Chinese anthem booed as football returns to Hong Kong - CNA

HONG KONG: Hong Kong football fans were heard booing China's national anthem on Saturday (Sep 24) at the first match open to spectators in the city since legislation outlawing the practice was passed more than two years ago.

Supporters in Hong Kong have been barred from games for almost three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but boos at the anthem were previously heard in the stands as huge, sometimes violent pro-democracy protests swept the city in 2019.

Police equipped with video cameras looked on as fans booed "March of the Volunteers" for about 10 seconds on Saturday before the Hong Kong team took on Myanmar in front of more than 12,000 spectators, according to local media and an AFP reporter on the scene.

China imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 that outlaws acts of secession, subversion, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces.

Hong Kong's legislature also passed a bill specifically criminalising disrespectful acts towards the anthem, with a maximum penalty of three years in jail.

Long queues were seen snaking outside Hong Kong Stadium on Saturday night as fans queued for tickets for the highly anticipated return to action.

When China's national anthem was played, loud booing was clearly audible, though not at levels heard before the security law was passed, according to the AFP reporter.

When the song was over, fans loudly chanted "We are Hong Kong".

In November 2019, long and loud booing at the anthem was heard at two Asian qualifiers for the World Cup when Hong Kong played Bahrain and Cambodia at the same stadium.

The Hong Kong Football Association was fined 30,000 Swiss francs (US$30,500) by FIFA as a consequence.

In July last year, a man was charged with insulting the anthem for booing the song when watching a screening at a local mall of Hong Kong fencer Edgar Cheung receiving a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

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2022-09-24 15:36:00Z
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Princess of Wales Title History? From Catherine of Aragon to Princess Diana & Kate Middleton - Town & Country

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Princess of Wales, or Tywysoges Cymru in Welsh, is a courtesy titled that has been used for centuries. Typically held by the wife of the heir apparent to the English (later British) throne, the title currently belongs to Kate Middleton, the wife of Prince William.

Before the spouse of the heir to the British throne held the title, there were native Welsh princesses—yet there's only one wife of a Welsh prince who definitively used the title "Princess of Wales": Eleanor de Montfort, the wife of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (also known as Llywelyn the Last). Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was one of the last princes of Wales before its conquest by Edward I of England. Yet, for clarity, this list will only define those who use the title who were married to the British heir to the throne.

There's a movement to get rid of the Prince and Princess of Wales titles; actor Michael Sheen said in 2020 that Charles should forfeit the title when he inherits the throne. If he gave up the title, Sheen said, it would be a "really meaningful and powerful gesture for that title to no longer be held in the same way as it has before, that would be an incredibly meaningful thing I think to happen." Sheen added, "Make a break there, put some wrongs of the past right, don't necessarily just because of habit and without thinking carry on that tradition that was started as an humiliation to our country." However, that didn't happen; one of the first things Charles did was bestow the title on his son, Prince William. (More on that appointment, here.)

As the Prince of Wales title has historically been given to the eldest living son and heir apparent of the current British monarch, a Princess of Wales title has not historically been given on its own. (I.e. Queen Elizabeth was not Princess of Wales, because she was not the heir apparent.) Yet, with the 2013 change to the rules of succession, there now can be a female heir apparent—but only time will tell if there will ever be a solo Princess of Wales.

Without further ado, here's a definitive list of all the Princesses of Wales throughout history.

1 Joan of Kent (1326 or 1327 - 1385)

Princess of Wales from 1361 until her husband's death in 1376

Joan, Duchess of Cornwall, Countess of Chester and Countess of Kent, was the first member of the British royal family to use the title Princess of Wales.

She married to Edward of Woodstock, known as the Black Prince, who was King Edward III's eldest son. Edward III was Joan's half-first cousin. Yet, Edward died before he inherited the throne, so their son, Richard of Bordeaux—later King Richard II—became king, and Joan became Dowager Princess of Wales.

2 Anne Neville (1456 - 1485)

Princess of Wales from 1470 until her first husband's death in 1471.

Anne Neville married Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, the son and heir apparent of King Henry VI, in 1740. Edward soon died, and then she married Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the younger brother of King Edward IV. Skip forward some history, and Anne actually becomes Queen—but not through a marriage to the Prince of Wales.

3 Catherine of Aragon (1485 - 1536)

Princess of Wales from 1501 until her first husband's death in 1502.

