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   <title>
    At least 10 dead in LA wildfires
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786976-20250110.htm
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<img alt="The wind whips embers in the Angeles National Forest as wildfires burn in Los Angeles. The fires have left at least 10 dead and destroyed thousands of structures. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786976_1_20250110165010.jpg&q=65">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 The two biggest wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area have killed at least 10 people and burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures, officials said as they urged more people to heed evacuation orders after a new blaze ignited and quickly grew.
 <br>
  <br>
  The Kenneth Fire started late on Thursday afternoon in the San Fernando Valley just 3.2 kilometres from a school serving as a shelter for evacuees from another fire. It moved into neighbouring Ventura County but a large and aggressive response by firefighters stopped the flames from spreading.
  <br>
  <br>
  About 400 firefighters remained on scene overnight to guard against the fire flaring up.
  <br>
  <br>
  Only hours before the Kenneth Fire roared to life officials expressed encouragement after firefighters aided by calmer winds and help from crews from outside the state saw the first signs of successfully beating back the region’s two devastating wildfires.
  <br>
  <br>
  The Eaton Fire near Pasadena that started on Tuesday night has burned more than 5,000 structures, a term that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles.
  <br>
  <br>
  Firefighters were able to establish the first bit of containment on Thursday.
  <br>
  <br>
  To the west in Pacific Palisades, the largest of the fires burning in the LA area has destroyed over 5,300 structures and firefighters had no containment.
  <br>
  <br>
  All of the major fires that have broken out this week are located in a roughly 40-kilometre band north of downtown Los Angeles, spreading a sense of fear and sadness across the nation’s second-largest city.
  <br>
  <br>
  No cause has been identified for the largest fires.
  <br>
  <br>
  The level of devastation is jarring even in a state that has grown used to massive wildfires.
  <br>
  <br>
  A large portion of scenic Pacific Palisades has been obliterated. Dozens of blocks in the seaside neighbourhood were flattened to smouldering rubble.
  <br>
  <br>
  In neighbouring Malibu, blackened palm strands were all that was left above debris where ocean-front homes once stood. (AP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Fri, 10 Jan 2025 16:50:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    Trump says arranging a meeting with Putin
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786932-20250110.htm
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<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin wanted to meet and that a rendezvous between the pair was being arranged.
 <br>
  <br>
  He made the statement just a week and a half before taking office, following promises during his campaign to bring peace to Ukraine.
  <br>
  <br>
  "He wants to meet, and we're setting it up," Trump said at a meeting with Republican governors at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
  <br>
  <br>
  "President Putin wants to meet, he's said that even publicly, and we have to get that war over with, that's a bloody mess."
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump has never made any concrete proposals for a ceasefire or peace deal, and has often criticised the large amount of military aid the United States has sent to Kyiv.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump has also frequently mocked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a "salesman," while raising eyebrows in Washington by rarely criticising Putin -- and even speaking admiringly of the Kremlin leader.
  <br>
  <br>
  In addition to criticising the military aid sent to Ukraine under President Joe Biden, Trump has raised doubts over continued US involvement in the Western military alliance Nato.
  <br>
  <br>
  The United States under Biden has been Ukraine's biggest wartime backer, providing military aid worth more than US$65 billion since February 2022. (AFP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Fri, 10 Jan 2025 12:38:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    Earth records hottest year ever in 2024, breaches 1.5C
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786929-20250110.htm
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<img alt="A firefighter battles the wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Scientists warn that natural disasters like the LA fires will intensify as the world continues to warm. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786929_1_20250110122421.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 The planet notched up its hottest year ever last year with such a big jump that it temporarily passed a major climate threshold, several weather monitoring agencies announced Friday.
 <br>
  <br>
  Last year's global average temperature easily passed 2023's record heat and kept pushing even higher. It surpassed the long-term warming limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
  <br>
  <br>
  The milestone was confirmed by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), which said climate change is pushing the planet's temperature to levels never before experienced by modern humans.
  <br>
  <br>
  "The trajectory is just incredible," C3S director Carlo Buontempo told Reuters, describing how every month in 2024 was the warmest or second-warmest for that month since records began.
  <br>
  <br>
  The planet's average temperature in 2024 was 1.6 degrees Celsius higher than in 1850-1900, the "pre-industrial period" before humans began burning CO2-emitting fossil fuels on a large scale, C3S said.
  <br>
  <br>
  Last year was the world's hottest since records began, and each of the past 10 years was among the 10 warmest on record.
  <br>
  <br>
  Britain's Met Office confirmed 2024's likely breach of 1.5C, while estimating a slightly lower average temperature of 1.53C for the year.
  <br>
  <br>
  Japan recorded a 1.57C average while the American monitoring teams — Nasa, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the private Berkeley Earth — were to release their figures later Friday but all will likely show record heat for 2024, European scientists said.
  <br>
  <br>
  The six groups compensate for data gaps in observations that go back to 1850, in different ways, which is why numbers vary slightly.
  <br>
  <br>
  Governments promised under the 2015 Paris Agreement to try to prevent average temperatures exceeding 1.5C, to avoid more severe and costly climate disasters.
  <br>
  <br>
  The first year above 1.5C does not breach that target, which measures the longer-term average temperature.
  <br>
  <br>
  Buontempo said rising greenhouse gas emissions meant the world was on track to soon also blow past the Paris goal - but that it was not too late for countries to rapidly cut emissions to avoid warming rising further to disastrous levels.
  <br>
  <br>
  "It's not a done deal. We have the power to change the trajectory from now on," Buontempo said.
  <br>
  <br>
  The impacts of climate change are now visible on every continent, affecting people from the richest to the poorest countries on earth.
  <br>
  <br>
  Wildfires raging in California this week have killed at least five people and destroyed hundreds of homes.
  <br>
  <br>
  In 2024, Bolivia and Venezuela also suffered disastrous fires, while torrential floods hit Nepal, Sudan and Spain, and heatwaves in Mexico and Saudi Arabia killed thousands.
  <br>
  <br>
  Climate change is worsening storms and torrential rainfall, because a hotter atmosphere can hold more water, leading to intense downpours. The amount of water vapour in the planet's atmosphere reached a record high in 2024.
  <br>
  <br>
  But even as the costs of these disasters spiral, political will to invest in curbing emissions has waned in some countries.
  <br>
  <br>
  US President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20, has called climate change a hoax, despite the global scientific consensus that it is human-caused and will have severe consequences if not addressed.
  <br>
  <br>
  The US experienced 24 climate and weather disasters in 2024 in which the cost of damages exceeded US$1 billion, including Hurricanes Milton and Helene, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
  <br>
  <br>
  Chukwumerije Okereke, a professor of global climate governance at the University of Bristol in the UK, said the 1.5C milestone should serve as "a rude awakening to key political actors to get their act together".
  <br>
  <br>
  "Despite all the warnings that scientists have given, nations... are continuing to fail to live up to their responsibilities."
  <br>
  <br>
  Concentrations in the atmosphere of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, reached a fresh high of 422 parts per million in 2024, C3S said.
  <br>
  <br>
  Zeke Hausfather, a research scientist at US non-profit Berkeley Earth, said he expected 2025 to be among the hottest years on record, but likely not top the rankings.
  <br>
  <br>
  "It's still going to be in the top three warmest years," he said.
  <br>
  <br>
  That's because while the biggest factor warming the climate is human-caused emissions, temperatures in early 2024 got an extra boost from El Nino, a warming weather pattern which is now trending towards its cooler La Nina counterpart. (Agencies)
 
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    Fri, 10 Jan 2025 12:24:00 +0800
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   <title>
    Yoon's presidential security chief urges no bloodshed
   </title>
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<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 The security chief of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Friday that he had been unfairly treated for a sitting leader and warned bloodshed must be avoided.
 <br>
  <br>
  Yoon faces arrest over a criminal probe into his December 3 martial law bid.
  <br>
  <br>
  Park Chong-jun, head of the Presidential Security Service (PSS), is himself under investigation for obstructing official duty related to a six-hour standoff last week with investigators trying to execute an arrest warrant for Yoon.
  <br>
  <br>
  Arriving at police headquarters for questioning, Park, who is a former senior police official, said the current attempt to arrest a sitting president was wrong and Yoon deserved treatment "becoming of" the country's status.
  <br>
  <br>
  "I believe there should not be any physical clash or bloodshed under any circumstances," Park told reporters, adding acting President Choi Sang-mok had not responded to his request for safety assurances for officials involved.
  <br>
  <br>
  Hundreds of PSS agents blockaded the presidential compound and thwarted investigators from trying to arrest Yoon. The investigators were pulled back because of the risk of a clash.
  <br>
  <br>
  Officials of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which is leading the investigation, have said PSS agents were carrying firearms during the standoff although no weapons were drawn.
  <br>
  <br>
  The investigators obtained a new arrest warrant this week after the embattled leader defied repeated summons to appear for questioning.
  <br>
  <br>
  On Thursday, lawyers for Yoon said the arrest warrant was illegal and invalid.
  <br>
  <br>
  Yoon is under a separate Constitutional Court trial reviewing parliament's impeachment of the suspended leader on December 14 to decide whether to remove him from office permanently or reinstate him. (Reuters)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Fri, 10 Jan 2025 10:48:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    Biden warns against 'hate' in Carter eulogy
   </title>
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<img alt="Jimmy Carter's state funeral is attended by President Biden and his predecessors. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786900_1_20250110093114.jpg&q=75">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Jimmy Carter brought a fleeting moment of national unity to a divided America on Thursday as all five living US presidents gathered for their predecessor's moving state funeral in Washington's National Cathedral.
 <br>
  <br>
  At the rare gathering just days before Donald Trump's return to the White House, sitting President Joe Biden gave a eulogy describing "character" as fellow Democrat Carter's main attribute.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump shook hands with former president Barack Obama on the country's day of mourning, while Bill Clinton and George W Bush were also there to pay their respects.
  <br>
  <br>
  But Biden, 82, also appeared to deliver a veiled swipe at Trump, the Republican whose racially-charged rhetoric and efforts to overturn the 2020 election he has often criticised as threats to democracy.
  <br>
  <br>
  "We have an obligation to give hate no safe harbour," said Biden, also stressing the importance standing up against "the greatest sin of all, the abuse of power."
  <br>
  <br>
  After the speech, Biden briefly tapped the flag-draped coffin of Carter, America's 39th commander-in-chief, who died on December 29 at the age of 100 in his native Georgia.
  <br>
  <br>
  The presidential funeral was the first since George H W Bush died in 2018.
  <br>
  <br>
  During the service, family members and former political adversaries alike paid emotional tributes to Carter, the oldest-ever former US president and the only one to make it to three figures.
  <br>
  <br>
  Carter's coffin was earlier transported by an honour guard from the US Capitol, where thousands of mourners had paid their respects as the former president lay in state.
  <br>
  <br>
  Thursday has been designated a national day of mourning in the United States with federal offices closed. (AFP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Fri, 10 Jan 2025 09:47:00 +0800
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   <title>
    Trump denied bid to halt hush money sentencing
   </title>
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<img alt="" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786895_1_20250110091920.jpg&q=80">
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<div class="itemFullText">
 The US Supreme Court on Thursday denied a last-minute bid by President-elect Donald Trump to halt sentencing in his hush money case.
 <br>
  <br>
  The top court, which includes three justices appointed by Trump, rejected his emergency application seeking to block Friday's sentencing by a 5-4 vote.
  <br>
  <br>
  The court, in a brief unsigned order, said the "burden that sentencing will impose on the President-elect's responsibilities is relatively insubstantial" and noted that Trump will be allowed to attend virtually.
  <br>
  <br>
  The court also noted that the judge who presided over the hush money case has already said he plans to impose a sentence of "unconditional discharge," which does not carry any jail time, fine or probation.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump is scheduled to be sentenced in Manhattan at 9:30 am local time on Friday after being convicted by a New York jury in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump, 78, who is to be sworn in as president on January 20, filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking to halt his sentencing.
  <br>
  <br>
  Four justices - Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, all conservatives - were in favour of granting Trump's request to halt his sentencing.
  <br>
  <br>
  Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, also conservatives, joined the three liberal justices in rejecting the president-elect's bid.
  <br>
  <br>
  Barrett, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh were appointed by Trump.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump's lawyers made several legal manoeuvres in an effort to fend off sentencing, arguing that it would be a "grave injustice" and harm "the institution of the presidency and the operations of the federal government."
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump's attorneys also claimed that the immunity from prosecution granted to a sitting president should be extended to a president-elect.
  <br>
  <br>
  Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg rejected their arguments in his response on Thursday, saying Trump was a private citizen when he was "charged, tried, and convicted."
  <br>
  <br>
  In the order, the Supreme Court said Trump can still appeal his conviction through the New York state courts.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump is the first former US president to be convicted of a crime and will be the first convicted felon to serve in the White House.
  <br>
  <br>
  Meanwhile, a federal appeals court on Thursday declined to block the Justice Department from releasing a report on Trump, which is expected to detail investigations conducted by Special Counsel Jack Smith over attempts to subvert the 2020 presidential election results and for mishandling classified documents. (Agencies)
 
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    Fri, 10 Jan 2025 09:33:00 +0800
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   <title>
    Firefighters beat back Hollywood hills blaze
   </title>
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<img alt="Vehicles and a house burn at the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786892_1_20250110085057.jpg&q=65">
<img alt="Firefighters beat back Hollywood hills blaze" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786892_2_20250110085057.jpg&q=55">
<img alt="Firefighters beat back Hollywood hills blaze" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786892_3_20250110085554.jpg&q=35">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 A pair of massive wildfires menacing Los Angeles from the east and west were still burning uncontained on Thursday, two days after they ignited, but firefighters managed to beat back another blaze scorching the Hollywood Hills.
 <br>
  <br>
  The Palisades fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city's western flank and the Eaton Fire in the east near Pasadena are already the most destructive in Los Angeles history, turning entire neighbourhoods to ash.
  <br>
  <br>
  Swathes of the United States' second-largest city lay in ruins, with smoke blanketing the sky and an acrid smell pervading almost every building.
  <br>
  <br>
  <img src="https://nps.rthk.hk/rthk/media/k2/items/src/mfile_1786892_3_20250110085554_preview.jpg">
   <div class="image-title-1">
    <span>
    </span>
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   <br>
   At least five people have been killed, thousands of structures have been incinerated and nearly 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes, officials said.
   <br>
   <br>
   Among those who died was 66-year-old Victor Shaw, whose sister said he had ignored pleas to leave as the fire swept through Altadena because he wanted to protect their home.
   <br>
   <br>
   "When I went back in and yelled out his name, he didn't reply," Shari Shaw said.
   <br>
   <br>
   "I had to get out because the embers were so big and flying like a firestorm that I had to save myself."
   <br>
   <br>
   Shaw's body was found by a friend on the driveway of his razed home, a garden hose in his hand.
   <br>
   <br>
   The two biggest conflagrations - the Palisades and Eaton fires - formed a pincer around the city so enormous that it was visible from space.
   <br>
   <br>
   <img src="https://rthk-s3-nps-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/mfile_1786892_2_L_20250110085057.jpg">
    <div class="image-title-1">
     <span>
     </span>
    </div>
    <br>
    The homes of movie stars and celebrities were among those consumed by flames, which tore through some of the world's most lavish real estate.
    <br>
    <br>
    "We are heartbroken of course, but with the love of children and friends we will get through this," said film star Billy Crystal and his wife Janice, announcing that the Pacific Palisades home where they had lived since 1979 had been destroyed.
    <br>
    <br>
    Media personality Paris Hilton said she was "heartbroken beyond words" after watching her beachfront house in Malibu "burn to the ground on live TV."
    <br>
    <br>
    The fires struck at an especially vulnerable time for Southern California, which has not seen significant rainfall for months. Then came the powerful Santa Ana winds, bringing dry desert air from the east toward the coastal mountains, fanning wildfires while blowing over the hilltops and down through the canyons.
    <br>
    <br>
    Wind gusts were expected to strengthen on Thursday evening through to Friday morning, with another round of strong winds expected early next week, raising concerns that the conditions could worsen, the National Weather Service said.
    <br>
    <br>
    At least 20 arrests have been made for looting, and the city of Santa Monica declared a curfew on Wednesday night because of the lawlessness, officials said.
    <br>
    <br>
    Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said to protect properties, national guard troops would be stationed near the areas ravaged by fire and a curfew was expected to go into effect from 6 pm until 6 am, starting as soon as Thursday. (Agencies)
   
