Latest news with #Holter
The Star
18 hours ago
- Health
- The Star
Hong Kong court postpones Jimmy Lai's trial to Monday (Aug 18) over heart condition
Former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying's national security trial has been adjourned until Monday after judges expressed concerns about his heart issue that arose shortly before closing submission proceedings. The Apple Daily founder's health condition was brought to the attention of West Kowloon Court on Friday, just as the three presiding High Court judges were about to hear closing speeches from prosecutors and defence lawyers in his case of conspiracies to publish seditious articles and collude with foreign forces. Senior Counsel Robert Pang Yiu-hung revealed that Lai, 77, had recently experienced heart palpitations while in prison, adding that in one incident he felt he would 'collapse'. The defence had earlier sought the court's permission for Lai's absence from the remainder of the trial, but the judges rejected the request. Pang stressed his client did not want 'undue attention' on his health condition and that the defence was prepared to carry on with proceedings. Prosecutor Anthony Chau Tin-hang said that while the prison service's medical team could provide Lai with necessary medication shortly, it was unable to immediately arrange for a Holter monitor, a portable device used to detect irregular heartbeats. Chau added that a team of medical professionals were on standby outside the court in case of an emergency. Madam Justice Esther Toh Lye-ping said she was 'a little concerned' and preferred that the hearing begin later to ensure it could proceed regularly. Mr Justice Alex Lee Wang-tang added that counsel should still be able to complete their oral arguments 'well before' the eight days previously scheduled. The government, meanwhile, issued a statement on Friday night to 'strongly condemn the out-of-context and fact-twisting reports' by some foreign media outlets, including CNN, which it said had attempted to mislead the public into believing Lai did not receive the medical care he needed. It said Lai's lawyers had also made it clear in court that correctional authorities had arranged daily medical check-ups for him and that he had no complaint regarding the medical services. The statement noted that Lai was repeatedly confirmed to be physically and mentally fit for trial, and a visiting medical specialist from the Hospital Authority had found nothing unusual during a detailed examination on August 7 after the inmate complained of a heart condition. It said Lai had initially refused the specialist's advice to put on a cardiac monitoring device before changing his mind on August 13 at another medical expert's recommendation. Wearing a long-sleeved white top and a pair of khaki pants, Lai waved to supporters and family members and had a brief exchange with his lawyers before slowly walking away from the courtroom. Lai, an outspoken critic of Beijing, has been remanded in custody for more than 1,700 days since he was first denied bail in December 2020. He faces life in prison if convicted. His son, Sebastien Lai Sung-yan, has consistently raised concerns over his father's health and warned that the tabloid founder may die in prison if Western governments do not step in. Robertsons, the law firm representing Lai, said in a statement last year that he had been receiving appropriate medical attention for his health conditions, including diabetes. 'He has access to daylight through the windows in the corridor outside his cell, albeit he cannot see the sky. He exercises for an hour every day in a secure area,' the statement added. Mainland Chinese and overseas governments made their stances clear once again ahead of the trial's resumption, with US President Donald Trump renewing previous promises to secure Lai's release. Trump said during last year's presidential election campaign that he would '100 per cent' get Lai out of the country, predicting that it would be 'easy'. But in what appeared to be a toned-down version of his earlier pledge, Trump said on Thursday that he would 'do everything' he could to secure Lai's release, while acknowledging Chinese President Xi Jinping would not be 'thrilled' by the move. 'I'm going to do everything I can to save him,' Trump said in an interview with Fox News Radio. 'We'll see what we can do ... we're going to do everything we can.' A Beijing spokesman in Washington slammed 'external forces' for smearing Hong Kong's rule of law and interfering in the nation's internal affairs. He also depicted Lai as 'a key orchestrator and participant in anti-China, destabilising activities in Hong Kong'. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
UPI
2 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
Hong Kong press mogul Jimmy Lai's trial paused due to his heart issues
Aug. 15 (UPI) -- The trial of Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong media mogul, was postponed for a few days due to issues with the 77-year-old's heart. The three judges overseeing the trial said the proceedings will resume Monday with closing arguments. Lai was given medication and a Holter monitor, which tracks the heart's electrical activity. The trial had also been delayed Thursday because of torrential rain in the city. Lai, a citizen of the United Kingdom, founded Apple Daily, a Chinese-language newspaper published in Hong Kong from 1995 to 2021. The tabloid has been described as anti-government, pro-democracy and anti-China. He is accused of collusion with foreign forces and sedition. He has been in solitary confinement since December 2020. He faces life in prison. Prosecutors have accused the media tycoon of requesting foreign countries to engage in "hostile activities," such as imposing sanctions, against authorities in Hong Kong and mainland China. He allegedly conspired with senior editorial staff of Apple Daily and was the "mastermind and financial supporter" of the Fight for Freedom; Stand with Hong Kong advocacy