic said he had been experiencing slight discomfort in his right knee for a couple of weeks and the issue flared up as soon as he slipped and tweaked it during the third game of the second set."At one point I didn't know whether I should continue or not with what's happening. I got the medications and then, after the third set was done, I asked for more medications and got them," said Djokovic, who also had his knee worked on by a trainer.Djokovic, who also took a tumble late in the contest, said drier conditions after a week of rain had affected the clay."The injury that I had today with the knee happened exactly because of that, because I slipped and slid a lot," he added."Everyone slides on clay, but I slipped way too many times. That is quite unusual. I do, because I have an aggressive kind of movement, dynamic change of directions. It's normal for me."I've slipped and fallen on the clay many times in my life, and on grass as well, but this was just too many times today."Djokovic said his team were having a conversation with tournament officials about why his requests to have the courts swept more frequently were being denied.Up next for him is seventh seed Casper Ruud in a rematch of last year's final."Today I injured myself. I survived. I won the match. Great. But will I be able to play next one? I don't know," he added."I don't know the severity of the injury. But could have this injury be prevented? Possibly, if there was just a little bit more of frequent care of the court during the set." (Reuters) | 1,717,454,101 | en |
45,523 | Wall Street largely up as glitch hits trading | S&P 500 and the Nasdaq edged higher in a choppy session on Monday amid soft manufacturing sector data and as a glitch on the NYSE briefly caused trading halts in dozens of equities.A glitch at the New York Stock Exchange had triggered massive swings in the shares of Berkshire Hathaway and Barrick Gold. Trading in at least 60 NYSE-listed stocks was halted due to the volatility, before the bourse fixed the technical issue and activity resumed.Benchmark S&P 500 and the Nasdaq finished higher after paring earlier losses on the sesson, while the Dow lost ground. Technology stocks were the biggest gainers, while energy equities were the biggest drag.Markets had weighed data showing US manufacturing activity had slowed for the second straight month, raising concerns of weakening economic growth."It's one of those days where people are waiting for the next catalyst with a choppy move after earnings," said Keith Lerner, co-chief investment officer at Truist Advisory Services in Atlanta."There's bit of a tug of war between the market seeing weakening data and the expectation that the Fed may cut rates," Lerner added.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.30 percent, to 38,571, the S&P 500 gained 0.11 percent, to 5,283 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.56 percent, to 16,829.Nvidia rose 4.9 percent after CEO Jensen Huang revealed that the company's next-generation AI chip platform would be rolled out in 2026.Shares of other megacaps, including Apple, Amazon , Alphabet, and Meta closed higher. Microsoft and Tesla finished lower.GameStop soared 21 percent after a weekend Reddit post from stocks influencer Keith Gill, also known as "Roaring Kitty", showed a US$116 million bet on the gaming retailer.Investors will be eyeing a data-packed week that includes surveys on the services sector, factory orders and Friday's closely watched nonfarm payrolls report, which could provide clues to the Fed's likely course of action with regards to rates. (Reuters) | 1,717,449,122 | en |
45,522 | Israel says four more Hamas hostages have died | The Israeli military said on Monday that four more of the Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 have died in captivity and that their bodies are being held by the Islamist group.The military identified the four men as Chaim Peri, Yoram Metzger, Amiram Cooper, and Nadav Popplewell, all of whom were filmed alive in hostage videos posted by Hamas.Military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that new intelligence led to confirmation of their deaths. Hamas had posted a video of Popplewell last month and said that he had died of wounds sustained during an Israeli air strike."We estimate the four of them were killed together in the area of (the southern Gaza city) Khan Younis a number of months ago while being held by Hamas terrorists, at the time IDF forces were operating in Khan Younis," Hagari said in remarks that were broadcast."We are thoroughly examining the circumstances of their deaths and checking all possibilities. We will present soon the findings, first to their families, and then to the public," he said. "We will present them with transparency, as we have done until now."Of the more than 250 people abducted on October 7, about 120 remain in Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Many have been declared dead by Israeli authorities. (Reuters) | 1,717,440,122 | en |
45,521 | Mbappe completes Real Madrid deal | France forward Kylian Mbappe has joined Real Madrid as a free agent on a five-year contract, the LaLiga club said on Monday, ending a transfer saga that rumbled on for years before the European champions captured their newest "Galactico"."Real Madrid CF and Kylian Mbappe have reached an agreement whereby he will be a Real Madrid player for the next five seasons," the Spanish champions said in a statement, fresh off their 15th European Cup triumph.The 25-year-old captain of the French national team had announced he was leaving Paris St Germain in a video posted on social media platform X on May 10.Mbappe will move to Real Madrid in July when his PSG contract expires on June 30 but the forward will be unveiled before joining up with the France squad for the European Championship in Germany.Mbappe joins a star-studded side in Madrid with the likes of Ballon d'Or favourites Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham, led by Italian Carlo Ancelotti – the most successful coach in Champions League history with five titles.Although Mbappe won several trophies at PSG, often completing domestic doubles and trebles, the Champions League has eluded him and remains the only major honour left to complete his sparkling resume.Mbappe leaves PSG after seven years at the club where he won six Ligue 1 titles and four French Cups, finishing his career in the capital city as the club's all-time top scorer with 256 goals.The 2018 World Cup winner surprised PSG last year when he sent a letter stating he would not take up the option of a one-year contract extension when it expires in June. The letter led to a standoff with the club and Mbappe was omitted from the first-team squad before being reinstated.Allowing Mbappe to run down the final year of his contract meant PSG were unable to recoup any of the 180 million euro (US$195.95 million) transfer fee they paid in 2017 to sign him from AS Monaco.Real Madrid had courted Mbappe in the past but failed to land the player, who signed a contract extension with PSG in May 2022 when the Spanish club had a bid rejected. (Reuters) | 1,717,437,000 | en |
45,520 | Technical fault sees Berkshire Hathaway shares plunge | A glitch at the New York Stock Exchange triggered massive swings in the shares of Berkshire Hathaway and Barrick Gold, and trading halts in dozens of other companies on Monday, before the bourse fixed the problem.NYSE, owned by Intercontinental Exchange, by late morning said on its website it had resolved a reported technical issue and that the impacted stocks had resumed trading.At least 60 stocks listed on the NYSE were halted due to volatility and some stocks showed unusual outsized movements.Berkshire Hathaway and Barrick Gold shares were shown to be down 99.97 percent and 98.54 percent, respectively, due to the technical issue, before those trades were corrected.NYSE said the problem was related to Limit Up-Limit Down bands meant to prevent extraordinary market volatility and extreme price movements in individual stock by preventing trades outside of specific price ranges that are updated throughout the trading day.The price band for each security is set at a percentage level above and below its average price in the preceding five-minutes.The bands were developed as part of the response by financial regulators and exchanges to the "flash crash" of 2010, which wiped out nearly US$1 trillion in market capitalisation in a few minutes.Technical issues on exchanges can hit markets, impact traders' confidence and attract scrutiny from regulators."I don't think the overall market is reacting," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Financial. (Reuters) | 1,717,434,344 | en |
45,519 | Brexit champion Farage to fight UK general election | Nigel Farage, the colourful politician who helped champion Britain's departure from the European Union, said on Monday he would stand as a candidate in next month's election and will lead the Reform Party in a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.The decision by Farage, now a TV host and previously honorary president of Reform, will boost his movement's profile and challenge Sunak's governing Conservatives for the support of right-leaning voters.Farage, 60, had previously said he would not stand in the July 4 vote in order to help his friend Donald Trump fight the US election later this year."I’ve decided I’ve changed my mind," Farage told a news conference. "It’s not always a sign of weakness, it could potentially be a sign of strength."Farage has stood unsuccessfully for parliament seven times but is still one of the most influential British politicians of his generation, putting pressure on a succession of prime ministers to take tougher positions on Europe and immigration.At the last general election in 2019, Farage's party decided not to contest seats held by the Conservatives, then led by Boris Johnson, to avoid splitting the pro-Brexit vote.Polls suggest the opposition Labour Party is on course for victory this time, with the Conservatives staring at one of the worst results in their history.Support for Reform runs at about 10 percent nationally, giving the party the third highest vote share, polls show.But under Britain's winner-takes-all system, the party had not been expected to win any seats. (Reuters) | 1,717,429,142 | en |
45,518 | Leicester's Maresca takes Chelsea hotseat | Chelsea have appointed Enzo Maresca as their new head coach on a five-year contract, the English Premier League club said on Monday.The Italian will leave Leicester City, whom he led to promotion back to the Premier League in his first season in charge, and begin his new role on July 1, Chelsea said in a statement."He has proven himself to be an excellent coach capable of delivering impressive results with an exciting and identifiable style," said Chelsea's sporting co-directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley. His ambitions and work ethic align with those of the club."Leicester were disappointed to see Maresca leave."With Enzo’s decision made and the board’s terms for his departure met, we wish him well in his future endeavours," they said in a statement. "He leaves with the appreciation of everyone at the Club for his work in helping us to achieve an immediate return to the Premier League."The 44-year-old replaced Mauricio Pochettino, who left the club last month after one season.Under Argentine Pochettino, the west London side put together a strong run late in the season to finish sixth and secure European football, a marked improvement on their 12th-placed finish in the 2022-23 campaign.Maresca will be tasked with returning Chelsea to the Champions League which they won for the second time in 2021.The 44-year-old previously coached Manchester City's youth team and was the senior side's assistant coach under Pep Guardiola during their treble-winning season. (Reuters) | 1,717,428,627 | en |
45,517 | Mitigation hearing for subversion case set | The Judiciary has set June 25 to be the starting date for a mitigation hearing for Hong Kong’s largest national security trial to date. The hearing will start at 10am, and is expected to last for three days at the West Kowloon Court.National security judges Andrew Chan, Alex Lee and Johnny Chan last week passed judgement in the case, finding 14 defendants guilty of conspiring to commit subversion, while acquitting two. Thirty-one others had earlier pleaded guilty to the same charge. The Department of Justice had announced its intention to appeal against the acquittals. | 1,717,428,013 | en |
45,516 | Kowloon Station flight check-in service to resume | The MTR Corporation on Monday said that Cathay Pacific passengers will be able to check in for flights at Kowloon Station from Thursday. In a statement, it said the service will be available from 6am to 3pm daily, and that it would be expanded to other airlines later. The railway operator also said the in-town check-in service at Hong Kong Station would be extended to passengers of Hong Kong Airlines from Friday, and will operate daily from 6am to 7pm. | 1,717,422,749 | en |
45,515 | Pakistan ex-PM Khan acquitted of leaking state secrets | A Pakistan high court on Monday overturned a treason conviction against former prime minister Imran Khan, who remains in jail on other charges.The conviction was one of three slapped on Khan in the runup to February elections, which he claims were orchestrated to prevent his return to power.The decision by a two-member bench at Islamabad High Court was announced by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq."This is the first big case which was part of the political victimisation against Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi which has been dashed to the ground," Salman Safdar, a lawyer for Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said.Khan was convicted along with Qureshi, his former foreign secretary, of making public a classified cable sent to Islamabad by Pakistan's ambassador in Washington in 2022.He had touted the cypher as evidence that the United States had conspired to force him from power in 2022, when a no-confidence vote saw him replaced by the opposition. The United States and Pakistan's military have denied the accusation.Khan remains jailed on a seven-year sentence for breaking Islamic law by marrying his wife Bushra Bibi too soon after her divorce. He has also been found guilty of graft over gifts he received in his time as premier between 2018 and 2022.While his 14-year sentence was suspended in April, the conviction still stands.Khan was ousted by a parliamentary no-confidence vote after falling out with the top generals, and in opposition he waged an unprecedented campaign of defiance against them.Analysts regard Pakistan as a "hybrid regime", where the military establishment wields immense power to determine the course of ostensibly democratic politics.Khan later found himself tangled in more than 200 court cases, massively complicating his attempts to mount a comeback.Despite that, candidates loyal to PTI secured more seats than any other party in the February elections.A broad coalition of parties considered more pliable to the influence of the military kept the MPs from power. (AFP) | 1,717,419,150 | en |
45,514 | HK boosts hospitality to promote tourism | Hong Kong on Monday launched a campaign to promote good hospitality in the SAR and provide better services to visitors.Speaking at the launch ceremony, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung said he hopes to make courtesy and good services a priority in all sectors after noting a few cases online of tourists being treated rudely.He said authorities will produce training videos and recruit more people for the Hong Kong Pals Volunteer Programme – dedicated to sharing recommendations and tips with visitors – in hopes of making Hong Kong the best tourist destination."The most important thing is to make our tourists feel welcome. We can do that with a smile, or by asking a few questions or just making them feel cared for," he said. "We want their needs to be met. I'm confident that Hongkongers are hospitable by nature. We're polite. We need to do more to remind each other so that we can do better."On the arrangements of the Waterbomb music festival, Yeung said he does not want an isolated incident to make people think that Hong Kong can't host events.People had to wait for hours in heavy rain after bad weather caused chaos at the K-pop and hip hop music festival over the weekend. Many fans were upset that they missed performances because of a storm signal, and were forced to wait for hours to retrieve their belongings."Organisers need to offer high-quality services so their customers feel they're spending their money well. With outdoor events, we always remind organisers to be cautious and to be prepared for extreme weather, which is quite common in Hong Kong from May to October. They need to consider what measures to take to deal with these contingencies," Yeung said. | 1,717,411,515 | en |
45,513 | Three men arrested on suspicion of moving a dead body | Police have arrested three people in connection with the unlawful movement of a dead body outside a factory building in To Kwa Wan. Officers said they received a report on Sunday that a man was drunk, lying unconscious outside Merit Industrial Centre.The unconscious man was sent to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The deceased, 40, did not sustain any obvious injuries. An autopsy will be conducted to verify the cause of death. At a press briefing on Monday, chief inspector Law Chin-hon said the three suspects, aged 35 to 40, allegedly moved the body to the scene with a trolley. “The four people had been hanging out in a unit at the factory building in which someone had alcoholic drinks. Later on, the deceased felt uncomfortable and became unconscious. The other three men used a trolley to move him to the place where the report was made and then fled the scene,” he said.Law said all four people involved were mainland-Chinese and came to Hong Kong through two-way permits. He added that one of the suspects was found to have overstayed their visa and was also arrested on breach of condition of stay. | 1,717,406,296 | en |
