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RTHK
3 hours ago
- RTHK
Fresh China-US trade talks open in Sweden
Fresh China-US trade talks open in Sweden Vice Premier He Lifeng gestures as he arrives for talks with the US delegation. Photo: Reuters China and the United States on Monday started a fresh round of trade talks in Stockholm on Monday in a bid to ease tensions over tariffs between the world's two biggest economies. Vice Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are meeting at the offices of Sweden's prime minister for two days of talks that Bessent has said will likely to lead to an extension of current tariff levels. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson greeted He, followed by Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, as the two teams arrived in separate motorcades. Analysts say the talks led by He and Bessent could set the stage for a possible meeting between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump later this year. Before the talks got under way in Sweden, Beijing said it hoped the two sides could hold talks in the spirit of "mutual respect and reciprocity". Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said in a regular briefing that China sought to "enhance consensus through dialogue and communication, reduce misunderstandings, strengthen cooperation and promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US relations". The talks are the third of their kind this year, nearly four months after Trump upended global trade with his sweeping tariff proposals, including an import tax that shot up to 145 percent on Chinese goods. China retaliated, sending global financial markets into a temporary tailspin. The Stockholm meeting, following similar talks in Geneva and London in recent months, is set to extend a 90-day pause on those tariffs. During the pause, US tariffs have been lowered to 30 percent on Chinese goods, and China set a 10 percent tariff on US products. The Trump administration was fresh off a deal on tariffs with the European Union. (Agencies)
South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Meet jeweller Kendra Scott, who's engaged to Zac Brown: the Shark Tank guest's label has been worn by Taylor Swift and Gwyneth Paltrow, and she recently collaborated with Dolly Parton
Jewellery designer and entrepreneur Kendra Scott just announced her engagement to country music star Zac Brown, revealing her pink diamond ring in romantic photos. The couple made their relationship red carpet official at the American Music Awards in May, after meeting through a mutual friend, according to People magazine. After meeting through a mutual friend, Kendra Scott and Zac Brown went public with their relationship in May. Photo: @officialkendrascott/Instagram Scott, the founder of her eponymous brand, has an estimated net worth of US$900 million, placing her at No 41 on Forbes' current list of America's richest self-made women. Her engagement comes amid tensions between Brown and his ex-wife, actress-model and stuntwoman Kelly Yazdi, as they navigate a legal battle following their divorce early last year. Advertisement Beyond her personal life, Scott recently made headlines when she joined the 17th season of Shark Tank as a guest shark. Through multiple appearances on the Emmy-winning series, she has shared insights into her success with aspiring entrepreneurs. Here's what to know about jewellery mogul Kendra Scott. She's a mother of three Kendra Scott has been married three times and has three sons. Photo: @officialkendrascott/Instagram The engagement is far from Scott's first. Scott has been married three times before and is a proud mother to three sons – Cade and Beck from her first marriage to John Scott, and Grey, whom she shares with her second husband, Matt Davis. She was married to Thomas Evans from 2022 to 2024. Despite the twists and turns in her romantic life, Scott stayed grounded around what matters most. Last December, on the podcast Making Space, she reflected on how her personal values have shaped her leadership. 'I want [my employees] to put their family first, and I trust and believe them that they'll do their job, whatever that looks like,' she said. 'If they're there for their families, I know they're going to be much happier in their work, right?' Her entrepreneurial journey began at 19 Kendra Scott became an entrepreneur at the tender age of 19. Photo: @officialkendrascott/Instagram Scott grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin, before moving to Houston, Texas, at 16 with her mother and stepfather. From an early age, she was surrounded by people who embodied passion and dedication – especially her mother, a beauty consultant at Mary Kay, who inspired Scott to pursue entrepreneurship, per Tampa Magazine.
RTHK
9 hours ago
- RTHK
Shaolin abbot disrobed for 'extremely bad behaviour'
Shaolin abbot disrobed for 'extremely bad behaviour' Shi Yongxin is said to have 'seriously violated Buddhist precepts', including allegedly engaging in 'improper relationships' with women. File photo: Reuters The head of the Chinese temple known as the birthplace of kung fu will be disrobed for "extremely" bad behaviour, Beijing's top Buddhist authority said on Monday, after allegations of embezzlement saw him placed under investigation. The Shaolin Temple said on Sunday that Abbot Shi Yongxin, known as the "CEO monk" for establishing dozens of companies abroad, was suspected of "embezzling project funds and temple assets". It said Shi had "seriously violated Buddhist precepts", including by allegedly engaging in "improper relationships" with multiple women. "Multiple departments" are conducting a joint investigation, it said in a statement on WeChat. The Buddhist Association of China, overseen by the Communist Party, said on Monday it would cancel Shi's certificate of ordination. "Shi Yongxin's actions are of an extremely bad nature, seriously undermining the reputation of the Buddhist community, hurting the image of monks," the association said in an online statement. Shi had previously been accused by former monks of embezzling money from a temple-run company, maintaining a fleet of luxury cars and fathering children with multiple women. China's government exercises authority over the appointment of religious leaders, and "improper" conduct is often grounds for removal from office. A hashtag related to the temple scandal had been viewed more than 560 million times on social media platform Weibo as of Monday morning. The last post to the abbot's personal account on Weibo declared: "when one's own nature is pure, the pure land is here in the present". Shi faced similar allegations in 2015 which the temple called "vicious libel". Shi, 59, took office as abbot in 1999 and in the following decades expanded Shaolin studies and cultural knowledge overseas. He helped the temple establish dozens of companies – but received backlash for commercialising Buddhism. The temple, established in AD 495, is known as the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and Chinese kung fu. Shi was first elected vice-chairman of the Buddhist Association of China in 2002 and has served as a representative to the National People's Congress. (AFP)