group, which lobbied for international sanctions against Hong Kong and China. Lai denied in court that he had ever sought to influence the Hong Kong policies of other countries via his high-level contacts overseas, including former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. Questioned about meetings with Pence and then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2019, Lai said the meeting with Pence was more of a briefing where he updated him and answered questions about what was going on in Hong Kong. With Pompeo, Lai denied asking him to do anything, saying he only asked him to speak out and "to voice support for Hong Kong." Beijing added national security laws directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution in June 2020 after a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalized subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts, which include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. This gave police broad new powers and led to hundreds of arrests, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. Authorities said it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations. The trial has been going on since 2023, and Lai gave a 52-day testimony. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would "do everything [he] can to save" Lai, in an interview with Fox News. "We'll see what we can do," he said, adding that Lai "was not a young guy." Trump had said earlier that he would bring up Lai's case in trade negotiations with Beijing. Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington, said Beijing "strongly opposes external forces using judicial cases as a pretext to interfere in China's internal affairs or to smear and undermine Hong Kong's rule of law," the BBC reported. Liu described Lai as "a key orchestrator and participant in anti-China, destabilizing activities in Hong Kong." Lai has said he had always advocated against the use of violence and strictly enforced an Apple Daily editorial stance opposing independence for Hong Kong, including a hiring ban on staff supporting Hong Kong splitting from China, saying the idea was "too crazy" to even contemplate. He said the charges alleging he was pushing for independence were a "conspiracy" to entrap him.
News18
2 days ago
- Health
- News18
Hong Kong Court Delays Jimmy Lai's National Security Trial Over Health Issues
Last Updated: A Hong Kong court postponed Jimmy Lai's national security trial due to health concerns. Lai, 77, has been in solitary confinement for over 1,600 days. A Hong Kong court on Friday adjourned a national security trial hearing of media mogul Jimmy Lai due to concerns about his health after his defence said he had been experiencing heart palpitations. A pro-democracy firebrand and founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily, Lai, showed up in court visibly thinner on Friday morning for the start of closing arguments of his landmark national security case. The 77-year-old has spent over 1,600 days in a maximum-security Hong Kong prison, much of it in solitary confinement, facing the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars if found guilty. Friday's hearing, which was already delayed on Thursday due to a major rainstorm, lasted roughly 15 minutes after the court heard about Lai's health conditions from his defence team. CNN quoted Lai's defence lawyer, Robert Pang SC, who told the judges that Lai had 'some episodes that he felt he was collapsing" and had been experiencing palpitations. Lai underwent a medical check-up, but prison staff have not yet provided him with medication or a Holter monitor — a device used to record heart activity — Pang said. Prosecutors said a team of medical professionals were on standby at the court on Friday to address Lai's medical needs. But judge Alex Lee adjourned the session to Monday, saying it was 'prudent" not to start until Lai's medical needs have been attended to. Jimmy Lai's son, Sebastien Lai, told CNN ahead of the hearing that he was deeply concerned about his father's deteriorating health. 'He's 77 this year, turning 78 at the end of the year, any type of incarceration is incredibly worrying for his health, never mind the solitary confinement and the diabetes," he said, calling his father's prolonged solitary confinement 'a form of torture." 'And during the summer, Hong Kong goes up to 30, almost 40 degrees, and he's in a little concrete cell, so he bakes in there. We're incredibly worried about him." The Hong Kong government said it 'strongly condemns" what it described as 'misleading statements" regarding Jimmy Lai's treatment in custody. 'The remarks by Sebastien Lai regarding Lai Chee-ying's solitary confinement are completely fact-twisting, reflecting a malicious intention to smear and attack the HKSAR Government," it said in a statement, adding Lai had requested his removal from the general prison population. Closing arguments are expected to last eight days, and it may take weeks or even months for the judges to deliver their verdict. Lai, a British national, is charged with two counts of colluding with foreign forces — an offence under Beijing's 2020 national security law that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment — along with a separate sedition charge. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
HKFP
2 days ago
- Politics
- HKFP
Jimmy Lai trial: Closing arguments further postponed due ‘medical issue' with media mogul's heart
