MACAO (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met with outgoing Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Chui Sai On here Wednesday, saying the central government fully acknowledged Chui’s diligent work during his 10 years as the chief executive.
Xi, during the meeting, said Chui has led the SAR government to fully and faithfully implement the principle of “one country, two systems,” and strictly abide by the Constitution and the Basic Law to govern the SAR in a steady and pragmatic manner over the past decade, making a great number of new achievements, and consolidating and promoting prosperity and stability in Macao.
“The central government fully acknowledges your work,” Xi told Chui.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with outgoing Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region Chui Sai On in Macao, Dec. 18, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Tao)
The president expressed the hope that Chui will continue to care about the development of the country and Macao, actively support the new chief executive and the SAR government in their law-based governance, and continue to make contributions to the practice of “one country, two systems.”
Extending a warm welcome, Chui said he was sincerely grateful to Xi and the central government for their care for Macao as well as their trust in and support for himself.
With the strong support of the central authorities, the Macao SAR government and people from all walks of life have in recent years made earnest efforts in advancing Macao’s prosperity and stability while developing an appropriately diversified economy, Chui said, pledging his utmost support for the new SAR government in exercising law-based governance and his due contributions to Macao and the country.
Xi arrived here on Wednesday afternoon to attend a gathering marking the 20th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland and the inauguration of the Macao SAR’s fifth-term government. He will also inspect the SAR.
Graduation ceremony for 2019 training on biogas utilization technology of agricultural waste was held in Amman, capital of Jordan, on Dec. 17, 2019. (Xinhua/Ji Ze)
AMMAN (Xinhua) — The first batch of Jordanians who were trained on the Chinese technology to turn agricultural waste into energy graduated on Tuesday.
The training, which was conducted by the Biogas Research Center at the Agriculture Ministry of Jordan and the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, was designed to help Jordan to develop new sources of energy and create more jobs.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Jordanian and Chinese officials highlighted the importance of the training course in helping strengthen the bilateral ties.
Touting the solid China-Jordan ties, Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Pan Weifang said the training course, the first of its kind held in Jordan, is part of China’s assistance to the Kingdom.
China, he said, will continue to work on strengthening its ties with Jordan in several areas and helping Jordan in the development of human resources and attracting investments.
The ambassador added that China is the largest supporter of Jordan in the field of human resources development. In 2019, 468 Jordanian officials and personnel were sent to China for training in several areas, in addition to many others who got scholarships to pursue their higher studies in China.
President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate is shown in a Wednesday, July 10, 2019 file photo, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A Chinese national trespassed at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club Wednesday and was arrested when she refused to leave, police said, the second time this year a woman from that country has been charged with illicitly entering the Florida resort.
Jing Lu, 56, was confronted by the private club’s security officers and told to leave, but she returned to take photos, Palm Beach police spokesman Michael Ogrodnick said in an email. Palm Beach officers were called and arrested her. It was determined she had an expired visa, Ogrodnick said.
Lu was charged with loitering and prowling and was being held late Wednesday at the Palm Beach County jail.
The president and his family were not at the club — he held a rally in Michigan on Wednesday as the U.S. House voted to impeach him. The Trumps are expected to arrive at Mar-a-Lago by the weekend and spend the holidays there.
Lu’s arrest is reminiscent of the March arrest of Yujing Zhang, a 33-year-old Shanghai businesswoman, who gained access to Mar-a-Lago while carrying a laptop, phones and other electronic gear. That led to initial speculation that she might be a spy, but she was never charged with espionage and text messages she exchanged with a trip organizer indicated she was a fan of the president and wanted to meet him or his family to discuss possible deals.
Zhang was found guilty in September of trespassing and lying to Secret Service agents and was sentenced last month to time served. She is being held for deportation.
In another Mar-a-Lago trespassing case, a University of Wisconsin student was arrested in November 2018 after he mixed in with guests being admitted to the club. He pleaded guilty in May and received probation.
In both of those cases, Trump and his family were staying at the resort, but none were ever threatened.
With the Atlantic Ocean to the east and Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway to the west, Mar-a-Lago sits on the Palm Beach barrier island, a 128-room, 62,500-square-foot (5,8000-square-meter) symbol of opulence and power. The Trump family business doubled the initiation fee to $200,000 after the president was elected in 2016. He spends many weekends between November and April there, mingling with the club’s 500 members, who pay $14,000 in annual dues to belong.
