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Jumat, 08 Maret 2024

Article 23: What you need to know about Hong Kong's new national security laws - CNA

In the draft, the definition of state secrets appears quite broad, some lawyers said, saying it includes military, security and diplomatic secrets as well as classified social, economic and technological information involving the Chinese and Hong Kong governments, and their relationship.

Some analysts and diplomats fear that research into China's politics, economy and military and due diligence investigations into individuals and companies on the Chinese mainland - all traditionally carried out by some Hong Kong firms and academics - could stray into areas of state secrecy.

But while the types of information included are wide-ranging, the Bill still stipulates that it must be information that is secret and would threaten national security if disclosed.

The Bill provides for public interest defences, but the threshold appears high: "Making the disclosure manifestly outweighs the public interest served by not making the disclosure".

Hong Kong's leader John Lee has said that the laws would meet international standards and protect Hong Kong's rights and freedoms.

ISN'T HONG KONG ALREADY SUBJECT TO NATIONAL SECURITY LAWS?

Yes. It has several old, vague and arcane laws from its days as a British colony that remain on the books.

Beijing also imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020, with officials saying it was needed to bring stability to Hong Kong after months of anti-government protests in 2019.

That law dealt with only some offences, such as collusion with foreign forces, and also allowed mainland national security officers to be based in the city for the first time.

It also created a provision where suspects could be sent for trial in the mainland, where the courts are under the control of the ruling Communist Party.

The 2020 law highlighted the need for Hong Kong to continue its work on Article 23, creating local legislation. Senior Hong Kong officials say it is needed to fill legal loopholes, particularly those dealing with what they describe as "soft resistance" after the 2019 protests, and internet control.

Security chief Chris Tang has repeatedly said the government needs better tools to deal with espionage and the activities of foreign agents in the city.

DOESN'T CHINA ALREADY HAVE A STATE SECRETS LAW?

Reflecting the priorities of President Xi Jinping, China updated its own state secrets laws in 2023, banning the transfer of any information related to national security and broadening the definition of espionage. Some analysts say it remains vague.

Hong Kong's own version has to deal with state secrets but with legislation compatible with the standards of the British-based common law, of which it remains a part.

WILL THE NEW LAWS PASS EASILY?

Unlike the tensions that surrounded the Bill in 2003, the final Article 23 Bill is expected to pass relatively swiftly, after formal readings of the Bill and some debate in the largely pro-Beijing Legislative Council.

Changes to Hong Kong's electoral system after 2019 mean that pro-establishment figures screened as "patriots" control the body.

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2024-03-08 09:20:00Z
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Japanese men experience simulated menstrual pain - Yahoo Singapore News

STORY: "It hurts. Oh my goodness."

These Japanese men are experiencing menstrual pain

using a device that simulates the sensation

"I can't stand straight."

The ‘Perionoid’ stimulates the lower stomach muscle with an electric signal

[Masaya Shibasaki, EXEO Group worker]

"I couldn't move. It hurt a lot to the point where I couldn't stand."/ "Through the virtual experience, I now understand women have to work while fighting this pain every month. It's actually amazing how women can do that, I really respect them."

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2024-03-07 17:53:30Z
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Biden takes on Trump over Russia, democracy in fiery State of the Union address - The Straits Times

This is the last State of the Union speech for US President Joe Biden before the November 2024 presidential election. PHOTO: NYTIMES

WASHINGTON – United States President Joe Biden laid out his case for re-election in a fiery State of the Union speech on March 7.

He accused former president Donald Trump of threatening democracy, kowtowing to Russia, and torpedoing a Bill to tackle US immigration woes.

In a 68-minute address to Congress, Mr Biden, a Democrat, drew sharp contrasts with his Republican rival and gamely challenged Trump’s supporters in the chamber during a speech that was watched as much for the 81-year-old president’s performance as it was for his policy proposals.

Mr Biden charged Trump, his challenger in the Nov 5 election, with burying the truth about the Jan 6, 2021, Capitol assault, bowing to Russian President Vladimir Putin and blocking the Bill to tighten restrictions at the US border with Mexico.

On the Middle East, the president said he had been working for an immediate ceasefire to last six weeks between Hamas militants and Israel, and he warned Israel against using aid to Gaza as a bargaining chip.