  
 
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   <pubDate>
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    US greenhouse gas emissions fell only 0.2% in 2024
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786852-20250109.htm
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   <description>
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<img alt="The report by the Rhodium Group, an independent research organization, found a net fall of just 0.2 percent in economy-wide emissions. Photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786852_1_20250109212051.jpg&q=80">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 US greenhouse gas emissions barely decreased in 2024, leaving the world's largest economy off track to achieve its climate goals, according to an analysis released Thursday, as the incoming Trump administration looks set to double down on fossil fuels.
 <br>
  <br>
  The preliminary estimate by the Rhodium Group, an independent research organization, found a net fall of just 0.2 percent in economy-wide emissions.
  <br>
  <br>
  Lower manufacturing output drove the modest decline, but it was undercut by increased air and road travel and higher electricity demand.
  <br>
  <br>
  Overall, emissions remain below pre-pandemic levels and about 20 percent below 2005 levels, the benchmark year for US commitments under the Paris Agreement.
  <br>
  <br>
  The accord aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, to avert the worst catastrophes of planet-wide heating.
  <br>
  <br>
  But with 2024 effectively static, decarbonisation must accelerate across all sectors.
  <br>
  <br>
  "To meet its Paris Agreement target of a 50-52 percent reduction in emissions by 2030, the US must sustain an ambitious 7.6 percent annual drop in emissions from 2025 to 2030," the report said - an unprecedented pace outside of a recession.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump has signaled plans to roll back President Joe Biden's green policies, including rules that require sweeping cuts from fossil fuel power plants and provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, which channels hundreds of billions of dollars into clean energy.
  <br>
  <br>
  Should these plans materialize, the US would likely achieve only a 24-40 percent emissions reduction by 2035, the report concluded.
  <br>
  <br>
  Even under Biden, the US has logged more tepid reductions compared to some other major emitters.
  <br>
  <br>
  German greenhouse gas emissions fell by three percent in 2024, following a 10 percent year-on-year drop the previous year, according to Agora Energiewende.
  <br>
  <br>
  The European Union's emissions are forecast to have dropped by 3.8 percent in 2024, according to Carbon Brief, a UK-based analysis site. (AFP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Thu, 09 Jan 2025 21:20:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    Biden cancels last foreign trip due to LA fires
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786765-20250109.htm
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   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="US President Joe Biden and California Governor Gavin Newsom speak during a briefing on the Palisades fire in California. Photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786765_1_20250109120457.jpg&q=90">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 US President Joe Biden on Wednesday cancelled the final overseas trip of his presidency just hours before he was set to depart for Rome and the Vatican, choosing to remain in Washington to monitor the response to devastating fires raging in California.
 <br>
  <br>
  Biden was scheduled to leave Thursday afternoon, after eulogising former president Jimmy Carter at a memorial service in Washington, for the three-day trip to meet with Pope Francis and Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
  <br>
  <br>
  The trip was meant as a coda to the second Catholic US president’s time in the White House and a final opportunity to showcase the strength of American alliances before he leaves office on January 20.
  <br>
  <br>
  The announcement of the trip’s cancellation comes just hours after Biden departed Los Angeles after meeting his first great-grandchild, who was born Wednesday at an area hospital.
  <br>
  <br>
  He received a briefing from local fire officials before returning to Washington, as smoke and ash from blazes raging in the area clouded the daytime sky.
  <br>
  <br>
  “After returning this evening from Los Angeles, where earlier today he had met with police, fire and emergency personnel fighting the historic fires raging in the area and approved a Major Disaster declaration for California, President Biden made the decision to cancel his upcoming trip to Italy to remain focused on directing the full federal response in the days ahead,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
  <br>
  <br>
  The large Palisades fire sparked on Tuesday morning as Biden was in Los Angeles, and the high winds that helped fuel its massive spread forced the president to scrub a planned visit to Thermal to announce two new national monuments .
  <br>
  <br>
  While flying back to Washington on Wednesday, Biden approved a federal major disaster declaration for Los Angeles County, allowing for federal funding to be made available for temporary housing and home repairs as well as low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses.
  <br>
  <br>
  It also provides additional financial assistance to state and local governments to cover the costs of fighting and cleaning up after the fires. (AP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Thu, 09 Jan 2025 12:04:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    Indian divers retrieve body of trapped miner
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786740-20250109.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="Indian navy divers exit a flooded pit in a coal mine during the rescue operation. Photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786740_1_20250109093734.jpg&q=35">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Indian army divers retrieved the body of one of at least nine miners trapped inside a flooded coal mine in India’s northeastern Assam state, officials said on Wednesday.
 <br>
  <br>
  The miners became trapped on Monday when water gushed in from a nearby unused mine in the Umrangso area in Dima Hasao district, about 200 kilometres south of the state capital, Guwahati.
  <br>
  <br>
  “Army deep divers have found and retrieved one body from the flooded mine. The divers will go into the mine again to continue their search operations,” said Kaushik Rai, a local government minister who is monitoring the rescue efforts.
  <br>
  <br>
  Nearly 100 rescuers from the police, navy, army and the National Disaster Response Force are battling adverse conditions and taking turns searching inside the 90 metre-deep mine.
  <br>
  <br>
  The navy is also sending in remotely-operated vehicles to examine the mine.
  <br>
  <br>
  “High suction pumps are being flown into the site by Indian Air Force helicopters to aid in pumping out the water from the mine,” Rai said.
  <br>
  <br>
  The water in the mine is estimated to be 30 metres deep.
  <br>
  <br>
  Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on the social media platform X that the mine appeared to be illegal and that police had arrested one person as they investigated the case.
  <br>
  <br>
  Workers at the site said over a dozen miners had been trapped inside the mine, and some managed to escape as water from the nearby unused mine began pouring in. (AP)
 
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    Thu, 09 Jan 2025 10:56:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    At least five dead in Los Angeles fires
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786730-20250109.htm
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   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="At least five dead in Los Angeles fires" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786730_2_20250109090013.jpg&q=60">
<img alt="At least five dead in Los Angeles fires" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786730_3_20250109090454.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Wind-fueled wildfires continued to grow on Wednesday as overtaxed fire crews battled at least three major out-of-control blazes that killed at least five people and ravaged some of the most picturesque neighbourhoods in the Los Angeles area.
 <br>
  <br>
  The fires blanketed the city with a thick cloud of smoke and ash and destroyed homes across the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, home of the famed Rose Parade.
  <br>
  <br>
  One of the fires was the most destructive in the modern history of the city of LA and reduced grocery stores and banks to rubble, levelling entire blocks.
  <br>
  <br>
  With thousands of firefighters already attacking the flames, the Los Angeles Fire Department put out a plea for off-duty and out-of-state firefighters to help. The winds temporarily stopped aircraft from dumping water from above until they were able to resume flights.
  <br>
  <br>
  Images of the devastation showed luxurious homes that collapsed in a whirlwind of flaming embers. Swimming pools were blackened with soot, and sports cars slumped on melted tires.
  <br>
  <br>
  <b>
   Vehicles destroyed in Altadena, California
  </b>
  <br>
  <img src="https://rthk-s3-nps-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/mfile_1786730_2_L_20250109090013.jpg">
   <div class="image-title-1">
    <span>
    </span>
   </div>
   <br>
   “This morning, we woke up to a dark cloud over all of Los Angeles. But it is darkest for those who are most intimately impacted by these fires. It has been an immensely painful 24 hours,” LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said.
   <br>
   <br>
   At least 70,000 people were ordered to evacuate - a number that kept changing because evacuation orders were continually being issued, officials said.
   <br>
   <br>
   The flames marched toward highly-populated and affluent neighbourhoods, including Calabasas and Santa Monica, home to California’s rich and famous. Hollywood stars, including Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore and James Woods, were among those forced to flee.
   <br>
   <br>
   <b>
    The Palisades fire is the largest in the county
   </b>
   <br>
   <img src="https://nps.rthk.hk/rthk/media/k2/items/src/mfile_1786730_3_20250109090454_preview.jpg">
    <div class="image-title-1">
     <span>
     </span>
    </div>
    <br>
    The fires have consumed a total of about 108 square kilometres.
    <br>
    <br>
    Flames moved so quickly that many barely had time to escape. Police sought shelter inside their patrol cars, and residents at a senior living centre were pushed in wheelchairs and hospital beds down a street to safety in the foothills northeast of LA.
    <br>
    <br>
    California’s wildfire season typically begins in June or July and runs through October, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association, but January wildfires are not unprecedented. There was one in 2022 and 10 in 2021, according to CalFire.
    <br>
    <br>
    The winds increased to 129 kph on Wednesday, according to reports received by the National Weather Service, and could top 160 kph in mountains and foothills.
    <br>
    <br>
    President Joe Biden pledged to sign a federal emergency declaration after arriving at a Santa Monica fire station for a briefing with Governor Gavin Newsom.
    <br>
    <br>
    Several Hollywood studios suspended production, and Universal Studios closed its theme park between Pasadena and Pacific Palisades. (AP)
   
  
 
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   <pubDate>
    Thu, 09 Jan 2025 09:32:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    Antarctic ice rebounds from record lows
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786707-20250109.htm
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   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="By the end of 2024, Antarctic sea ice extent had recovered to 7.3 million square kilometres. File photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786707_1_20250109033823.jpg&q=90">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Antarctic sea ice rebounded in December after a long period of record lows, US scientists said, giving pause to speculation that Earth's frozen continent could be undergoing a permanent change.
 <br>
  <br>
  The rate of sea ice loss during the warmer spring months of November and December slowed to well below average, the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) said in a statement on Tuesday.
  <br>
  <br>
  This followed a "prolonged period of record to near-record daily lows" in 2023 and 2024 – the hottest years in the history books for global temperature rises driven by climate change.
  <br>
  <br>
  By the end of 2024, Antarctic sea ice extent had recovered to 7.3 million square kilometres – very close to the 1981 to 2010 average, NSIDC said.
  <br>
  <br>
  This erased the record and near-record low extents of October and November, it added.
  <br>
  <br>
  "This provides a sharp illustration of the high variability of Antarctic sea ice extent," NSIDC said.
  <br>
  <br>
  Ocean temperature records – both at the surface and deep below – have tumbled since 2023, driven partly by an El Nino phenomenon that elevated heat around the globe.
  <br>
  <br>
  Scientists have been concerned since mid-2016 that global warming could be setting in motion more lasting changes in how much sea ice forms around the world's coldest continent.
  <br>
  <br>
  The NSIDC said this "regime-shift idea" took hold particularly after a persistent stretch of below-average sea ice and "dramatic" records or near-records in 2017, 2023 and 2024.
  <br>
  <br>
  "The recent slowdown in extent loss during December gives some pause to this idea," it said, though cautioned that a one-month rebound was not enough to contradict the theory outright.
  <br>
  <br>
  Overall, sea ice concentrations in Antarctica remain "generally low over large areas of the pack," it added.
  <br>
  <br>
  "This, combined with indications of a warm spring with high surface melting on the continent itself, will make for an interesting upcoming summer." (AFP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Thu, 09 Jan 2025 06:50:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    Europeans reject Trump's Greenland threat
   </title>
   <link>
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<img alt="Denmark's foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the Danish Realm is " src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786706_1_20250109033110.jpg&q=90">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 European leaders on Wednesday warned Donald Trump against threatening "sovereign borders" after the US President-elect refused to rule out military action to take Greenland.
 <br>
  <br>
  Germany's Olaf Scholz said Trump's comments had sparked "notable incomprehension" among EU leaders the chancellor had spoken with.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump has designs on the mineral- and oil-rich Arctic island, an autonomous territory of European Union member Denmark that itself has eyes on independence.
  <br>
  <br>
  He set off new alarm bells on Tuesday at a news conference when he refused to rule out military intervention over the Panama Canal and Greenland, both of which he has said he wants the United States to control.
  <br>
  <br>
  "We need Greenland for national security purposes," he declared.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump also labelled the US-Canada border an "artificially drawn line" and promised to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America."
  <br>
  <br>
  In Berlin, Scholz convened a press conference at short notice and stressed that the "inviolability of borders is a fundamental principle of international law."
  <br>
  <br>
  In a later tweet in English, Scholz reiterated Berlin's position that "borders must not be moved by force" and that Trump's latest outburst had cause "uneasiness" among European governments.
  <br>
  <br>
  Referring indirectly to Russia's war in Ukraine, Scholz said that the principle of sovereign borders "applies to every country, whether in the East or the West."
  <br>
  <br>
  Denmark itself struck a more emollient tone, even as Trump threatened to slap high tariffs on Copenhagen if it refused to cede Greenland.
  <br>
  <br>
  Foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the Danish Realm – which includes Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands – is "open to a dialogue with the Americans on how we can cooperate, possibly even more closely than we already do, to ensure that American ambitions are fulfilled."
  <br>
  <br>
  French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Greenland was "European territory" and there was "no question of the EU letting other nations in the world, whoever they may be... attack its sovereign borders."
  <br>
  <br>
  Greenland has been autonomous since 1979 and has its own flag, language and institutions. But justice, monetary, defence and foreign affairs all remain under Danish control. (AFP)
 