Trump purchased Mar-a-Lago from the foundation of the late socialite and cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post in 1985. He and first lady Melania Trump held their 2005 wedding reception inside the 20,000-square-foot (1,860-square-meter) ballroom shortly after its completion.
Federal agencies spent about $3.4 million per Trump visit, much of it on security, according to an analysis of four 2017 trips by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The Secret Service doesn’t decide who is invited or welcome at the resort; that responsibility belongs to the club. Agents do screen guests outside the perimeter before they’re screened again inside.
President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally at Kellogg Arena, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019, in Battle Creek, Mich. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (AP) — Defiant in the face of a historic rebuke, President Donald Trump labeled his impeachment by the House of Representatives on Wednesday “a suicide march” for the Democratic Party.
“Crazy Nancy Pelosi’s House Democrats have branded themselves with an eternal mark of shame,” Trump told the crowd at a campaign rally in battleground Michigan, where he took the stage just minutes before becoming only the third president in U.S. history to be impeached. “It’s a disgrace”
It was a dramatic and discordant split-screen moment, with Trump emerging from a mock fireplace like Santa Claus at the Christmas-themed rally as the impeachment debate in Washington was underway.
As he spoke — seemingly unaware of the unfolding votes for a stretch — the House voted to impeach him on two counts. The first charges him with abuse of power for allegedly pressuring the president of Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rivals while crucial U.S. security aid was being withheld. The second charges him with obstruction of Congress for stonewalling investigative efforts.
While Trump and his aides have tried to brush off the significance of the vote — noting there is little chance he will be convicted by the Republican-controlled Senate and removed from office — allies say Trump has been fuming over the stain that impeachment will leave on his legacy.
Yet even as Trump slammed his impeachment as “illegal” and accused Democrats of demonstrating “deep hatred and disdain” for voters, he spent much of his speech zigzagging through a litany of unrelated topics. He offered an extended riff on U.S. pilots being cuter than “Top Gun” star Tom Cruise, went after Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg’s difficult-to-pronounce last name and reveled — yet again — in his 2016 victory.
And after a day of harsh tweets, Trump at times projected a less-concerned demeanor.
“It doesn’t really feel like we’re being impeached,” he said, later adding: “I don’t know about you, but I’m having a good time. It’s crazy.”
At another point, he declared: “I’m not worried. I’m not worried.”
Trump also worked to highlight the Republicans who have stood with him, telling the crowd that the Republican Party has “never been so united” and predicting victory in 2020.
He unleashed plenty on Democrats, declaring, “After three years of sinister witch hunts, hoaxes, scams, tonight the House Democrats are trying to nullify the ballots of tens of millions of patriotic Americans.
“You are the ones interfering in America’s elections. You are the ones subverting American democracy,” he said of Democrats.
Aides had said that Trump would wait to see the House vote before coming out to address the rally, but he didn’t wait, appearing onstage ahead of the votes and promising “the best speech you’ve ever heard.”
Throughout the day, Trump had stared down the impending vote as he has every obstacle in his presidency: by broadcasting his grievances via tweet.
“Can you believe that I will be impeached today by the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats, AND I DID NOTHING WRONG!” Trump wrote in one of 45 tweets posted before noon. He asked his followers to “Say a PRAYER!”
Trump’s urgency appeared to escalate as he switched to all capital letters: “SUCH ATROCIOUS LIES BY THE RADICAL LEFT, DO NOTHING DEMOCRATS. THIS IS AN ASSAULT ON AMERICA, AND AN ASSAULT ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!!!!”
As the impeachment debate wore on, Trump aides, including White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, fanned out across Capitol Hill to bolster the president’s message that impeachment is helping Republicans and damaging Democrats. Vice President Mike Pence got to Michigan ahead of Trump for a daylong bus tour before the Battle Creek rally.
Serving as a warm-up act for Trump at the rally, Pence labeled the impeachment drive “a disgrace” and told the crowd that Democrats were “trying to impeach this president because they know they can’t defeat this president.”
He said Pelosi and the Democrats are “having their say tonight, but the Republican Senate is going to have their say in January.”