The closing arguments of Jimmy Lai 's national security trial have been further postponed over a 'medical issue' relating to the media tycoon's heart. The three-judge panel said on Friday that the proceedings will resume next Monday after Lai, 77, received medication prescribed by a doctor and a Holter monitor – a portable device that tracks the heart's electrical activity. The Apple Daily founder appeared thinner than he was five months ago, when proceedings were adjourned following his 52-day oral testimony. But the jailed tycoon, who stands accused of foreign collusion charges that could land him in prison for life, also appeared spirited – nodding, waving and smiling to his family sitting at the public gallery and his lawyers, as he has done throughout his trial. Lai's defence lawyer, Robert Pang, told the court on Friday that his client 'had some episodes where he felt that he was collapsing' as well as heart 'palpitations' in recent months, but he did not want 'undue attention to be concentrated on his health.' Judge Esther Toh read out a memo prepared by an in-prison medical officer stating that 'no abnormality' was detected in Lai's heart, but a specialist had recommended medication and the heart monitor. The judges, handpicked by Hong Kong's leader to preside over national security cases, rejected the defence's application to have Lai be absent from the closing argument proceedings, which have been earmarked for eight days. However, they postponed the first hearing until next week so that Lai could receive proper medical attention. Multiple delays Lai has pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law, and a third count of conspiring to publish seditious materials under colonial-era legislation. The founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily has been behind bars since December 2020 and his national security trial began in December 2023. The closing arguments were originally scheduled to begin on Thursday, but a heavy downpour – which prompted the Observatory to raise the 'Black' rainstorm signal for about three hours in the morning – led the Judiciary to cancel hearings for the day. Prosecutors have accused the media tycoon of requesting foreign countries to engage in hostile activities, such as imposing sanctions, against authorities in Hong Kong and mainland China. Lai also allegedly used the now-shuttered tabloid Apple Daily – which he founded in 1995 – to publish seditious remarks against the authorities and encourage the public to participate in the pro-democracy protests and unrest in 2019. He allegedly not only conspired with senior editorial staff of Apple Daily but also was the 'mastermind and financial supporter' of the Fight for Freedom; Stand with Hong Kong (SWHK) advocacy group, which lobbied for international sanctions against Hong Kong and China. During the trial, multiple prosecution witnesses testified against the former media boss, including senior Apple Daily staff members Cheung Kim-hung and Chan Pui-man, as well as activists linked to the SWHK group, such as Andy Li and Chan Tsz-wah. Lai also took the witness stand for 52 days. In his testimony, often interpolated with spirited exchanges between himself and prosecutors, Lai denied allegations of foreign collusion and defended his political beliefs. But he was also grilled by prosecutors and the three judges presiding over the trial about his foreign ties and past remarks, including what he wrote in his Apple Daily column and said in interviews with international media. Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.
Sydney Morning Herald
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Banned, controversial and a financial failure: A polarising film returns in a new form
When Julia Holter was asked to compose a new score for Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1928 silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc, she hadn't seen it. She agreed based on its reputation alone. Now, although she's seen it countless times, she never tires of it. 'It's incredible,' Holter says. 'It's very focused on Joan. It's not a traditional story with a lot of characters. They did so much just with just lighting and performances. It's so stark and intense.' The two live score performances of the film, part of the Melbourne International Film Festival, mark an evolution from Holter's first two iterations of the work, in Los Angeles in 2017 and in the UK in 2022. Next week, the score will be performed by Holter, her three-piece band and the vocal ensemble Consort of Melbourne. Holter is renowned for her avant-garde pop and experimental soundscapes. As well as composing several films scores, she regularly draws on film and literature as points of inspiration. Her first album, Tragedy, retells Euripides' play, Hippolytus, and her third, Loud City Song, is inspired by the musical Gigi. For Dreyer's film, Holter's music fits the film's visual energy perfectly: it's mythic, emotive and dreamlike. The Passion of Joan of Arc is an early entry in the cinematic canon. Controversial on release, it was banned in Britain for its anti-English sentiment, and was a financial failure. But it was critically acclaimed, and regularly listed as one of the best films of all time to this day. Holter has barely even heard the film's numerous existing scores. She played it on mute and immediately started composing. Dreyer was quoted as saying he never heard a score for his masterpiece that he liked. Some accounts say he would have preferred silence over some of the versions he heard. But Dreyer died more than half a century ago. With no director, and no dialogue or diegetic sound to respond to, Holter is essentially left to her own devices. It's just her and the film. Joan's trial for heresy, and her execution on being found guilty, was in 1431, but her life didn't gain renown until centuries later. Jeanne d'Arc was canonised as one of the patron saints of France in 1920. Feminism as a broad social movement was relatively new, and when Dreyer's film was released in France in 1928, women still didn't have the vote. Cinema, then a brand-new popular art form, was the ideal way to tell a story freshly in the zeitgeist. The film is modern, in the 1920s sense: the sets are minimal, angular and stylised. The cast wore no make-up and were filmed in close-up, with rich, silvery tones. Lead actor Renée Jeanne Falconetti's performance is intense, and her face (shown in close for a large amount of the film's duration) is emotive, timeless. Her interrogators look like gargoyles.