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    Thu, 09 Jan 2025 06:48:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    UK expands Electronic Travel Authorisation
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786690-20250108.htm
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   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="Eligible travellers will need one even if they are just using the UK to connect to an onward flight abroad. Photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786690_1_20250108215342.jpg&q=90">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Visitors to the UK from dozens of countries and regions - including the Hong Kong SAR, the United States, Canada and Australia - must now pay to enter Britain after a new visa-waiver entry system was extended on Wednesday.
 <br>
  <br>
  The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme -- similar to the ESTA system in the United States -- requires visitors who do not need a visa to enter Britain to acquire pre-travel authorisation.
  <br>
  <br>
  Costing £10 (US$12.50) and allowing stays of up to six months at a time over two years, it first launched in 2023, with Qatar, before being extended last year to five regional Gulf neighbours.
  <br>
  <br>
  Now, it has been expanded to include citizens of around 50 more countries and territories, from Argentina, Brazil and New Zealand to Japan, South Korea and Caribbean nations.
  <br>
  <br>
  With the system kicking in for them on Wednesday, they have been able to apply since last November.
  <br>
  <br>
  The scheme, aimed at tightening border security, will next be extended to dozens of EU and European countries and territories on April 2.
  <br>
  <br>
  Those citizens covered by the scheme will be able to apply for the new ETA -- which is digitally linked to the traveller's passport -- via an app, from March 5.
  <br>
  <br>
  Around six million people from the United States, Canada and Australia visit Britain each year, according to the UK government.
  <br>
  <br>
  Eligible travellers will need one even if they are just using the UK to connect to an onward flight abroad. ETA also applies to children and babies.
  <br>
  <br>
  Naila Hadi, a US woman in her fifties, told AFP at London's Heathrow Airport that the new system was "easy" to navigate.
  <br>
  <br>
  "We did it on our phones and they just scanned the passport, because this passport has a chip,... and within 20 minutes we got our approval," said Hadi, who had arrived from New Jersey with her daughter.
  <br>
  <br>
  Jackie Day, a 77-year-old arriving from Vancouver, said: "My only quibble is that when I selected the country I was applying from, Canada, I had to pay in US dollars."
  <br>
  <br>
  "I had to scan the passport, I had to scan my face plus take a picture of my face and fill out basic information about where I live, nothing complicated," she added.
  <br>
  <br>
  However, Northern Ireland economy minister Conor Murphy warned that ETA will have a "devastating" impact on tourism in the British province, given that its neighbour the Republic of Ireland is not involved with the scheme.
  <br>
  <br>
  Murphy fears that the cost and red tape will deter international tourists visiting the Republic from making the journey across the land border to visit Northern Ireland, and has called for a time-limited exemption for people visiting up to seven days.
  <br>
  <br>
  Heathrow has also opposed the scheme, saying its rollout has reduced the number of passengers transiting through the UK, and that it makes the country "less competitive" and harms economic growth.
  <br>
  <br>
  The new requirement does not apply to British and Irish citizens, those with passports from British overseas territories and legal UK residents.
  <br>
  <br>
  It does not change the requirements for citizens of countries who need a visa to visit Britain, such as Chinese, Ecuadorian and South African travellers.
  <br>
  <br>
  Previously, most visitors not requiring a visa could arrive at a British airport and proceed through immigration control with their passport.
  <br>
  <br>
  The new UK entry scheme mirrors the imminent ETIAS scheme for visa-exempt nationals travelling to 30 European countries, including France and Germany, which will cost seven euros ($7.40) and last three years.
  <br>
  <br>
  The European Commission expects the system -- which will apply to around 60 countries, including the United States, Canada, Brazil and the UK -- to become operational in the middle of this year. (AFP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Wed, 08 Jan 2025 21:53:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    LA wildfires grow, forcing over 30,000 to flee
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786662-20250108.htm
   </link>
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<img alt="Flames rise from a structure as the Eaton Fire burns in Pasadena. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786662_3_20250108174754.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 A rapidly growing series of wildfires raged across sections of Los Angeles on Tuesday, destroying numerous buildings, clogging roadways as more than 30,000 people evacuated their homes, while a second blaze doubled in size some 50 kilometres inland and a third began in the San Fernando Valley. Firefighters battled the wind-whipped fires throughout the day as officials prepared for the situation to worsen early Wednesday local time.
 <br>
  <br>
  <br>
  <b>
   Fires begin to spread
  </b>
  <br>
  <img src="https://rthk-s3-nps-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/mfile_1786662_1_L_20250108173747.jpg">
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    </span>
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   <br>
   At least 2,921 acres (1,182 hectares) of the Pacific Palisades area between the coastal towns of Santa Monica and Malibu had burned by the Palisades Fire, officials said, after they had already warned of extreme fire danger from powerful winds that arrived following extended dry weather.
   <br>
   <br>
   A fire official told local television station KTLA that several people were injured, some with burns to faces and hands.
   <br>
   <br>
   The official added that one female firefighter had sustained a head injury.
   <br>
   <br>
   The second blaze dubbed the Eaton Fire broke out some 50 kilometres inland near Pasadena and doubled in size to 400 acres (162 hectares) in a few hours, according to Cal Fire.
   <br>
   <br>
   Almost 100 residents from a nursing home in Pasadena were evacuated, according to CBS News.
   <br>
   <br>
   Video showed elderly residents, many in wheelchairs and on gurneys, crowded onto a smokey and windswept parking lot as fire trucks and ambulances attended.
   <br>
   <br>
   Fire officials said a third blaze named the Hurst Fire had started in Sylmar, in the San Fernando Valley northwest of Los Angeles, prompting evacuations of some nearby residents.
   <br>
   <br>
   <b>
    Pacific Palisades ablaze
   </b>
   <br>
   <img src="https://rthk-s3-nps-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/mfile_1786662_2_L_20250108173747.jpg">
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    <span>
    </span>
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   <br>
   Witnesses reported a number of homes on fire with flames nearly scorching their cars when people fled the hills of Topanga Canyon, as the fire spread from there down to the Pacific Ocean.
   <br>
   <br>
   Local media reported the fire had spread north, torching homes near Malibu.
   <br>
   <br>
   Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley had earlier told a press conference that more than 25,000 people in 10,000 homes were threatened.
   <br>
   <br>
   Firefighters in aircraft scooped water from the sea to drop it on the nearby flames.
   <br>
   <br>
   Flames engulfed homes and bulldozers cleared abandoned vehicles from roads so emergency vehicles could pass, television images showed.
   <br>
   <br>
   The fire singed some trees on the grounds of the Getty Villa, a museum loaded with priceless works of art, but the collection remained safe largely because of preventive efforts to trim brush surrounding the buildings, the museum said.
   <br>
   <br>
   With only one major road leading from the canyon to the coast, and only one coastal highway leading to safety, traffic crawled to a halt, leading people to flee on foot.
   <br>
   <br>
   Cindy Festa, a Pacific Palisades resident, said that as she evacuated out of the canyon, fires were "this close to the cars," demonstrating with her thumb and forefinger.
   <br>
   <br>
   "People left their cars on Palisades Drive. Burning up the hillside. The palm trees - everything is going," Festa said from her car.
   <br>
   <br>
   Before the fire started, the National Weather Service had issued its highest alert for extreme fire conditions for much of Los Angeles County from Tuesday through Thursday, predicting wind gusts of 80 to 130 kph.
   <br>
   <br>
   With low humidity and dry vegetation due to a lack of rain, the conditions were "about as bad as it gets in terms of fire weather," the Los Angeles office of the National Weather Service said on X.
   <br>
   <br>
   Governor Gavin Newsom, who declared a state of emergency, said the state positioned personnel, firetrucks and aircraft elsewhere in Southern California because of the fire danger to the wider region, he added.
   <br>
   <br>
   The powerful winds changed President Joe Biden's travel plans, grounding Air Force One in Los Angeles.
   <br>
   <br>
   He had planned to make a short flight inland to the Coachella Valley for a ceremony to create two new national monuments in California but the event was rescheduled for a later date at the White House.
   <br>
   <br>
   "I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire," Biden said in a statement.
   <br>
   <br>
   A federal grant had already been approved to help reimburse the state of California for its fire response, Biden said.
   <br>
   <br>
   Pacific Palisades is home to several Hollywood stars. Actor James Woods said on X he was able to evacuate but added, "I do not know at this moment if our home is still standing." (Reuters)
  
 
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   <pubDate>
    Wed, 08 Jan 2025 17:56:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    OpenAI chief Sam Altman denies sex abuse allegations
   </title>
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    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786653-20250108.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="OpenAI chief Sam Altman has denied sexual abuse allegations against his sister. File photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786653_1_20250108171225.jpg&q=90">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Open AI CEO Sam Altman on Tuesday denied allegations from his sister Annie Altman, who has filed a complaint accusing him of childhood sexual abuse.
 <br>
  <br>
  "Annie has made deeply hurtful and entirely untrue claims about our family, especially Sam," the boss of the California startup said in a letter co-signed by his mother and two brothers, and published on social platform X.
  <br>
  <br>
  "Our family loves Annie and is very concerned about her well-being. Caring for a family member who faces mental health challenges is incredibly difficult," they wrote.
  <br>
  <br>
  One of Silicon Valley's more charismatic figures, Altman shot to global fame with the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, which ignited a race to advance AI research and development.
  <br>
  <br>
  A prolific entrepreneur and already a billionaire, Altman, 39, has set himself the mission of developing a so-called "general" AI, with cognitive abilities similar to those of humans and which "benefits all of humanity".
  <br>
  <br>
  The Altman family said that they have tried to help their daughter and sister, covering her expenses and guaranteeing her "monthly financial support, which we expect to continue for the rest of her life".
  <br>
  <br>
  "Despite this, Annie continues to demand more money from us," they said, pointing out that they have decided to respond publicly following Anne's legal complaint filed on Monday, and after years of tension.
  <br>
  <br>
  "The worst allegation she has made is that she was sexually abused by Sam as a child," said the family.
  <br>
  <br>
  "Her claims have evolved drastically over time. Newly for this lawsuit, they now include allegations of incidents where Sam was over 18."
  <br>
  <br>
  "All these claims are utterly untrue."
  <br>
  <br>
  According to the complaint, Annie -- who is nine years younger than Sam Altman -- alleges the assaults took place from 1997, when she was three, until 2006.
  <br>
  <br>
  In a report for New York Magazine in 2023, a journalist who met Annie in Hawaii described her as an artist suffering from depression and the growing rift with her family, and supporting herself mainly through online sex work. (AFP)
 
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    Wed, 08 Jan 2025 17:12:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    Trump signals his interest in Greenland, Panama Canal
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    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786599-20250108.htm
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   <description>
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<img alt="US President-elect Trump has fueled speculation about his interest in Greenland. During his first term in office, Trump expressed interest in buying the resource-rich and strategic Arctic island. Photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786599_1_20250108115420.jpg&q=40">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, as he declared US control of both to be vital to American national security.
 <br>
  <br>
  Speaking to reporters less than two weeks before he takes office on January 20 and as a delegation of aides and advisers, that includes Donald Trump Jr., is in Greenland, Trump left open the use of the American military to secure both territories.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump's intention marks a rejection of decades of US policy that has prioritised self-determination over territorial expansion.
  <br>
  <br>
  “I’m not going to commit to that," Trump said, when asked if he would rule out the use of the military.
  <br>
  <br>
  "It might be that you’ll have to do something. The Panama Canal is vital to our country.”
  <br>
  <br>
  He added, “We need Greenland for national security purposes."
  <br>
  <br>
  Greenland, home to a large US military base, is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a longtime US ally and a founding member of Nato.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump cast doubts on the legitimacy of Denmark's claim to Greenland.
  <br>
  <br>
  The Panama Canal has been solely controlled by the eponymous country for more than 25 years.
  <br>
  <br>
  The US returned the Panama Canal Zone to the country in 1979 and ended its joint partnership in controlling the strategic waterway in 1999.
  <br>
  <br>
  Addressing Trump's comments in an interview with Danish broadcaster TV2, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the United States Denmark’s “most important and closest ally,” and that she did not believe that the United States would use military or economic power to secure control over Greenland.
  <br>
  <br>
  Frederiksen repeated that she welcomed the United States taking a greater interest in the Arctic region, but that it would “have to be done in a way that is respectful of the Greenlandic people,” she said.
  <br>
  <br>
  “At the same time, it must be done in a way that allows Denmark and the United States to still cooperate in, among other things, Nato,” Frederiksen said.
  <br>
  <br>
  Earlier, Trump posted a video of his private plane landing in Nuuk, the Arctic territory’s capital, in a landscape of snow-capped peaks and fjords.
  <br>
  <br>
  “Don Jr. and my Reps landing in Greenland,” Trump wrote.
  <br>
  <br>
  “The reception has been great. They, and the Free World, need safety, security, strength, and PEACE! This is a deal that must happen. MAGA. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”
  <br>
  <br>
  In a statement, Greenland’s government said Donald Trump Jr.’s visit was taking place “as a private individual” and not as an official visit, and Greenlandic representatives would not meet with him.
  <br>
  <br>
  Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha said his government hasn’t had formal contact with Trump or representatives of the incoming administration, but reiterated previous comments from the country’s president, José Raúl Mulino, who said last month that the canal will remain in Panamanian hands.
  <br>
  <br>
  “The sovereignty of our canal is not negotiable and is part of our history of struggle and an irreversible conquest,” Martínez-Acha said.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump, a Republican, has also floated having Canada join the United States as the 51st state. He said Tuesday that he would not use military force to invade the country, which is home to more than 40 million people and is a founding Nato partner.
  <br>
  <br>
  Instead, he said, he would would rely on “economic force" as he cast the US trade deficit with Canada — a natural resource-rich nation that provides the US with commodities like crude oil and petroleum — as a subsidy that would be coming to an end.
  <br>
  <br>
  Canadian leaders fired back after earlier dismissing Trump's rhetoric as a joke .
  <br>
  <br>
  “President-elect Trump’s comments show a complete lack of understanding of what makes Canada a strong country. Our economy is strong. Our people are strong. We will never back down in the face of threats,” Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said in a post on X. (AP)
 
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    Wed, 08 Jan 2025 11:54:00 +0800
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   <title>
    Protesters rally for and against impeached Yoon
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   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786579-20250108.htm
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<img alt="Supporters of impeached President Yoon attend a rally near his residence in Seoul early on Wednesday. Photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786579_1_20250108092024.jpg&q=90">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol faces a new and potentially more robust attempt to arrest him on insurrection charges after a top investigator vowed to do whatever it takes to break a security blockade and take in the impeached leader.
 <br>
  <br>
  Protesters both supporting and opposing to the embattled Yoon continued to brave freezing temperatures to stage rallies on the streets around the presidential compound on Wednesday after a court re-issued a warrant to arrest Yoon a day earlier.
  <br>
  <br>
  The Presidential Security Service (PSS) was seen this week fortifying the compound with barbed wire and barricades using buses to block access to the hillside villa where Yoon is believed to be, having defied summons to appear for questioning.
  <br>
  <br>
  Yoon is under criminal investigation for insurrection over his December 3 martial law bid that stunned South Korea and led to the first arrest warrant to be issued for a sitting president.
  <br>
  <br>
  He is also involved in a separate Constitutional Court trial over his December 14 impeachment for violating his constitutional duties with the late-night martial law declaration.
  <br>
  <br>
  Oh Dong-woon, head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials - which is leading the probe against Yoon - apologised on Tuesday for a failed arrest attempt last Friday after a tense six-hour stand-off inside the presidential compound.
  <br>
  <br>
  Oh called off the arrest attempt after being blocked from entering the presidential compound by a human chain of hundreds of PSS members and military guards.
  <br>
  <br>
  "We'll do our best to accomplish our goal by thoroughly preparing this time with great determination that the second warrant execution will be the last," Oh told a parliament committee. It was not immediately clear how long the new arrest warrant would last.(Reuters)
 
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    Wed, 08 Jan 2025 10:33:00 +0800
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   <title>
    Meta ends fact-checking programme
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786576-20250108.htm
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<img alt="Meta's move is seen as bowing to criticism from conservatives as US President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office for a second time. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786576_1_20250108090923.jpg&q=75">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Tech giant Meta's shock announcement that it is ending its US fact-checking program triggered scathing criticism on Tuesday from disinformation researchers who warned it risked opening the floodgates for false narratives.
 <br>
  <br>
  Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced the company was going to "get rid" of its third-party fact-checkers in the United States, in a sweeping policy shift.
  <br>
  <br>
  "This is a major step back for content moderation at a time when disinformation and harmful content are evolving faster than ever," said Ross Burley, co-founder of the non-profit Centre for Information Resilience.
  <br>
  <br>
  As an alternative, Zuckerberg said Meta's platforms, Facebook and Instagram, would use "Community Notes similar to X" in the United States.
  <br>
  <br>
  Community Notes is a crowd-sourced moderation tool that X has promoted as the way for users to add context to posts, but researchers have repeatedly questioned its effectiveness in combating falsehoods.
  <br>
  <br>
  Meta's announcement was cheered by conservative supporters of US President-elect Donald Trump, who said the move had "probably" been in response to his threats against the company and Zuckerberg.
  <br>
  <br>
  Meta began fact checks in December 2016, after Trump was elected to his first term, in response to criticism that “fake news” was spreading on its platforms.
  <br>
  <br>
  For years, the tech giant boasted it was working with more than 100 organisations in over 60 languages to combat misinformation. (Agencies)
 