The greater thrust of his remarks focused on Trump, though Mr Biden did not mention him by name.

He started by declaring democracy was under threat at home and abroad, and criticising Trump for inviting Putin to invade Nato nations if they did not spend more on defence.

“Now my predecessor, a former Republican president, tells Putin, quote, ‘Do whatever you want,’” Mr Biden said. “I think it’s outrageous, it’s dangerous and it’s unacceptable.”

Mr Biden, who pressed Congress to provide additional funding to Ukraine for its war with Russia, also had a message for Mr Putin: “We will not walk away.”

Trump responded on his Truth Social platform with criticism of Mr Biden. “He said I bowed down to the Russian leader. He gave them everything, including Ukraine,” Trump said.

The speech gave Mr Biden, who is suffering from low approval ratings, a chance to speak directly to millions of American television viewers about his vision for another four-year term.

He used the opportunity to draw contrasts with Trump over abortion rights and the economy, and he directed several barbs at Republican lawmakers in the chamber with off-the-cuff banter that appeared designed to assuage concerns about his age and mental acuity.

Mr Biden was directly challenged by Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who heckled him over Ms Laken Riley, a woman recently killed, allegedly by an illegal immigrant in the US.

Mr Biden acknowledged Ms Riley, and then, in a reference to efforts to reduce gun violence, referred to greater numbers of people killed in incidents unrelated to migrants in the country.

Biden assails Trump, Republicans on Jan 6 riot

Mr Biden accused Trump and Republicans of trying to rewrite history on the Jan 6, 2021, Capitol riot by Trump supporters seeking to overturn the president’s 2020 victory.

“My predecessor and some of you here seek to bury the truth about Jan 6. I will not do that,” Mr Biden said, a signal that he will emphasise the issue during his re-election campaign. “You can’t love your country only when you win.”

He also knocked Republicans for seeking to roll back healthcare provisions under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and driving up deficits, and jibed them for taking money from legislation they had opposed.

Mr Biden faces discontent among progressives in his party about his support for Israel in its war against Hamas and from Republicans over his stance on immigration.

But the mood among Democrats in the chamber was rapturous. They greeted Mr Biden with cheers and applause, prompting him to quip that he should leave before he even began.

Meanwhile, 77-year-old Trump sent a steady stream of messages blasting Mr Biden on his Truth Social platform.

“He looks so angry when he’s talking, which is a trait of people who know they are ‘losing it,’” Trump wrote. “The anger and shouting is not helpful to bringing our Country back together!”

Opinion polls show Mr Biden and Trump closely matched in the race for the White House. Most American voters are unenthusiastic about the rematch after Mr Biden defeated Trump four years ago.

Trump, facing multiple criminal charges as he fights for re-election, says he plans to punish political foes and deport millions of migrants if he wins a second White House term.

Mr Biden emphasised his support of abortion rights and pledged to make them the law of the land if Americans voted in enough Democratic lawmakers to do so.

He also renewed his quest to make wealthy Americans and corporations pay more in taxes, unveiling proposals including higher minimum taxes for companies and Americans with wealth over US$100 million (S$133 million).

Any such tax reform is unlikely to pass unless Democrats win strong majorities in both houses of Congress in the November vote, which is not forecast.

Mr Biden also proposed new measures to lower housing costs, including a US$10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers – an acknowledgement of consumers’ distress over high mortgage interest rates – while boasting of US economic progress under his tenure.

The US economy is performing better than that of most high-income countries, with continued job growth and consumer spending. But Americans overall give Trump better marks in polls for economic issues.

Biden outlines plan for Gaza port

Mr Biden sought to cool anger among many Democrats over his support for Israel’s offensive in Gaza following the Oct 7 Hamas attacks.

He announced that the US military will build a port on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast to receive humanitarian assistance by sea.

“To the leadership of Israel I say this: Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority,” he said.

Mr Biden closed his speech with a reference to his age, saying he had been told during his career that he was both too young and too old. “Whether young or old, I’ve always known what endures,” he said.

He highlighted Trump’s age being close to his. “Now other people my age see it differently,” he said, referring to their differing visions about America.

US first lady Jill Biden’s guests for the speech included Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who was in Washington as Sweden formally joined Nato on March 7, two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Senator Katie Britt of Alabama, who delivered Republicans’ formal response to Mr Biden, attacked him over immigration and the economy.