Conway said recent polling and the influx of money suggest “this entire exercise has blown up in the Democrats’ face.” Polls indicate the public is divided over whether Trump should be impeached and removed from office, though opinions have generally remained steady.
Trump’s campaign has experienced a surge in contributions and volunteers during the impeachment inquiry and aides were hoping to raise an additional $2 million Wednesday ahead of the votes.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, and Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, said they were among a group of GOP lawmakers who met with Trump at the White House on Tuesday evening to talk strategy about Wednesday’s House session and the likely Senate trial in January.
McCarthy insisted that Trump remains focused on moving forward with his agenda, despite the implications for his legacy.
“Anybody else, this would be traumatic for them,” McCarthy said. “I’ve never seen a man so strong. … He is focused on what the American people need.”
It was a message repeated by White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who insisted on “Fox & Friends” that “I must tell you that while he’s frustrated … he is also so focused, and he is leading our White House and keeping us calm and telling us, ‘That’s OK, we’re going to move forward, we’re focused, this is going to take us through to 2020.’”
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Colvin reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Kevin Freking in Washington and Jonathan Lemire in New York contributed to this report.
Forensic officials inspect the scene of fatal shootings on Ta We mountain in Narathiwat province on Dec. 17, 2019.
NARATHIWAT — The military on Wednesday promised that it would investigate the killings of three civilians by security officers who reportedly mistook them as armed militants in the Deep South.
Haphisi Mada-oh, 24, Budiman Mali, 26, and Manasae Samaar, 27, were shot dead on Ta We Mountain in Narathiwat’s Ra-ngae district on Monday. A regional army commander said his force has apologized to the families, who are demanding explanations and justice from the authorities over the killings.
“We will bring the perpetrators to trial and offer [victims’ families] reparations for our fault,” Gen. Pornsak Poonsawat said. “Our investigation suggested that the officers mistook them as insurgents, but if we find that the attack was deliberate, we will take disciplinary and legal actions without any exception.”
The military says armed gunmen opened fire on security officers during a raid on their camp on Monday before fleeing deep into the jungle. The officers gave chase until they encountered the three men and shot them out of misunderstanding, according to Gen. Pornsak.
Families of the victims meet with the army on Dec. 17, 2019.
“I already gave my apology to victims’ relatives and promised them justice,” the general said.
Haphisi’s father, Mahama Mada-oh, said his son often went up the mountain to collect wood and wild honey. He insisted that his son has no history of involvement with any separatist groups.
Activists criticize the army for seemingly adopting a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ attitude when dealing with civilians in the three southern border provinces.
“They had the right to live,” Anchana Heemina, head of a local victim support group, said. “Apart from offering adequate compensation to the victims, the state must prevent this kind of incident from happening again by bringing wrongdoers to trial.”
Families of the three men also urged authorities to explain why there were delays in the return of their bodies, which they said it took more than 37 hours after the incident.
According to Islamic custom, burial should take place within 24 hours of death.
One of the relatives also said the army must disclose the names of security officers responsible for the fatal shootings, adding that they are planning to pursue legal actions against the army.
“We feel that we’re treated as if we’re not Thai,” a relative, who asked not to be named, told reporters. “No one has visited us after what happened. We will find a lawyer to sue the army because we feel that we’re being treated unfairly.”
Although the media initially reported that several firearms were found on the three men, whom they described as armed insurgents, Gen. Pornsak said today the trio were not carrying any weapons at the time.
The gunmen who engaged in the firefight with the security forces managed to slip away, he said.
More than 5,800 people have been killed in the past 15 years of conflict in the Deep South, according to monitors.
While most of the fatalities were victims of bomb and gun attacks by the shadowy insurgents, the military also has a record of killing civilians in the region, drawing much condemnation from local residents and rights activists who say there is little justice for the victims.
BANGKOK — Of Monsters and Men is coming to Thailand for a concert this January – and here’s how you can watch them for free.
Iceland’s most popular musical export – Of Monsters and Men – is coming for a concert Jan. 12 at Moonstar Studio. Doors open 7pm and the concert begins at 9pm.
Tickets to the concert cost 2,500 baht and can be purchased on TicketMelon. Don’t feel like paying?