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    Wed, 08 Jan 2025 09:14:00 +0800
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   <title>
    Jimmy Carter lies in state ahead of funeral
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<img alt="US vice president Kamala Harris delivers a eulogy at the Lying in State Ceremony for former US president Jimmy Carter in Washington DC. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786573_1_20250108085154.jpg&q=75">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Nearly 44 years after Jimmy Carter left the nation's capital in a humbling defeat, the 39th president returned to Washington for three days of state funeral rites, starting on Tuesday.
 <br>
  <br>
  Carter’s body was transferred in a grand and solemn military ceremony to the US Capitol, where it will lie in state until a national funeral on Thursday.
  <br>
  <br>
  Carter, who died on December 29 at the age of 100, served a single term from 1977-1981 and was widely praised for his post-presidential humanitarian efforts, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
  <br>
  <br>
  Having been flown to Washington aboard a presidential US Air Force jet, his flag-draped casket was carried atop a gun carriage in a funeral procession from the US Navy Memorial – an ode to his military service on submarines – to Capitol Hill, tracing the opposite route he took during his inauguration parade.
  <br>
  <br>
  Hundreds of US service members accompanied the procession down Pennsylvania Avenue, which was cleared of snow from a recent winter storm that has prompted federal office and school closures in the area.
  <br>
  <br>
  Military pallbearers then carried his casket up to the Capitol Rotunda where a short service was held, with Carter's family, members of Congress and other dignitaries including Chief Justice John Roberts and Vice President Kamala Harris in attendance.
  <br>
  <br>
  Carter is the 13th former US president to lie in state in the Capitol. Abraham Lincoln, assassinated in 1865, was the first.
  <br>
  <br>
  A state funeral service is to be held Thursday at the National Cathedral, an Episcopal church in Washington that also hosted funerals for former presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford and George HW Bush.
  <br>
  <br>
  Current President Joe Biden is to deliver the eulogy for his fellow Democrat. Biden has declared Thursday a national day of mourning, with federal government offices to be closed for the day. (Agencies)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Wed, 08 Jan 2025 08:55:00 +0800
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   <title>
    Wildfire forces evacuations in upscale Los Angeles
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   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786570-20250108.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="Flames rise as the Palisades fire burns during a windstorm in west Los Angeles. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786570_1_20250108083830.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 A wildfire raged across an upscale section of Los Angeles on Tuesday, sending large billows of smoke over much of the metropolitan area and causing traffic jams as people fled their homes under evacuation orders.
 <br>
  <br>
  At least 510 hectares of the Pacific Palisades area between Santa Monica and Malibu had burned, officials said, after they had already warned of extreme fire danger from dry, powerful winds. The size of the fire grew six-fold in a matter of hours on Tuesday.
  <br>
  <br>
  Nearly 26,000 people in more than 10,000 households and more than 13,000 structures are under threat from the blaze, said Kristin Crowley, fire chief of the LA Fire Department.
  <br>
  <br>
  California Governor Gavin Newsom said many structures had already been destroyed.
  <br>
  <br>
  He warned residents across Southern California not to assume they were out of danger, saying the worst of the winds were expected between 10 pm Tuesday and 5 am Wednesday, local time.
  <br>
  <br>
  Forecasters predicted the windstorm would last for days, producing isolated gusts that could top 160 kph in mountains and foothills, including in areas that had not seen substantial rain in months.
  <br>
  <br>
  Resident Kelsey Trainor said the only road in and out of her neighbourhood was completely blocked. Ash fell around them while fires burned on both sides of the road.
  <br>
  <br>
  “We looked across and the fire had jumped from one side of the road to the other side of the road,” Trainor said. “People were getting out of the cars with their dogs and babies and bags, they were crying and screaming."
  <br>
  <br>
  The erratic weather caused President Joe Biden to cancel plans to travel to inland Riverside County, California, where he was to announce the establishment of two new national monuments in the state. Biden will deliver his remarks in Los Angeles instead.
  <br>
  <br>
  Amazon and MGM Studios cancelled a premiere of Jennifer Lopez’s new film “Unstoppable” due to the fires and high winds. (Agencies)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Wed, 08 Jan 2025 08:50:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    France marks 10 years since Charlie Hebdo attacks
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786533-20250107.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="French President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo led commemorations by laying wreaths at the site of the weekly's former offices. Photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786533_1_20250107215041.jpg&q=80">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 France on Tuesday marked 10 years since an Islamist attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper that shocked the country, and led to fierce debate about freedom of expression and religion.
 <br>
  <br>
  President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo led commemorations by laying wreaths at the site of the weekly's former offices, which were stormed by two masked Al-Qaeda-linked gunmen with AK-47 assault rifles.
  <br>
  <br>
  Macron and Hidalgo also paid tribute to Ahmed Merabet, a Muslim police officer who was executed at point-blank range near the building in the Bastille area of the capital in one of the most shocking images recorded of the tragedy.
  <br>
  <br>
  Twelve people died in the attacks, including eight editorial staff, while a separate but linked hostage-taking at a Jewish supermarket in eastern Paris by a third gunman on January 9, 2015, claimed another four lives.
  <br>
  <br>
  The bloodshed signalled the start of a dark period for France during which extremists inspired by Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group repeatedly mounted attacks that set the country on edge and raised religious tensions.
  <br>
  <br>
  "Today is not necessarily sad," Frederica Wolinksi, the daughter of famed French cartoonist and Charlie Hebdo contributor Georges Wolinski. "It's good that 10 years later we can still remember those who died on January 7 so well."
  <br>
  <br>
  The attack on Charlie Hebdo, carried out in retaliation for the newspaper’s irreverent caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, ignited fierce global debates about the limits of free expression.
  <br>
  <br>
  In the days that followed, millions marched in solidarity, brandishing pens and signs declaring, “Je Suis Charlie” (I am Charlie).
  <br>
  <br>
  But 10 years on, the unity of that moment has given way to deeper divisions. Charlie Hebdo said its research shows that while a majority of French still believe in the fundamental right to caricature, younger generations increasingly criticise satire they see as divisive or insensitive, particularly toward marginalised communities. (AFP/AP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Tue, 07 Jan 2025 23:04:00 +0800
   </pubDate>
  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    South Korean court re-issues warrant for Yoon's arrest
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786531-20250107.htm
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   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="Supporters of impeached South Korea president Yoon Suk Yeol take part in a rally. Photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786531_1_20250107213701.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 A South Korean court has re-issued a warrant to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, the country's corruption investigation agency said on Tuesday.
 <br>
  <br>
  Investigators seeking to question him on allegations of insurrection have struggled to execute a warrant for his arrest.
  <br>
  <br>
  The head of the investigation unit, blocked by a human chain of hundreds of presidential security service and military guards outside his residence last week, said earlier on Tuesday they remained determined to bring him in.
  <br>
  <br>
  Yoon's lawyers filed an injunction request to a Seoul court to nullify the arrest warrant, but the court struck that down on Sunday, a court official said on Tuesday. (Reuters)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Tue, 07 Jan 2025 21:37:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    US-Japan ties rock solid: Blinken
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786459-20250107.htm
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<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted during a visit to Tokyo on Tuesday that ties with Japan were stronger than ever, days after President Joe Biden blocked Nippon Steel's takeover of US Steel.
 <br>
  <br>
  Business groups say the decision could have a chilling effect on Japan's standing as the biggest foreign investor in the United States.
  <br>
  <br>
  With two weeks left before president-elect Donald Trump takes over and Blinken is slated to be replaced by Marco Rubio, the top US diplomat noted that he also came to Japan on his first trip in 2021.
  <br>
  <br>
  The visits show "not just the importance, the centrality, the United States attaches to our alliance", Blinken said as he met Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.
  <br>
  <br>
  "This allyship, I believe, it's actually stronger than it's ever been," Blinken said.
  <br>
  <br>
  Pointing to the need to coordinate after North Korea's launch of a missile Monday -- while he was in South Korea -- Blinken said: "Even though we're in a political transition, the world doesn't stop."
  <br>
  <br>
  Blinken also cited the strength of economic ties but made no direct mention of Biden's decision last week to block Nippon Steel's US$14.9-billion takeover of long-struggling US Steel, citing national security concerns.
  <br>
  <br>
  In response, the two companies filed a lawsuit on Monday against the Biden administration's "illegal interference" in the transaction.
  <br>
  <br>
  "We're certain the lawsuit will reveal a set of facts that clearly violate the constitution and the law, so I believe we have a chance of winning," Nippon Steel chair Eiji Hashimoto said on Tuesday.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump, who takes office on January 20, "wants to make manufacturing strong again, and once again enrich the lives and future of manufacturing workers", Hashimoto added.
  <br>
  <br>
  "This is exactly in line with what we're doing."
  <br>
  <br>
  Nippon Steel had touted the takeover as a lifeline for a US company long past its heyday but opponents warned the Japanese owners would slash jobs.
  <br>
  <br>
  Biden had criticised the deal for months, while holding off on a move that could hurt ties with Tokyo.
  <br>
  <br>
  Japan and the United States are each other's top foreign investors, with Japanese firms investing almost US$800 billion in the United States in 2023. (AFP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Tue, 07 Jan 2025 15:23:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    Indonesia celebrates its entry into Brics bloc
   </title>
   <link>
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   </link>
   <description>
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<img alt="Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (left) with Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto. Brazil was instrumental in helping Indonesia join Brics. File photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786446_1_20250107132319.jpg&q=90">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Indonesia welcomed on Tuesday Brazil's announcement that it had become a full member of the Brics group of nations, a bloc of developing economies increasingly seen as a counterweight to the West.
 <br>
  <br>
  The Brazilian foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday that Southeast Asia's most populous country "shares with the other members the will to reform the institutions of global governance and contribute positively to cooperation within the Global South".
  <br>
  <br>
  Brazil, which holds the rotating presidency of the grouping in 2025, said Indonesia's bid to join the bloc had been approved during a summit in 2023 in Johannesburg.
  <br>
  <br>
  Indonesia in turn said it "welcomes" the announcement of its inclusion.
  <br>
  <br>
  "This achievement shows Indonesia's increasingly active role in global issues and commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation to create a global structure that is more inclusive and fair," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday.
  <br>
  <br>
  Brics was created in 2009 by founding members Brazil, Russia, India and China.
  <br>
  <br>
  South Africa joined the following year.
  <br>
  <br>
  The bloc was expanded again last year with Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates becoming full members.
  <br>
  <br>
  Indonesia sees its Brics membership as "a strategic step to improve the collaborations and cooperation with other developing nations, based on the principle of equality, mutual respect, and sustainable development", the Jakarta statement said.
  <br>
  <br>
  It also expressed Indonesia's "gratitude to Russia", the 2024 Brics chair, "for its support and leadership in facilitating Indonesia's joining", as well as to Brazil.
  <br>
  <br>
  During its presidency, Brazil aims to boost cooperation between countries of the "Global South" and reform multilateral institutions.
  <br>
  <br>
  One of the objectives, according to the government of left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is the "development of means of payment" to facilitate trade between member countries.
  <br>
  <br>
  During the last Brics summit in Kazan, Russia, in November 2024, member nations discussed boosting non-dollar transactions and strengthening local currencies. (Reuters)
 
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    Tue, 07 Jan 2025 13:23:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    Singapore, Malaysia agree deal on joint SEZ
   </title>
   <link>
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<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Malaysia and Singapore announced on Tuesday an agreement on a special economic zone (SEZ) in the southern Malaysian state of Johor, aiming to support investment and free up movement of goods and people between the countries.
 <br>
  <br>
  The Southeast Asian neighbours first agreed in principle to jointly develop the SEZ a year ago.
  <br>
  <br>
  Tuesday's agreement was announced during a visit to Malaysia by Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and senior cabinet ministers.
  <br>
  <br>
  "It's an important project ... we can both be more competitive, enhance our value proposition, and jointly attract more investments to our shores," Wong told a joint press conference with Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim.
  <br>
  <br>
  "When negotiating the agreement, both sides have actively engaged stakeholders to ensure that the SEZ has the conditions to help our businesses grow together for the longer term."
  <br>
  <br>
  Anwar said the SEZ was unique initiative as it was rare for two countries to team up on a single project.
  <br>
  <br>
  The two countries are aiming to attract high-value investments into Johor in sectors ranging from manufacturing and logistics to tourism and energy transition, Malaysia's Economic Minister Rafizi Ramli told reporters.
  <br>
  <br>
  They are targeting 50 projects at the economic zone within the first five years of its inception, and the creation of 20,000 skilled jobs.
  <br>
  <br>
  Malaysia will set up and manage an infrastructure fund to support companies looking to set up there, while Singapore will create its own fund to facilitate investments and support Singaporean companies operating in Johor, Rafizi said.
  <br>
  <br>
  Thousands of Malaysians commute every day to Singapore for work and study, causing frequent traffic congestion on the causeway between the countries, one of the world's busiest border crossings.
  <br>
  <br>
  The two leaders also invited proposals for high-speed rail between the two countries, which Anwar said should be led by the private sector, with limited government involvement. (Reuters)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Tue, 07 Jan 2025 12:18:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    US records its first human death from bird flu
   </title>
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   <description>
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<img alt="The amount of bird flu circulating among animals and humans has alarmed scientists over concerns it could mutate into a more transmissible form. File photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786433_1_20250107112537.jpg&q=80">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Louisiana health authorities on Monday reported the first human death in the United States linked to bird flu, while noting the patient had underlying medical conditions and that general risks to the public remained "low".
 <br>
  <br>
  The patient, aged over 65, had been hospitalised in the southern state since at least mid-December, when the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it as the country's first serious case of human infection from the H5N1 virus.
  <br>
  <br>
  "While the current public health risk for the general public remains low, people who work with birds, poultry or cows, or have recreational exposure to them, are at higher risk," the Louisiana Department of Health said in a statement announcing the death.
  <br>
  <br>
  It said the patient had "contracted H5N1 after exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds," but had detected no further H5N1 infections nor evidence of person-to-person transmission in the state.
  <br>
  <br>
  The news comes just days after the federal government awarded an additional US$306 million to bolster H5N1 surveillance programs and research, amid some criticism for President Joe Biden's administration over its response to the simmering issue.
  <br>
  <br>
  The amount of bird flu circulating among animals and humans has alarmed scientists over concerns it could mutate into a more transmissible form – potentially triggering a deadly pandemic.
  <br>
  <br>
  Since the beginning the 2024, the CDC has recorded 66 cases of bird flu in humans in the United States.
  <br>
  <br>
  "We have a lot of data that shows that this virus can be lethal, more lethal than many viruses we worry about," Jennifer Nuzzo, a professor of epidemiology at Brown University said.
  <br>
  <br>
  "For that reason, people have been quite alarmed about these outbreaks that have been occurring on farms and other places in the US and have really been shouting for the US government to do more," she added.
 