Catherine of Aragon was most famous as the first wife of King Henry VIII. Yet before she was married to King Henry VIII, she was the wife of Henry's older brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales, making her the Princess of Wales. Both Henry and Arthur were sons of King Henry VII. Yet, Arthur died just a year into their marriage, and she was soon betrothed to his brother. And we all know what happened next...

4 Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1683 - 1737)

Princess of Wales from 1714 until her husband's accession in 1727.

In 1705, Caroline married Prince George Augustus of Hanover, who was the heir apparent to the Electorate of Hanover and third in the English line of succession. Nine years later, after the death of Queen Anne, her father-in-law became King George I, and her husband, George Augustus was invested as the Prince of Wales and she became Princess of Wales. She became the first woman to get the title at the same time as her husband (versus getting the title through marriage), and the first Princess of Wales in over two centuries. Upon her husband's accession to the throne as King George II, she became queen consort.

5 Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1719 - 1772)

Princess of Wales from 1736 until her husband's death in 1751.

Caroline's daughter-in-law Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg was the next Princess of Wales upon marrying King George II and Caroline of Ansbach's son, Frederick, Prince of Wales. She became Princess of Wales when she married Frederick, but never became queen consort, because Frederick died before his father.

6 Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1737 - 1817)

Princess of Wales from 1795 to her husband's accession in 1820.

Next up is Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, who married George Augustus Frederick, the eldest son of King George III and Queen Charlotte. She became Princess of Wales upon their marriage, yet, the two separated after the birth of their only child, Princess Charlotte (though they never divorced). Their daughter Charlotte was expected to ascend to the throne, but predeceased both George III and George IV.

7 Alexandra of Denmark (1844 - 1925)

Princess of Wales from 1863 to her husband's accession as King Edward VII in 1901.

Alexandra married Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the son and heir apparent of Queen Victoria in 1863. That same year, her father became King Christian IX of Denmark and her brother became King George I of Greece. Alexandra held the title Princess of Wales from 1863 to 1901, the longest anyone has ever held the Princess of Wales title. She became Queen consort upon her husband's accession to the throne.

8 Mary of Teck

Princess of Wales from 1901 to her husband's accession as King George V in 1910.

Alexandra's daughter-in-law Mary of Teck was the next to hold the title; Mary married George V, who was heir to the throne when his father became King Edward VII. (George V was actually the second son, but his older brother, Prince Albert Victor, died in 1892). Mary was initially engaged to Albert Victor, but upon his death, she became engaged to George. In 1901, the two became Prince and Princess of Wales. She became the second Princess of Wales to get the title at the same time as her husband.

9 Diana Spencer (1961 - 1997)

Princess of Wales from 1981 until her death in 1997.

The next Princess of Wales would not be until decades after Mary; Mary and George's son, Prince Edward, was the next Prince of Wales, but never married while he had the title (he later abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson), and then his younger brother, King George VI, did not have a son.

Therefore, the next Prince of Wales was Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth's eldest son. His wife, Diana Spencer, became Princess of Wales upon their marriage in 1981, and though they divorced in 1996, she was still styled Diana, Princess of Wales until her tragic early death.

10 Camilla Parker-Bowles (1947 - present)

Princess of Wales from 2005 until her husband King Charles III's accession in 2022.

Yes, Camilla Parker-Bowles technically had the title Princess of Wales from her marriage to Prince Charles until his accession to the throne, but due to the popular association with Princess Diana, Camilla instead was styled as the Duchess of Cornwall.

Read more: Why Camilla Doesn't Use the Title 'Princess of Wales'

11 Kate Middleton (1982 - present)

Princess of Wales from 2022 to present.

Kate Middleton, formerly the Duchess of Cambridge, became the Princess of Wales upon her father-in-law's accession to the throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth. Kate became the third Princess of Wales in history to get the title at the same time as her husband.

In his first speech as monarch, King Charles said of Prince William, "Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty. With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given."

Read more: Prince William and Kate Middleton Are Officially Prince and Princess of Wales

Emily Burack Emily Burack (she/her) is the news writer for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects.

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2022-09-24 12:00:07Z
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Singapore replaces Hong Kong as Asia's top finance centre - CNA

HONG KONG: Hong Kong has lost its crown as Asia's premier finance centre to Singapore in a global ranking list where New York and London maintained their number one and two spots.