45,512 | 'All Ukraine peace efforts should be recognised' | China believes all efforts should be recognised in supporting peace measures around the Russia-Ukraine war, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.China has never "fanned fire or fuelled the flames", said Mao Ning, addressing a question on a peace summit.According to a report, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has accused Russia and China of attempting to undermine his planned global peace summit in Switzerland in mid-June.China attaches great importance to its relations with Ukraine and remains its largest trading partner, Mao said, adding that China's position on the peace conference is very "open and transparent"."We believe that we can get the understanding and support of all parties."Switzerland is seeking a broad-based turnout from different parts of the world for the summit, which Bern hopes will lay the groundwork for a peace process in Ukraine. (Reuters) | 1,717,404,523 | en |
45,511 | HSI gains ground on interest rate hopes | Hong Kong stocks started the week on a positive note on Monday after US inflation data boosted optimism that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates before the end of the year.The Hang Seng Index rose 1.79 percent, or 323.43 points, to 18,403.04.The Shanghai Composite Index shed 0.27 percent, or 8.32 points, to 3,078.49, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China's second exchange dropped 0.61 percent, or 10.54 points, to 1,719.12. (AFP) | 1,717,403,885 | en |
45,510 | Collaboration needed to boost tourism and consumption | Representatives from the catering, hotel and retail industry on Monday urged the government to implement new measures including AI-generated itineraries and "island-hopping" activities, as a means of boosting consumption and tourism given that many of sectors had not fully recovered from the pandemic.Lawmaker Eunice Yung said authorities should take advantage of the summer vacation period to attract tourists. She said a big data platform would allow sectors to better understand tourists' needs, adding that an "AI-tourism ambassador" would also personalise the vacation experience."We need a big data platform to keep all these mega events or what we can [do] to provide support for these mega events. We need an AI travel ambassador to promote and to give a good and accurate routine or travel itinerary for the tourists even if they want to stay for a longer time," she said. Meanwhile, Simon Wong, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said the government should consider dispersing mega events to different parts of the SAR so that more businesses can benefit. He added that authorities can also take advantage of Hong Kong waters for tourism activities."We can have some activities on those [outlying] islands, but if we can link up all these islands so that Hong Kong can be a hub for hopping to different islands. Each island can have different activities, but this is a long-term project and we have to put a lot of investment in that," he said."I don't find any similar places in the world, which has so many islands, which we can use it as an aquatic hub for tourists and also for people in Hong Kong. If we are close to the sea, we have to think of something with the activities, which is related to the sea."Caspar Tsui, executive director of the Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners, hopes the government could get the sectors more involved with mega events in the SAR after the government announced an increase in these events from 150 to 210, adding that Hong Kong offers the "best package" for tourists with high-quality hotels, retail and restaurants. | 1,717,403,399 | en |
45,509 | Police make another arrest over 'seditious posts' | National security police on Monday said they arrested one more person on suspicion of "offences in connection with seditious intention" under the Basic Law Article 23 national security legislation.Police said seven people, including the former vice-chairwoman of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance, Chow Hang-tung, were arrested last week in connection with seditious posts published on social media ahead of what officials described as a "sensitive date". Chow continues to be remanded at Tai Lam Centre for Women. The other six have been released on bail, with police accusing one of them of funding fugitive Nathan Law and other individuals through an online subscription platform.It's understood that a 62-year-old man arrested in Sha Tin on Monday is Chow's uncle. He's detained for further investigation. | 1,717,401,697 | en |
45,508 | Mexico elects first female president in historic vote | Results on Monday showed Claudia Sheinbaum was elected Mexico's first woman president by a landslide.The National Electoral Institute announced after a quick count that Sheinbaum won around 58 to 60 percent of the vote, more than 30 percentage points ahead of her main opposition rival Xochitl Galvez, also a woman.Sheinbaum later announced that her opponents had conceded the race to her.Victory for Sheinbaum was a major step for Mexico, a country known for its macho culture and home to the world's second biggest Roman Catholic population, which for years pushed more traditional values and roles for women.Sheinbaum was also the first woman to win a general election in the United States, Mexico or Canada.The election was also the biggest in the country’s history. More than 20,000 congressional and local positions were up for grabs, according to the National Electoral Institute.Sheinbaum has a complicated path ahead. She must balance promises to increase popular welfare policies while inheriting a hefty budget deficit and low economic growth.She has vowed to improve security but has given few details while the election was the most violent in Mexico's modern history with 38 candidates murdered. Many analysts say organised crime groups expanded and deepened their influence during outgoing President Lopez Obrador's term.More people have been killed - over 185,000 - during the mandate of Lopez Obrador than during any other administration in Mexico's modern history, although the homicide rate has been inching down. (Agencies) | 1,717,396,066 | en |
45,507 | HK's economy will grow despite challenges: FS | Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Monday said Hong Kong's economy would continue to grow despite the challenges brought by geopolitical tensions and changes in consumption patterns. At a Legco panel meeting on financial affairs, Chan said growth in employment income and a recovery in the stock market should help increase private spending. New People's Party lawmaker Adrian Ho asked what would be done to help the struggling retail sector after sales dropped in April. The finance minister said the government was in talks with central authorities for measures to boost the local economy. "We are indeed looking into increasing the duty-free allowances for visitors returning to the mainland right now. The HK$5,000 figure has been in place for quite some time. We have been liaising with the central authorities on this," he said. "We have recently included eight other cities in the individual visit scheme, and we will seek to expand the scheme even further. While we do understand that we should have more such policy support in place, we should be prudent in the effects or potential impact of these measures."Election committee lawmaker Tan Yueheng was concerned over whether there would be measures to reverse the trend of Hongkongers heading north to spend. "It may be hard to compete in terms of prices, but we can enhance the quality of services in Hong Kong. So how can we promote two-way consumption to enhance the contribution of consumption to GDP in Hong Kong?"In response, Chan said the city should look for ways to improve product and tourist experiences."We have our unique attractions. We never compete with others in terms of price. We compete with others in terms of the quality of services. We compete with others in terms of the quality of our goods and services and the experience we offer," he said. "So I think various sectors, be it retail or catering, we all need to transform and enhance our competitiveness and increase the cost to value of their products."The finance chief noted that property prices have stabilised after the scrapping of all "spicy" property cooling measures, adding the SAR would think of ways to avoid getting caught up in the cross-hairs of Sino-US tensions. | 1,717,390,979 | en |
45,506 | Govt says water bill rises would be 'gradual and mild' | The head of water supplies said the government plans to raise water bills in a gradual and mild manner, noting there was a need to make a timely adjustment as the charges have stayed the same for nearly three decades. Officials have been reviewing the charges since the start of the year, as part of a wider study on the cost recovery of public services amid a budget deficit. In an interview with the Sing Tao Daily newspaper published on Monday, the Director of Water Supplies, Roger Wong, said besides recovering costs, the users' pay principle would also be a basis for the increase. He noted the recovery rate of the water services operating accounts was at an historic low of 79 percent. Water bills in Hong Kong, Wong added, made up around 0.1 to 0.2 percent of household expenditure, roughly a tenth of that in other advanced cities around the world.The director stressed that people's affordability was a major consideration, but he didn't say when an adjustment might be made.The Laundry Association chairman, Chau Hon-keung, said on RTHK that he thinks now is not the time to add to people's burden.He said if charges are raised, the costs would surely be passed on to consumers."We have told the director [in a meeting] that if you haven't raised charges for so long, it's fair enough to increase them. But we don't think it's good timing, because everybody is finding things tough at the moment," Chau said. "If there's no other way, then do it softly. Don't raise it by double digits as some organisations have done in the past...we hope the increase will be about five percent - rather than close to 10 percent."Meanwhile, Simon Wong, who heads the Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said on the same programme that any minor increase would add tremendous pressure on the catering sector."Although water bills are not a big part of our operating costs, we are really worried [an increase] would lead to a chain reaction, such as raises in power bills, management fees and others that cause inflation," he said.Wong said as some Hongkongers had been making trips north of the border for retail and dining, he thinks caterers wouldn't dare hike their prices if water bills went up. | 1,717,390,146 | en |
45,505 | National team eye sweep of Olympic diving golds | China will be looking to complete a sweep of the gold medals in diving in the upcoming Paris Olympics, after falling just short in Tokyo three years ago.Wang Zongyuan, who took gold in the men's synchronised 3m springboard at the Tokyo Games, said the national team are training hard, both physically and mentally, so they would make waves again in Paris.China came first in seven of eight diving events in Tokyo, and Wang said it's the national team's dream to do even better this year."First of all, it is the entire diving team's dream to win all eight gold medals at the Olympics, but we have to do our best and work hard to keep on polishing our technique with just two short months before the Games begin," he said."That way, we can thrive in the face of pressure and perform to the best of our abilities to hopefully capture those eight medals."Teenager Quan Hongchan, meanwhile, will be looking to defend her 10m platform title in Paris.The Guangdong native, as a 14-year-old, secured three perfect 10s to finish with an Olympic record 466.20 points in Tokyo, more than 40 points ahead of compatriot and silver medallist Chen Yuxi.Quan said she will perform to the best of her ability in Paris, adding that a gold for either her or teammate Chen will bring honour to China. “For now, what I mainly want to do is perform my best dive, and not think of other issues. I will just think about my movements, how to do it, and how to dive well," Quan said. "Of course, I do have confidence. No matter who wins gold between the two of us, as long as it’s a Chinese winning, that’ll be fine.”Chen, who brought home a gold in the synchronised 10m platform event with Zhang Jiaqi in Tokyo, said members of the national diving team are very supportive of one another."Since everyone is representing China, we should collectively aim to bring glory to our country. Whether it’s an individual or a pair event, we should fight hard and aim to bring honour together," she said. "At the Olympics, we hope that everyone on the team can show their capabilities, their strength and their spirit."The three athletes said their families, friends and fans have all been a big part of their athletic careers, so they want to do well to repay them. | 1,717,384,803 | en |
45,504 | HK needs to move faster on commercial drones: lawmaker | A lawmaker on Monday urged the government to set up an interdepartmental group to formulate a strategy to ensure it keeps up with the growing use of low-altitude flying technology.Chan Siu-hung is among a group of lawmakers who want the government to lead projects in the SAR, such as using drones for food and medicine delivery. Chan said mainland officials support this sector's development, and local authorities in the SAR should do the same.He said other cities in the Greater Bay Area - such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Zhuhai - were planning to build air transport networks using drones for logistics and transport services and to transport passengers. "I think Hong Kong cannot afford to lag behind," Chan said.He said unmanned aircraft had been flying successfully on the mainland for several years with stable operations, "but Hong Kong has yet to make significant progress in this area". Chan said the technology, supply chain and ecosystems for these activities were already mature on the mainland "so I think the (SAR) government should promptly establish an interdepartmental working group on the low-altitude economy to formulate comprehensive strategies for the development of this fast-growing sector". | 1,717,381,674 | en |
45,503 | Regular surveys could help prevent sinkholes: engineer | An engineer says routine check-ups and reports of uneven road surface from the public could help reduce the incidence of road subsidence in the SAR. Aaron Bok, former president of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, was speaking after traffic authorities partially reopened a stretch of road in Sham Shui Po last night after an eight by 12 metre hole opened up on Friday. A section of Hai Tan Street was cordoned off after part of the carriageway plunged into a four-metre-deep hole that measured about eight by 12 metres.Late on Sunday evening, the fast lane of Hai Tan Street, between Yen Chow Street and Kweilin Street, was reopened following temporary repairs.Bok, who previously worked for the Water Supplies Department, warned that the SAR had thousands of kilometres of pipes that needed to be checked. He said such incidents tended to be caused by construction activity or deep excavation or by damage to underground pipes.He said the Sham Shui Po incident was probably caused by damage to nearby piping, and said regular surveys are needed.Bok proposed that remote cameras could be used every two or three years. "If during the survey they find there are some cracks or damage in the pipes, seal these holes immediately. That can prevent these small cavities from increasing," Bok said. The government said permanent repair works would be carried out on the slow lane, which is expected to reopen to traffic before Wednesday’s rush hour.Officials would then begin permanent repairs for the fast lane that would be completed on June 7. | 1,717,380,687 | en |
45,502 | US inflation data lifts HK stocks at open | Hong Kong stocks rallied more than one percent at the open on Monday after fresh US inflation data lifted hopes that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this year.The Hang Seng Index climbed 1.1 percent to 18,283.The Shanghai Composite Index was barely moved, inching down 0.83 points to 3,085, while the Shenzhen Composite Index dipped 0.1 percent to 1,728. (AFP) | 1,717,378,956 | en |
45,501 | Fast lane of Hai Tan Street reopens to traffic | Authorities have partially reopened a stretch of road in Sham Shui Po that was hit by heavy subsidence, earlier than expected. A section of Hai Tan Street was cordoned off after part of the carriageway plunged into a four-metre-deep hole that measured about eight by 12 metres. Late on Sunday evening, the fast lane of Hai Tan Street, between Yen Chow Street and Kweilin Street, was reopened following temporary repairs. "Vehicles are still prohibited from making a left turn from Kweilin Street into Hai Tan Street. Affected bus routes have resumed their original routeings," the Transport Department said. Authorities had earlier expected to complete repairs by midnight and reopen the lane before 6 am on Monday. The government said permanent repair works would be carried out on the slow lane, which is expected to reopen to traffic before Wednesday’s rush hour. Officials would then begin permanent repairs for the fast lane that would be completed on June 7. | 1,717,368,073 | en |