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   <pubDate>
    Tue, 07 Jan 2025 11:25:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    S Korean investigators seek new warrant to arrest Yoon
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786424-20250107.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="Yoon Suk Yeol is being investigated on charges of insurrection and, if formally arrested and convicted, faces prison or, at worst, the death penalty. File photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786424_1_20250107104105.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 South Korean anti-graft investigators were waiting on Tuesday for a new court-ordered arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose failed martial law bid threw the country into turmoil.
 <br>
  <br>
  The former star prosecutor has refused questioning three times over a bungled martial law decree last month and is holed up in his residence surrounded by hundreds of guards preventing his arrest.
  <br>
  <br>
  It is likely a new warrant will be granted by the same court that issued the first order, which expired after seven days, but investigators refused to disclose the duration of the new warrant they were seeking.
  <br>
  <br>
  "The Joint Investigation Headquarters today refiled a warrant with the Seoul Western District Court to extend the arrest warrant for defendant Yoon," the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) said in a statement late on Monday.
  <br>
  <br>
  "Details regarding the validity period cannot be disclosed."
  <br>
  <br>
  There was no comment by investigators or the Seoul court on the new warrant being approved by Tuesday morning.
  <br>
  <br>
  However, CIO deputy director Lee Jae-seung told reporters on Tuesday before it was refiled that the likelihood the court would not grant an extension was "very low".
  <br>
  <br>
  Yoon is being investigated on charges of insurrection and, if formally arrested and convicted, faces prison or, at worst, the death penalty. His failed martial law decree plunged South Korea into its worst political crisis in decades.
  <br>
  <br>
  He would also become the first sitting president in South Korean history to be arrested.
  <br>
  <br>
  His lawyers repeatedly said the initial warrant was "unlawful" and "illegal", pledging to take further legal action against it. (AFP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Tue, 07 Jan 2025 10:41:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    Polar vortex keeps much of the US in icy grip
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786417-20250107.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="Winter arrives to Washington DC, on the day of a joint session of Congress to certify Donald Trump's election. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786417_1_20250107094255.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 A huge swathe of the US was blasted with ice, snow and wind on Monday as the polar vortex that dipped south over the weekend kept much of the country east of the Rockies in its frigid grip, making many roads treacherous, forcing school closures, and causing widespread power outages and flight cancellations.
 <br>
  <br>
  The immense storm system brought disruption to areas of the country that usually escape winter's wrath, downing trees in some Southern states, threatening a freeze in Florida and causing people in Dallas to dip deep into their wardrobes for hats and gloves.
  <br>
  <br>
  Washington DC received heavy snow as President-elect Donald Trump’s victory was certified. Taking advantage of the rare snowstorm in the nation’s capital, revellers engaged in a snowball fight in front of the Washington Monument as flags flew at half-staff in memory of former President Jimmy Carter.
  <br>
  <br>
  Ice and snow blanketed major roads in Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where the National Guard was activated to help stranded motorists.
  <br>
  <br>
  The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for Kansas and Missouri, where blizzard conditions brought wind gusts of up to 72 kph. The warnings extended to New Jersey into early Tuesday.
  <br>
  <br>
  The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually spins around the North Pole, but it sometimes plunges southward into the US, Europe and Asia. Studies show that a fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency of the polar vortex extending its grip.
  <br>
  <br>
  School closings were widespread, with districts in Indiana, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri and Kansas cancelling or delaying the start of classes on Monday. Classes were also cancelled in Maryland, where Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency on Sunday and announced that state government offices would also be closed the next day.
  <br>
  <br>
  More than 2,500 flights were cancelled and at least 6,500 more were delayed nationwide as of Monday morning, according to tracking platform FlightAware. (AP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Tue, 07 Jan 2025 09:46:00 +0800
   </pubDate>
  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    US Congress certifies Trump election victory
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786387-20250107.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786387_1_20250107041627.jpg&q=70">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 The US Congress formally certified Republican President-elect Donald Trump's election victory on Monday during a session presided over by Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost the November contest.
 <br>
  <br>
  The quadrennial ritual, clearing the way for Trump's inauguration in two weeks, went smoothly - in sharp contrast to four years ago when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in a failed bid to block the certification of then-President Trump's 2020 loss to Democratic President Joe Biden.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump continues to falsely claim that his 2020 defeat was the result of widespread fraud, and had warned throughout his 2024 campaign that he harboured similar concerns until his November 5 defeat of Harris.
  <br>
  <br>
  Harris oversaw the roll call of the states in the vice president's ceremonial role as president of the Senate.
  <br>
  <br>
  "Congress certifies our great election victory today - a big moment in history. MAGA!" Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social earlier on Monday.
  <br>
  <br>
  The joint session of Congress proceeded despite a winter storm that dropped about 15 centimetres of snow.
  <br>
  <br>
  The final certification backed up preliminary findings that Trump won 312 Electoral College votes to Harris's 226.
  <br>
  <br>
  Republicans also captured a majority in the US Senate and held a narrow edge in the House in November's election, which will give Trump the party support he needs to implement his planned agenda of tax cuts and a crackdown on immigrants living in the country illegally.
  <br>
  <br>
  Democrats did not try to block certification of Trump's victory on Monday.
  <br>
  <br>
  Security inside and outside the Capitol was heightened in preparation for the certification and was expected to remain in place through Trump's swearing-in on January 20. (Reuters)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Tue, 07 Jan 2025 05:54:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    Canada PM Trudeau announces resignation
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786380-20250107.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786380_1_20250107012425.jpg&q=30">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that he will step down as leader of the ruling Liberals after nine years in office but will stay on in his post until the party chooses a replacement.
 <br>
  <br>
  Trudeau, under heavy pressure from Liberal legislators to quit amid polls showing the party will be crushed at the next election, said at a news conference that parliament would be suspended until March 24.
  <br>
  <br>
  That means Trudeau will still be prime minister on January 20 when US President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs that would cripple Canada's economy.
  <br>
  <br>
  "I intend to resign as party leader as prime minister after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide competitive process," Trudeau said. "This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election."
  <br>
  <br>
  Trudeau, 53, took office in November 2015 and won re-election twice, becoming one of Canada's longest-serving prime ministers.
  <br>
  <br>
  But his popularity started dipping two years ago amid public anger over high prices and a housing shortage, and his fortunes never recovered.
  <br>
  <br>
  Parliament was due to resume on January 27 and opposition parties had vowed to bring down the government as soon as they could, most likely at the end of March. But if parliament does not return until March 24, the earliest they could present a non-confidence motion would be some time in May.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trudeau had until recently been able to fend off Liberal legislators worried about the poor showing in polls and the loss of safe seats in two special elections last year.
  <br>
  <br>
  But calls for him to step aside have soared since last month, when he tried to demote Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, one of his closest cabinet allies, after she pushed back against his proposals for more spending.
  <br>
  <br>
  Freeland quit instead and penned a letter accusing Trudeau of "political gimmicks" rather than focusing on what was best for the country. (Reuters)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Tue, 07 Jan 2025 01:24:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    UK PM Starmer defends record as public prosecutor
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786370-20250106.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer answers a question from the media during a visit to the Elective Orthopaedic Centre at Epsom Hospital. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786370_1_20250106223004.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended his work as Britain's top prosecutor on Monday, refusing to mention US billionaire Elon Musk by name but addressing his criticism that, long before he became leader, he had failed to prosecute gangs who sexually abused girls.
 <br>
  <br>
  Musk, a close ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, has spent days posting messages on his social media site X accusing Starmer of what he said was a failure to prosecute gangs of men, mostly of a South Asian background, who raped young girls when he was director of public prosecutions (DPP) between 2008 and 2013.
  <br>
  <br>
  Starmer declined to address some of Musk's other messages on X - including a poll asking whether the United States should liberate the UK from its "tyrannical government" - but strongly defended his record as DPP, saying he had overcome resistance to tackling the allegations by reopening cases.
  <br>
  <br>
  "When I was chief prosecutor for five years, I tackled that head-on ... and that's why I reopened cases that had been closed and supposedly finished. I brought the first major prosecution of an Asian grooming gang ... I changed the whole prosecution approach," he told a press conference, visibly angry.
  <br>
  <br>
  "Those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible are not interested in victims, they are interested in themselves."
  <br>
  <br>
  Starmer has refrained from commenting on Musk's increasingly critical comments of his tenure, but his impatience was clear when he tackled the allegations over cases involving gangs who systematically groomed and raped girls over a period of years, some of which coincided with his time as DPP.
  <br>
  <br>
  A 2014 inquiry found at least 1,400 children were subjected to sexual exploitation in Rotherham, northern England, between 1997 and 2013. (Reuters)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Mon, 06 Jan 2025 22:29:00 +0800
   </pubDate>
  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    Nippon, US Steel file lawsuit after Biden blocks sale
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786361-20250106.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="US and Nippon Steel are mounting a legal challenge against President Joe Biden's decision to block the deal. File photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786361_1_20250106211435.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Nippon Steel and US Steel filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Biden administration's decision to block a proposed nearly US$15 billion deal for Nippon to acquire Pittsburgh-based American steel maker.
 <br>
  <br>
  The suit, filed on Monday in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, alleges that it was a political decision and violated the companies' due process.
  <br>
  <br>
  “From the outset of the process, both Nippon Steel and US Steel have engaged in good faith with all parties to underscore how the transaction will enhance, not threaten, United States national security, including by revitalising communities that rely on American steel, bolstering the American steel supply chain, and strengthening America’s domestic steel industry," the companies said in a prepared statement Monday.
  <br>
  <br>
  “Nippon Steel is the only partner both willing and able to make the necessary investments.”
  <br>
  <br>
  Nippon Steel had promised to invest US$2.7 billion in US Steel’s ageing blast furnace operations in Gary, Indiana, and Pennsylvania’s Mon Valley.
  <br>
  <br>
  It also vowed not to reduce production capacity in the United States over the next decade without first getting US government approval.
  <br>
  <br>
  Biden on Friday decided to stop the Nippon takeover — after federal regulators deadlocked on whether to approve it — because “a strong domestically owned and operated steel industry represents an essential national security priority. ... Without domestic steel production and domestic steel workers, our nation is less strong and less secure," he said in a statement.
  <br>
  <br>
  While administration officials have said the decision was unrelated to Japan's relationship with the US — this is the first time a US president has blocked a merger between a US and Japanese firm. (AP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Mon, 06 Jan 2025 21:14:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    Jailed ex-Malaysian PM Najib closer to house arrest
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786331-20250106.htm
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   <description>
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<img alt="Malaysia's appeals court on Monday granted a bid by jailed ex-premier Najib Razak to see a document he said should allow him to serve his sentence at home. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786331_1_20250106172957.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Malaysia's imprisoned former Prime Minister Najib Razak on Monday won an appeal to pursue his bid to serve his remaining corruption sentence under house arrest.
 <br>
  <br>
  In an application in April last year, Najib said he had clear information that then-King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah issued an addendum order allowing him to finish his sentence under house arrest.
  <br>
  <br>
  Najib claimed the addendum was issued during a pardons board meeting on January 29 last year chaired by Sultan Abdullah that also cut his 12-year jail sentence by half and sharply reduced a fine. But the High Court tossed out his bid three months later.
  <br>
  <br>
  The Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 ruling on Monday, ordered the High Court to hear the merits of the case.
  <br>
  <br>
  The decision came after Najib's lawyer produced a letter from a Pahang state palace official confirming that then-Sultan Abdullah had issued the addendum order.
  <br>
  <br>
  “We are happy that finally Najib has got a win,” his lawyer Mohamad Shafee Abdullah said. “He is very happy and very relieved that finally they recognised some element of injustice that has been placed against him.”
  <br>
  <br>
  The lawyer said Najib gave a thumbs-up in court when the ruling was read.
  <br>
  <br>
  He said it was “criminal” for the government to conceal the addendum order. Shafee noted that a new High Court judge will now hear the case.
  <br>
  <br>
  In his application, Najib accused the pardons board, home minister, attorney-general and four others of concealing the sultan’s order “in bad faith.”
  <br>
  <br>
  Sultan Abdullah hails from Najib’s hometown in Pahang. He ended his five-year reign on January 30 last year under Malaysia’s unique rotating monarchy system. A new king took office a day later.
  <br>
  <br>
  Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has said he had no knowledge of such an order since he wasn't a member of the pardons board. The others named in Najib’s application have not made any public comments.
  <br>
  <br>
  Najib, 71, served less than two years of his sentence before it was commuted by the pardons board. His sentence is now due to end on August 23, 2028.
  <br>
  <br>
  He was charged and found guilty in a corruption case linked to the multibillion-dollar looting of state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad.
  <br>
  <br>
  The pardons board didn’t give any reason for its decision and wasn’t required to explain. But the move has prompted a public outcry over the appearance that Najib was being given special privileges compared to other prisoners.
  <br>
  <br>
  Najib set up the 1MDB development fund shortly after he took office in 2009.
  <br>
  <br>
  Investigators allege at least US$4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by Najib’s associates through layers of bank accounts in the United States and other countries, financed Hollywood films and extravagant purchases that included hotels, a luxury yacht, art and jewellery.
  <br>
  <br>
  More than US$700 million landed in Najib’s bank accounts.
  <br>
  <br>
  Najib is still fighting graft charges in the main trial linking him directly to the scandal. (AP)
 
