World

Jimmy Lai’s son says his father will ‘most likely die in jail’ unless UK govt intervenes

Published

3 weeks ago

August 18, 2025

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The bustle still exists in Hong Kong, but its tone is not the same.

A city once famous for its protest, now simply doesn’t dare.

Just a few years ago it would have been hard to imagine a court case as high-profile as that of Jimmy Lai without at least a handful of supporters and placards.

But as closing arguments began in the trial of one of the city’s most well-known pro-democracy figures, there was not a hint of dissent in sight.

Now Lai’s son, Sebastien, who advocates on his behalf, has said that the treatment of his father will have dire implications for Hong Kong “as a a financial centre”, and has warned the British government (of which Lai is a citizen), that if it fails to act “my father is most likely going to die in jail”.

Jimmy Lai has been described as the most famous prisoner of conscience anywhere in the world.

He is an iconic figure within Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and is one of the most high-profile people to be charged under Hong Kong’s controversial national security law.

The self-made millionaire, lifelong critic of Beijing, and the owner of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily is accused of colluding with foreign forces and publishing seditious material.

After a five-month adjournment, closing arguments in his trial will get under way in earnest this week.

There is a sense here that authorities have found this trial a little tricky to resolve.

How to handle an elderly man who some believe has become emblematic of a cause? How to balance significant international criticism with the city’s desire to assure the world it is just, fair and back open for business?

His family and lawyers believe this partly explains the multiple, lengthy adjournments.

Lai’s son, Sebastien, has spent years advocating for his father from London. He has not seen him in nearly five years.

“The worst-case scenario is that he dies in prison,” he says.

It is a legitimate concern. Lai has spent over 1,600 days in solitary confinement. He is 77 years old and diabetic.

Indeed, on Friday, the first day of the resumed court activity was taken up by discussions about his health and the court was then adjourned so he could be fitted with a heart rate monitor.

“In Hong Kong, it’s a concrete cell which gets up to 30, 40C and he bakes in there essentially,” says Sebastien.

“So we’re incredibly worried about him, and all of this in the last four years was aimed to break him, to break his spirit.”

‘If he dies, that’s a comma on Hong Kong’

Sebastien insists his father’s death would not just be a personal tragedy, but a huge problem for both the Hong Kong authorities and Beijing’s government.

“You can’t tell the world you have the rule of law, the free press and all these values that are instrumental to a financial centre and still have my father in jail,” he says.

“And if he dies, that’s it, that’s a comma on Hong Kong as a financial centre.”

It’s criticism that the authorities in Hong Kong are acutely aware of.

Indeed, the government there has insisted in a statement that the city’s “correctional facilities are humane and safe” and said that claims to the contrary are merely “external forces and anti-China media” working to “glorify criminal behaviour and exert pressure on the courts”.

But Lai is also a British citizen and there is a sense his family believes successive UK governments have failed in their duty to support him. Petitioning is a journey Sebastien describes as “heartbreaking”.

“It’s time to put actions behind words,” he says. “Without that, my father is most likely going to die in jail.”

It’s criticism that the authorities in Hong Kong are acutely aware of, the regional government claimed in a statement that “external forces and anti-China media” are actively working to “distort the truth, blatantly discredit the judicial system, in an attempt to glorify criminal behaviour”.

Some believe the Lai trial is one of the final outstanding affairs in the wake of the crackdown on Hong Kong’s huge 2019 pro-democracy protests, actions the Beijing-backed authorities say were necessary to restore order and stability.

When you spend time in this city, it’s hard not to conclude those efforts have been remarkably successful. Any signs of dissent are now extremely hard to track down.

Tiny slogans graffitied in hidden places, a few independent bookstores still stocking political titles or young people choosing to not spend money in Hong Kong where possible is about as much as exists.

Meanwhile, the mainland Mandarin language is more commonly heard in the streets and slogans and banners extolling causes favoured by Beijing are not hard to find.

In today’s Hong Kong, stances are staked in quiet acts of compassion, such as committed visits to friends behind bars.

‘Don’t ever second-guess Beijing’

It’s on one of these trips we accompany Emily Lau, a former Hong Kong lawmaker and pro-democracy supporter.

“It’s very important to show the people inside that they have not been forgotten,” she explains, as she climbs into one of Hong Kong’s iconic red taxis.