45,500 | Former England rugby league great Burrow dies aged 41 | Former England rugby league star Rob Burrow died on Sunday aged 41 after a lengthy battle with motor neurone disease.Burrow won eight Super League titles, three World Club Challenges and two Challenge Cups during an iconic career with Leeds Rhinos.He retired in 2017 but two years later it was revealed he had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease."It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our beloved son, husband, father, brother and friend," a Leeds statement said on Sunday."Rob has always been a true inspiration throughout his life whether that was on the rugby league field or during his battle with MND (motor neurone disease)."He never allowed others to define what he could achieve and believed in his own ability to do more."Burrow made more than 400 appearances for Leeds between 2001 and 2017.He raised over £15 million (US$19 million) to help build a new care centre for motor neurone disease patients alongside former team-mate Kevin Sinfield.Speaking after his diagnosis, Burrow struck a defiant tone."The worst thing for me is people pitying me," he said. "I know it's going to come, but I want to be as normal as ever."While I am able-bodied and feel fit and strong and healthy, I want to do normal things and not be treated any differently."By January 2021, Burrow had lost the use of his hands and arms and began using a wheelchair after his legs became weak.But he continued to fund-raise for motor neurone disease charities and in May last year Sinfield carried him over the finish line at the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon after pushing his great friend for the 26.2 miles.Leeds plan to recognise the achievements of both Burrow and Sinfield with a statue at their Headingley stadium.Burrow was made an MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours and a CBE in 2024 for his services to the sport and motor neurone disease charities."The outpouring of love and support that Rob and the whole Burrow family have received over the last four and a half years meant so much to Rob," Leeds added."In particular, the rugby league family and MND community have rallied around Rob to inspire him, thank you for your support."For those who knew Rob throughout his life, his determination and spirit in the face of MND over the last four and a half years came as no surprise."The player of the match award at this year's Super League Grand Final will be renamed after Burrow, who was the first player to win it twice in 2007 and 2011.As tributes poured in for one of the sport's most decorated players, the Rugby Football League said: "Since December 2019, his courage and humanity has transcended sport."The MND Association, for whom Burrow became a patron in 2021, added: "In doing so much, he inspired support from so many."It is testament to the strength of feeling people have for Rob that the support in his name has never wavered."Burrow, who is survived by wife Lindsey and children Macy, Maya and Jackson, won 15 England caps and made five appearances for Great Britain.He scored 196 tries in his peerless career, but it was the courage he showed throughout his illness-wracked final years that will serve as Burrow's lasting legacy. (AFP) | 1,717,359,233 | en |
45,499 | Dupont guides France to Rugby Sevens glory | French rugby star Antoine Dupont, one of the home pin-ups for the Paris Olympics, helped France to a 19-5 victory over Argentina in the grand final of the Rugby Sevens Series in Madrid on Sunday.Dupont, who captains the France 15-a-side team and starred as his club Toulouse won last week's Champions Cup, played the second-half of the final and was instrumental as the French won their first ever Series."It's a good group, a good team. I'm very proud of them," said France skipper Paulin Riva. "We have a good, big defence."Antoine is the best player in the world, we think! When he's on the pitch we have a lot of confidence."France coach Jerome Daret said the result was "very important for us before the Olympics.""The next tournament in Paris will be another story!"Our aim for Paris is to make a lot of things on the pitch... and give pleasure to the fans."Daret added: "It's not finished, we have a big target."We know in Paris it's a home advantage to be in front of our fans and families."France, who lost 26-12 to top-ranked Los Pumas in pool play, looked the better composed team throughout the 20-minute final at Atletico Madrid's Civitas Metropolitano Stadium.The French, ranked fifth, thought they'd opened the scoring through Jean-Pascal Barraque, but his knee grazed the touchline just before he crossed the tryline.Instead it was Argentina's Luciano Gonzalez who was first on the scoresheet, the forward producing two powerful hand-offs on Stephen Parez-Edo-Martin and Jefferson-Lee Joseph for a fine individual try.But France roared back in collective style from a full 100 metres, Joseph linking well to gift Parez-Edo-Martin, who first played rugby as a student at the French lycee in Madrid, a straight run-in to the line.A Riva conversion handed France a 7-5 half-time lead over Los Pumas, who beat defending two-time Olympic champions Fiji in the semi-final, leaving the South Sea Islanders now 22 Sevens tournaments without a win.Dupont came on for the second period and made an immediate effect, Rodrigo Isgro yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on of the France scrum-half's midifeld pass.Tomas Elizalde was on hand to cut down Joseph with a brilliant tackle.But in a game of strong defences, Argentina struggled to clear their lines and Gonzalez was dragged into touch by Rayan Rabbadj and Riva.From the resulting attacking line-out, for which Dupont acted as hooker, the ball was worked wide and Joseph crossed for France's second try, converted by Barraque.Dupont then won a turnover penalty. The ball was sent wide, was recycled and who other than Dupont was on hand to draw Elizalde and Isgro and produce a perfectly-timed one-handed pass back inside to Riva, who touched down to make it 19-5.Isgro received a late red card for an illegal tackle and Riva booted the ball high into the stands as Les Bleus celebrated the victory in what is a perfect tonic going into the Paris Olympics, with the men's competition starting on July 24.Australia, Olympic champions when rugby sevens made its Games debut in Rio in 2016, won the women's competition, beating France 26-7 in the final.Maddison Levi, who scored an impressive hat-trick of tries, said: "We started getting a roll-on when we had more possession."Our defence is what is winning us games." (AFP) | 1,717,357,903 | en |
45,498 | Trump warns jail time could be 'breaking point' | Donald Trump has warned that it could prove to be a "breaking point" for his supporters if he is sentenced to prison or house arrest following his historic criminal conviction.In an interview aired on Sunday on Fox News, the former president and current Republican White House hopeful acknowledged the possibility that he could be handed jail time or a period of home detention at his sentencing on July 11."I'm ok with it," Trump said, but added he was "not sure the public would stand for it.""I think it would be tough for the public to take. You know at a certain point there's a breaking point," he added.The warning will resonate in a country already concerned about the prospect of political violence in the increasingly heated run-up to the November 5 presidential election.Trump will now be running as a convicted felon, and he has repeatedly made it clear he will not accept the result should he lose to President Joe Biden.A New York jury on Thursday convicted Trump on all 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in the final stages of the 2016 presidential campaign to cover up a sex scandal involving adult film star Stormy Daniels.It was the first criminal conviction of a former president in US history.Although each charge carries a possible four-year jail term, experts say it is extremely unlikely that the judge will actually hand down a custodial sentence.Trump faces three other criminal trials, including one related to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election he lost to Biden. (AFP) | 1,717,353,131 | en |
45,497 | ico where she says she sold candy to help her family."While you danced ballet at the age of 10, I had to work," she told Sheinbaum, a former student activist who was born in the capital to a family of Jewish immigrants.While millions of Mexicans have escaped poverty in recent years, more than a third still live below the poverty line in Latin America's second-biggest economy.As well as voting for a new president, Mexicans will choose members of Congress, several state governors and myriad local officials.In total, more than 20,000 positions are being contested. (AFP) | 2024-06-03 00:47:53 | 1,717,346,873 | en |
45,496 | Women lead race as Mexicans vote for new president | Mexicans voted on Sunday in a presidential election dominated by two women – an historic first in a country with a history of gender-based violence and discrimination.Thousands of troops were expected to be deployed to protect voters, following a particularly bloody electoral process that has seen more than two dozen aspiring local politicians murdered.Ruling party candidate Claudia Sheinbaum, a former Mexico City mayor and a scientist by training, had a 17 percentage point lead over her main opposition rival Xochitl Galvez on the eve of the vote.The only man running, centrist Jorge Alvarez Maynez, was trailing far behind.It means that, barring a huge surprise, a woman is almost certain to break the highest political glass ceiling in Mexico, where around 10 women or girls are murdered every day."A female president will be a transformation for this country, and we hope that she does more for women," said Clemencia Hernandez, a 55-year-old cleaner in Mexico City."Many women are subjugated by their partners. They're not allowed to leave home to work," she said.Mariana Nieves, a 28-year-old designer, said a lot of younger Mexicans were fed up with politicians."But we have to vote because we're hopeful of something good for Mexico in security, education. I'm happy that a woman is going to win but I'm not very excited because I think neither of them has coherent proposals" on improving women's rights, she said.Nearly 100 million people were registered to vote in the world's most populous Spanish-speaking country, home to 129 million people.Sheinbaum, 61, owes much of her popularity to outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a fellow leftist and mentor who has an approval rating of more than 60 percent but is only allowed to serve one term.In a nation where politics, crime and corruption are closely entangled, ultra-violent drug cartels have gone to extreme lengths to ensure that their preferred candidates win.Hours before polls opened, a local candidate was murdered in a violent western state, authorities said, joining at least 25 other political hopefuls killed this election season, according to official figures.Israel Delgado, 35, was shot on Saturday night near his home, the Michoacan state prosecutor's office said.In another sign of the difficulties of staging elections in cartel hotspots, voting was suspended in two southern municipalities because of violence, local authorities said on Saturday."The fight against organised crime will be the biggest challenge for the next president," said Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, a professor at George Mason University, in the United States.Security was the weakest point of Lopez Obrador's administration, she said.Sheinbaum has pledged to continue the outgoing president's controversial "hugs not bullets" strategy of tackling crime at its roots.Galvez has vowed a tougher approach to cartel-related violence, declaring "hugs for criminals are over."More than 450,000 people have been murdered and tens of thousands have gone missing since the government deployed the army to fight drug trafficking in 2006.The next president will also have to manage delicate relations with the neighbouring United States, in particular the vexed issues of cross-border drug smuggling and migration.Addressing a cheering crowd of thousands at her closing campaign rally, Sheinbaum said Mexico was going to "make history" this weekend."I say to the young women, to all the women of Mexico – colleagues, friends, sisters, daughters, mothers and grandmothers – you are not alone," she said.The ruling party candidate had the backing of 53 percent of voters as campaigning drew to a close, according to a poll average compiled by research firm Oraculus.Galvez, an outspoken senator and businesswoman with Indigenous roots, was second with 36 percent. Maynez, 38, had just 11 percent.Galvez, 61, often evokes her childhood story of growing up in a poor, rural town in central Mex | 1,717,347,004 | en |
45,495 | Indonesia arrests 'most wanted' Thai fugitive | Indonesian police have arrested one of Thailand's "most wanted" fugitives who was on the run after escaping custody in Thailand last year, a senior police official said on Sunday.Chaowalit Thongduang, 37, was arrested in the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Thursday, said Wahyu Widada, the head of Indonesia's criminal investigation agency."The fugitive who was secured is one of the most wanted fugitives by Thailand authorities because (he) had committed many crimes before eventually fleeing to Indonesia to hide," Wahyu said.Chaowalit, also known by the moniker "Pang Na Node," was wanted on multiple charges including murder and drug-related offences, according to Phanurat Lukboon, secretary general of Thailand's narcotics control board.He entered Indonesia in December 2023 after a 17-hour journey by speedboat, Wahyu said.He added that police seized several pieces of evidence, including a fake identity card and birth certificate under the name of Sulaiman, which was allegedly used by Chaowalit, and an Indonesian bank account book.Phanurat thanked Indonesia for arresting Chaowalit, adding that Thai authorities are further investigating the case."When Chaowalit comes here, there must be someone who helped him enter Indonesia. Now we are investigating to know who is the mastermind behind all this," Phanurat said.Chaowalit escaped from a hospital in southern Nakhon Si Thammarat province while he was serving a 20-year sentence.In December last year, the Bangkok Post reported that he had been sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment in an attempted murder case dating back to 2019.Hundreds of police officers were mobilised to recapture him, in an operation reported to have cost around 10 million baht (US$271,816).Chaowalit is expected to be extradited to Thailand on Tuesday, said Krishna Murti, who heads the Indonesian police's international relations division. (AFP) | 1,717,341,529 | en |
45,494 | Djokovic bothered by 3am finish at French Open | Novak Djokovic believes "things could have been handled differently" by Roland Garros officials after winning his French Open third round match at a record 3:07 am (0107 GMT) on Sunday morning.Defending champion and 24-time Grand Slam title winner Djokovic came from two sets to one down to defeat Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 6-7 (6/8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 in a clash which only started just before 10:45 pm (2045 GMT) on Saturday.It was easily the latest finish to a French Open tie and came after organisers squeezed in extra matches onto the two main show courts, which both have retractable roofs, to counter the scheduling chaos caused by a seventh day of rain in Paris."I don't want to get into this debate," said Djokovic initially before adding: "I think certain things could have been handled differently."There is a certain beauty in winning the match at three in the morning if it was the last of the tournament, but this isn't the case."Djokovic's four-hour 29-minute victory allowed the 37-year-old world number one to equal Roger Federer's record of 369 Grand Slam match wins."Physically, I really went to my limits to win this match. When you play rallies of more than 20 shots, at two in the morning.... Who plays at two in the morning?" he added."We play few matches in our life at this time. The conditions were very heavy, it was very cold. You didn't have many free points behind your serve."Djokovic must now recover to face Argentinian 27th seed Francisco Cerundolo in the round of 16 on Monday after avoiding what would have been his earliest exit at the French Open in 15 years.Despite the late finish in Paris, it is the Australian Open in Melbourne which holds the Grand Slam record – in 2008, Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis played a match until 4:34 amAt the US Open in New York, the latest finish was 2:50 am in 2022 when Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner.Wimbledon operates an 11 pm curfew with the 2012 clash between Andy Murray and Baghdatis ending at a more gentle 11:02 pm. (AFP) | 1,717,336,094 | en |
45,493 | S Africa coalition talks set to start after ANC loss | Official results from South Africa's election were expected to confirm on Sunday the end of the African National Congress' 30 years of majority governing and start the clock on a race to form a new ruling coalition.Voters, angry at joblessness, inequality and power shortages, slashed support for the ANC – the former liberation movement of the late Nelson Mandela – to 40 percent in Wednesday's election, down from 57.5 percent in the 2019 parliamentary vote.That means it must now share power, likely with a major political rival, in order to keep it – an unprecedented prospect since the end of white minority rule in 1994.From the official announcement of results expected on Sunday evening, political parties will have two weeks to work out a deal before a new parliament sits to choose a president, who would likely still emerge from the ANC as the biggest party."The ANC is committed to the formation of a government that reflects the will of the people, that is stable and that is able to govern effectively," Fikile Mbalula, the party's secretary general, said at a press briefing on Sunday.He said the ANC would be having discussions both internally and with other parties to create national and provisional governments "that reflect the will of the people and that are able to take the country forward".However, he said that the ANC would not bend to pressure from other parties that incumbent President Cyril Ramaphosa must step down as a condition for forming a coalition. "That is a no-go area," he said.The ANC's performance has fuelled speculation that Ramaphosa's days might be numbered, either due to the potential demands of a prospective coalition partner or as a result of an internal leadership challenge.Counting from the May 29 poll was almost complete on Sunday morning, with results in from 99.9 percent of polling stations. Before Wednesday, the ANC had won every national election by a landslide since 1994, but over the last decade its support has dwindled as the economy stagnated, unemployment rose and roads and power stations crumbled. (Reuters) | 1,717,326,044 | en |