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    Mon, 06 Jan 2025 17:29:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    Canadian PM Trudeau resignation imminent: media
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786322-20250106.htm
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   <description>
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<img alt="Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could resign within the coming 24 hours, according to Canadian media reports. File photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786322_1_20250106165200.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may resign as soon as Monday, according to media reports, as he faces mounting dissent within his Liberal Party.
 <br>
  <br>
  National newspapers The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star reported that sources inside Trudeau's Liberal Party expect him to step down ahead of its national caucus on Wednesday.
  <br>
  <br>
  The announcement may be made in the coming 24 hours, sources told both papers in stories they ran on Sunday.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trudeau's departure would leave his party without a leader just a few months before the next legislative elections, scheduled to be held by the end of October.
  <br>
  <br>
  It remained unclear whether Trudeau, 53, would remain as his party's interim leader or would vacate the position immediately if he tendered his resignation as prime minister.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trudeau's popularity has waned in recent months, with his government narrowly surviving a series of no-confidence votes and critics calling for his resignation.
  <br>
  <br>
  He has vowed to stay on to guide the Liberals to elections but has faced further pressure from incoming US president Donald Trump, who has threatened a 25-percent tariff on Canadian goods.
  <br>
  <br>
  Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland quit in December after disagreeing with Trudeau over how to respond to Trump's apparent plan, in the first open dissent against the prime minister within his cabinet.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trudeau announced a major shakeup to his cabinet later that month, changing a third of his team in a bid to settle the political turmoil.
  <br>
  <br>
  He travelled to Florida in November to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in a bid to head off a trade war.
  <br>
  <br>
  But the US president-elect has since also landed humiliating blows against Trudeau on social media, repeatedly calling him "governor" of Canada and declaring that the United States' northern neighbour becoming the 51st US state is a "great idea."
  <br>
  <br>
  Trudeau swept to power in 2015 and led the Liberals to two more ballot box victories in 2019 and 2021.
  <br>
  <br>
  But he now trails his main rival, Conservative Pierre Poilievre, by 20 points in public opinion polls.
  <br>
  <br>
  The eldest son of the charismatic former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, who died in 2000, Justin Trudeau came late to politics after working as a snowboard instructor, bartender, bouncer and teacher.
  <br>
  <br>
  He was first elected to the House of Commons in 2008 to represent a working-class Montreal neighbourhood.
  <br>
  <br>
  He brought in Senate reforms, signed a new trade deal with the United States and introduced a carbon tax to reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions during his first two terms as prime minister.
  <br>
  <br>
  The married father of three also legalised cannabis, held a public inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and passed legislation permitting medically assisted suicide. (AFP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Mon, 06 Jan 2025 16:51:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    NKorean missile launch marks Blinken's Seoul visit
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786313-20250106.htm
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    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786313_1_20250106154055.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a North Korean missile test carried out during his visit to Seoul on Monday was a reminder of the need to deepen Washington's cooperation with South Korea and Japan to deter an emboldened Pyongyang.
 <br>
  <br>
  North Korea fired what appeared to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile at around noon, which flew more than 1,100 kilometres east before falling into the sea, according to South Korea's military.
  <br>
  <br>
  Speaking a few hours later, Blinken told a news conference the launch underscored the importance of collaboration between the US, South Korea and Japan, including on sharing real-time missile data and holding trilateral military exercises.
  <br>
  <br>
  "Today's launch is just a reminder to all of us of how important our collaborative work is," he said.
  <br>
  <br>
  Blinken also warned of Pyongyang's deepening ties with Moscow. He said Washington believed Russia intended to share space and satellite technology with North Korea in exchange for its support in the conflict with Ukraine, in which more than 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded.
  <br>
  <br>
  US President Joe Biden, who leaves office this month, made headway in deepening trilateral cooperation between the US and South Korea and Japan, despite historic issues that have often plagued relations between the Asian neighbours.
  <br>
  <br>
  But political turmoil in South Korea, together with the imminent return of the unpredictable rule of Donald Trump in the United States, has raised questions over whether those efforts can be sustained.
  <br>
  <br>
  South Korean lawmakers last month voted to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol and suspend him from duties after his December 3 declaration of martial law stunned the country.
  <br>
  <br>
  Yoon's impeachment trial is being heard by the Constitutional Court.
  <br>
  <br>
  If Yoon is permanently removed from office, a presidential election would be called and the liberals -- seen as likely to win that contest -- have been critical of Yoon's efforts to partner with Tokyo.
  <br>
  <br>
  Blinken, who also met on Monday with acting President Choi Sang-mok, told the news conference that while Washington had "serious concerns" about Yoon's actions, it had confidence in the country's institutions and democratic resilience.
  <br>
  <br>
  Monday's launch was Pyongyang's first since November 5 when it fired at least seven short-range ballistic missiles. (Reuters)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Mon, 06 Jan 2025 15:40:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    Golden Globe wins for 'The Brutalist', 'Emilia Perez'
   </title>
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<img alt="Demi Moore poses with the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, for The Substance, at the Globe Awards. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786308_2_20250106190216.jpg&q=85">
<img alt='Surreal narco-musical "Emilia Perez" and epic immigrant drama "The Brutalist" were the big winners at the Golden Globes. Photo: AFP' src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786308_1_20250106151208.jpg&q=75">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 "The Brutalist," the story of a Holocaust survivor who chases the American dream, and musical thriller "Emilia Perez", took home the first major movie honours of Hollywood's awards season at the Golden Globes on Sunday.
 <br>
  <br>
  Voters for the Globes, handed out by entertainment journalists around the world, named "The Brutalist" best movie drama and star Adrien Brody the best drama film actor. The film also landed the best director prize for Brady Corbet.
  <br>
  <br>
  Brody, who plays an architect trying to build a life in the United States, called the movie from independent studio A24 "a monument to humanity and the arts."
  <br>
  <br>
  "To the many people who have struggled emigrating to this country, I hope this work stands to lift you up a bit and give you a voice," Brody said on stage at the black-tie event in Beverly Hills.
  <br>
  <br>
  "Emilia Perez," about a Mexican drug lord who transitions to a woman, claimed best movie musical or comedy. The Spanish-language Netflix movie led all films with four awards in total, including a supporting actress honor for Zoe Saldana.
  <br>
  <br>
  "The light always wins over the darkness," said Karla Sofía Gascón, the trans actor who plays the lead role in "Emilia Perez." "You can never take away our soul, or existence or identity."
  <br>
  <br>
  The Globes kick off a marathon awards season in Hollywood that culminates with the Academy Awards in March. Winning a Globe can shine a spotlight on movies angling for the coveted best picture prize at the Oscars.
  <br>
  <br>
  "Wicked," the box office smash based on the popular Broadway musical, claimed the Globe for cinematic and box office achievement. Director Jon M. Chu spoke of his love for movies as he was surrounded by the cast on stage.
  <br>
  <br>
  "When pessimism and cynicism sort of rule the planet right now, we can still make art, and still make art that is an act of optimism, that is empowerment and that is joy," Chu said.
  <br>
  <br>
  In a surprise, Demi Moore won best actress in a musical or comedy film for her leading role in "The Substance," the story of a fading actress seeking a fountain of youth.
  <br>
  <br>
  Known for movies such as "St. Elmo's Fire" and "Ghost," Moore told the crowd that she had once been dismissed as a "popcorn actress" and feared her career was over.
  <br>
  <br>
  "I'm just in shock right now," Moore said as she held her trophy on stage. "I've been doing this a long time, over 45 years. This is the first time I've ever won anything as an actor."
  <br>
  <br>
  Among other awards, Brazil's Fernanda Torres took the trophy for best actress in a movie drama for Portuguese language film "I'm Still Here." The movie tells the story of a woman who must reinvent herself after her family is shattered by violence during the military dictatorship in Brazil in 1971.
  <br>
  <br>
  Sebastian Stan was named best actor in a film musical or comedy for "A Different Man," a movie about a man with facial disfigurement.
  <br>
  <br>
  "Our ignorance and discomfort around disability and disfigurement has to end now," Stan said. "We have to normalize it and continue to expose ourselves to it and our children." (Reuters)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Mon, 06 Jan 2025 15:12:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    Police asked to take over efforts to detain Yoon
   </title>
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    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786257-20250106.htm
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<img alt="Police officers gather near the official residence of the impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786257_1_20250106083624.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 South Korea’s anti-corruption agency has asked police to take over efforts to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after its investigators failed to bring him to custody following an hours-long standoff with the presidential security service last week.
 <br>
  <br>
  The agency and police confirmed the discussion on Monday, hours before the one-week warrant for Yoon’s detention was to expire. Broadcaster YTN says the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials will seek a new court warrant to extend the window for Yoon’s detention.
  <br>
  <br>
  The Seoul Western District Court had issued a warrant to detain Yoon on December 31, after he dodged several requests by investigators to appear for questioning.
  <br>
  <br>
  The anti-corruption agency, which leads a joint investigation with police and military investigators, is weighing charges of rebellion after the conservative president, apparently frustrated that his policies were blocked by a legislature dominated by the liberal opposition, declared martial law on December 3 and dispatched troops to surround the National Assembly.
  <br>
  <br>
  A handful of Yoon's die-hard supporters had camped outside his compound in the bitter cold, some holding all-night prayer sessions.
  <br>
  <br>
  They chanted "Illegal warrant is invalid" as police and media gathered outside the residence.
  <br>
  <br>
  Yoon also faces a separate Constitutional Court hearing that will confirm or reject his impeachment by parliament. (Agencies)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Mon, 06 Jan 2025 08:56:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    Heavy snow brings chaos across Europe
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    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786239-20250106.htm
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<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Heavy snow and freezing rain brought widespread disruption across Europe on Sunday, particularly in the UK and Germany, with several major airports forced to suspend flights.
 <br>
  <br>
  The National Grid, which oversees the UK's electricity network, said it had been working to restore power after outages across the country. Power cuts were reported in the English cities of Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, and Wales.
  <br>
  <br>
  Liverpool's John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport had to close runways overnight, but were returning to normal on Sunday. Leeds Bradford Airport took longer to get flights back in the air.
  <br>
  <br>
  The road network was heavily impacted too on what would have been a very busy day with many families returning home from the Christmas and New Year's break, and students heading back to universities.
  <br>
  <br>
  Many roads had been pre-emptively closed by local authorities, but stranded vehicles and collisions caused disruption elsewhere.
  <br>
  <br>
  A number of UK train services were cancelled, with National Rail warning of disruption continuing into the working week.
  <br>
  <br>
  Britain's main weather forecaster, the Met Office, says sleet and snow will continue to push north on Sunday and will be heaviest in northern England and into southern Scotland.
  <br>
  <br>
  Snow and ice were also causing havoc in Germany, where a bout of wintry weather is spreading from the southwest. Authorities have issued black ice warnings for drivers and pedestrians, advising people to stay home where possible. (AP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Mon, 06 Jan 2025 08:54:00 +0800
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   <title>
    US hit by massive winter storm
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786245-20250106.htm
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<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 A blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures stirred up dangerous travel conditions in parts of the central US on Sunday, as a disruptive winter storm brought the possibility of the “heaviest snowfall in a decade” to some areas.
 <br>
  <br>
  Snow and ice blanketed major roadways in nearly all of Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where the state's National Guard was activated to help any motorists who were stuck.
  <br>
  <br>
  At least 20 centimetres of snow were expected, particularly north of Interstate 70, as the National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for Kansas and Missouri, where blizzard conditions were reported.
  <br>
  <br>
  The warning extended to New Jersey for Monday and into early Tuesday.
  <br>
  <br>
  “For locations in this region that receive the highest snow totals, it may be the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade,” the weather service said early Sunday.
  <br>
  <br>
  About 63 million people in the US were under some kind of winter weather advisory, watch or warning on Sunday, according to Bob Oravec with the National Weather Service.
  <br>
  <br>
  The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually spins around the North Pole.  People in the US, Europe and Asia experience its intense cold when the vortex escapes and stretches south.
  <br>
  <br>
  Studies show a fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency of the polar vortex extending its icy grip.
  <br>
  <br>
  Roughly 25 centimetres of snow had fallen in parts of the state, with snow and sleet totals predicted to top 35 centimetres for parts of Kansas and northern Missouri.
  <br>
  <br>
  Parts of upstate New York saw 0.9 metres or more of snow from a lake effect event expected to last until late Sunday afternoon.
  <br>
  <br>
  The storm was then forecast to move into the Ohio Valley and reach the Mid-Atlantic states on Sunday and Monday, with a hard freeze expected as far south as Florida. (AP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Mon, 06 Jan 2025 08:33:00 +0800
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   <title>
    19 receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
   </title>
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    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786182-20250105.htm
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<img alt="US President Joe Biden stands beside singer Bono during a ceremony at the White House. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786182_1_20250105103400.jpg&q=80">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 President Joe Biden bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 of the most famous names in politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy and science on Saturday.
 <br>
  <br>
  Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton received a standing ovation as she received her medal. Clinton was accompanied to the event by her husband former president Bill Clinton, daughter Chelsea Clinton and grandchildren. Democratic philanthropist George Soros and actor-director Denzel Washington were also awarded the nation’s highest civilian honour in a White House ceremony.
  <br>
  <br>
  “For the final time as president I have the honour bestowing the Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honour, on a group of extraordinary, truly extraordinary people, who gave their sacred effort, their sacred effort, to shape the culture and the cause of America,” Biden said.
  <br>
  <br>
  “Let me just say to each of you, thank you, thank you, thank you for all you’ve done to help this country," he said.
  <br>
  <br>
  Four medals were awarded posthumously. They went to George Romney, who served as both a Michigan governor and secretary of housing and urban development; former Attorney General and Sen. Robert F Kennedy; Ash Carter, a former secretary of defence; and Fannie Lou Hamer, who founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and laid the groundwork for the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
  <br>
  <br>
  Kennedy is father to Robert F Kennedy Jr, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for health and human services secretary. Biden said, “Bobby is one of my true political heroes. I love and I miss him dearly.”
  <br>
  <br>
  Romney is the father of former Utah Republican senator Mitt Romney, one of Trump's strongest conservative critics.
  <br>
  <br>
  Biden has days left in the Presidential office and has spent the last few days issuing awards and medals to military veterans, law enforcement officials and exceptional Americans.
  <br>
  <br>
  The White House said the Medal of Freedom recipients have made “exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavours.”
  <br>
  <br>
  Major philanthropists receiving the award include Spanish American chef José Andrés, whose World Central Kitchen charity has become one of the world's most recognised food relief organisations, and Bono, the front man for rock band U2 and a social justice activist.
  <br>
  <br>
  Soros' son Alex Soros accepted the medal on his father's behalf. In an emailed statement, Soros said: “As an immigrant who found freedom and prosperity in America, I am deeply moved by this honour."
  <br>
  <br>
  Sports and entertainment stars recognised include professional soccer player Lionel Messi, who did not attend the event; retired Los Angeles Lakers basketball legend and businessman Earvin “Magic” Johnson; actor Michael J Fox, who is an outspoken advocate for Parkinson’s disease research and development; and William Sanford Nye, known to generations of students as “Bill Nye the Science Guy."
  <br>
  <br>
  Other awardees include conservationist Jane Goodall; longtime Vogue Magazine editor-in-chief Anna Wintour; American fashion designer Ralph Lauren; American Film Institute founder George Stevens Jr.; entrepreneur and LGBTQ+ activist Tim Gill; and David Rubenstein, co-founder of The Carlyle Group global investment firm.
  <br>
  <br>
  Last year, Biden bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on 19 people, including the late Medgar Evers, US House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina and actor Michelle Yeoh.
  <br>
  <br>
  The Presidential Medal of Freedom was awarded 654 times between 1963 and 2024, according to the Congressional Research Service. Notable Medal of Freedom recipients from the past include Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou and Mother Teresa. (AP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Sun, 05 Jan 2025 10:33:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    World bids farewell to Jimmy Carter
   </title>
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<img alt="An honour guard watches over the casket of former President Jimmy Carter at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786178_1_20250105094240.jpg&q=55">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Jimmy Carter's extended public farewell began on Saturday in Georgia, with the 39th US president’s casket tracing his long arc from the Depression-era South and family farming business to the pinnacle of American political power and decades as a global humanitarian.
 <br>
  <br>
  Those chapters shone throughout the opening stanza of a six-day state funeral intended to blend personalised memorials with the ceremonial pomp afforded to former presidents.
  <br>
  <br>
  Carter died on December 29, aged 100.
  <br>
  <br>
  “He was an amazing man. He was held up and propped up and soothed by an amazing woman,” son James Earl “Chip” Carter III, told mourners at The Carter Center, referring to his father and former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died in 2023 . “The two of them together changed the world. And it was an amazing thing to watch so close.”
  <br>
  <br>
  Grandson Jason Carter, who now chairs the center's governing board, said, “It's amazing what you can cram into a hundred years.”
  <br>
  <br>
  Carter’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren accompanied their patriarch as his hearse rode first through his hometown of Plains. The procession stopped at the farm where the future president toiled alongside the Black sharecroppers who worked for his father. The motorcade continued to Atlanta, stopping in front of the Georgia Capitol where Carter served as a state senator and reformist governor.
  <br>
  <br>
  Finally, he arrived for his last visit to the Carter Presidential Center, which houses his presidential library and The Carter Center where he based his post-White House advocacy for public health, democracy and human rights, setting a new standard for what former presidents can accomplish after they yield power.
  <br>
  <br>
  “His spirit fills this place,” Jason Carter told the assembly that included some of the center's 3,000 employees worldwide. “You continue the vibrant living legacy of what is my grandfather’s life work,” he added.
  <br>
  <br>
  Pallbearers on Saturday came from the Secret Service that protected the Carters for almost a half-century and a military honour guard that included Navy service members for the only US Naval Academy graduate to reach the Oval Office. A military band played “Hail to the Chief” and the hymn “Be Thou My Vision” for the commander in chief who also was a devout Baptist.
  <br>
  <br>
  Jimmy Carter will remain at the Carter Presidential Center from 7pm on Saturday through 6am on Tuesday, so the public can pay their respects around the clock.
  <br>
  <br>
  National rites will continue in Washington and conclude on Thursday with a funeral at Washington National Cathedral, followed by a return to Plains. There, the former president will be buried next to his wife of 77 years near the home they built before his first state Senate campaign in 1962. (AP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Sun, 05 Jan 2025 09:42:00 +0800
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   <title>
    S Korean investigators press demand for Yoon's arrest
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786149-20250104.htm
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    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="People gather for another rally in front of the Gwanghwamun Gate in Seoul. Photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786149_1_20250104195023.jpg&q=70">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 South Korean investigators again asked the country's acting president on Saturday to order the presidential security service to comply with an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol.
 <br>
  <br>
  The security service, along with military troops, on Friday prevented prosecutors from arresting Yoon Suk Yeol in a six-hour standoff inside Yoon's compound. The investigators secured the warrant to arrest Yoon over his brief declaration of martial law last month.
  <br>
  <br>
  The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is investigating the case, said on Saturday it had again asked acting President Choi Sang-mok, the nation's finance minister, to order the presidential security service to cooperate with the warrant.
  <br>
  <br>
  A finance ministry spokesperson declined to comment.
  <br>
  <br>
  The police asked the chief of the presidential security service, Park Chong-jun, to appear for questioning on Tuesday, Yonhap News reported.
  <br>
  <br>
  Yoon's December 3 martial law declaration stunned South Korea and led to the first arrest warrant to be issued for a sitting president. (Reuters)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Sat, 04 Jan 2025 22:12:00 +0800
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   <title>
    Oldest person in the world dies in Japan aged 116
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    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786146-20250104.htm
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<img alt="Tomiko Itooka celebrated her birthday last year with flowers, a cake and a card from the mayor. Photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786146_1_20250104192259.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman who was the world’s oldest person according to Guinness World Records, has died, an Ashiya city official said on Saturday. She was 116.
 <br>
  <br>
  Yoshitsugu Nagata, an official in charge of elderly policies, said Itooka died on December 29 at a care home in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, central Japan.
  <br>
  <br>
  Itooka, who loved bananas and a yogurt-flavoured Japanese drink called Calpis, was born on May 23, 1908. She became the oldest person last year following the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas, according to the Gerontology Research Group.
  <br>
  <br>
  When she was told she was at the top of the World Supercentenarian Rankings List, she simply replied, “Thank you.”
  <br>
  <br>
  When Itooka celebrated her birthday last year, she received flowers, a cake and a card from the mayor.
  <br>
  <br>
  Born in Osaka, Itooka was a volleyball player in high school and long had a reputation for a sprightly spirit, Nagata said. She climbed the 3,067-metre (10,062-foot) Mount Ontake twice.
  <br>
  <br>
  She married at 20, and had two daughters and two sons, according to Guinness.
  <br>
  <br>
  Itooka managed the office of her husband’s textile factory during World War II. She lived alone in Nara after her husband died in 1979.
  <br>
  <br>
  She is survived by one son, one daughter, and five grandchildren. A funeral service was held with family and friends, according to Nagata.
  <br>
  <br>
  According to the Gerontology Research Group, the world's oldest person is now 116-year-old Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, who was born 16 days after Itooka. (AP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Sat, 04 Jan 2025 20:20:00 +0800
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   <title>
    Myanmar frees thousands of prisoners, but not Suu Kyi
   </title>
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<img alt="Relatives wait for the prisoners to be released on Independence Day. Photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786128_1_20250104162742.jpg&q=75">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Myanmar’s military government has released more than 6,000 prisoners and has reduced other inmates’ sentences as part of a mass amnesty marking the 77th anniversary of independence from Britain on Saturday.
 <br>
  <br>
  They included just a small proportion of hundreds of political detainees jailed for opposing army rule since the military seized power in February 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. That takeover was met with massive nonviolent resistance, which has since become a widespread armed struggle.
  <br>
  <br>
  State-run MRTV television reported that Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the military government, granted amnesties covering 5,864 prisoners from Myanmar, as well as 180 foreigners who will be deported. Mass prisoner releases are common on holidays and other significant occasions in Myanmar.
  <br>
  <br>
  The terms of release warn that if the freed detainees violate the law again, they will have to serve the remainder of their original sentences in addition to any new sentence.
  <br>
  <br>
  In a separate report, it said Min Aung Hlaing had commuted the life sentences of 144 prisoners to 15 years' imprisonment. The report provided no details about them.
  <br>
  <br>
  Prisoner releases began on Saturday but can take a few days to be completed. In the country’s largest city, Yangon, buses took prisoners out of Insein Prison, where friends and families of detainees had waited since morning for the announced releases, at around 11:30 am.
  <br>
  <br>
  There was no sign that the prisoner release would include Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held virtually incommunicado by the military since it seized power.
  <br>
  <br>
  The 79-year-old Suu Kyi is serving a 27-year sentence after being convicted in a series of politically tinged prosecutions brought by the military.
  <br>
  <br>
  Her supporters and independent analysts say the cases against her are an attempt to discredit her and legitimise the military’s seizure of power while keeping her from taking part in the military’s promised election, for which no date has yet been set. (AP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Sat, 04 Jan 2025 16:27:00 +0800
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   <title>
    Trump hush money sentencing set for January 10
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<img alt="Before Donald Trump, no US president - former or sitting - had been charged with or convicted of a crime. File photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786102_1_20250104101347.jpg&q=90">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 US President-elect Donald Trump will be sentenced on January 10 in the criminal case in which he was convicted on charges involving hush money paid to a porn star, but is unlikely to face jail time or other penalties, a judge said on Friday.
 <br>
  <br>
  Justice Juan Merchan's ruling means Trump will be required to appear at a court hearing just 10 days before his Jan. 20 inauguration - an unprecedented scenario in US history. Before Trump, no US president - former or sitting - had been charged with or convicted of a crime.
  <br>
  <br>
  The judge said Trump, 78, may appear at his sentencing either in person or virtually.
  <br>
  <br>
  He wrote that he was not inclined to sentence Trump to jail, and that a sentence of "unconditional discharge" - meaning no custody, monetary fine, or probation - would be "the most viable solution."
  <br>
  <br>
  The imposition of the sentence would pave the way for Trump to appeal. Merchan acknowledged in his ruling that Trump has made clear he intends to appeal.
  <br>
  <br>
  In a statement, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said there should be no sentencing in the case.
  <br>
  <br>
  "This lawless case should have never been brought, and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed," Cheung said.
  <br>
  <br>
  Merchan announced his plan for the sentencing in denying Trump's motion to dismiss the case due to his presidential election victory. Trump's defense lawyers had argued that having the case hang over him during his presidency would impede his ability to govern.
  <br>
  <br>
  Merchan rejected that argument, writing that setting aside the jury's verdict would "undermine the Rule of Law in immeasurable ways."
  <br>
  <br>
  "Defendant's status as President-elect does not require the drastic and 'rare' application of (the court's) authority to grant the (dismissal) motion," Merchan wrote in the decision.
  <br>
  <br>
  Merchan also rejected Trump's argument in a December 3 court filing that dismissal was warranted because his "civic and financial contributions to this city and the Nation are too numerous to count."
  <br>
  <br>
  While acknowledging Trump's service as president, the judge said Trump's public statements excoriating the justice system were also a factor for him in determining how Trump's character would factor into the decision.
  <br>
  <br>
  Merchan criticized what he called Trump's "unrelenting and unsubstantiated attacks" against the integrity of the criminal proceeding, and noted that he had found him guilty of 10 counts of contempt during the trial for repeatedly violating an order restricting out-of-court statements about witnesses and others.
  <br>
  <br>
  "Defendant has gone to great lengths to broadcast on social media and other forums his lack of respect for judges, juries, grand juries and the justice system as a whole," Merchan wrote.
  <br>
  <br>
  "Defendant's character and history vis-a-vis the Rule of Law and the Third Branch of government must be analyzed," the judge said, referring to the judiciary. "In that vein, it does not weigh in his favor."
  <br>
  <br>
  The case stemmed from a US$130,000 payment that Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen made to adult film actor Stormy Daniels. The payment was for her silence before the 2016 election about a sexual encounter she has said she had a decade earlier with Trump, who denies it.
  <br>
  <br>
  A Manhattan jury in May found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the payment. He had pleaded not guilty and called the case an attempt by Manhattan District Attorney Bragg, the Democratic prosecutor who brought the charges, to harm his 2024 campaign.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump's sentencing was initially scheduled for July 11, 2024, but has been pushed back several times. On Thursday, Merchan said Trump's request in August that the sentencing be pushed back until after the election implied that he consented to being sentenced during the transition period.
  <br>
  <br>
  "Any claim Defendant may have that circumstances have changed as a result of Defendant's victory in the Presidential election, while convenient, is disingenuous," Merchan wrote.
  <br>
  <br>
  Bragg did not oppose delaying the sentencing until after the election. Merchan in September pushed it back to November 26.
  <br>
  <br>
  After Trump defeated Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 election, the judge delayed the sentencing indefinitely.
  <br>
  <br>
  Bragg's office had argued there were measures short of the "extreme remedy" of overturning the jury's verdict that could assuage Trump's concerns about being distracted by a criminal case while serving as president, such as delaying the sentence until after Trump leaves the White House in 2029.
  <br>
  <br>
  Merchan wrote on Thursday he found that alternative "less desirable" than sentencing Trump before the inauguration.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump on December 16 lost a separate bid to toss the hush money conviction in light of the US Supreme Court's July 1 decision that presidents cannot be criminally prosecuted over their official actions, and that evidence of their official actions cannot be presented in criminal cases over personal conduct.
  <br>
  <br>
  In denying Trump's motion to dismiss, Merchan said the prosecution over "decidedly personal acts of falsifying business records poses no danger of intrusion on the authority and function of the executive branch."
  <br>
  <br>
  Falsifying business records is punishable by up to four years in prison, but incarceration is not required. Before his election victory, legal experts said it was unlikely Trump would be locked up due to his lack of a criminal history and advanced age.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump was charged in three other state and federal criminal cases in 2023: one involving classified documents he kept after leaving office and two others involving his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.
  <br>
  <br>
  He pleaded not guilty in all three cases. The Justice Department moved to dismiss the two federal cases after Trump's election victory.
  <br>
  <br>
  Trump's state criminal case in Georgia over charges stemming from his effort to overturn his 2020 election loss in that state is in limbo. (Reuters)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Sat, 04 Jan 2025 10:13:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    US blocks Nippon Steel's bid to purchase US Steel
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786056-20250103.htm
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    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="Nippon Steel has argued that its investments would shore up US Steel's output. File photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786056_1_20250103212811.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 US President Joe Biden on Friday followed through on his pledge to block Nippon Steel's US$14.9 billion bid for US Steel, citing concerns the deal could hurt national security.
 <br>
  <br>
  The move, long expected, cuts off a critical lifeline of capital for the beleaguered American icon, which has said it would have to idle key mills without the nearly US$3 billion in promised investment from the Japanese firm.
  <br>
  <br>
  It also represents the final chapter in a high profile national security review, led by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which vets investment for national security risks and had until December 23 to approve, extend the timeline or recommend Biden block the deal.
  <br>
  <br>
  The proposed tie-up has faced high-level opposition within the United States since it was announced a year ago, with both Biden and his incoming successor Donald Trump taking aim at it as they sought to woo union voters in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where US Steel is headquartered. Trump and Biden both asserted the company should remain American-owned.
  <br>
  <br>
  The merger appeared to be on the fast-track to be blocked after the companies received an August 31 letter from CFIUS, arguing the deal could hurt the supply of steel needed for critical transportation, construction and agriculture projects.
  <br>
  <br>
  But Nippon Steel countered that its investments, made by a company from an allied nation, would in fact shore up US Steel's output, and it won a 90-day review extension. That extension gave CFIUS until after the November election to make a decision, fueling hope among supporters that a calmer political climate could help the deal's approval.
  <br>
  <br>
  But hopes were shattered in December when CFIUS set the stage for Biden to block it in a 29-page letter by raising allegedly unresolved national security risks. (Reuters)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Fri, 03 Jan 2025 21:28:00 +0800
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   <title>
    Fire crew rescue 30 trapped in S Korea building blaze
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786037-20250103.htm
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<img alt="Firefighters stand outside of a building partially burnt in a fire, in Seongnam, South Korea. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786037_1_20250103181447.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 A fire and thick smoke engulfed an eight-story building in the South Korean city of Seongnam on Friday, sending 12 people to hospital with smoke inhalation, and about 30 people who had been trapped were safely rescued, the fire department said.
 <br>
  <br>
  The department deployed 82 vehicles and equipment south of Seoul to bring the blaze under control after the fire started in a restaurant on the ground floor of the busy commercial building, which also housed a swimming pool where children take lessons.
  <br>
  <br>
  Earlier, YTN television reported multiple people were trapped inside, with footage showing black smoke engulfing a large part of the building. (Reuters)
 