“The true, unvarnished State of our Union begins and ends with this: Our families are hurting. Our country can do better,” she said. REUTERS

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2024-03-08 07:37:51Z
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Legco clears second Hong Kong security bill reading, debate begins - South China Morning Post

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing.

Hong Kong’s domestic national security legislation is being prepared at lightning speed as a full draft reached the Legislative Council on Friday morning, eight days after a month-long consultation period ended.

The legislation is part of a constitutional requirement Hong Kong must fulfil as stated under Article 23 of the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution. It is meant to work in tandem with the Beijing-imposed national security law and fill in gaps in the legal framework on national security.

The legislature cleared the first reading of the bill and began the second hours after it was first published in the government gazette in the morning, while a bills committee is deliberating it clause by clause at two back-to-back meetings in the afternoon.

Hong Kong’s Article 23 domestic security law: what are the fears?

The Post tracks the full reveal and fast-moving developments of the proposed legislation, which will cover five new offences: treason; insurrection, incitement to mutiny and disaffection, and acts with seditious intention; sabotage; foreign interference; and theft of state secrets and espionage.

Friday also marks the first time the public can read in full the proposed offences’ associated penalties and extraterritorial application, both of which were not disclosed in a consultation paper published on January 30.

After the consultation paper’s broadly worded terms drew concerns, officials promised greater clarity from the draft bill. Sources have suggested the bill may pass as soon as early April.

Here is a quick summary of the penalties as published in the draft bill.

Follow our live blog for the latest on the passage of the bill.

Reporting by Kahon Chan, Jeffie Lam, Sammy Heung, Elizabeth Cheung, Jess Ma, Lilian Cheng, Willa Wu and Emily Hung

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2024-03-08 06:48:57Z
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Kamis, 07 Maret 2024

Customer complains about $8.20 'cai fan', stall owner says prices clearly displayed - AsiaOne

A customer had a bone to pick with a 'cai fan' stall at Yew Tee MRT station after he was charged $8.20 for his meal.

The angry diner recently took to Facebook to ask if the price of his meal was reasonable, Shin Min Daily News reported on Wednesday (March 6).

A photo of his 'cai fan' shows that he had ordered pork rib, lady's finger and tau pok.

When a reporter from Shin Min Daily News visited the stall, the owner surnamed Zhou gave the price breakdown of each dish the customer had ordered.

He explained that the pork rib was $4, while the rice, lady's finger and the tau pork cost 70 cents, $2 and $1.50 respectively.

The 'cai fan' stall owner also acknowledged that his dishes are pricier due to the stall's high rental cost.

"The prices of our dishes are displayed clearly. If customers find them expensive, they can choose cheaper alternatives, such as the $1 potato or vegetables, or the $1.50 minced meat dishes," Zhou said.

[[nid:653630]]

When customers opt for takeaway, there is a surcharge of about $1.

This is because most customers who order takeaway often order more than one portion, he explained.

"If they want a single portion they can inform my staff, the price is the same as dine-in, but they'll have to pay 30 cents extra for takeaway packaging."

Shin Min also spoke with other customers to get their opinion on the price of the meal in question.

One diner surnamed Xie said that $8.20 for a plate of 'cai fan' was quite expensive.

However, the 25-year-old accountant from Malaysia also felt that the stall's high rental could have contributed to the price of the dish.

Another customer surnamed Cai said that although the 'cai fan' stall displayed its prices, some diners might feel embarrassed about calculating the price of their meal.

"If I were to stand in front of the stall while calculating [the price of my food], others might think that I can't afford it, or think that I'm calculative.

"It's also not very nice to the people queueing behind me, so I often pick the dishes that I like," said the 37-year-old executive.

claudiatan@asiaone.com

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2024-03-07 04:45:00Z
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Houthi missile attack: Two Filipino crew members among those dead - CNA

MANILA: Two Filipino crew members were among those killed in a missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels on a ship in the Gulf of Aden, the Philippines government said on Thursday (Mar 7).

Those killed in the attack on Wednesday appear to be the first deaths resulting from Houthi attacks on merchant vessels transiting the key Red Sea trade route.

"With great sadness, the Department of Migrant Workers confirms the deaths of two Filipino seafarers in the most recent attack by Houthi rebels on ships plying the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden," the agency said in a statement.