45,492 | HK's Romantic Warrior battles to big win in Japan | Hong Kong's Romantic Warrior on Sunday won the prestigious Yasuda Kinen in Japan.The six-year-old gelding, trained by Hong Kong mentor Danny Shum and ridden by New Zealand ace James McDonald, stormed home to win the 1,600m Grade One race at Tokyo Racecourse ahead of 17 other horses.Another entry from the SAR, Voyage Bubble, finished unplaced.Romantic Warrior is the third horse from Hong Kong to win the prestigious Yasuda Kinen, after Fairy King Prawn in 2000 and Bullish Luck in 2006. | 1,717,322,790 | en |
45,491 | 'CX to reach pre-Covid flight capacity by 2025 Q1' | Cathay Pacific on Sunday said it is on track to reach 100 percent of its pre-pandemic passenger flights by the first quarter of 2025, having reached 80 percent of capacity within the second quarter of this year.The SAR's flagship airline, which suffered heavy losses and layoffs during the pandemic, had aimed to reach 100 percent capacity by the end of 2024, but in March moved the target back three months.Cathay reported its first annual profit in four years in March, however executives said they expect yields to normalise this year as the post-pandemic global imbalance between supply of flights and travel demand that drove up ticket prices and airline yields diminishes as airlines add capacity."Indeed we're seeing that this year ... the yield has been normalising gradually coming down from last year. In particular, the supply and demand balancing is going quicker on the regional, the short haul routes," Cathay CEO Ronald Lam told reporters during an airline conference in Dubai.The carrier also restored capacity more slowly after the pandemic than its closest rival, Singapore Airlines, because it faced tighter quarantine rules for longer, and needed to hire more staff to bring back services.Lam said Cathay's plan to expand its workforce by around 20 percent, or 5,000 people, this year was also on track. (Reuters) | 1,717,322,118 | en |
45,490 | Govt mulls per-building waste charging: Tse Chin-wan | Environment minister, Tse Chin-wan, on Sunday said authorities will look into a different way of charging people for the waste they throw away, based on the total volume of garbage generated in each building.It comes after the administration again suspended a pay-as-you-throw scheme, under which people would have had to buy designated bags for their waste.Speaking on TVB, Tse rejected the idea that structuring the scheme this way would be less effective."Some people may think it's not enough as an incentive if we impose waste charging per building, but it has to do with the culture as well," he said."If we can nurture a culture that supports waste reduction, people will think those who are not willing to do it are irresponsible, and the owners' committees will look into how to reduce waste expenses and call on residents to recycle more."Separately, Tse said officials are planning to extend the opening hours of all government recycling stations by three hours from next month at the earliest.He also said they are looking at the possibility of allowing residents to use the points they have accrued from recycling to redeem shopping vouchers that can be used at supermarkets.Tse added that he hopes the recycling rate, which stood at 32 percent in 2022, can go up further in a short period of time. | 1,717,321,048 | en |
45,489 | Heatstroke kills 33 Indian polling staff | At least 33 Indian polling staff died on the last day of voting from heatstroke in just one state, a top election official said on Sunday, after scorching temperatures gripped swathes of the country.While there have been reports of multiple deaths from the intense heatwave – with temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius in many places – the dozens of staff dying in one day marks an especially grim toll.The India Meteorological Department said temperatures at Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh reached 46.9 degrees Celsius.Navdeep Rinwa, chief electoral officer for the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where voting in the seventh and final stage of elections ended on Saturday, said 33 polling personnel died due to the heat.The figure included security guards and sanitation staff."A monetary compensation of 1.5 million rupees (US$18,000) will be provided to the families of the deceased," Rinwa told reporters.Experts say that when a person is dehydrated, extreme heat exposure thickens their blood and causes organs to shut down.Rinwa reported a separate incident in which a man queueing to vote in the city of Ballia lost consciousness while waiting in line."The voter was transported to a health facility, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival," Rinwa said.India is no stranger to searing summer temperatures, but years of scientific research have found climate change is causing heatwaves to last longer, and be more frequent and more intense.Hindu-nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks set to win a third straight landslide election victory after voting ended on Saturday.Exit polls showed he was well on track to triumph and Modi himself was certain he had prevailed.The results will be formally announced on Tuesday. | 1,717,314,841 | en |
45,488 | 22 arrested at pro-Palestinian protest at NY museum | New York police arrested at least 22 people after pro-Palestinian protesters picketed New York's Brooklyn Museum, charging some with offenses including assault, officers said on Saturday, with the gallery reporting damage to artwork.Hundreds of demonstrators had descended on the art museum on Friday, chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, and carrying banners and placards.While many remained outside, some entered the museum, with a giant black and white banner reading "Free Palestine, divest from genocide" unfurled above the museum facade's six distinctive columns.Those arrested were accused of offences ranging from assaulting police officers, resisting arrest and riding a bicycle on the sidewalk.Lesser action was taken against seven others, police said."Unfortunately, there was damage to existing and newly installed artwork on our plaza, and our public safety staff were physically and verbally harassed," said a spokeswoman for the Brooklyn Museum, confirming that the site was closed early on Friday.US universities were rocked by pro-Palestinian demonstrations in April, triggering campus clashes with police and the arrest of dozens of people.The demonstrations began at Columbia University in New York and later spread across the country as well as to Europe and elsewhere. (AFP) | 1,717,309,010 | en |
45,487 | Hai Tan Street to partially reopen on Monday | Authorities on Sunday said it aims to partially reopen on Monday a stretch of road in Sham Shui Po that was hit by heavy subsidence.Officials had cordoned off a section of Hai Tan Street after part of the carriageway plunged into a four-metre-deep hole that measured about eight by 12 metres.The Water Supplies Department earlier noted that there was no damage to a water main but a sewer and a storm drain two metres down have been affected."The water supply is fine, but we found that there's partial damage to the drain pipes. Mainly it's water and soil loss after heavy rains in recent days," said Roger Wong, the department's director."Now we are trying to fix the issues to ensure the safety of all residents," he added, noting that an investigation into the cause of the subsidence is under way.People in the area on Sunday said the closure of the stretch of road between Yen Chow Street and Kweilin Street was not too inconvenient."I mean, of course there's some impact as I need to take a bus to come back, so I am getting off [at a nearby station], but it's just one block away, so it's still okay," one pedestrian on his way to yum cha told RTHK.But a taxi driver said he might need to circle around to find alternative routes."Usually I drive straight ahead on this road, and I use this path very frequently. Now I have to maybe take another two or three minutes when using another route," he said.Scott Leung, a lawmaker representing the Kowloon West constituency, urged authorities to find the cause of the incident and step up work to survey underground pipes."Can we ramp up the surveying of drainage pipes and water pipes in future, so that subsidences won't occur because things can get out of order underground without people noticing," he said."The Water Supplies Department already has plans to inspect and repair water pipes in old areas, but other departments also need to do this for other pipes,” he added. | 1,717,308,996 | en |
45,486 | HK to boost cooperation with Tianjin: CE | Chief Executive John Lee on Sunday said his administration will promote further cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland city of Tianjin for win-win outcomes.He delivered a speech via video link to a conference of entrepreneurs from the two cities.The CE said Hong Kong is the biggest source of foreign investment for Tianjin, and the SAR’s super connector status, has enabled enterprises in Tianjin to establish their business overseas."Hong Kong brings together international capital and first-class financial talents, has abundant financing channels and a legal system that is in line with international standards," he said."The SAR government will continue to leverage Hong Kong's role as a 'super connector' and 'super value adder' to promote in-depth cooperation between Hong Kong and Tianjin for mutual benefit."Lee also noted that the SAR administration and Tianjin signed a memorandum of understanding in April to promote aircraft leasing and financing industries, saying it brings opportunities and impetus to the aviation and financial industries in the two cities. | 1,717,303,343 | en |
45,485 | N Korea sends more trash-filled balloons over border | North Korea has sent around 600 more trash-filled balloons containing everything from cigarette butts to plastic across the border, Seoul's military said on Sunday, adding that security personnel were collecting them as they landed."North Korea has resumed launching waste balloons towards South Korea," since around 8pm Saturday evening, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.As of around 10am Sunday, "approximately 600 balloons have been identified, with about 20 to 50 balloons per hour moving through the air," it added.The balloons are landing in South Korea's northern provinces, including the capital Seoul and the adjacent area of Gyeonggi, which collectively are home to nearly half of the South's population.North Korea began sending hundreds of balloons carrying bags of trash earlier this week, which Seoul has slammed as "low-class", warning of strong countermeasures unless Pyongyang stops such "irrational" provocations.Since the campaign started on Tuesday, some 900 balloons have been launched, the JCS said.So far, they have been found to contain "waste such as cigarette butts, scrap paper, fabric pieces, and plastic," it said, adding that "no hazardous substances have been found.""Our military is conducting surveillance and reconnaissance from the launch points of the balloons, tracking them through aerial reconnaissance, and collecting the fallen debris, prioritising public safety," it said."We urge the public to avoid contact with the fallen waste balloons and report them to the nearest military unit or police station," it added. (AFP) | 1,717,302,550 | en |
45,484 | 'Beijing committed to peaceful reunification' | Defence minister Dong Jun on Sunday said Beijing is committed to a peaceful reunification, calling the Taiwan issue a “core of core interests” for China. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue conference in Singapore, Dong said the island’s Democratic Progressive Party was “pursuing separation in an incremental way” and was “bent on erasing the Chinese identity of Taiwan”.“China stays committed to peaceful reunification, however, this prospect is increasingly being eroded by separatists for ‘Taiwan independence’ and foreign forces. The danger of national division is still there,” he said.”The Chinese People’s Liberation Army will remain a strong force for upholding national reunification. We will take resolute actions to curb ‘Taiwan independence‘ and make sure such a plot never succeeds.““Anyone who dares to separate Taiwan from China will only end up in self destruction,” he added.Separately, Dong told the security conference that China's military wants more military exchanges with the United States. His comments came after the first face-to-face talks in eighteen months between Chinese and US defence chiefs. The minister acknowledged that many countries were closely monitoring Beijing's relationship with Washington."As we see it, it is because the two militaries have differences that there is a greater need for communication," he said."Even though we have different development paths, we should not pursue confrontation with each other." | 1,717,300,514 | en |
45,483 | Chang'e-6 makes history, lands on moon's far side | The national space agency announced early on Sunday that the Change'e-6 craft has touched down on the far side of the moon in a historic first for China’s space programme.The craft landed at the South Pole-Aitken Basin shortly before 6.30am.Change'e-6 will collect rocks and soil from the lunar surface for return to earth, the first time the moon’s far side has been studied in this way. The mission blasted off from the Wenchang base on Hainan Island a month ago. | 1,717,290,744 | en |
45,482 | Real Madrid defy Dortmund to win 15th Champions League | Real Madrid withstood a Borussia Dortmund barrage to win the Champions League for the 15th time as Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior struck late in a 2-0 win at Wembley on Saturday.Right-back Carvajal headed in from Toni Kroos' corner on 74 minutes before Vinicius fired into the far corner to extend the Spanish giants' record as the most successful club in Champions League history.Madrid have now won their last nine European Cup finals and won the competition six times in the last 11 seasons.However, not for the first time in that run, they had to rely on some good fortune as underdogs Dortmund were left to bitterly regret not making the most of their first-half chances.Niclas Fuellkrug hit the post and Karim Adeyemi failed to convert a one-on-one with Thibaut Courtois.Madrid, though, always seem to find a way in Europe's elite competition and made more history in the English capital.Carvajal, Kroos, Nacho and Luka Modric joined Real legend Paco Gento as the only players to win the European Cup six times.Carlo Ancelotti also extended his record as the most successful coach in the competition's history with his fifth title.A record number of more than 2,500 stewards were in place at Wembley with the authorities keen to avoid a repeat of the violent scenes that marred the Euro 2020 final three years ago when ticketless fans stormed the turnstiles.But further questions over the security operation will be raised as three pitch invaders were able to enter the field in the opening minutes of the game, with one taking photos alongside Jude Bellingham and Vinicius.Ancelotti said pre-match he felt "like a lion" after an afternoon siesta, but his side were caught napping for the first 45 minutes as, roared on by the travelling thousands from Germany, Dortmund dominated.Ancelotti's decision to recall Courtois for his first Champions League appearance of the season after a serious knee injury paid dividends as the Belgian kept his side in the game.The best chances fell to Adeyemi as Carvajal could not contain the German international's pace.A brilliant pass by Mats Hummels put Adeyemi clean through, but he took a heavy touch under pressure from Courtois and ran too wide before his shot was blocked by Carvajal.Fuellkrug's barrel-chested physique has made him a fan favourite in his first season at Dortmund.The German international striker came closest to breaking the deadlock before half-time when his effort from Ian Maatsen's through ball came back off the inside of the post.Adeyemi was then denied once more by Courtois from a narrow angle and Fuellkrug could not twist his hulking frame to turn in the rebound.Ancelotti, Nacho and Modric were keen to stress on the eve of the match that Madrid's habit of finding a way to get over the line in the Champions League was no coincidence.Having ridden their luck once more in the first half, the Spanish champions found their feet in the second period.Gregor Kobel was finally forced into a save on 48 minutes from Kroos, who came close to marking the final game of his club career with a spectacular free-kick.Bellingham was moulded into a world star during three years at Dortmund before leaving for Madrid 12 months ago for more than 100 million euros (US$108 million).The England international was inches away from biting the hand that used to feed him as he just could not get a telling touch on Vinicius' teasing cross.Madrid landed the decisive blow 16 minutes from time when Carvajal rose highest to head in Kroos' corner.Kobel then briefly kept his side alive with fine saves from Eduardo Camavinga and Nacho, while Bellingham's goalbound effort was deflected behind by Nico Schlotterbeck.But Bellingham did have a moment to savour on his homecoming as his pass teed up Vinicius to kill of Dortmund despite Kobel getting a hand to the Brazilian's scuffed shot. (AFP) | 1,717,278,833 | en |