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    Fri, 03 Jan 2025 18:14:00 +0800
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   <title>
    VP Duterte removed from Philippines security council
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1786034-20250103.htm
   </link>
   <description>
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<img alt="Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte will no longer sit on the National Security Council after President Ferdinand Marcos removed her. File photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1786034_1_20250103180646.jpg&q=90">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has removed Vice President Sara Duterte from the National Security Council, according to an executive order released on Friday, a month after she allegedly plotted to kill him.
 <br>
  <br>
  The order, signed on Monday by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, removed the vice president and all former presidents from the council which advises the president on policies affecting national security.
  <br>
  <br>
  Bersamin said the move was "to reorganise and streamline" its membership, which now comprises key legislative, defence, foreign and cabinet officials.
  <br>
  <br>
  "At the moment, the VP is not considered relevant to the responsibilities of membership in the NSC," Bersamin told reporters, adding that the president was free to add other members or advisers as needed.
  <br>
  <br>
  The move comes as Duterte is facing an investigation over her alleged threat to kill Marcos and his family.
  <br>
  <br>
  In late November, Sara -- the 46-year-old daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte -- delivered an expletive-laden online news conference in which she claimed to have told someone to kill Marcos if she was assassinated.
  <br>
  <br>
  She later said the comments were misinterpreted.
  <br>
  <br>
  The vice president swept to power in 2022 in an alliance with Marcos that has unravelled spectacularly in recent months, with both sides trading allegations of drug addiction and extreme rhetoric ahead of this year's mid-term elections.
  <br>
  <br>
  Duterte is also subject of multiple impeachment complaints over her alleged misuse of millions of dollars in government funds. (AFP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Fri, 03 Jan 2025 18:06:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    Mission to arrest President Yoon stalled: officials
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1785995-20250103.htm
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<img alt="" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1785995_1_20250103132321.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 South Korean investigators on Friday called off their attempt to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol over his failed martial law bid because of a standoff at his residence.
 <br>
  <br>
  "Regarding the execution of the arrest warrant today, it was determined that the execution was effectively impossible due to the ongoing standoff. Concern for the safety of personnel on-site led to the decision to halt the execution," the Corruption Investigation Office said in a statement.
  <br>
  <br>
  Yoon, a former prosecutor, has defied investigators' attempts to question him for weeks.
  <br>
  <br>
  The last time he is known to have left the residence was on December 12, when he went to the nearby presidential office to make a televised statement to the nation, making a defiant statement that he will fight efforts to oust him.
  <br>
  <br>
  Investigators from the country's anti-corruption agency are weighing charges of rebellion after Yoon, apparently frustrated that his policies were blocked by an opposition-dominated parliament, declared martial law on December 3 and dispatched troops to surround the National Assembly.
  <br>
  <br>
  Parliament overturned the declaration within hours in an unanimous vote and impeached Yoon on December 14, accusing him of rebellion, while South Korean anti-corruption authorities and public prosecutors opened separate investigations into the events.
  <br>
  <br>
  A Seoul court issued a warrant for Yoon’s detention on Tuesday, but enforcing it is complicated as long as he remains in his official residence. (Agencies)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Fri, 03 Jan 2025 13:23:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    Al Jazeera condemns broadcast ban in West Bank
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1785970-20250103.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="Al Jazeera airs footage said to show Palestinian police handing its journalists a suspension order in Ramallah. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1785970_1_20250103092554.jpg&q=90">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 The Palestinian Authority (PA) has ordered the suspension of broadcasts by Al Jazeera in a move the Qatar-based television network condemned on Thursday as reminiscent of Israeli practices.
 <br>
  <br>
  Al Jazeera is already banned from broadcasting from Israel amid a long-running feud with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
  <br>
  <br>
  In September, masked Israeli troops raided the Al Jazeera office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, seat of the Palestinian Authority, to issue an initial 45-day closure order, in a move the PA foreign ministry slammed as "a flagrant violation" of press freedom at the time.
  <br>
  <br>
  On Thursday, the PA insisted its own suspension order was "temporary", adding its decision followed a complaint from the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate about the network's coverage.
  <br>
  <br>
  "These measures shall be applied until Al Jazeera chooses to act in accordance with basic media ethics, including its duty to prevent deliberate disinformation, ban the glorification of violence and end the incitement to armed mutiny," the PA said.
  <br>
  <br>
  The syndicate, which represents about 3,000 Palestinian journalists, said several had filed complaints against Al Jazeera for "biased media coverage on its platforms, including incitement, misleading reports and content that stirs internal discord".
  <br>
  <br>
  The suspension order involves "temporarily freezing the work of all journalists, employees, crews and affiliated channels until their legal status is rectified", the official news agency Wafa reported.
  <br>
  <br>
  Al Jazeera aired images of what appeared to be Palestinian security officers entering the network's office in Ramallah and handing over the suspension order.
  <br>
  <br>
  The network condemned the decision, saying it "aligns with Israeli occupation practices targeting its media teams".
  <br>
  <br>
  The ban on Al-Jazeera drew condemnation from press freedom organisations and the UN human rights office.
  <br>
  <br>
  Militant group Hamas, rivals of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah movement which dominates the PA, said the ban went against Palestinian interests. (AFP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Fri, 03 Jan 2025 09:54:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    Israeli air strike hits a Gaza humanitarian zone
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1785965-20250103.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1785965_1_20250103091536.jpg&q=85">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Israeli air strikes killed at least 40 people, including several children, across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, hitting Hamas security officers and an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone.
 <br>
  <br>
  As the daily bombardment continued, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had authorised a delegation from the Mossad intelligence agency, the Shin Bet internal security agency and the military to continue negotiations in Qatar toward a ceasefire deal.
  <br>
  <br>
  Israeli media said the delegation would depart on Friday. There was no immediate Hamas comment. The US-led talks have repeatedly stalled during 15 months of war.
  <br>
  <br>
  The Israeli strike in the seaside humanitarian zone known as Muwasi occurred as hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians had been huddling there in damp winter weather.
  <br>
  <br>
  Israel’s military said it targeted a senior police officer.
  <br>
  <br>
  Another Israeli strike killed at least eight people in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. The men were members of local committees that help secure aid convoys, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies.
  <br>
  <br>
  There was no immediate comment from Israel's military.
  <br>
  <br>
  In southern Gaza, the military killed five policemen in eastern Khan Younis. Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said the strike targeted the head of the Hamas internal security force in southern Gaza.
  <br>
  <br>
  The war was sparked by Hamas-led militants’ October 7, 2023 attack into Israel. The militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead.
  <br>
  <br>
  Israel’s offensive in retaliation has killed over 45,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the territory's Health Ministry, which says women and children make up more than half the dead. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in their tally. (AP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Fri, 03 Jan 2025 09:23:00 +0800
   </pubDate>
  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    Biggest trackway of dinosaur footprints found in UK
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1785962-20250103.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1785962_1_20250103084531.jpg&q=90">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Researchers have uncovered hundreds of dinosaur footprints dating back to the middle Jurassic era in a quarry in Oxfordshire, southern England, showing that reptiles - such as the nine-metre predator Megalosaurus - moved along enormous tracks.
 <br>
  <br>
  The dig at Dewars Farm Quarry found five extensive trackways, one of which measured more than 150 metres in length, researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham said on Thursday.
  <br>
  <br>
  Four of the tracks were made by gigantic, long-necked, herbivorous dinosaurs called sauropods, most likely to be Cetiosaurus, an up to 18-metre-long cousin of the well-known Diplodocus, they said.
  <br>
  <br>
  The fifth trackway was made by the carnivorous theropod dinosaur Megalosaurus, which had distinctive three-toed feet with claws.
  <br>
  <br>
  The carnivore and herbivore tracks, which are about 166 million-years-old, cross over at one point, raising questions about whether and how the two types of dinosaur were interacting, the researchers said.
  <br>
  <br>
  Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur to be scientifically named and described in 1824, kick-starting the last 200 years of dinosaur science and public interest.
  <br>
  <br>
  Emma Nicholls, vertebrate palaeontologist ay the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, said: "Scientists have known about and been studying Megalosaurus for longer than any other dinosaur on Earth, and yet these recent discoveries prove there is still new evidence of these animals out there, waiting to be found."
  <br>
  <br>
  The buried prints came to light when quarry worker Gary Johnson felt "unusual bumps" as he was stripping the clay back with his vehicle in order to expose the quarry floor.
  <br>
  <br>
  More than 100 researchers then excavated in the site in June, where they found around 200 footprints, the universities said in a statement. (Reuters)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Fri, 03 Jan 2025 09:19:00 +0800
   </pubDate>
  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    FBI says driver in New Orleans rampage acted alone
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1785961-20250103.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="Bourbon Street re-opened on Thursday afternoon, hours after authorities finished processing the scene and removing the last of the bodies. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1785961_1_20250103083701.jpg&q=30">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 The Army veteran who drove a truck into a crowd of New Year’s revellers in New Orleans acted alone, the FBI said on Thursday, reversing its position from a day earlier that he likely worked with others in the deadly attack that officials said was inspired by the Islamic State group.
 <br>
  <br>
  The FBI also revealed that the driver, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, an American citizen from Texas, posted five videos on his Facebook account in the hours before the attack in which he proclaimed his support for the militant group and previewed the violence that he would soon unleash in the famed French Quarter district.
  <br>
  <br>
  “This was an act of terrorism. It was premeditated and an evil act,” said Christopher Raia, the deputy assistant director of the FBI's counterterrorism division, calling Jabbar “100 per cent inspired” by the Islamic State.
  <br>
  <br>
  The attack along Bourbon Street killed 14 revellers, along with Jabbar, 42, who was fatally shot in a firefight with police after steering his speeding truck around a barricade and ploughing into the crowd. About 30 people were injured.
  <br>
  <br>
  Raia stressed there was no indication of a connection between the New Orleans attack and the explosion on Wednesday of a Tesla Cybertruck filled with explosives outside Trump’s Las Vegas hotel.
  <br>
  <br>
  The person inside that truck, a decorated US Army Green Beret, shot himself in the head just before detonation, authorities said. (AP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Fri, 03 Jan 2025 08:41:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    South Korean authorities move to arrest President Yoon
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1785958-20250103.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="Corruption investigators, the media and Yoon's supporters gather in front of his official residence. Photo: Reuters" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1785958_1_20250103082249.jpg&q=80">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 South Korean investigators on Friday were attempting to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived martial law decree last month, as hundreds of his supporters gathered near his residence in Seoul, vowing to protect him.
 <br>
  <br>
  About 20 investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials and police officers were seen entering the gate of Yoon’s residence in Seoul to execute a warrant for his detention.
  <br>
  <br>
  It wasn’t clear whether the president would cooperate with authorities trying to detain him.
  <br>
  <br>
  Yoon in a defiant New Year’s message to conservative supporters rallying outside his residence said he would “fight to the end” against “anti-state forces.”
  <br>
  <br>
  His lawyers have described the warrant to detain him as “invalid” and “illegal.”
  <br>
  <br>
  A Seoul court issued a warrant for Yoon’s detention on Tuesday after he evaded multiple requests to appear for questioning and blocked searches of his office in Seoul, hindering an investigation into whether his ill-conceived power grab on December 3 amounted to rebellion.
  <br>
  <br>
  The warrant is valid for one week, and investigators may make another attempt to detain Yoon if they are unable to do so on Friday. (AP)
 