“It’s my way of showing my support.”

She is visiting Dr Helena Wong, a fellow member of the Democratic Party, and one of the so-called ’47’ – 47 activists tried together for conspiracy to commit subversion.

Her key offence was standing in an unofficial primary election.

Lau is upbeat as we chat, but also frank about the state of democracy in her city.

“It’s very difficult. Now it seems you cannot demonstrate, you cannot march, you cannot petition,” she says. “And if you do post something online or some posts, you have to be very careful about what you say.

“I will never say we are finished, no, but right now, of course, it’s very difficult.”

We wait outside for her as she visits Dr Wong. She reports back that she’s in good spirits and was happy to see her friend.

Their political party is in the process of disbanding, like every other pro-democracy group. The pressure has simply become too much, and she fears this isn’t the end.

“Don’t ever second-guess Beijing,” she says. “Don’t try.”

Indeed, the only political groups able to continue are those who at least tacitly support Beijing and its laws.

‘Not as bad as people think’

Ronnie Tong runs a think tank called Path of Democracy, which also sponsors people to run for office.

He bills it as a moderate force, but in reality, it has supported the National Security Law and all measures used to crack down on protesters.

“I don’t think it is as bad as people think,” he says. “The only thing they cannot say is to advocate succession or separatism.”

I ask if using the word ‘democracy’ in the group’s title feels a little ironic, given his voice is likely only permitted insofar as it does not criticise Beijing.

“No, I don’t think so,” he replies. “People have to understand that politics is also about personal relationships.”

That will likely not wash with many people here, but right now most feel they have no choice but to keep a low profile or move on.

The Lai trial is only one small part of Hong Kong’s story, but it’s a reflection of the rapid change here and a snapshot of a city adjusting.

World

Trump says he’s ready to move to second stage of Russia sanctions after Moscow launches large aerial attack

Published

1 hour ago

September 8, 2025

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Trump says he's ready to move to second stage of Russia sanctions after Moscow launches large aerial attack

Donald Trump has said he is ready to move to a second stage of sanctioning Russia, just hours after Moscow launched the largest arial attack of the war so far.

At least four people have been killed, including a mother and a three-month-old baby, with more than 40 others injured, after Russia launched a bombardment of drones overnight.

While on his way to the final of the US Open tennis tournament, the president was asked if he was ready to move to the second stage of punishment for Moscow, to which he replied, “Yes”.

It echoes US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said additional economic pressure by the United States and Europe could prompt Putin to enter peace talks with Ukraine.

“We are prepared to increase pressure on Russia, but we need our European partners to follow us,” Treasury Secretary Scott told NBC News’ Meet the Press.

Sir Keir Starmer said the latest attack shows Vladimir Putin is “not serious about peace” as he joined other allies in condemning Russia’s actions.

The prime minister said the “brutal” and “cowardly” assault on Kyiv – which resulted in a government building catching fire – proved the Russian leader feels he can “act with impunity”.

Russia attacked Kyiv with 805 drones and decoys, officials said, and Ukraine shot down and neutralised 747 drones and four missiles, the country’s air force has said.

The attack caused a fire to break out at a key government building, with the sky above Kyiv covered in smoke.

Appeasement makes ‘no sense’

Polish premier Donald Tusk said the latest military onslaught showed any “attempts to appease” Putin make “no sense”.

“The US and Europe must together force Russia to accept an immediate ceasefire. We have all the instruments,” Mr Tusk said on Saturday.

Meanwhile the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said the Kremlin was “mocking diplomacy”.

Vladimir Putin reportedly wants control of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine – known as the Donbas – as a condition for ending the war.

Russia occupies around 19% of Ukraine, including Crimea and the parts of the Donbas region it seized before the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

But this attack comes after European nations pressed the Russian leader to work to end the war at a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing” – a group of countries led by France and Britain seeking to help protect Kyiv in the event of a ceasefire.

Some 26 of Ukraine’s allies pledged to provide security guarantees as part of a “reassurance force” for the war-torn country once the fighting ends, Mr Macron has said.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is ready to meet Mr Putin to negotiate a peace agreement, and has urged US president Donald Trump to put punishing sanctions on Russia to push it to end the war.

“The world can force the Kremlin criminals to stop the killings – all that is needed is political will,” he said on Sunday.

