James LeePeople need only to use common sense to identify "hatred-triggering," "dissatisfaction" and "enmity" in national security and incitement offenses, says Paul Lam. And people will have a clearer idea on what may constitute national security and incitement offenses once more cases arise, he added. "It's not like we prosecute people arbitrarily with national security offenses," he told Sing Tao Daily, sister publication of The Standard. He said "endangering national security" is not just an offense under the security law, but also under the colonial-era sedition law. Lam said for the security or incitement offenses to become part of common law, courts will have to establish legal precedents by accumulating and adjudicating cases.

Former courtside reporter Agatha Uvero accused her former partner and Blackwater guard Paul Desiderio of alleged physical and emotional abuse. Paul Desiderio and Agatha Uvero (File Photo from Chooks-to-Go)In a series of tweets, Uvero detailed the abuse she had experienced during her relationship with the PBA player. “I really didn’t wanna do this but the threats have been difficult and I owe this to myself and to women out there,” tweeted Uvero. “I’ve talked to Paul so many times but he kept telling me to do it, and said that if his career goes down, it’s my fault. Desiderio hasn’t seen action in the PBA after suffering an ACL injury last May.

The splendors of the universe glowed in a new batch of images released on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) powerful new telescope. "It's the beauty, but also the story," Nobel laureate and NASA senior Webb scientist John Mather said after the reveal. With Webb, scientists hope to glimpse light from the first stars and galaxies that formed 13.7 billion years ago, just 100 million years from the universe-creating Big Bang. Webb is considered the successor to the highly successful, but aging Hubble Space Telescope. The world's biggest and most powerful space telescope rocketed away last December from French Guiana in South America.

The government has expanded its panel of expert advisers on the Covid-19 epidemic, adding three fresh faces to it. Professors Ivan Hung Fan-ngai and Lau Chak-sing from the University of Hong Kong's department of medicine and pediatrics professor Lau Yu-lung have been appointed to the panel, according to a government announcement on Wednesday. They will be joining Professor David Hui Shu-cheong from Chinese University and University of Hong Kong professors Yuen Kwok-yung and Gabriel Leung Cheuk-wai in providing advice on public health, epidemiology, and clinical experience to fight the coronavirus. "The government upholds the principle of making targeted anti-epidemic efforts on a scientific basis, and the six experts have all along made valuable contributions to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in combating Covid-19," said Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in a statement.

FIGHTING inflation is a top economic priority for President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., anticipating it as a "potential problem" for the country, a Malacañang official said on Tuesday. Press Secretary Rose Beatrix "Trixie" Cruz-Angeles made the statement upon the release of the latest Pulse Asia survey results showing that the topmost urgent national concern that the majority of Filipinos want Marcos to address is controlling inflation. The Pulse Asia survey results released also on Tuesday showed that 57 percent of the respondents are concerned about the need to control the increase in the prices of basic goods and services. It said inflation was the most urgent national concern of those from Metro Manila (67 percent), those from Mindanao (69 percent), and those belonging to socioeconomic classes D and E (58 and 62 percent, respectively). The Pulse Asia survey noted that two years after the first lockdown triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, only 7 percent of those polled said it is urgent for the Marcos administration to control the spread of the virus.

Green industries, including hydrogen energy development, high-end copper foil manufacturing and NEV production, are highlighted at this year's fair. Green industries have become a key point in foreign cooperation in the region. In recent years, Dayu Irrigation has accomplished much in the research and development of digital and smart water-related affairs, Wang added. Malaysia's agricultural planting has a massive demand for water and fertilizers, integrated irrigation, intelligent automatic control, and solar energy conservation, the Dayu chief said. Many business organizations and corporations attending the fair were blazing a green path through cooperation.

(UPDATE) THE United States has affirmed its commitment to defend the Philippines if any of its troops, public vessels or aircraft are attacked in the South China Sea (SCS) or West Philippine Sea. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the assurance as Washington reiterated its support for the 2016 The Hague ruling in favor of the Philippines. Then-US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said Washington will not allow Beijing to turn the SCS as its "maritime empire." In a statement, he noted that in its ruling, the tribunal "firmly rejected the PRC's expansive South China Sea maritime claims as having no basis in international law." "We also reaffirm that an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke US mutual defense commitments under Article 4 of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty," he added.