Just like our Facebook page, share the post of this article, and comment on why you deserve the free ticket. Don’t forget to message us via Facebook with your phone number and e-mail as well. Ten of the best answers will win one ticket each. Want to bring along a friend? Have them leave a comment too!
Deadline Jan. 9.
Founded in 2010, Of Monsters and Men first broke into international fame with hits like “Little Talks,” the first song by an Icelandic band to top 1 billion streams on Spotify. Their success was followed by “Dirty Paws,” used in the trailer for the film “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”
The band’s soundtrack successes include “Silhouettes,” used for the “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” soundtrack, and “Sinking Man,” on the Walking Dead soundtrack. Other hits include “The King and Lionheart,” “I of the Storm,” and “Six Weeks.” Their latest album, Fever Dream, was released in 2018 and features singles such as “Wild Roses.”
The band consists of lead singers Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson, Brynjar Leiffson, Kristján Páll Kristjánsson, and Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson.
Fun fact: Of Monsters and Men even made a cameo in season six of Game of Thrones, playing as bards accompanying the theater troupe that Arya visits.
PM Prayuth Chan-ocha and schoolchildren pose for photos at a government event to promote drinking milk. Image: Government House
BANGKOK — Sweet teeth and teetotalers will finally have somewhere to hang out with the announcement that a “milk garden” will start next Tuesday.
Shopping mall Samyan Mitrtown said on its Facebook page that the inaugural “Samyan Milk Garden” will pop up in front of the mall from Dec. 24 to 31.
Although the details and list of vendors are yet to be announced, the tease promised the beer garden-like atmosphere with a variety of milky food, drinks.
Instead of “beer cheer girls”, there would be “cheer milk” promotional models to whet your appetite for calcium. Binge on your cup of milk tea and chill out to live music from local bands.
Obviously, the event has no age restriction.
“Samyan Milk Garden” will be held from Dec. 24 to 31 from 4pm to 2am at Samyan Mitrtown on Samyan Intersection. The venue is reachable from MRT Sam Yan.
Somkid Pumpuang moments after he was arrested by policemen in Korat on Dec. 18, 2019.
NAKHON RATCHASIMA — A man accused of murdering six women was apprehended on a train in the northeast on Wednesday, police said.
Somkid Pumpuang, 55, was spotted by a train commuter who recognized him from wanted posters and alerted the authorities, according to investigators. Police said the passenger, whom was not named, would receive a bounty of 50,000 baht for the tip-off.
Dubbed by the media as “Kid the Ripper,” Somkid was convicted of killing five sex workers in 2005 and sentenced to life imprisonment in the same year. However, he was granted an early release in May this year for demonstrating good behavior in prison, corrections officials said.
Police said he committed his sixth murder in Khon Kaen province on Sunday, just months after he received a royal pardon.
BANGKOK — A controversy over a viral photo deemed to be derogatory toward the monarchy escalated into an arrest on Wednesday, an official in charge of the digital ministry said.
Digital Economy and Society Minister Puttipong Punnakan posted online that the person behind the image is now in police custody, though he did not divulge other details on the grounds that it is a “sensitive issue.”
“As soon as I can hold a news conference, I will let you know the details,” Puttipong wrote on his official Facebook account. “No one can tolerate this kind of thing. I can’t either. I will fight with the best of my ability to defend the beloved institution of Thai people.”
Police have yet to confirm Puttipong’s statement. He also did not mention what charges were pressed against the person responsible for the photo.
Although Puttipong did not identify anyone in the post, a woman named Pimchanok Puksuk reportedly lost her job at a TV station after she posted the image, which shows herself holding a sign saying “Fuck you dictatorship” next to a huge portrait of the late King Rama IX.
The photo was taken when she was attending an anti-government protest at Pathumwan Intersection on Saturday.
Her friends also made teasing references to the monarchy in comments to the photo. Pimchanok appears to have deactivated her Facebook.
This image made from undated video provided by Zola shows a scene of its advertisement. The Hallmark Channel says it will reinstate same-sex marriage commercials that it had pulled from the network. Hallmark Cards CEO Mike Perry said in a statement Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019, that pulling the commercials “was the wrong decision." (Zola via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — The Hallmark Channel’s decision to pull, then reinstate a commercial that featured a same-sex couple kissing shows how controversy can generate more publicity than simply ignoring it.