45,481 | Israeli far-right ministers threaten to quit over plan | Two far-right Israeli ministers threatened on Saturday to quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhau's government if he goes ahead with a hostage release deal outlined by US President Joe Biden.Biden said on Friday that Israel had offered a new roadmap towards a full ceasefire including the release of hostages held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.But Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said they would quit his government if the deal went ahead.Ben Gvir said his party would "dissolve the government" if the deal went through and slammed the proposal as "a victory for terrorism and a security risk to the State of Israel.""Agreeing to such a deal is not total victory – but total defeat," he said.Smotrich said he would "not be part of a government that will agree to the proposed outline.""We demand the continuation of the war until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages return," Smotrich said on X, adding that he opposes the return of displaced Gazans to the territory's north and the "wholesale release of terrorists."Earlier on Saturday, Netanyahu insisted that the destruction of Hamas was part of the Israeli plan laid out by Biden.Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid vowed to offer Netanyahu "our safety net for a hostage deal if Ben Gvir and Smotrich leave the government."Without Ben Gvir's and Smotrich's parties, Netanyahu's coalition could lose its majority in parliament.Thousands of Israelis meanwhile rallied in Tel Aviv to demand acceptance of the ceasefire and hostage release deal outlined by Biden, with many fearing the premier would disown the proposal."I hope that somehow Biden puts enough pressure so the government and Netanyahu will take the deal," said protester Diti Kapuano.The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,189 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on Israeli official figures.Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead.At least 36,379 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in the Gaza Strip in Israeli bombardments and ground offensive since October 7, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run territory. (AFP) | 1,717,273,262 | en |
45,480 | Election in Mexico already deadliest in recent history | Mexico's election is now the bloodiest in its modern history after a candidate running for local office in central Puebla state was murdered on Friday at a political rally, taking the number of assassinated candidates to 37 ahead of Sunday's vote.Jorge Huerta Cabrera, a candidate who was running for a council seat in the town of Izucar de Matamoros, was gunned down in the attack, according to the state prosecutor's office.The killing takes the number of assassinated candidates in the 2024 election season to 37, one more than during the 2021 midterm election when 36 candidates were killed, according to data from security consultancy Integralia.The issue of violent crime has emerged as one of the top issues in this year's presidential contest, in which the ruling party of outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has been forced to defend a persistently high murder rate, as the opposition has sought to use the bloodshed to argue for change.Ruling party hopeful Claudia Sheinbaum is widely expected to win Sunday's vote and become Mexico's first female president."It's possible that violence is being used as a means to define the election in advance, particularly when certain interests are perceived to be at risk in the event that a particular political project triumphs," said Armando Vargas, an Integralia researcher.The consultancy has also counted 828 non-lethal attacks on candidates during the current election season, up from 749 since just Monday.Analysts point to Mexico's mix of powerful drug cartels and often corrupt local governments as contributing to the dangers faced by candidates.Earlier this week, a local mayoral candidate in southern Guerrero state was gunned down at point-blank range during a campaign rally.He was among 560 candidates and election officials who have been given security guards by the government due to persistent threats.Friday's grisly assassination was captured on video, with mayhem erupting at the rally after the shots rang out. (Reuters) | 1,717,267,303 | en |
45,479 | Boeing's first astronaut flight called off, again | A last-minute problem nixed Saturday’s launch attempt for Boeing’s first astronaut flight, the latest in a string of delays over the years.Two Nasa astronauts were strapped into the company’s Starliner capsule when the countdown was automatically halted at 3 minutes and 50 seconds by the computer system that controls the final minutes before lift off.With only a split second to take off, there was no time to work on the latest issue and everything was called off. It was not immediately clear why the computers aborted the countdown.Launch controllers were evaluating the data, said United Launch Alliance’s Dillon Rice. But it is possible the team could try again as soon as Sunday.Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams remained in their capsule seats, as they waited for technicians to help them get out.The first launch attempt on May 6 was delayed for leak checks and rocket repairs.Nasa wants a backup to SpaceX, which has been flying its astronauts for four years. (AP) | 1,717,262,620 | en |
45,478 | Favourite City of Troy wins Epsom Derby | City of Troy won the Derby on Saturday to give trainer Aidan O'Brien a record-extending 10th success in the Epsom classic.The 3-1 favourite put a dismal run in the English 2,000 Guineas behind him to seal the Blue Riband, just as O'Brien's Auguste Rodin had done 12 months ago."It was hard to know what would happen today but we still thought we had the best horse. It just didn't happen in the Guineas," said jockey Ryan Moore, partnering his fourth Derby winner.City of Troy beat Ambiente Friendly (9-2) with another O'Brien runner Los Angeles (6-1) in third. (AFP) | 1,717,261,113 | en |
45,477 | South Africa's ANC loses majority, needs allies | South Africa's ruling ANC faced a search for allies to help it form a new government on Saturday after it lost its three-decade-old absolute majority in a watershed election.With 99 percent of the votes from Wednesday's election counted, President Cyril Ramaphosa's African National Congress had only 40 percent, a catastrophic slump from the 57.5 it won in 2019.This marks an historic turning point for South Africa as the party has enjoyed an absolute majority since 1994, when liberation leader Nelson Mandela led the nation out of white-minority rule and into democracy.The ANC must now either negotiate a coalition government, or at least persuade other parties to back Ramaphosa's re-election in parliament to allow him to form a minority government reliant on other parties for support to pass budgets and legislation."We have been talking with everybody even before the election," ANC's deputy secretary general Nomvula Mokonyane said, saying the party's NEC decision-making body would meet to decide on a course of action after final results are announced."It's about ensuring that the stability both in government and stability in our country."She would not be drawn on whether the party might replace Ramaphosa after the party's record poor showing, saying: "For now, it's not an issue."As votes continued to be validated, data from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) showed the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA) held second place with 21.71 percent, slightly up on its 20.77 showing in 2019.The party, which governs Western Cape province and has promised a free market agenda at odds with the ANC's left-wing traditions.Asked about the chances of a coalition with the ANC, Helen Zille, the DA party chairwoman, said: "Negotiations haven't started but some channels have been opened, individuals talking to individuals."She also did not rule out allowing the ANC to attempt to rule alone, saying: "A minority government would be something completely new in South Africa but it is an option amongst others."But it was not a surge by the DA that cut into the ANC's vote share.In third place was former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) on 12.6 percent, a surprise score for a party founded just months ago as a vehicle for the former ANC chief.The radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) was in fourth with 9.4 percent.Malema and Zuma are former ANC members and some observers have suggested that they would be more natural partners for the ruling coalition, a prospect that the DA has branded the "Doomsday Coalition."But other analysts, including author Susan Booysen, said the EFF was perceived as "too erratic" and "unpredictable" in its demands.And the rift between Ramaphosa and Zuma – who has long been bitter about the way he was forced out of office in 2018 – was "too far reaching" to mend, she said.MK spokesman Nhlamulo Ndhlela seemed to agree. "We will engage with the ANC but not the ANC of Cyril Ramaphosa," he said.Any coalition partner should be willing to amend the constitution to enact radical reforms and grant Zuma, who has been declared ineligible over a contempt of court conviction, a pardon, he said.The ANC retains the loyalty of many voters for its leading role in overthrowing white minority rule.Its progressive social welfare and black economic empowerment policies are credited by supporters with helping millions of black families out of poverty.But over three decades of almost unchallenged rule, its leadership has been implicated in a series of large-scale corruption scandals, while the continent's most industrialised economy has languished and crime and unemployment figures have hit record highs. (AFP) | 1,717,250,977 | en |
45,476 | ell as successive heatwaves scorching India's northern states.Authorities in the eastern state of Bihar said on Friday that 10 poll workers had died of heatstroke the previous day while setting up for the vote.Extensive scientific research shows climate change is causing heatwaves to become longer, more frequent and more intense, with Asia warming faster than the global average.A scorching sun bore down on Varanasi and its countless temples and riverside crematoriums during Saturday's vote, with afternoon temperatures peaking at 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit)."The last few days have been very tough," housewife Bindwasvini Devi, who voted soon after polls opened to beat the scorching temperatures."We've tried to stay hydrated and avoided going out as much as possible." (AFP) | 2024-06-01 21:30:25 | 1,717,248,625 | en |
45,475 | India's six-week election ends with vote in holy city | India's marathon election drew to a close on Saturday six weeks after voting began, with voters enduring a scorching heatwave to cast their ballots in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has long been widely expected to win a third term when results are announced on Tuesday, in large part due to his cultivated image as an aggressive champion of India's majority faith.Exit polls – though historically unreliable at capturing voter shifts in an election with 968 million eligible voters – are expected to give some initial indication of whether he has succeeded later on Saturday night.Many in the 73-year-old premier's constituency of Varanasi were eager for that to be the case."I voted for growth and development of my country," said local resident Brijesh Taksali outside a polling station."There's only one leader that I know... Narendra Modi. I voted for him."Varanasi is the spiritual capital of the Hindu faith, where devotees from around India come to cremate deceased loved ones by the Ganges river.It is one of the final cities to vote in India's gruelling election, and where public support for Modi's ever-closer alignment of religion and politics burns brightest.Modi has already led the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to two landslide victories in 2014 and 2019, forged in large part by his appeal to the Hindu faithful.This year, Modi presided over the inauguration of a grand temple to the deity Ram, built on the grounds of a centuries-old mosque in Ayodhya razed by Hindu zealots in 1992.Construction of the temple fulfilled a longstanding demand of Hindu activists and was widely celebrated across the country with back-to-back television coverage and street parties.The ceremony, and numerous other chest-beating demonstrations of fidelity to India's majority religion over the past decade, have made many among the country's 200 million-plus minority Muslim community increasingly uneasy about their futures.Modi himself has made a number of strident comments about Muslims on the campaign trail, referring to them as "infiltrators."He has also accused the motley coalition of more than two dozen opposition parties contesting the poll against him of plotting to redistribute India's wealth to its Muslim citizens.Janesar Akhtar, a Muslim clothesmaker working in Varanasi's famed embroidery workshops, said that the BJP's sectarian campaigning was an unfortunate distraction from India's chronic unemployment problems."Workshops here are closing down and the Modi government has been busy with the politics of temples and mosques," the 44-year-old said."He is supposed to give us jobs and not tensions."Analysts have long expected Modi to triumph against the opposition alliance, which at no point has named an agreed candidate for prime minister.His prospects have been further bolstered by several criminal probes into his opponents and a tax investigation this year that froze the bank accounts of Congress, India's largest opposition party.Western democracies have largely sidestepped concerns over rights and democratic freedoms in the hopes of cultivating an ally that can help check the growing assertiveness of China, India's northern neighbour and rival regional power.Modi's image at home has been bolstered by India's rising diplomatic and economic clout – the country overtook Britain as the world's fifth-biggest economy in 2022."As an Indian, I feel that he has ensured a lot of respect and prestige for India during his term," Shikha Aggarwal, 40, said while waiting to cast her vote."People now look at India and Indians with a lot more respect, something not accorded earlier."India has voted in seven phases over six weeks to ease the immense logistical burden of staging an election in the world's most populous country.Turnout is down several percentage points from the last national election in 2019, with analysts blaming widespread expectations of a Modi victory as w | 1,717,248,965 | en |
45,474 | Hai Tan Street cordoned off as road subsides | A stretch of Hai Tan Street in Sham Shui Po has been closed for a week, after dramatically subsiding on Friday.Photos from the scene show that a three by four metre patch of the road collapsed into the ground, to a depth of about three metres. A one-block stretch of the road will be out of use until Friday morning.Police said they received a report at about 4pm on Friday about the subsidence. Officers cordoned off the area.Officers said the authorities would have to carry out work on an underground water main at the site.The Transport Department said on Saturday that all lanes of Hai Tan Street between Yen Chow Street and Kweilin Street would be closed to all traffic until 6am next Friday.It said affected bus routes have been diverted. | 1,717,237,048 | en |
45,473 | Everton pull plug on controversial takeover bid | Everton's takeover agreement with prospective owner 777 Partners has expired, the Premier League club said on Saturday, after the US private equity firm failed to complete the acquisition of Farhad Moshiri's majority stake by the Friday deadline.In September the Miami-based investment fund said it had signed an agreement with British-Iranian billionaire Moshiri to acquire his 94.1 percent stake in the club.The deal, initially expected to be closed by the end of 2023, was delayed as 777 Partners reportedly struggled to meet the necessary conditions outlined by the Premier League to complete their purchase."The agreement between 777 Partners and Blue Heaven Holdings Limited for the sale and purchase of the majority shareholding in the club expired today," Everton said in a statement."The club's Board of Directors recognises the considerable level of financial support 777 Partners has provided the club over recent months and would like to take this opportunity to thank them for this."Moshiri, a former Arsenal shareholder, first bought a 49.9 percent stake in Everton in 2016. By January 2022, he had increased his stake to 94.1 percent with a 100-million-pound (US$130-million) capital injection.But despite investing nearly US$810 million in transfers to build the squad since Moshiri's arrival, Everton have slipped out of the top half of the table to fight relegation battles in recent seasons.The club finished 15th in the Premier League after being hit with two separate points deductions for breaching profit and sustainability rules.Everton are now free to talk to other interested investors, with the BBC reporting that Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor, who is looking to sell his majority stake in the London club, would consider Everton as an opportunity."The club will continue to operate as usual, while it works with Blue Heaven Holdings to assess all options for the club’s future ownership," Everton said. (Reuters) | 1,717,230,599 | en |