The city’s food safety watchdog has found a decreasing trend in the sodium content of dim sum compared to previous study results, according to new study results announced on Tuesday. The study by the Centre for Food Safety investigated 120 non-prepackaged food samples in the city, covering 12 types of dim sum, together with samples of four types of sauces, which were collected from various Chinese restaurants and dim sum shops for analysis of their sodium content. Results showed that the average sodium content of all non-prepackaged dim sum samples stood at 330 milligrams per 100 grams of the food. The study also showed that there was a considerable variation in the sodium content among samples of the same types of certain dim sum, calling on the trade to reduce the sodium content in their dim sum. Separately, members of the public were reminded that consumption of the dim sum with the sauces served may increase the sodium intake by more than two times and that people should request the dim sum to be served separately from sauces or dip their dim sum lightly in the sauce.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote the following message regarding the fatal shooting of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Every meeting with Abe San was intellectually stimulating. From a largely narrow, bilateral economic relationship, Abe San helped turn it into a broad, comprehensive one, which not only covered every field of national endeavour, but became pivotal for our two countries’ and the region’s security. During my Japan visit in May this year, I had the opportunity to meet Abe San, who had just taken over as the Chair of the Japan-India Association. RELATED STORIESJapan bids somber farewell to slain Shinzo Abe, its longest-serving premierThe DIY gun used to kill Japan’s Abe was simple to make, analysts sayShock, sadness over slay of Japan ex-PM Shinzo AbeWorld leaders react to Shinzo Abe shootingSubscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address.

The first image from the US$10 billion (HK$78 billion) James Webb Space Telescope is the farthest humanity has ever seen in both time and distance, closer to the dawn of time and the edge of the universe. That image will be followed by the release of four more beauty shots from the telescope's initial outward gazes. Part of the image is light from not too long after the Big Bang, which was 13.8 billion years ago. The world's biggest and most powerful space telescope rocketed away in December from French Guiana in South America. Webb is considered the successor to the highly successful, but aging Hubble Space Telescope.

KARACHI, Pakistan — Torrential rains caused widespread flooding and damage in Pakistan’s financial capital Karachi on Monday, even inundating the business district, officials said. One death had been confirmed in the latest spell of Monsoon rains, adding to the 29 reported since they began last month. Karachi’s main streets, which house financial institutions and bank headquarters including Pakistan’s central bank, were flooded and rescue services were using boats to reach stranded people. The Pakistan Navy was also taking part in the relief and rescue operations, the Navy said in a statement. “Deeply saddened by the tragic losses due to torrential rains in Karachi,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Twitter.

Two more designated quarantine hotels (DQHs) will start accepting room bookings and commence service from mid July. The two additional DQHs are Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong and Tsuen Wan Panda Hotel. Renaissance Harbour View Hotel will be accepting room bookings starting from Wednesday (July 13); while the Panda Hotel will commence service from July 25 and start accepting bookings from next Tuesday (July 19). Both of them will accept room bookings starting from this Wednesday. "The government is still conducting assessments on other hotels applying for joining this cycle of the Scheme.

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's president was considering using a navy patrol craft to flee the island Tuesday following a humiliating standoff with airport immigration, official sources said. As president, Rajapaksa enjoys immunity from arrest, and he is believed to want to go abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of being detained. "There were some other passengers who protested against Basil boarding their flight," an airport official told AFP. It is widely considered a white elephant, with no scheduled international flights and described as probably the world's least-used international airport. Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51-billion foreign debt in April and is in talks with the IMF for a possible bailout.

Covid patients isolating at home will have to wear smart bracelets from Friday, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau says, and their LeaveHomeSafe app will turn red when the color-coded health-code system launches to bar them from going out. On the seven-day hotel quarantine for overseas arrivals for Hong Kong and non-Hongkongers, Lo said he is mulling a change with part of the confinement to be home isolation. Lo said currently about 60 percent of Covid patients, or over 12,000 people, are under home isolation. "In addition, Hong Kong is an international hub. Long queues remained at Shenzhen Bay port yesterday as people had to take a PCR test and await a result.

HONG KONG: Asian markets and oil prices fell on Monday after a fresh Covid flare-up in Shanghai fanned fears of another economically painful lockdown in China's biggest city. Hong Kong-listed casino operators were also sharply lower after gambling hub Macau began a weeklong lockdown to curb its worst coronavirus outbreak. "The resilience of the US labor market, with the unemployment rate at 3.6 percent, as well as jobs markets elsewhere, helps to offer a compelling narrative to those who think recession concerns are overblown," CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson said. Fed policymakers have said they are determined to bring inflation down from four-decade highs, even if that means hurting growth. Worries about another shock to the Chinese economy from possible shutdowns also dented oil markets as concerns about a hit to demand outweighed ongoing concerns about tight supplies.