Singapore jumped three places to third in the twice-a-year Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) which assesses 119 cities around the world and was published late on Thursday (Sep 22).

Hong Kong has adhered to a version of China's strict zero-COVID rules throughout the pandemic, battering the economy and deepening a brain drain as rival business hubs reopen.

The city still mandates three days of hotel quarantine for all international arrivals while its border with the Chinese mainland is mostly closed.

In contrast, Singapore successfully shifted to endemicity earlier this year and has reopened without restrictions.

The city-state is hosting a slew of financial and business conferences in the coming months as well as a Formula 1 night race next week, while about 4 million people are expected to visit this year.

In a 600-word statement responding to the latest GFCI ranking, Hong Kong's government focused on the city scoring a higher points rating than the year before.

"We will continue to listen to views and be bold in taking forward reforms to consolidate and strengthen Hong Kong's capital market and our role as an international financial centre," the government said.

The statement did not mention the coronavirus or the ongoing pandemic controls.

San Francisco came in at number five in the survey, up two spots. Shanghai, which was shut down earlier this year under China's coronavirus controls, was number six followed by Los Angeles, Beijing and Shenzhen.

Paris took tenth spot, replacing Tokyo, which fell to 16th place.

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2022-09-23 04:07:00Z
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Queen's death: British magazine claims Elizabeth II died at around 3pm - Yahoo Singapore News

Queen Elizabeth died on 8 September. (PA)

Queen Elizabeth II died around 3pm on 8 September, three and a half hours before the official announcement, a British magazine has claimed.

Private Eye also claimed the monarch had been quite ill for some time and only managed to do the state appearances she did in the final months of her reign with the help of medication, despite Buckingham Palace blaming "ongoing mobility issues" for her absence.

The magazine said the Queen was "physically weak, although mentally alert".

Private Eye said the Queen had hoped to receive Boris Johnson and new PM Liz Truss for the official handover of power in London, but her doctors told her she was not fit enough to leave Balmoral.

Read More: Lying In State: Mourners describe 'eerie but beautiful' Westminster Hall atmosphere

Members of the Royal Family rushed to be at the Queen's side on 8 September. (PA)

Despite her limited mobility, she was still able to carry on her normal tasks, including reportedly managing to call her horse racing manager to check on how one of her horses was doing in the days before her death.

But she became seriously ill on 8 September, catching many of those close to her and the wider Royal Family by surprise.

Although most of her family rushed to see her as soon as it became aware she was gravely ill, in the end only Princess Anne and the former Prince of Wales were there at her bedside when she died.

Private Eye said the Queen died around 3pm, but the required phone calls to inform the wider political and media establishment were delayed until all of the Royal Family could be informed.

The magazine claims the way the Royal Family's press team handled the death of the Queen was informed by the death of Prince Philip.

They said Buckingham Palace was still claiming Philip was in "good spirits" when he was "being revived by crash teams" around the time of his death.

Read more: King Charles coronation: When will he be crowned and will there be a bank holiday?

Huw Edwards was in black tie by 2pm before he announced the Queen's death at 6.30pm. (Getty)

The Palace also struggled to keep a lid on the news of the Queen's health as members of the royal staff began briefing trusted journalists about the seriousness of her situation.

Coincidentally, BBC journalist Yalda Hakim tweeted the Queen had died around the actual time of the Queen's death, despite not knowing this and later retracting the tweet saying she had been mistaken.

On the day of the Queen's death, the nation came to a standstill almost as soon as Buckingham Palace said they were concerned about the monarch's health.

The BBC suspended normal programming from 12.30pm, with an episode of Bargain Hunt cut short.

Politicians were stunned into silence in the middle of a debate on the government's answer to the energy bill crisis.

Royals rushed to Balmoral from across the country with Prince William, Andrew and Edward arriving by car around 5pm.

Initial reports suggested the group arrived before the Queen's death, with only Prince Harry missing out on seeing her one last time, but this now appears to not be the case.

By 2pm, BBC journalists had all switched into black dress and tie.

The Queen's death was announced to the public at 6.30pm.

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2022-09-22 15:26:52Z
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Taiwan eyes mid-October end to COVID quarantine on road to re-opening - Reuters

TAIPEI, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Taiwan aims to end its mandatory COVID-19 quarantine for arrivals from around Oct. 13 and will ease other restrictions from next week as it continues to re-open to the outside world, the government said on Thursday.