45,472 | Indonesia ready to send peacekeepers to Gaza | Indonesia's president-elect, Prabowo Subianto, said on Saturday that his country was willing to send peacekeeping troops to enforce a ceasefire in Gaza if required.Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier security conference, Prabowo said US President Joe Biden's three-phase proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza was a step in the right direction."When needed and when requested by the UN, we are prepared to contribute significant peacekeeping forces to maintain and monitor this prospective ceasefire as well as providing protection and security to all parties and to all sides," Prabowo said.The 72-year-old former special forces general and current Indonesian defence minister takes on the presidency of the world's most populous Muslim nation in October.He said President Joko Widodo had instructed him to announce that Indonesia was also ready "to evacuate, to receive and to treat with medical care up to 1,000 patients" from Gaza.The Indonesia Hospital in Gaza, which was run by an Indonesia NGO, closed in November amid the fighting.Prabowo said a comprehensive investigation into the humanitarian disaster in the Rafah area of Gaza was needed as well as a "just solution" to the situation in Palestine."And that means the rights of not only Israel to exist, but also the rights of the Palestinian people to have their own homeland, their own state, living in peace." (Reuters) | 1,717,228,683 | en |
45,471 | Observatory cancels storm signals as Maliksi weakens | The Observatory cancelled all storm signals at 5.40pm on Saturday as storm Maliksi weakened and moved further from the territory.The forecaster said storm Maliksi was moving across Qingyuan in Guangdong and would gradually move away from Hong Kong. It had downgraded the Strong Wind Signal Number 3 to the Standby Signal Number 1 an hour earlier."Maliksi or its remnant is expected to bring more showers with occasional squalls to the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary tonight and tomorrow morning," the Observatory said. "Members of the public should stay on the alert."With seas expected to be rough with swells, people are being advised to stay away from the shoreline and not to engage in water sports. | 1,717,225,449 | en |
45,470 | Japanese tycoon cancels private lunar mission | Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa cancelled his "dearMoon" mission, which the project said was to have been the first private flight around the moon, the mission announced on Saturday.The team had originally aimed to make the circumlunar flight, with celebrities on board, by the end of last year but that became "unfeasible", the mission said in a statement on its website."Without clear schedule certainty in the near-term, it is with a heavy heart that Maezawa made the unavoidable decision to cancel the project," it said. "To all who have supported this project and looked forward to this endeavor, we sincerely appreciate it and apologize for this outcome."The statement did not give further details on the cause of the cancellation. (Reuters) | 1,717,223,727 | en |
45,469 | Homegrown C919 aircraft makes return to HK | The nation's first homegrown passenger aircraft made its return to Hong Kong on Saturday to fly more than 100 university students for a visit to Shanghai.The C919 made its debut in the SAR in December, delighting spectators with a spectacular flypast over Victoria Harbour. This time it's serving a charter flight for participants in a youth internship programme. Speaking at a ceremony at the airport, Chief Secretary Eric Chan welcomed the aircraft's return. "The C919 returns to Hong Kong today, taking young people in Hong Kong to Shanghai to experience life at a mainland airport," he said."At the same time, they will experience national affairs and development at first hand.I believe this experience will be unforgettable for all the students and will be useful for their lives."Students onboard the flight told RTHK that they were excited to learn more about the aviation industry on the mainland. "I'm very honoured to have this opportunity to take the first C919 flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai. Through this opportunity, I can learn more about the homegrown aircraft industry on the mainland," said one student.She said she hoped the seats would be comfy and wondered whether meals would be served. "This is my first time to take the domestically-made plane. I'm interested to know whether the facilities on the plane will be different than those from other countries," said another student. Meanwhile, Andrew Yao who chairs the Federation of Hong Kong-Shanghai Associations, said he hopes students can learn more about the development of the Belt and Road initiative through the internship programme. | 1,717,219,110 | en |
45,468 | Oilers close in on Stanley Cup final | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored a pair of power-play goals to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-1 victory over the host Dallas Stars on Friday and put them one win away from the Stanley Cup Final.Philip Broberg added his first career playoff goal and Stuart Skinner made 19 saves for the Oilers, who lead the best-of-seven Western Conference final 3-2. They will try to finish the series Sunday night at home.Even Bouchard posted two assists, which gives the defenseman 25 points in Edmonton's 17 playoff games.Wyatt Johnston replied for the Stars, the conference's regular-season champions, who have lost two straight games in the series. Goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 23 shots.Nugent-Hopkins netted the first power-play goal of the series for either team when he opened the scoring at 14:09 of the first period. After Bouchard's point shot was stopped, Nugent-Hopkins chipped a back-handed rebound attempt into the cage.Nugent-Hopkins, the 2011 first overall draft choice who is Edmonton's longest serving player, doubled the lead with another man-advantage marker 66 seconds into the second period. He was fed a pass in the slot and whipped a shot off the post and into the net for his sixth goal of the playoffs.Broberg, who played his first game of the playoffs in Game 4, netted his milestone marker at 5:09 of the middle frame with a long slap shot that beat Oettinger's glove hand.Johnston finally put the Stars on the board with 5:51 remaining in regulation by deflecting a point shot for his 10th goal of the playoffs.It snapped Skinner's shutout streak at 108 minutes and 43 seconds.The Stars, who were held to only four shots on goal in the first period, had a tough time generating many shots the whole game, but Skinner provided a few key saves, including a clutch denial of Johnston's attempt from the slot when it was a 2-0 count. | 1,717,215,974 | en |
45,467 | South Korea says Russia using North Korean weapons | South Korean defence minister Shin Won-sik said on Saturday that more evidence suggests weapons used by Russia in the war in Ukraine were illegally imported from North Korea."Military cooperation between Russia and North Korea" is escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula and "also affecting the battlefield in Europe", Shin said.If North Korea continues to receive military technology transfers from Russia in return, a significant improvement in North Korea's conventional military capability is an imminent risk, Shin said.On questions about whether South Korea may seek nuclear weapons of its own, Shin said that South Korea trusts the global nonproliferation treaty (NPT) regime, and that a stronger US-South Korean alliance is the answer to North Korea's nuclear development.Shin was speaking during the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's biggest defence forum, under way in Singapore. The event ends on June 2. (Reuters) | 1,717,213,605 | en |
45,466 | Working together will reduce waste in GBA: minister | Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Saturday said a proposal to integrate waste management across the Greater Bay Area does not simply mean Hong Kong will send its rubbish for disposal across the border. The minister confirmed that the authorities are mulling working with mainland counterparts on handling and recycling waste to achieve carbon neutrality and build a waste-free bay area. Speaking on an RTHK programme, Tse said the plan is not to ship waste to the rest of the Greater Bay Area for incineration, but to recycle and reuse it. "To achieve carbon neutrality, many countries have been promoting resource circulation. This concept is not difficult to understand. It simply means turning resources into products, such as the clothes you are wearing or the chair you are sitting on. It's not sustainable if all these products end up turning into garbage," he said. Tse added he is confident that Hong Kong will be able to deal with a daily average of around 11,000 tonnes of garbage after the territory's three incinerators are put into operation. The waste integration proposal came after the SAR announced on Monday that it was shelving a territory-wide waste charging scheme for a third time. The minister reiterated that the move does not mean the government is pausing its waste reduction efforts. | 1,717,213,277 | en |
45,465 | 'US visa threat smacks of political manipulation’ | The Hong Kong government on Friday said it strongly disapproved and condemned the US Department of State for proposing visa restriction on Beijing and SAR officials responsible for implementing the National Security Law.Washington said on Friday that it was taking steps to put the visa restrictions in place after the trial under the NSL of 47 people on charges of conspiracy to commit subversion. It gave no further details.Two of the defendants were acquitted and fourteen were found guilty, with the remainder pleading guilty earlier. In a statement, a spokesman for the SAR government said: “The proposed imposition of the so-called 'visa restrictions' by the US Government smack of despicable political manipulation to intimidate PRC and HKSAR officials who resolutely safeguard national security.“These grossly interfere in China's internal affairs and Hong Kong's affairs, and violate the international law and the basic norms governing international relations.“The HKSAR despises such threat and will not be intimidated by such a despicable behaviour.”The statement added that the SAR would continue to do its duty in safeguarding national security, adding that the findings of the judges in the case on Wednesday “clearly confirmed that the criminal acts in the case aimed at undermining, destroying or overthrowing the existing political system and structure of the HKSAR established under the Basic Law and the 'one country, two systems' principle.“Such criminal acts endangering national security had nothing to do with the so-called fight for democracy and human rights,” the statement added. | 1,717,208,816 | en |
45,464 | 'HK's influenza outbreak to continue for weeks' | A paediatrics expert on Saturday said there's been no easing of the winter flu outbreak in Hong Kong, and he expects the situation to continue for several more weeks. Professor Patrick Ip from the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Hong Kong said the number of influenza cases would usually fall off in April."The condition of the influenza outbreak [had] been persistent throughout May, and we are expecting actually even in June, there will still be a few more weeks of influenza outbreak affecting many of our young children," he said."So far, we find most of those severe influenza cases, including the death cases, occur more dominantly in young children, particularly with those without any influenza vaccination."He urged parents to get their children vaccinated. Four children have died of flu so far this year. | 1,717,208,107 | en |
45,463 | National security not a concern for US businesses: FS | Financial Secretary Paul Chan said on Friday that businesses he met on a visit to California only wanted to talk about the business environment in Hong Kong and did not raise national security matters. Chan made a visit to San Francisco, together with delegations from Guangdong Province and Macau.He said Hong Kong and partners in San Francisco signed three memorandums of understanding on developing carbon markets, sustainable finance, investment promotion and the nurturing of talent.The financial chief said businesses in the United States were "curious" and "interested" in the opportunities available in Hong Kong."The business proposition we put to the business sector here is that the Greater Bay Area as a market is of huge size: 87 million people. This is one of the most affluent, most dynamic, economically very high vitality areas," he told reporters in San Francisco."Presenting tremendous opportunities for the business sector here, no matter if it is for consumer market or for extending the service or solutions onto the mainland, the exchanges that we have with them proved this proposition to be quite attractive."Regarding national security, Chan said businesses in the United States had other concerns."No question has ever been raised in this respect... In fact, the concern and the interest of the business sector here is the stability of Hong Kong, the overall business environment, the impact of high interest rates on Hong Kong, and also the performance of stock market, the property market, as well as foreign business interest and investment in Hong Kong," he said.Chan was due to arrive back in the SAR on Saturday morning. | 1,717,207,254 | en |
45,462 | 'HK on road to becoming international I&T centre' | Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong says the innovation and technology sector in Hong Kong has made a lot of progress in the past few years with the I&T ecosystem becoming more vibrant than before, adding that the SAR serves as a super value adder to foster global collaboration.He said that the SAR has the advantages to becoming an international I&T centre with its top institutions, experts and scholars, a mature intellectual property rights protection system, a robust rule of law and a good business environment."In the past few years, the Hong Kong government has invested more than HK$210 billion to enhance technological research infrastructure, subsidise R&D activities, support collaboration among industry, academic and research sectors, as well as put together nurtured technology talents," he told RTHK's Your Home Address programme.He said that the SAR has rolled out a number of policies to attract, retain and nurture talents, including the Technology Talent Admission Scheme, meant for admitting technology talents to conduct R&D work in Hong Kong, the STEM Internship Scheme for university students to gain experience in the field and the New Industrialisation and Technology Training Programme to subsidise training for staff in local companies on advanced technologies."I put together local and non-local researchers to conduct world-class and impactful scientific research. For this InnoHK research clusters, this is a very successful programme aiming to promote the global research collaboration. So far, we have established 29 InnoHK research centres in Hong Kong Science Park in collaboration with more than 30 top-notch universities and research institutions," he said. "Under the two clusters, one is life and health technology and the other one is robotics and AI. To further expand this successful programme, we are going to build a third cluster focused on advanced manufacturing, sustainable development, new energy and material as well."He added that the recently launched Research Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme (RAISe+) has been very successful in supporting hundreds of university research teams to transfer their research outcomes into real applications.Sun also said that authorities would accelerate digital economy development to build Hong Kong into a smart city."[The Digital Policy Office] will be responsible for formulating policies on digital government, data governance and information technology, promoting the opening up of data and offering more digital services. This office will be in charge of introducing more digital government initiative for convenience and benefit of the public and business sector," he said."This year, we plan to launch over 100 digital government smart city initiatives including providing the digital payments for all government services."He said the office would also work closely with the Guangdong province to promote cross-boundary public services initiative in both areas.Sun believes that Hong Kong can put together the innovation resources from the GBA and the world to promote development and investment, making the territory the best springboard for overseas markets to venture into the GBA, the mainland and the Asian market. | 1,717,203,694 | en |
45,461 | Haughey wins 5th Mare Nostrum gold medal | Siobhan Haughey continues to showcase strong in-season form through the 2024 season. In the 200m freestyle in Barcelona she took down the late Camille Muffat‘s Mare Nostrum Tour record, which had stood since 2008. Haughey clocked 1:54.57 for the win, undercutting Muffat’s record by .09 seconds.Haughey split 26.99/28.78/29.08/29.72 for the win and the new record. She is already ranked 3rd in the world this season behind Mollie O’Callaghan and Summer McIntosh with her 1:5408 from the Budapest stop of the World Cup.She won the race by more than three seconds, with Valentine Valerie Dumont the closest swimmer to her in 1:57.92. Dumont’s season best stands at 1:57.57 from back in February but this was another solid in-season swim from her and the 4th fastest of her career.Haughey had to settle for silver in the women’s 50 freestyle, as Sweden’s Michelle Coleman eked out the win, out-touching her by .03 seconds. Coleman earned the win in 24.61, improving on her season best time from the 2024 World Championships (24.65).In her first race of the session, Haughey swam 24.64. That’s the 4th fastest swim of her career and her fastest in 2024. Her 2023-24 season best is a 24.62 from the U.S Open.Slovenia’s Neža Klančar earned 3rd place in 24.83. Like Haughey, it’s her fastest swim in 2024 as it betters the 24.87 mark that she swam in Doha. In December, she swam her personal best of 24.70. (SwimSwam) | 1,717,194,200 | en |
45,460 | Observatory cancels Amber rainstorm Warning | The Hong Kong Observatory cancelled the Amber Rainstorm Warning Signal at 5:40 am.It had been issued at 3:25 am, and heavy rain was expected to fall generally over Hong Kong, exceeding 30 millimetres in an hour. The Observatory had warned that there might be flooding in some low-lying and poorly drained areas. People who were likely to be affected were advised to take all necessary precautions to reduce their exposure to risk posed by the heavy rain and flooding.People should stay alert to the danger that may be brought about by river flooding.The Observatory said people should stay away from watercourses. | 1,717,192,332 | en |
