CATL suspends production at China lithium mine, Bloomberg News reports
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HKFP
3 hours ago
- HKFP
NGOs urge UK to probe Telegraph newspaper sale over ‘China' ties
The UK government must investigate The Telegraph newspaper's sale to US investment group RedBird Capital and the risks of China's influence, human rights and freedom of expression groups demanded Wednesday. An open letter addressed to UK media minister Lisa Nandy, signed by nine organisations including Human Rights in China and Hong Kong Watch, alleged 'RedBird Capital's ties to China … threaten media pluralism, transparency, and information integrity in the UK'. RedBird Capital chair John Thornton sits on the advisory council of the China Investment Corporation, the country's largest sovereign wealth fund, the letter noted. In May RedBird agreed to buy the Telegraph Media Group (TMG), comprising the 170-year-old paper's print and online operations, for £500 million (US$678 million). Wednesday's letter provides a new twist to The Telegraph takeover saga, already marked by UK government intervention over foreign press influence. US-Emirati consortium RedBird IMI, comprising Redbird Capital, struck a deal for TMG in late 2023. However, the previous UK government triggered a swift resale amid concern over the potential impact on freedom of speech given Abu Dhabi's press censorship record. 'Pending robust investigations, the (new) planned merger should be placed on hold,' NGOs, including also Article 19 and Free Tibet, stated in Wednesday's letter. 'We believe that there is reasonable ground to suspect the Telegraph acquisition by RedBird Capital raises both public interest and potential foreign media influence concerns,' it added. RedBird Capital Partners rejected accusations of China's influence. 'There is no Chinese involvement or influence in RedBird Capital's proposed acquisition of the Telegraph,' a spokesperson said in a statement emailed to AFP. 'After two years of regulatory limbo, it is now time to close this acquisition and finally position The Telegraph for growth.' The UK government had yet to respond.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong slams ‘smear campaigns' as Jimmy Lai returns to court for trial
The Hong Kong government has strongly condemned 'smear campaigns' by foreign forces and anti-China media companies in relation to the national security law trial of former newspaper boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, who returns to court on Thursday. Prosecutors and defence lawyers will make their final oral arguments in his high-profile trial . The closing submissions procedure will be the Apple Daily founder's last appearance at West Kowloon Court before the three presiding High Court judges reach a verdict on his case of conspiracies to publish seditious articles and collude with foreign forces. A government spokesman warned on the eve of the trial resuming that it was inappropriate for anyone to comment on details of the case in an 'attempt to interfere with the court to exercise judicial power independently, which might otherwise constitute perverting the course of justice'. However, external forces and anti-China media would 'still continue to distort the truth', he said. The spokesman noted that Lai's lawyers had previously clarified that the former media boss had received appropriate treatment and welfare in prison, while stressing the trial was based on the principle of the rule of law. Hong Kong law enforcement agencies had been taking actions strictly based on evidence, which had nothing to do with the political stance, background or occupation of the people or entities concerned, he added.
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong holds first meeting of new top-level anti-terrorism group
Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu has chaired the first meeting of a high-level counterterrorism group, later announcing that a large exercise to simulate terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure will be held this month. Advertisement The Chief Executive Counter-terrorism Steering Group discussed the progress of various groups under a new three-tier mechanism, global and local threats, and the directions and strategies of the government's counterterrorism work, a statement released after Wednesday's meeting said. 'As a metropolitan city, Hong Kong may also face threats under the global and local terrorism landscape,' Lee said. 'As such, we must further strengthen the [Hong Kong] government's overall counterterrorism work.' It was the first top-level meeting under the three-tier anti-terrorism mechanism introduced in last year's policy address to boost the city's defences against evolving global terrorism threats. Advertisement The city's No 2 official, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po and Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok are deputy chairmen of the steering group. The top-tier group comprises ministers, department chiefs, heads of the disciplined services and national security officials.