"We are also informed that two other Filipino crewmen were severely injured in the attack on their ship," it added.

Manila is liaising with the ship owners and its crewing agency "to ascertain the conditions of the rest of the ship's crew", the department said.

An anti-ship ballistic missile struck the Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned M/V True Confidence, after which its crew reported "three fatalities, at least four injuries, of which three are in critical condition, and significant damage to the ship", the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree wrote on social media that the vessel was targeted with missiles "after the ship's crew rejected warning messages" from the rebels.

The Iran-backed group began attacking ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea last November, a campaign they say is intended to signal solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Manila is still seeking the release of 17 Filipinos taken hostage by the Houthis in November after the rebels seized their ship in the Red Sea.

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2024-03-07 05:49:00Z
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China's ambassadors urge top advisory body to engage more with foreign media - The Straits Times

Delegates listening to the speech of the chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning during the conference's opening ceremony on March 4. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

BEIJING – Officials, academics, business leaders, celebrities and other representatives of China’s top advisory body should step up international engagement to boost the nation’s efforts to “tell China’s story well”, said China’s ambassadors to major countries.

This can be done with more interviews with foreign media, suggested China’s ambassador to the US, while the ambassador to Japan called for members of the advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), to visit other countries more often.

They were among more than 30 delegates speaking at a small group discussion on March 5, which also involved academics and party and government officials. The session was chaired by veteran diplomat Liu Jieyi, vice-chairman of the CPPCC’s Foreign Affairs Committee and the advisory body’s spokesman.

The discussion was part of this week’s Two Sessions gathering, China’s annual meetings of the top legislative and government advisory bodies, where the CPPCC kicked off its annual session with a work report delivered by its chairman Wang Huning, the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) fourth-ranked official.

China has been on a campaign to counter dominant Western voices since President Xi Jinping in 2013 set out a mission to “tell the China story well”, and wrest control of the international narrative.

The CPPCC is regarded as a key platform for the CPC’s United Front work to spread the party’s political influence domestically and overseas. It comprises more than 2,000 Chinese citizens from various sectors of society, who are invited to participate in discussions on state affairs.

Mr Xie Feng, who was appointed ambassador to the US in May 2023, said international understanding of China’s political system and how the CPPCC functions could improve if the body’s members interacted more with other countries and accepted more foreign media interviews.

He suggested that the organisation provide professional training and other arrangements to increase members’ ability in foreign and media interactions.

“Today, the CPPCC has invited local and foreign media to listen in on its meetings, which I believe is a good move. We could consider whether more foreign envoys, journalists and students who are based in China can be invited to observe some of the CPPCC’s topical discussions,” he said.

China’s ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao called for CPPCC members to visit other countries more, and for them to leave a greater impression on others by introducing themselves in that capacity – and not just as a member of a think-tank, for instance.

“Sometimes, when interacting with Western-style societies, our publicity is more effective when it is done by non-party members,” he said, noting that sometimes, “people already put on tinted glasses to protect themselves against being brainwashed by the Communist Party” when party members speak.

Adding to this call, China’s ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang said: “As entrepreneurs, scholars, researchers, and other members of the CPPCC, we should continue to go out, and introduce China to others in a factual way.

“This will surely gain us more understanding and recognition.”

He also urged greater promotion of China’s Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative, which are broad frameworks on foreign policy introduced by Mr Xi in recent years.

In its effort to sway international opinion, Beijing has hired television anchors from overseas media for its official English-language channel CGTN. On social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), China-linked accounts have grown, carrying messages tied to official narratives.

Yet just this week, China scrapped a 30-year tradition for its premier to host a news conference at the close of the Two Sessions – a rare opportunity for Chinese and foreign journalists to engage directly with a top leader – in what was viewed as another inward turn.

Political scientist Yang Mingjie said that foreigners are interested in how China has remained stable despite conflicts elsewhere, and believes that China’s modernisation tale should be publicised more widely. He is director of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, a research institute under the Ministry of State Security.

“There is still a lot that people do not understand of the CPPCC’s role. For instance, some of them liken the CPPCC to the Upper House in other countries, which is incorrect,” he said, referring to the bicameral political system found in other legislatures, such as the House of Lords in the UK.

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2024-03-06 21:00:00Z
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