Taiwan has kept some of its entry and quarantine rules in place as large parts of the rest of Asia have relaxed or lifted them completely, though in June it cut the number of days required in isolation for arrivals to three from seven previously.

Taiwan has reported six million domestic cases since the beginning of the year, driven by the more infectious Omicron variant. With more than 99% of those showing no or only mild symptoms, the government has relaxed rather than tightened restrictions in its "new Taiwan model".

Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng told reporters that from next Thursday visa-free entry will be resumed for citizens of all countries that previously had that status. The government will also increase weekly arrival limits for international travellers by 10,000 to 60,000, he said, with no more PCR tests for arrivals.

If "everything is under control", the government is aiming to end mandatory quarantine for all arrivals from around Oct. 13, with arrivals rising to 150,000 a week, Lo said.

"This is the last mile in our fight against the pandemic," he said, speaking after a weekly Cabinet meeting, adding the government is making all preparations needed to reopen its door to international tourists and to revive domestic businesses hit by previous COVID-related curbs.

Those who test positive, however, still need to quarantine at home or in designated hotels, the government said.

While Taiwan's vaccination rate is high, the daily number of cases has been rising again, with more than 46,000 reported on Wednesday.

Throughout the pandemic Taiwanese citizens and foreign residents have not been prohibited from leaving and then re-entering, but have had to quarantine at home or in hotels for up to two weeks.

Before the pandemic, Taiwan was a popular tourist destination for mainly Asian visitors, with Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia the most important markets.

Reporting by Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Kenneth Maxwell

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2022-09-22 04:13:00Z
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China Losing Appeal as European Firms Rethink Future Investments - Bloomberg

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1. China Losing Appeal as European Firms Rethink Future Investments  Bloomberg
2. European business group warns of loss of confidence in China  CNA
3. Zero-Covid harming 75% of European firms in China - The Jakarta Post  The Jakarta Post
4. EU chamber report's allegation of China losing business allure to European firms is 'untrue', laying bare their economic malaise: observer  Global Times
5. Zero-COVID harming 75% of European firms in China: Business group  CNA
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2022-09-21 10:25:21Z
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European business group warns of loss of confidence in China - CNA

SHANGHAI: A top European industry group warned on Wednesday (Sep 21) that firms were losing confidence in China and that its standing as an investment destination was being eroded, citing its "inflexible and inconsistently implemented" COVID-19 policy as a key factor.

The European Chamber of Commerce published the warnings in a paper it said had input from 1,800 member companies, which also contained 967 recommendations for China, the European Union and European companies related to doing business in the country.

The report, which touched on issues from Taiwan to trade, said, for example, that China should refrain from "erratic policy shifts", deepen cooperation with the European Union and increase international flights.

The European Union should proactively engage with China and reject calls for disengagement, it added.

A "stark contrast" has emerged between China and the rest of the world over the past year, as other countries remain committed to globalisation while China continues to turn inward, the chamber's president, Joerg Wuttke, told a media briefing.

"The world lives with herd immunity, and China waits until the world gets rid of Omicron, which is of course unlikely," he said, referring to China's rigid zero-COVID stance, which has led to frequent lockdowns and kept borders mostly shut to international travel.

China says its policy is needed to prevent its health system from being overwhelmed as well as an unacceptable loss of life.

Besides COVID, the chamber said stalled reforms of China's state-owned enterprises, an exodus of European nationals from China coupled with travel restrictions for Chinese staff to go abroad as well as increased politicisation of business were also harming China's attractiveness.

The report said record numbers of businesses looked to shift current or planned investments to other markets.

Last month, a US business lobby said China's strict COVID-19 control measures had overtaken sour US-China relations as the top concern of US companies in the country.

China is one of the few countries still requiring travellers to quarantine on arrival, and Wuttke said the chamber remained hopeful that restrictions could loosen after the ruling Communist Party's five-yearly congress, which starts Oct 16.

While Xi Jinping is expected to secure a historic third leadership term, it is not yet clear who will join him on the Politburo Standing Committee and who will replace Premier Li Keqiang, who is set to retire in March from his role whose main remit is managing the world's second-largest economy.

Wuttke said that Vice Premier Liu He, who is expected to retire from his current position, always stood for reform and "would be hard to replace".

"We have to see what the line-up is in the economic decision-making, and that might give us some indications of where this country is heading," he said.

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2022-09-21 00:44:00Z
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