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    Fri, 03 Jan 2025 08:25:00 +0800
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  <item>
   <title>
    12 dead in Montenegro mass shooting
   </title>
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    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1785894-20250102.htm
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    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="Police officers and civil protection units secure a crime scene after a gunman killed at least 12 people near Cetinje, Montenegro. Photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1785894_1_20250102165656.jpg&q=90">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 A gunman who fatally shot at least 12 people, including two children, in Montenegro has killed himself while surrounded by police, officials said on Thursday.
 <br>
  <br>
  At least four others were wounded in the shooting rampage in the western town of Cetinje on Wednesday that followed a bar brawl, officials said.
  <br>
  <br>
  The shooter, identified as 45-year-old Aco Martinović, killed the owner of the bar, the bar owner's children and his own family members, Interior Minister Danilo Šaranović said.
  <br>
  <br>
  The attacker, who was fled after the rampage, was later located and surrounded by police. He died after shooting himself in the head, Šaranović said.
  <br>
  <br>
  Police had dispatched a special unit to search for the attacker in the town, which is located about 30 kilometres northwest of the capital, Podgorica.
  <br>
  <br>
  All the roads in and out of the city were blocked as police swarmed the streets.
  <br>
  <br>
  Šaranović said that Martinović had died while being taken to a hospital in the capital and succumbed from the “severity of his injuries.”
  <br>
  <br>
  The government has declared three days of national mourning starting on Thursday, with Prime Minister Milojko Spajić describing the shooting as a “terrible tragedy.”
  <br>
  <br>
  “The level of rage and brutality shows that sometimes such people ... are even more dangerous than members of organized criminal gangs,” Šaranović said.
  <br>
  <br>
  Martinović was at the bar throughout the day with other guests when the brawl erupted, Police Commissioner Lazar Šćepanović said. He said that Martinović then went home, brought back a weapon and opened fire at around 5.30pm.
  <br>
  <br>
  “He killed four people” at the bar before heading out, and then continued shooting at three more locations, Šćepanović said.
  <br>
  <br>
  He said the suspect received a suspended sentence in 2005 for violent behaviour and had appealed his latest conviction for illegal weapons possession. Montenegrin media have reported that he was known for erratic and violent behaviour. (AP)
 
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   <pubDate>
    Thu, 02 Jan 2025 16:56:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    S Korea police raid Jeju Air, airport over fatal crash
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1785871-20250102.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="South Korean and US investigators, including from Boeing, have been combing the crash site since the disaster to establish a cause. File photo: AFP" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1785871_1_20250102150018.jpg&q=90">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 The chief executive of South Korean airline Jeju Air has been banned from leaving the country, police said on Thursday, after one of the company's Boeing 737-800 planes crashed last week killing 179.
 <br>
  <br>
  "The investigation team imposed a travel ban on two individuals, including Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae," said police in South Jeolla Province, where the crash in Muan city happened.
  <br>
  <br>
  Earlier, police on Thursday raided the offices of Jeju Air and the operator of Muan International Airport as part of the probe into the fatal crash.
  <br>
  <br>
  The flight was carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea on Sunday when it issued a mayday call and belly-landed before slamming into a barrier, killing everyone aboard except two flight attendants pulled from the burning wreckage.
  <br>
  <br>
  Authorities carried out search and seizure operations at the Muan airport where flight 2216 crashed, a regional aviation office in the southwestern city, and Jeju Air's office in the capital Seoul.
  <br>
  <br>
  South Korean and US investigators, including from Boeing, have been combing the crash site since the disaster to establish a cause, with both black boxes found and decoding work ongoing.
  <br>
  <br>
  "In relation to the plane accident... a search and seizure operation is being conducted…at three locations," police said in a statement.
  <br>
  <br>
  "The police plan to swiftly and rigorously determine the cause and responsibility for this accident in accordance with the law and principles."
  <br>
  <br>
  Yonhap reported a search warrant was approved on charges of professional negligence resulting in death, citing officials.
  <br>
  <br>
  South Korea has also announced it will inspect all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by its carriers, focusing on the landing gear, which appears to have malfunctioned during the Sunday crash.
  <br>
  <br>
  South Korea's acting president, Choi Sang-mok, said on Thursday that "immediate action" must be taken if that probe uncovered any issues with the aircraft model.
  <br>
  <br>
  Authorities have previously said 101 aircraft of the same model were in operation by six different airlines.
  <br>
  <br>
  "As there's great public concern about the same aircraft model involved in the accident, the transport ministry and relevant agencies must conduct a thorough inspection of operation maintenance, education, and training," Choi said.
  <br>
  <br>
  "If any issues are found during the inspection, please take immediate corrective action," he added. (AFP)
  <br>
  _____________________________
  <br>
  <font>
   <i>
    Last updated: 2025-01-02 HKT 17:03
   </i>
  </font>
 
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   <pubDate>
    Thu, 02 Jan 2025 15:00:00 +0800
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  </item>
  <item>
   <title>
    Russian gas transit to Europe via Ukraine ends
   </title>
   <link>
    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1785829-20250102.htm
   </link>
   <description>
    <![CDATA[<div>
<img alt="" src="https://wsrv.nl/?n=-1&we&h=1080&output=webp&trim=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsstatic.rthk.hk%2Fimages%2Fmfile_1785829_1_20250102094332.jpg&q=80">
<br>
<div class="itemFullText">
 Russian gas exports via Soviet-era pipelines running through Ukraine came to a halt on New Year's Day, marking the end of decades of Moscow's dominance over Europe's energy markets.
 <br>
  <br>
  The gas had kept flowing despite nearly three years of war, but Russia's gas firm Gazprom said it had stopped after Ukraine refused to renew a transit agreement.
  <br>
  <br>
  The widely-expected stoppage will not impact prices for consumers in the European Union - unlike in 2022, when falling supplies from Russia sent prices to record highs, worsened a cost-of-living crisis and hit the bloc's competitiveness.
  <br>
  <br>
  The last remaining EU buyers of Russian gas via Ukraine, such as Slovakia and Austria, have arranged alternative supplies, while Hungary will keep receiving Russian gas via the TurkStream pipeline under the Black Sea.
  <br>
  <br>
  But Transdniestria, a breakaway pro-Russian region of Ukraine's neighbour Moldova also reliant on the transit flows, cut off heating and hot water supplies to households early on Wednesday.
  <br>
  <br>
  Local energy company Tirasteploenergo urged residents to dress warmly, hang blankets or thick curtains over windows and balcony doors, and use electric heaters.
  <br>
  <br>
  The European Commission said the EU had prepared for the cut-off.
  <br>
  <br>
  "The European gas infrastructure is flexible enough to provide gas of non-Russian origin," a spokesperson for the Commission said.
  <br>
  <br>
  "It has been reinforced with significant new LNG (liquefied natural gas) import capacities since 2022."
  <br>
  <br>
  Russia and the former Soviet Union spent half a century building up a major share of the European gas market, which at its peak stood at around 35 percent. But the EU has slashed its dependence on Russian energy since the start of the war in Ukraine by buying more piped gas from Norway, and LNG from Qatar and the United States.
  <br>
  <br>
  Ukraine, which refused to extend the transit deal, said Europe had already made the decision to abandon Russian gas.
  <br>
  <br>
  "We stopped the transit of Russian gas. This is a historic event. Russia is losing its markets, it will suffer financial losses," Ukraine's Energy Minister German Galushchenko said in a statement. (Reuters)
 
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   <title>
    One dead after Cybertruck explodes outside Trump hotel
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 At least one person was killed and seven wounded when a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside a hotel belonging to US President-elect Donald Trump in Las Vegas, police said on Wednesday.
 <br>
  <br>
  The electric vehicle pulled up to the Trump International Hotel's glass entrance before a "large explosion," Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters.
  <br>
  <br>
  Video footage shows the stainless steel truck parked at the hotel entrance before bursting into flames, followed by smaller explosions that appeared similar to fireworks.
  <br>
  <br>
  McMahill said there was "one deceased individual inside the Cybertruck" while seven people received "minor" injuries. He said the hotel had been evacuated.
  <br>
  <br>
  US President Joe Biden said authorities were investigating any possible link between the blast and an attack earlier Wednesday in New Orleans, in which a truck rammed a crowd, killing at least 15 people and wounding dozens.
  <br>
  <br>
  "Thus far, there's nothing to report on that score," Biden said.
  <br>
  <br>
  Tesla chief Elon Musk said the explosion was "caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck," adding in a post on X that it was "unrelated to the vehicle itself."
  <br>
  <br>
  Earlier, he said the "whole Tesla senior team" was investigating the blast, adding: "We've never seen anything like this."
  <br>
  <br>
  Police said they are still working to establish the cause of the explosion.
  <br>
  <br>
  Musk, who backed Trump in the November election and was named by the Republican to head up a commission to trim government spending, said he would post more information "as soon as we learn anything." (AFP)
 
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   <title>
    New Orleans attack suspect was US-born army veteran
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 The New Orleans attack suspect, identified by the FBI as 42-year-old US citizen Shamsud-Din Jabbar, appeared to be a real estate agent from Texas who had spent 10 years as an IT specialist in his country's army.
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  <br>
  In a video posted on YouTube four years ago, Jabbar – speaking with a southern US accent – boasted of his skills as a "fierce negotiator" as he advertised his property management services to potential clients.
  <br>
  <br>
  Criminal records reported by the New York Times show that Jabbar had two previous charges for minor offences – one in 2002 for theft and another in 2005 for driving with an invalid licence.
  <br>
  <br>
  Jabbar was twice-married, according to the newspaper, with his second marriage ending in divorce in 2022, when he detailed experiencing financial problems in an email to his wife's lawyer.
  <br>
  <br>
  "I cannot afford the house payment," he reportedly wrote, adding that his real estate company had lost more than US$28,000 in the previous year, and that he had taken on thousands in credit card debt to pay for lawyers.
  <br>
  <br>
  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper reported that Jabbar had gotten a degree from Georgia State University.
  <br>
  <br>
  Jabbar said in his YouTube video that he served in the US military for a decade as a human resources specialist and an IT specialist.
  <br>
  <br>
  He said that with this experience, he "learned the meaning of great service and what it means to be responsive and take everything seriously, dotting I's and crossing T's to make sure that things go off without a hitch."
  <br>
  <br>
  The FBI confirmed at a news conference that Jabbar was a US army veteran but did not detail his role. The agency said it was believed that he had been honourably discharged, but that its probe was ongoing.
  <br>
  <br>
  At least 15 people were killed and more than 30 wounded when Jabbar allegedly drove a truck at high speed into a crowd of New Year's revellers in New Orleans.
  <br>
  <br>
  Authorities said he crashed the vehicle, then opened fire and was killed in a shootout with police. (AFP)
 
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