45,459 | Dow, S&P jump as inflation gauge matches expectations | US stocks finished the day mainly higher on Friday, with the Dow and S&P both rising after April data for the Fed's favoured inflation measure broadly matched expectations.The moves came after Commerce Department data showed that the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index increased at an annual rate of 2.7 percent in April, largely unchanged from March.The Dow Jones closed up 1.5 percent at 38,686, while the S&P 500 ended the day 0.8 percent higher at 5,277.The Nasdaq was the only major New York index that did not rise on Friday, closing almost unchanged at 16,735."We're on track for a positive month," Angelo Kourkafas from Edward Jones said before the closing bell, adding that there was often "a bit of rebalancing" at the end of the month."Who knows, maybe on Monday that could easily be reversed," he added.Among individual firms, tech firm Dell Technologies tumbled 17.9 percent despite beating earnings expectations, with some analysts pointing to a lower-than-expected backlog for artificial intelligence servers.And the apparel company Gap saw its shares surge 28.6 percent after beating earnings expectations. (AFP) | 1,717,190,263 | en |
45,458 | Observatory to dowgrade storm signal in afternoon | The Observatory said on Saturday afternoon that the Strong Wind Signal No 3 would be replaced sometime between 3pm and 6pm.The forecaster said at noon that Tropical Cyclone Maliksi had weakened into a tropical depression as it passed over Guangdong province.The Observatory says it will consider issuing either the Standby Signal No 1 or the Strong Monsoon Signal, depending on how Maliksi weakens over inland areas and changes in the local wind conditions.It added that seas will be rough with swells and members of the public are advised to stay away from the shoreline and not to engage in water sports.As the Strong Wind Signal No 3 is still in force, classes of kindergartens, schools for children with physical disability and schools for children with intellectual disability are suspended today. | 1,717,190,182 | en |
45,457 | Questioning Trump guilty verdict 'dangerous': Biden | US President Joe Biden said on Friday that it was "dangerous" for people to question the integrity of the guilty verdict in Donald Trump's hush money jury trial.In his first public comments since a New York jury on Thursday found Trump guilty on 34 counts over a payment to silence an adult film star ahead of the 2016 election, Biden, a Democrat, struck out hard at Trump and other Republicans who have criticised the verdict."Donald Trump was given every opportunity to defend himself." Biden said. He noted that the case against Trump in New York was brought by the state, that it was not a federal case, and that the verdict was delivered by "a jury of 12 citizens, 12 Americans, 12 people like you."The US justice system has endured for nearly 250 years, Biden said, and he criticised Trump and his supporters for attempting to tear it down with false allegations."It's reckless, it's dangerous, it's irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don't like the verdict," Biden said.In rambling remarks earlier on Friday at the Trump Tower lobby in Manhattan, Trump repeated his complaints that the trial was an attempt to hobble his comeback White House bid and said it showed that no American was safe from politically motivated prosecution."If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone," Trump said in an unscripted 33-minute speech.Thursday's guilty verdict catapults the United States into unexplored territory ahead of the November 5 vote, when Trump, 77, will try to win back the White House from Biden, 81. (Reuters) | 1,717,186,499 | en |
45,456 | one of the hostages. The audio file could not immediately be verified.Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 36,284 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. (AFP) | 2024-06-01 03:44:49 | 1,717,184,689 | en |
45,455 | Biden says Israel offers new roadmap to end Gaza war | US President Joe Biden said on Friday that Israel was offering a new roadmap towards a full ceasefire in Gaza that he urged Hamas to accept, saying it's "time for this war to end."Biden's intervention, which had been heavily trailed, came as Israeli troops pushed into central Rafah, escalating its nearly eight-month war with Hamas despite international objections to any assault on the south Gaza city.It also came as top diplomat Antony Blinken acknowledged that despite US efforts to get more aid into Gaza, the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory remained "dire."In his first major address outlining how the Gaza war might end, Biden said that Israel's three-stage offer would begin with a six-week phase that would see Israeli forces withdraw from all populated areas of Gaza.It would also see the "release of a number of hostages, including women, the elderly, the wounded, in exchange for (the) release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners."Israel and the Palestinians would then negotiate during those six weeks for a lasting ceasefire – but the truce would continue while the talks remained underway, Biden said.The US president urged Hamas to accept the Israeli offer."It's time for this war to end, for the day after to begin," he said, adding: "We can't lose this moment" to seize the chance for peace.After successive rounds of indirect negotiations in recent months all failed, Hamas said earlier on Friday that it had informed mediators it would only agree a "comprehensive" truce including a hostage-prisoner swap if Israel halts its "aggression."Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's Qatar-based political office, accused Israel of "using negotiations as a cover to continue its aggression," saying Hamas "refuses to be a part of these manoeuvres."Israel has repeatedly vowed to destroy Hamas since the Palestinian militant group attacked southern Israel on October 7.Israel sent tanks and troops into Rafah in early May, ignoring concerns over the safety of displaced Palestinian civilians sheltering in the city on the Egyptian border.On Friday, soldiers were operating in the city centre where they uncovered rocket launchers and tunnel shafts and dismantled a Hamas weapons storage facility, the army said.A stream of civilians has flooded out of Rafah, taking their belongings on their shoulders, in cars or on donkey-drawn carts.Before the Rafah offensive began, the United Nations said up to 1.4 million people were sheltering in the city. Since then, one million have fled the area, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has said.The Israeli seizure of the Rafah crossing has further slowed sporadic deliveries of aid for Gaza's 2.4 million people and effectively shuttered the territory's main exit point.Israel said at the weekend that aid deliveries had been stepped up.But US Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged on Friday that the humanitarian situation was "dire" despite US efforts to bring in more assistance.The World Food Programme said daily life had become "apocalyptic" in parts of southern Gaza since Israel began its assault on Rafah in early May.The agency was able to provide "ever decreasing amounts of assistance," with all of its bakeries in Rafah closed due to a lack of fuel and supplies, its director for the Palestinian territories, Matthew Hollingworth, said.Jordan announced it will host a summit on June 11, jointly organised with Egypt and the United Nations, bringing together aid agency chiefs and heads of donor governments to discuss the humanitarian response.The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,189 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on Israeli official figures.Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead.Hamas released a video on Telegram on Friday featuring the audio of a woman's voice, who they said was | 1,717,185,004 | en |
45,454 | Observatory issues Amber Rainstorm Warning | The Hong Kong Observatory issued the Amber Rainstorm Warning Signal at 3:25 am, meaning that heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall generally over Hong Kong, exceeding 30 millimetres in an hour, and is likely to continue.There will be flooding in some low-lying and poorly drained areas. People who are likely to be affected should take necessary precautions to reduce their exposure to risk posed by the heavy rain and flooding.Heavy rain may bring about flash floods. The Observatory said people should stay away from watercourses. | 1,717,184,603 | en |
45,453 | S Africa set for coalition talks as ANC loses majority | South Africa's ruling ANC was on track on Friday to score its worst electoral result ever, with the latest tallies showing voters deserted the party in droves and ended its 30-year political dominance.The African National Congress (ANC) is now all but certain to fall below 50 percent of the vote, forcing the party to seek a coalition partner to have enough backing to name a president and form a government.This marks an historic evolution in the country's democratic journey, as the party has enjoyed an absolute parliamentary majority since 1994, when its then leader Nelson Mandela led the nation out of white minority rule and into democracy.With more than two thirds of the votes cast in Wednesday's general election counted, the ANC remained in the lead but with a score below 42 percent, compared to the 57 percent it won in 2019 and far off the 62 percent secured by Mandela in 1994.As votes continued to be validated, data from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) showed the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA) held second place with 22.64 percent.But it was not a surge by the DA that cut into the ANC's vote share.In third place was former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) on 12 percent, a surprise score for a party founded barely six months ago as a vehicle for the former ANC chief.The final results are expected at the weekend, but with the trends clear and the votes stacking up on the IEC website, politicians and pundits were turning their attention to the prospects of an ANC-led coalition.The ANC has dominated South Africa's democracy with an unbroken run of five presidents from the party, but if the latest, President Cyril Ramaphosa, is to remain at the helm he will have to decide whether to seek allies on his right or his left.There will be resistance within his movement to a tie-up with the second-placed DA, under white politician John Steenhuisen, whose pro-free market programme of privatisation and an end to black economic empowerment programmes is at odds with the ruling party's traditions.But there will also be reluctance to invite Zuma, who left government facing a raft of corruption allegations, or firebrand Julius Malema's radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) into government after both fought bitter campaigns against their former party.The ANC retains the loyalty of many voters for its leading role in overthrowing white minority rule and its progressive social welfare and black economic empowerment policies are credited by supporters with helping millions of black families out of poverty.But over three decades of almost unchallenged rule, its leadership has been implicated in a series of large-scale corruption scandals, while the continent's most industrialised economy has languished and crime and unemployment figures have hit record highs.Some experts expect the party to patch up ties with one or both of the radical left groups, especially as the Zuma's MK has stormed to victory in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal."The MK has really eaten into the ANC's vote," said Siphamandla Zondi, a politics professor from the University of Johannesburg.Others, like analyst and author Susan Booysen, said the rift between Ramaphosa and Zuma – who has long been bitter about the way he was forced out of office in 2018 – was "too far reaching" to mend.The ANC might instead prefer the centre-right DA, which pledged to "rescue South Africa" through better governance, free market reforms and privatisations, to the leftist EFF, which is perceived as "too erratic" and "unpredictable" in its demands, she added.But another outside observer, political analyst and business leader Sandile Swana, argued that Ramaphosa's authority had take such a beating in the election that he would not be able to push reluctant party bigwigs to accept a DA alliance. "His power is gone within the ANC," he said. (AFP) | 1,717,181,442 | en |
45,452 | 'Mbappe move to Real Madrid expected early next week' | Kylian Mbappe's highly anticipated move to Spanish champions Real Madrid will be made official early next week, a source close to the negotiations said on Friday.The captain of the French national team, who will be available on June 30 when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires, has decided to sign for Real after seven seasons in Paris.His entourage did not immediately respond to enquiries about the rumour.If the move is announced as expected on Monday or Tuesday, Mbappe is unlikely, according to several media outlets, to be presented in the Spanish capital before the end of Euro 2024, which runs from June 14 to July 14.For the moment, he is expected to remain with the France team which has been in camp in Clairefontaine since Wednesday ahead of two Euro warm-up matches.They face Luxembourg in Metz on Wednesday and Canada in Bordeaux four days later. (AFP) | 1,717,179,390 | en |
45,451 | Blinken says Gaza situation 'dire' despite aid efforts | US Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged on Friday that the humanitarian situation was "dire" in Gaza as Israel pushes in deeper, despite US efforts to bring in more assistance.Blinken spoke a day after USAID chief Samantha Power quoted aid workers as saying that the "conditions are worse now than ever before" in Gaza."The humanitarian situation remains dire for people in Gaza," Blinken told reporters in Prague when asked about Power's remarks."We've seen changes – some positive changes – but the net effect is not there," he said.Blinken added that while the number of aid trucks entering Gaza was up "significantly," distribution remained difficult.He pointed to the impact of Israeli military operations around the crowded southern Gaza city of Rafah and the closure of the Rafah border into Egypt after Israel seized control of the crossing from the Hamas militant group."We're not just measuring inputs, we're measuring impact. And yes, the impact remains insufficient in terms of addressing the acute needs of children, women and men in Gaza," Blinken said.Israel has pursued military operations in Rafah despite a warning from President Joe Biden, though the White House says the assault is smaller than the type of massive operation which he had called unacceptable.The United States has built a temporary pier into Gaza at a cost of at least US$320 million, but it was damaged in poor weather, suspending deliveries.The Gaza war broke out after Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,189 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally of official Israeli figures.Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 36,2844 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to data provided by the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. (AFP) | 1,717,175,651 | en |
45,450 | US Fed's favoured inflation measure remains unchanged | The US Federal Reserve's favoured measure of inflation remained unchanged in April, according to government data published on Friday, as services prices remained elevated.The news will likely lead the US central bank to keep interest rates elevated throughout the summer, as it balances a desire to start easing monetary policy with the need to keep inflation falling towards its long-term two percent target.The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rose at an annual rate of 2.7 percent in April, the Commerce Department said in a statement, while monthly inflation increased by 0.3 percent.These figures were in line with the median forecast in a survey of economists conducted by Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal, and came in at the same level as it did in March.After falling for much of last year, inflation accelerated again at the start of 2024, reducing the likelihood of early rate cuts.High rates also complicate US President Joe Biden's reelection message as he seeks to convince still-sceptical consumers that the economy is heading in the right direction ahead of November's vote.In April, services sector inflation drove much of the increase, rising at an annual rate of 3.9 percent – slightly lower than a month earlier.Stripping out volatile food and energy prices – both of which continued to rise last month – the closely watched "core" measure of inflation rose at an annual rate of 2.8 percent in April, in line with expectations.This suggests that underlying inflation remains elevated, a fact which could keep the Fed on pause for longer than previously anticipated.On Thursday, New York Fed president John Williams, who is a permanent voting member of the US central bank's rate-setting committee, said he expected inflation would "resume moderating in the second half of this year.""Looking at all the data, I don't feel any urgency or need to make a decision now," he told an event in New York, adding that things were going in the "right direction."The data published on Friday also show that personal income eased to 0.3 percent last month, the Commerce Department said, down slightly from 0.5 percent in March.Personal savings as a percentage of disposable income came in at 3.6 percent in last month, in line with the revised figure from March. (AFP) | 1,717,169,270 | en |