The company also didn’t help matters by reversing its decision following the backlash.
“It’s hard to keep everyone happy, but flip-flopping doesn’t help,” said Allen Adamson, co-founder of the marketing consultancy Metaforce. “These are difficult issues to navigate but when you’re going to make a call one way or another, make sure you understand the ramifications. You only want to pull the Band-Aid off once.”
The debacle ultimately made a winner out of Zola, the wedding-planning website whose ads a conservative advocacy group didn’t want shown on Hallmark.
“For Zola, this is Christmas times 100,” said Laura Ries, president of marketing firm Ries and Ries. “Nobody ever heard of Zola, and now everybody knows it and loves it.”
Paul Argenti, Dartmouth College professor of corporate communication, added that the debacle “shows you if you know who you are, what you’re doing and stand by your beliefs, you’ll be better off in the end.”
The Hallmark Channel, owned by Hallmark Cards Inc., is Crown Media Family Networks’ flagship cable channel. It is known for family-friendly programming, particularly made-for-TV Christmas-themed movies.
That reputation prompted Hallmark to pull four Zola ads with same-sex couples after getting a complaint from a conservative group with a stated mission to “fight against indecency.” Hallmark allowed two ads with opposite-sex couples from Zola, though Zola pulled those after the same-sex ads were nixed.
In one of the pulled ads, two brides stand at the altar and wonder aloud whether their wedding would be going more smoothly if they had used a wedding-planning site like Zola. The lighthearted ad ends with the two brides sharing a quick kiss on the altar.
In an interview over the weekend, Hallmark spokeswoman Molly Biwer said the company felt “it was in the best interest of the brand to pull them and not continue to generate controversy.”
Instead, Hallmark faced criticism on Twitter from celebrities, including Ellen DeGeneres and William Shatner. “Isn’t it almost 2020? What are you thinking?” DeGeneres tweeted.
Hallmark was also mocked on “Saturday Night Live.” Netflix tweeted stills from a TV show and movie that it labeled “Titles Featuring Lesbians Joyfully Existing And Also It’s Christmas Can We Just Let People Love Who They Love.”
By Sunday, Hallmark had reversed its decision. In a statement, Hallmark Cards CEO Mike Perry said Crown Media was “agonizing” over the decision. “Said simply, they believe this was the wrong decision,” he said.
That, in turn, prompted calls for a boycott of the Hallmark Channel by the group that made the original complaint, One Million Moms. It accused Hallmark of caving to the LGBTQ community and portrayed the reversal as a betrayal to conservatives.
Hallmark Cards, the Kansas City, Missouri, enterprise started in 1910, has moved quickly before to respond to any flare-ups, such as when it removed a gift wrap from circulation after one person complained of seeing a swastika in its pattern. In March, it cut ties with actress Lori Loughlin, one of the so-called “Christmas Queens” who star in its holiday movies, after her arrest in a college admissions scam put the family-friendly network and extended Hallmark brand in uncomfortable proximity to a national scandal.
The group behind the latest complaint, One Million Moms, is an offshoot of the conservative American Family Association. It has tried to implement many boycotts, including one in 2008 targeting Hallmark Cards when it started selling same-sex wedding cards. It has also tried to start boycotts against Target, “Toy Story 4” and other entities it deems to be LGBTQ friendly.
Adamson said Hallmark’s backlash was different from what exercise bike maker Peloton recently faced over its tone-deaf ad. That ad, widely mocked on social media, showed a man giving a reluctant wife a Peloton bike for Christmas. Ryan Reynold’s Aviation Gin quickly capitalized on the debacle, showing the same actress out with friends trying to get over a split.
“The Peloton was painful for the company, but not a reflection of management values,” Adamson said. “In Hallmark’s case, this decision was initially and now a reflection of what they stand for. You really want to not change that story. If you believe and stand for something, that should be your North Star.”
Bill Pearce, assistant dean at the University of California, Berkeley’s business school, said Hallmark was ahead of the same-sex wedding issue when it introduced same-sex greeting cards in 2008, before gay marriage was legalized.
“Any goodwill engendered from the LGBTQ community is squandered and I don’t think they made any friends on the other side of the issue either,” Pearce said. “It’s a classic blunder by indecision.”
