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Trump announces he'll use Defense Production Act to increase domestic gas production
President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act on Thursday, announcing that the government would be spending $150 million toward boosting domestic gas and diesel production as the White House looks to ease consumer pain at the gas pump. The announcement was made in a presidential memorandum earlier Thursday, but the president detailed the exact amount...
South-East Queensland braces for more rain after surprise deluge
South-east Queensland is bracing for another deluge after an unexpected downpour brought chaos across the region.
Anika Wells’ Brisbane office closed over security incident
Police were called to the office after a woman allegedly behaved in a threatening manner towards staff.
Anika Wells’ Brisbane office closed over security incident
Police were called to the office after a woman allegedly behaved in a threatening manner towards staff.
Mother and child found dead outside Melbourne apartment building
A woman and her five-year-old daughter have been found dead outside a high-rise building in Melbourne’s east.
'Daily Huanggang traffic hit 130k at long weekend'
The new Huanggang border crossing facility is operating smoothly but still has room for improvement, Secretary for Security Chris Tang said on Friday, as he revealed that daily passenger traffic hit 130,000 during the three-day Chung Yeung festival holiday. Speaking on a radio programme, Tang said the new port is handling about 83,000 passengers on ordinary days – more than double the volume of the old crossing. During the long weekend holiday period, the average daily figure reached 130,000, with the busiest period around midday on Saturday, seeing waits of up to one hour from alighting to completing clearance, the security minister said. "On the 17th, the number of people exiting was nine times higher than normal. Usually, during peak hours, the wait is 15 minutes; now, it’s nine times longer than peak hours – if you calculate it that way, you might have to wait two hours. Also, don’t forget that this time, our border crossing allows direct entry into the mainland. Previously, after exiting Hong Kong, you still had to queue again on the mainland," he said. Tang stressed that the "one-stop" inspection system still makes the process faster than before, as travellers only need to go through a single check. The minister identified several areas for improvement, saying some travellers have not pre-registered for e-channel services, and children under seven must use manual counters. He said the authorities would learn from the experience and step up crowd management. On arrangements for non-Chinese passport holders, Tang said the mainland side requires them to fill in forms, and Hong Kong authorities have been assisting travellers in completing the paperwork while they wait. Tang noted that the new crossing can open up to 90 departure counters – 60 e-channels and 30 manual counters. However, the manual counters require staff on both the SAR and the mainland sides to operate simultaneously. The security chief thanked frontline staff for their hard work, acknowledging they are under immense pressure and have had to cancel leave. He said the authorities have deployed additional manpower and extended working hours where necessary. On next month's Apec summit in Shenzhen, Tang said if any Very Important Persons travel via Hong Kong, security preparations must be thorough, though the impact on ordinary citizens is expected to be minimal. He said the authorities will guard against anyone using Hong Kong as a gateway to enter the mainland for illegal activities, and will also watch for drone activity aimed at disrupting the summit. Edited by Aaron Tam
'Daily Huanggang traffic hit 130k at long weekend'
The new Huanggang border crossing facility is operating smoothly but still has room for improvement, Secretary for Security Chris Tang said on Friday, as he revealed that daily passenger traffic hit 130,000 during the three-day Chung Yeung festival holiday. Speaking on a radio programme, Tang said the new port is handling about 83,000 passengers on ordinary days – more than double the volume of the old crossing. During the long weekend holiday period, the average daily figure reached 130,000, with the busiest period around midday on Saturday, seeing waits of up to one hour from alighting to completing clearance, the security minister said. "On the 17th, the number of people exiting was nine times higher than normal. Usually, during peak hours, the wait is 15 minutes; now, it’s nine times longer than peak hours – if you calculate it that way, you might have to wait two hours. Also, don’t forget that this time, our border crossing allows direct entry into the mainland. Previously, after exiting Hong Kong, you still had to queue again on the mainland," he said. Tang stressed that the "one-stop" inspection system still makes the process faster than before, as travellers only need to go through a single check. The minister identified several areas for improvement, saying some travellers have not pre-registered for e-channel services, and children under seven must use manual counters. He said the authorities would learn from the experience and step up crowd management. On arrangements for non-Chinese passport holders, Tang said the mainland side requires them to fill in forms, and Hong Kong authorities have been assisting travellers in completing the paperwork while they wait. Tang noted that the new crossing can open up to 90 departure counters – 60 e-channels and 30 manual counters. However, the manual counters require staff on both the SAR and the mainland sides to operate simultaneously. The security chief thanked frontline staff for their hard work, acknowledging they are under immense pressure and have had to cancel leave. He said the authorities have deployed additional manpower and extended working hours where necessary. On next month's Apec summit in Shenzhen, Tang said if any Very Important Persons travel via Hong Kong, security preparations must be thorough, though the impact on ordinary citizens is expected to be minimal. He said the authorities will guard against anyone using Hong Kong as a gateway to enter the mainland for illegal activities, and will also watch for drone activity aimed at disrupting the summit. Edited by Aaron Tam
Treasury Department proposes curbs on high-tech investments in China, Russia, North Korea
The Treasury Department on Thursday proposed a rule to curb American high-tech investments, including in AI, based in U.S. adversary countries such as China, Russia, North Korea and other "countries of concern." The rule expands restrictions in the Outbound Investment Security Program (OISP) on hypersonic systems and quantum information technologies, high-performance computing and supercomputing and...
Treasury Department proposes curbs on high-tech investments in China, Russia, North Korea
The Treasury Department on Thursday proposed a rule to curb American high-tech investments, including in AI, based in U.S. adversary countries such as China, Russia, North Korea and other "countries of concern." The rule expands restrictions in the Outbound Investment Security Program (OISP) on hypersonic systems and quantum information technologies, high-performance computing and supercomputing and...
China’s Xi Jinping orders urgent relief after Tibet earthquake leaves 16 dead
All efforts need to be focused on search and rescue for survivors and treating the injured, President Xi Jinping instructed on Friday morning, after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake killed 16 and injured 65 in China’s Tibet autonomous region overnight. “The disaster-hit area is located in a high-altitude region with cold weather. It is imperative to closely monitor seismic activity and weather changes and implement rescue operations accordingly, while preventing secondary disasters,” he said,...