45,449 | China says Russia participation in Ukraine talks vital | China on Friday said it would be "difficult" for it to take part in a planned conference on the war in Ukraine in June if Russia did not attend.Ukraine is trying to whip up attendance at the peace conference in Switzerland, where it hopes to win broad international backing for its vision of the terms needed to end the war.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged China to take part but Beijing insisted any summit would need the participation of Russia, which Ukraine has rejected.Beijing believes the conference "should have the recognition of Russia and Ukraine, equal participation of all parties and fair discussion of all peace plans", foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular news conference."Otherwise, it is difficult for the conference to play a substantive role in restoring peace," she said. (AFP) | 1,717,165,613 | en |
45,448 | 'Unlikely the Republican Party will abandon Trump' | A political scholar on Friday said it was unlikely the Republican Party would abandon Donald Trump as its presumptive presidential nominee. The former president was convicted in an historic criminal case of falsifying business records.Brian Wong, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and fellow at the Centre on Contemporary China and the World at the University of Hong Kong, said Trump retains strong support from his party. He also said that Trump's conviction may affect independent voters in swing states, but he didn't think it would benefit his challenger, President Joe Biden, a great deal."There's no reason to think that Trump is therefore ineligible. And that's because the US Constitution has only three requirements when it comes to eligibility for candidacy," he said. "One, the candidate must be at least 35 years old. Secondly, they must be a natural born US citizen. And thirdly, they must have lived in the US for at least 14 years. There's no stipulation that they must not have a criminal record. So this will not affect his nominal and technical eligibility to run as a candidate should the Republican National Convention decide that is indeed to be the case." | 1,717,159,436 | en |
45,447 | Woman offered money to fugitive and others: police | Police said a woman arrested on Wednesday is suspected of committing the offence of “providing pecuniary or other financial assistance or property for the commission of secession by other persons” under the National Security Law.Officers said their investigation revealed the woman had provided HK$140,000 to fugitive Nathan Law and other individuals through an online subscription platform. The woman was one of seven people arrested this week on suspicion of "offences in connection with seditious intention" under the Basic Law Article 23 national security legislation. The suspects, which include former vice-chairwoman of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance, Chow Hang-tung, were linked to suspected seditious posts published on social media ahead of what authorities described as a "sensitive date". | 1,717,153,122 | en |
45,446 | Strong Wind Signal No 3 in force until 6 am | The Observatory issued the Strong Wind Signal No 3 at 4.40pm, and added it would remain in force until at least 6am on Saturday. Senior Scientific Officer Lee Shuk-ming said the chance of issuing a higher signal is rather low, unless Tropical Storm Maliksi rapidly intensifies or tracks closer to Hong Kong. She said Maliksi would make landfall in the western part of Guangdong around midnight tonight."As of 5pm, Maliksi was estimated to be about 290 kilometres southwest of Hong Kong. It is forecast to be slow-moving at first, and then move northwards later at about 15 kilometres per hour, edging closer to the western coast of Guangdong," she said."If we look at the radar imageries, we can see that the squally showers and strong winds associated with Maliksi are gradually affecting the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary. Local winds will strengthen progressively." | 1,717,148,935 | en |
45,445 | Hong Kong retail sales fall in April | Provisional data from the Census and Statistics Department on Friday showed the city's retail sales for April fell 14.7 percent from a year earlier, partly due to a drop in visitor spending and a large number of outbound trips during the Easter holidays.Sales decreased to HK$29.6 billion in the second consecutive month of decline after a seven percent drop in March.For the first four months of 2024 taken together, it was provisionally estimated the value of total retail sales decreased by 4.7 percent compared with the same period in 2023.After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate of the volume of total retail sales in April 2024 saw it decrease by 16.5 percent compared with a year earlier."The value of total retail sales declined notably in April from a year earlier, partly because the Easter holidays rendered the effects of the changing consumption pattern of residents more visible," a government spokesman said. "A large number of residents made outbound trips during the Easter holidays. This not only affected their local consumption during their time away but also could have reduced consumption in the days before and after the trips."The spokesman added that unstable weather in April also had an impact on spending. Looking ahead, he said the changing consumption patterns of visitors and residents would continue to pose a challenge to the local retail sector.Still, the government hoped the revival of inbound tourism and rising earnings, as well as the new round of mega events plus the recent stabilisation of asset markets such as property would provide support to the market and boost the economy. | 1,717,146,485 | en |
45,444 | HSI ends the week with more losses | Hong Kong shares ended the week with another loss Friday, tracking a retreat on Wall Street even after US data that boosted interest rate cut hopes.Investors were also focused on the release of inflation data out of Washington later in the day.The Hang Seng Index shed 0.83 percent, or 150 points, to finish at 18,079. (AFP) | 1,717,144,662 | en |
45,443 | Stop spreading false reports on subversion case: govt | The government on Friday condemned criticisms made by the United States, Western countries, anti-China organisations and politicians, as well as foreign media over the recent subversion trial involving 47 defendants, calling them groundless.Fourteen people were on Thursday found guilty of conspiring to commit subversion under the national security law after a court ruled they had sought to subvert state power by participating in an unsanctioned "primary election" organised by the opposition camp in July 2020.A government spokesman said the court had carefully considered the law, evidence and arguments presented by the prosecution and defence during the 118-day trial. The spokesman said the verdict clearly stated the conspiracy in this case was aimed at undermining or overthrowing the political system and structure of the Hong Kong SAR, which is established under the Basic Law and the principle of One Country, Two Systems."Such illegal acts, which endanger national security, have nothing to do with the so-called fight for democracy and human rights," the spokesman said. "A total of 47 people were charged in the case. With the exception of two individuals, for whom there was insufficient evidence to satisfy the court that they were involved in the conspiracy, all 45 others were convicted, demonstrating the scale and seriousness of the conspiracy. The Department of Justice has informed the court of its intention to appeal against the acquittal of the two defendants." The government demanded that the US and other Western countries, anti-China organisations and politicians, and foreign media stop spreading false reports and malicious attacks on the court's ruling in this case. | 1,717,143,472 | en |
45,442 | 'Don't fall for fake medical insurance ads' | The Department of Health warned people on Friday not to fall for fraudulent advertisements circulating online about free medical insurance by the government. Health authorities said in a statement that false advertisements carrying the department's logo claimed the government would provide medical insurance for people aged 55 or above. They said they have reported the case to police, adding that all remarks in those advertisements are false. | 1,717,142,897 | en |
45,441 | T3 to be issued at 4.40pm | The Observatory said the strong wind signal No. 3 will be issued at 4.40pm.A tropical depression over the northern part of the South China Sea is forecast to move north, edging closer to the western coast of Guangdong.The Observatory said according to the present forecast track, it will make landfall in western Guangdong from Friday evening to early Saturday morning.Officials also said while the tropical depression is expected to move across inland of western Guangdong, the associated rainbands will still affect Hong Kong.Meanwhile, the amber rainstorm warning was issued at 3.30pm.The standby signal No 1 has been in force since 5.40pm on Thursday. | 1,717,136,945 | en |
45,440 | China, US defence chiefs meet in Singapore | The Chinese and American defence chiefs held talks in Singapore on Friday, offering hopes for more military dialogue that could help prevent disputes.Defence Minister Dong Jun met with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore.It was the first meeting between the defence chiefs of the two countries since 2022.Dong and Austin began the talks at the luxury hotel hosting the security forum, a member of the US delegation told reporters.Defence chiefs and officials from around the world are attending the annual forum that has in recent years become a barometer of China-US relations.The two sides agreed after a summit between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden in November last year to restart high-level military talks. That includes a communications channel between the US Indo-Pacific Command chief and Chinese commanders responsible for military operations near Taiwan, Japan and in the South China Sea. (Agencies) | 1,717,136,159 | en |
45,439 | Licensed taxi fleet investment 'could top HK$100mn' | Licence applications for taxi fleets ended on Friday, with an industry representative saying his group would invest more than HK$100 million in a squad of cabs.The licensed taxi fleet system is part of wider efforts to improve the service quality of point-to-point transport. According to the government, fleets operating in urban areas should have 300 to 1,000 taxis each, whereas those in the New Territories should have 100 to 350 cabs each.And participating taxis must not be in use for more than three years when a licence is offered.Transport authorities are expected to issue a maximum of five licences.Wong Yue-ting, from the Hong Kong Tele-call Taxi Association, said he believes around eight applications were submitted before the noon deadline.On an RTHK programme, Wong said he and 12 other operators have joined hands in applying for a licence in the New Territories, in hopes of improving cab services there.He said the group would have to invest at least HK$100 million."I estimate that, for the first six months, we would invest HK$3 million to HK$5 million in a taxi-hailing service, plus dash cameras and other systems in the vehicles," Wong said. “As for the vehicles, we'll mostly have to replace the existing ones because many of them would have been in use for more than three years when they are licensed. I think more than 80 percent of the taxis no longer fit the requirement. Each taxi will cost about HK$400,000, which means an expenditure of HK$100 million to replace some 300 vehicles."Chow Kwok-keung, who chairs the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association, said he submitted an application for a fleet of about 400 taxis. He said mainland ride-hailing giants Didi Chuxing and Gaode had contacted him on proposing to work together. | 1,717,132,306 | en |
45,438 | Two giant pandas are the new stars at Madrid zoo | Visitors to Spain's Madrid Zoo Aquarium were on Thursday introduced to a giant panda couple from China.Male Jin Xi and female Zhu Yu, both born in 2020, arrived last month at the zoo following the renewal of its agreement for giant panda protection with the China Wildlife Conservation Association.They completed a smooth quarantine period before making their debut.Sofia, the former queen of Spain, hosted the official introduction of the three-year-old bears."We are proud to host this unique species and to contribute to its preservation," Madrid mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida said.China's Ambassador to Spain, Yao Jing, highlighted that "the friendly bond" created by the pandas would unite the two peoples and serve as "an important symbol of China-Spain friendship."After the debut of the giant panda couple, visitors to the zoo can now participate in educational activities every weekend."We try to bring information about pandas to the public so they can know pandas better and how we can protect the species," zoo staff Luis Manchado, who is responsible for the educational section, told Xinhua News Agency.The two pandas are set to remain in Spain for the next 10 years.China has loaned its treasured bears to overseas zoos over the years as goodwill ambassadors, while also running conservation programmes back home that have seen their status improve from endangered to vulnerable.There are 728 pandas in zoos and breeding centres around the world.Spain has been part of the conservation programme for more than 40 years. (Xinhua/Reuters) | 1,717,129,374 | en |
45,437 | Mavs crush T-wolves to book Celtics NBA title showdown | The Dallas Mavericks, fueled by 36 points each from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103 on Thursday to clinch the Western Conference crown and book an NBA title showdown with the Boston Celtics.Denied a sweep at home on Tuesday, the Mavs left no room for doubt in Minneapolis as they wrapped up the best-of-seven conference finals 4-1 to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since they won the title in 2011.The Celtics will host game one of the championship series on June 6.Slovenian star Doncic and Irving had their way with the league's top-rated defense, Doncic taking the game by the throat in the opening minutes.He scored four of his six three-pointers in the first period, including a bomb from the center court logo, and the Mavs closed the quarter on a 17-1 scoring run to put the Timberwolves on their heels for good.Irving got going with 15 points in the second quarter as he and Doncic combined for 44 first-half points – four more than the Timberwolves put on the board before halftime, when the Mavs led 69-40.Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 28 points each for Minnesota, Towns adding 12 rebounds for the third-seed Timberwolves, who had swept the Phoenix Suns in the first round and stunned the defending champion Denver Nuggets in seven games in the second.The Timberwolves had been 3-0 in elimination games this post-season, with wins in games six and seven against the Nuggets as well as their victory on Tuesday.But the early damage by Doncic and Dallas' disruptive defense put this one out of reach early and the Mavs grabbed the first double-digit victory of a hard-fought series.Dallas are in the finals for the third time, chasing a second title to go with the one they captured back in 2011. (AFP) | 1,717,127,270 | en |
45,436 | China to halt tariff cuts on Taiwan imports | China says it will halt tariff concessions from June 15 for some Taiwan products that currently enjoy preferential tariff rates stipulated in the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), in response to the island's trade restrictions.The announcement was made on Friday by the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council.The special rates will be removed from 134 goods, including machine tools and industrial chemicals.China in December suspended tariff concessions for some products under the ECFA, but the Finance Ministry said the island has not reciprocated."The Taiwan region has unilaterally adopted discriminatory measures such as prohibiting and restricting the export of mainland products, which violates the provisions of the (agreement)," the ministry said. (Xinhua & agencies) | 1,717,127,040 | en |
45,435 | 'Ruling shows national security risks exist in HK' | The court ruling on a subversion trial showed that national security risks exist in Hong Kong, Chief Secretary Eric Chan said on Friday. On Thursday, three national security judges convicted 14 people of conspiring to commit subversion, relating to an opposition plot to take control of the Legislative Council to disrupt government operations. Prosecutors also announced their intention to appeal against the acquittal of two others. Chan said people have to read the court verdict carefully and safeguard national security.He also said the government will take action against anti-China behaviour.“The court ruling reflects that national security risks in Hong Kong truly exist. It's not like what some people said that they were just chanting some slogans and advocating for freedom. Their goal was to destroy Hong Kong, disrupt Hong Kong's constitutional order, paralyse the Hong Kong government, and on a deeper level, use Hong Kong as a base to inhibit the country's development," he said. No one fighting for democracy and freedom would hope to paralyse the government or have the streets filled with petrol bombs, Chan said. | 1,717,125,920 | en |
45,434 | Hong Kong stocks rebound in early trading | Hong Kong stocks rebounded on Friday morning after three days of losses, helped by data indicating the US economy grew slower than expected in the first quarter.The Hang Seng Index climbed 0.98 percent, or 179.43 points, to 18,409.62.The Shanghai Composite Index edged up 0.10 percent, or 3.08 points, to 3,094.76, while the Shenzhen Composite Index was marginally higher, inching up 0.72 points to 1,726.85. (AFP) | 1,717,121,762 | en |
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