World

Cable snapped in deadly Lisbon funicular crash, report finds

Published

1 day ago

September 6, 2025

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Cable snapped in deadly Lisbon funicular crash, report finds

A report into the deadly Lisbon Gloria funicular crash has said the cable linking the two carriages snapped.

The carriages of the city’s iconic Gloria funicular had travelled no more than six metres when they “suddenly lost the balancing force of the connecting cable”.

The vehicle’s brake‑guard immediately “activated the pneumatic brake as well as the manual brake”, the Office for the Prevention and Investigation of Aircraft Accidents and Railway Accidents said.

But the measures “had no effect in reducing the vehicle’s speed”, as it accelerated and crashed at around 60kmh (37mph), and the disaster unfolded in less than 50 seconds.

Questions have been asked about the maintenance of the equipment, but the report said that, based on the evidence seen so far, it was up to date.

A scheduled visual inspection had been carried out on the morning of the accident, but the area where the cable broke “is not visible without dismantling.”

The Gloria funicular is a national monument that dates from 1914 and is very popular with tourists visiting the Portuguese capital.

It operates between Restauradores Square in downtown Lisbon and the Bairro Alto neighbourhood.

The journey is just 276m (905ft) and takes just over a minute, but it operates up a steep hill, with two carriages travelling in opposite directions.

How the disaster unfolded

At around 6pm on Wednesday, Cabin No.2, at the bottom of the funicular, “jerked backward sharply”, the report said.

“After moving roughly 10 metres, its movement stopped as it partially left the tracks and its trolley became buried at the lower end of the cable channel.”

Cabin No.1, at the top, “continued descending and accelerated” before derailing and smashing “sideways into the wall of a building on the left side, destroying the wooden box [from which the carriage is constructed]”.

It crashed into a cast‑iron streetlamp and a support pole, causing “significant damage” before hitting “the corner of another building”.

Cable failed at top

Analysis of the wreckage showed the cable connecting the cabins failed where it was attached inside the upper trolley of cabin No.1 at the top.

The cable’s specified useful life is 600 days and at the time of the accident, it had been used for 337 days, leaving another 263 days before needing to be replaced.

The operating company regards this life expectancy as having “a significant safety margin”.

The exact number of people aboard each cabin when it crashed has not been confirmed.

Britons killed in disaster

Kayleigh Smith, 36, and William Nelson, 44, died alongside 14 others in Wednesday’s incident, including another British victim who has not yet been named.

Five Portuguese citizens died when the packed carriage plummeted out of control – four of them workers at a charity on the hill – but most victims were foreigners.

World

Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to ‘humanitarian area’

Published

2 days ago

September 6, 2025

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Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to 'humanitarian area'

Any remaining residents in Gaza’s largest city should leave for a designated area in the south, Israel’s military has warned.

Israeli forces are carrying out an offensive on suburbs of Gaza City, in the territory’s north, as part of plans to capture it – raising concern over an already-devastating humanitarian crisis.

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced pressure to stop the attack and allow more aid in, the military has announced a new humanitarian zone in the south.

Spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Gaza City residents should head to a designated coastal area of Khan Younis.

There, he said they would be able to receive food, medical care and shelter.

On Thursday, Israel said it has control of around 40% of Gaza City and 75% of the entire territory of Gaza.

Many of the city’s residents had already been displaced earlier in the war, only to return later. Some of them have said they will refuse to move again.

That’s despite the military claiming it is within a few kilometres of the city centre, coming after weeks of heavy strikes.

But the war in Gaza has left Israel increasingly isolated in the diplomatic sphere, with some of its closest allies condemning the campaign that’s devastated the territory.

Just two weeks ago, a famine was declared in Gaza City and surrounding areas by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a globally recognised system for classifying the severity of food insecurity.

There is also concern within Israel, where calls have grown to stop the war and secure the release of the remaining 48 hostages.

Israel believes 20 of those hostages are still alive.

Even as relatives of those hostages lead protests, Mr Netanyahu continues to push for an all-or-nothing deal to release all hostages and defeat Hamas.

On Friday, Donald Trump said Washington is in “very deep” negotiations with Hamas to release the captives.

“We said let them all out, right now let them all out. And much better things will happen for them but if you don’t let them all out, it’s going to be a tough situation, it’s going to be nasty,” he added.

Hamas is “asking for some things that are fine”, he said, without elaborating.