HONG KONG: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged China to disclose the details of people killed, detained or missing during the Chinese military’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters centered on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square 29 years ago.
Pompeo marked Monday’s anniversary of the suppression of demonstrations on June 4, 1989, saying: “We remember the tragic loss of innocent lives.”
Hundreds, if not thousands, of unarmed protesters and onlookers were killed late on June 3 and the early hours of June 4, 1989, after China’s Communist leaders ordered the military to retake Tiananmen Square from the student-led demonstrators.
The topic remains taboo in mainland China and any form of commemoration, whether public or private, is banned. In Hong Kong, however, tens of thousands of people gather every year in Victoria Park on the evening of June 4 to remember the victims in the only large-scale public commemoration held on Chinese soil.
Organizers of this year’s vigil estimated 150,000 people attended, but Hong Kong police put the figure at 17,000.
Speakers in the park Monday night called for an “end to one-party dictatorship” despite warnings from pro-Beijing officials of potential repercussions.
Albert Ho, chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, the organizer of the vigil, said people in semiautonomous Hong Kong enjoyed the right to advocate for more political rights.
“When we are aspiring to establishing a truly democratic China, we all think a necessary condition is an end to one-party dictatorship,” Ho told the crowd. “So we are exercising this freedom of speech. And the suggestion that such expression is a violation of the constitution is totally groundless.”
The former top Beijing official in charge of Hong Kong’s affairs said in April that people who call for an “end to one-party dictatorship” are breaking the law and should be barred from running for political office.
Concerns have grown in Hong Kong that Beijing is eroding civil liberties there despite promises to maintain them following its 1997 handover from Britain.
In his statement, Pompeo called on Chinese authorities to release those who have been jailed for their efforts to keep alive the memory of the crackdown and to stop harassing the protest’s participants and their families.
He cited the Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, who wrote in his 2010 Nobel Peace Prize speech, delivered in absentia: “The ghosts of June 4th have not yet been laid to rest.” Liu last year became only the second Nobel Peace Prize winner to die in police custody.
“We join others in the international community in urging the Chinese government to make a full public accounting of those killed, detained or missing,” Pompeo’s statement said.
The Chinese foreign ministry said it was “strongly opposed” to Pompeo’s statement, calling it an interference in China’s internal affairs.
“We urge the US to abandon its prejudices, correct its mistakes, stop making irresponsible remarks and interfering in China’s internal affairs,” said ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a regular briefing.
She said the US should “do things that are more helpful for the steady growth of China-US ties instead of the other way around.”
While mainland Chinese are only dimly aware of what happened at Tiananmen Square nearly three decades ago, the subject is openly discussed in Taiwan, a self-governing island democracy.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said she hoped Beijing would confront its past.
“For several decades, the Chinese mainland has never stepped out of the shadows of this historical tragedy,” Tsai wrote in a Facebook post.
“I sincerely believe that if the Beijing authorities can face up to the June 4 incident and recognize the state’s violence at its essence, the unfortunate history of June 4 will be the foundation of China’s liberalization and democratization,” Tsai wrote.
The authoritarian Communist Party rulers in Beijing insist that Taiwan and the Chinese mainland are part of a single Chinese nation and have vowed to take control of the island by force if necessary.
Hong Kong remembers Tiananmen as US calls for accounting
Hong Kong remembers Tiananmen as US calls for accounting
- Organizers of this year’s vigil estimated 150,000 people attended, but Hong Kong police put the figure at 17,000
- The topic remains taboo in mainland China and any form of commemoration, whether public or private, is banned
PCB proposes Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi as ICC Champions Trophy 2025 venues— report
- Pakistan are scheduled to host the eight-team ICC Champions Trophy tournament next year
- PCB chairman says upgrading existing stadiums before tournament will be a “very tough test”
Islamabad: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has proposed Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi as the three venues for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, in an initial draft schedule of the tournament that it shared recently with the International Cricket Council (ICC), sports website ESPNcricinfo reported on Sunday.
Pakistan are scheduled to host the eight-team Champions Trophy tournament next year. If the tournament takes place in the South Asian country, it would mark the first time in nearly 30 years that an ICC event would be held in the country.
The green shirts won the last edition of the Champions Trophy 2025, which was held in 2017 in England. Champions Trophy 2017 was thought to be the last edition of the tournament until the ICC brought it back in the new rights cycle (2023-2027) and awarded Pakistan the hosting rights for the 2025 edition.
“Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi are the three venues proposed by the PCB in the initial draft schedule of the 2025 Champions Trophy, sent recently to the ICC,” ESPNcricinfo reported. “The eight-team tournament is expected to be played over two weeks, though the exact dates are not known yet,” it added.
It said the Pakistan board sent the initial draft after an ICC sent a team to conduct recces for the tournament. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the development during a news conference in Lahore on Sunday.
“The ICC’s security team came and we had a very good meeting,” Naqvi said. “They looked at arrangements here and we’ll also share stadium upgrade plans with them. We’re continuously in touch with the ICC. We are trying to ensure we host a very good tournament in Pakistan.”
A huge question mark looms over India’s prospects of touring Pakistan for the tournament. Political tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations mean they rarely play bilateral cricket against each other. India and Pakistan, fierce cricket rivals, meet each other on the field only during ICC tournaments and that too, at neutral venues.
India last toured Pakistan during the 2008 Asia Cup. Last year, the PCB had to adopt a “hybrid model” while hosting the Asia Cup, whereby some games were played in Pakistan but all of India’s games and the final were held in Sri Lanka.
Another challenge on Pakistan’s hands would be to upgrade its existing stadiums in line with international standards, something Naqvi has had his eye on ever since he assumed the PCB chairman’s post this year.
“If you look at Qaddafi [stadium in Lahore], it is good, but the viewing experience is not great for cricket. Football maybe, not cricket,” he said. Naqvi said Pakistan needed to improve facilities in the stadiums, especially the National Stadium in Karachi.
“So on May 7th, we’ll finalize bids from international companies who will come and help us design,” he said. “We will work with local consultants as well. We are already late but we need to do these upgrades in four-five months. It will be a very tough test but we can do it.”
Hilton plans to quadruple its Saudi footprint, says top executive
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s hospitality sector is growing by leaps and bounds with key global players entering the scene due to the business-friendly policies of the Kingdom announced as part of its economic diversification efforts.
Hospitality giant Hilton has announced plans to develop two hotels in Jeddah and Abha. According to a press statement, Hampton by Hilton Al Nuzhah in Jeddah will be developed in partnership with Al Manar United for Trading. Scheduled for opening in 2026, the hotel will feature 80 rooms.
The Hilton Garden Inn located in Abha is expected to open in 2027, it said.
The Abha hotel, also developed in partnership with Al Manar United for Trading will have 200 rooms, a lounge, a dining area, and a rooftop, as well as a gym and an outdoor pool.
Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the Future Hospitality Summit in Riyadh on Monday, Guy Hutchinson, president of Hilton in the Middle East and Africa region, said that the company plans to more than quadruple its Saudi footprint and open more than 60 hotels, with plans to exceed 100 properties in the coming years.
“As Saudi Arabia sets its target to increase hotel rooms to 550,000 by 2030, our pipeline of hotels will add more than 17,000 rooms in the coming years and we will introduce new brands to emerging and established destinations in Saudi Arabia,” said Hutchinson.
He added: “From focused service and branded residences to lifestyle and luxury, two-thirds of our pipeline is currently under construction and we remain committed to diversifying our portfolio to cater to diverse traveler needs.”
In partnership with master developer Knowledge Economic City, Hilton also signed an agreement for Hilton Residences Madinah Knowledge Economic City adjacent to Hilton Madinah Knowledge Economic City which is currently under construction.
The project in Madinah — set to open in 2026 — is expected to feature 64 two, three, and four-bedroom apartments.
“We are delighted to be working with master developer Knowledge Economic City to grow our footprint in Madinah. Knowledge Economic City is a very important project, playing a significant role in growing the city’s supply of modern and lifestyle destinations,” said Hutchinson.
He added: “We currently have Hilton Madinah Knowledge Economic City under construction, and the branded residences will provide guests with various choices of apartments and access to the hotel’s wide range of amenities, further contributing to destination accommodation offering.”
The press statement also added that Hilton Riyadh Olaya is expected to open its doors to guests in the coming months.
Carlos Khneisser, vice president, of development, Middle East and Africa at Hilton, said these new agreements will help meet the rising demand from travelers to Saudi Arabia as the Kingdom targets 150 million visitors by 2030.
“Saudi Arabia’s tourism landscape continues to evolve rapidly, presenting significant growth opportunities for Hilton and our valued partners. Two-thirds of our Saudi pipeline is currently under construction and we are working closely with investors to expand into new destinations with more of our brands,” said Khneisser.
During the talk, Hutchinson said that Hilton is committed to creating 15,000 jobs in the Kingdom by 2030, with more than half of the recruits being local talents.
“Our pipeline of hotels will create 15,000 job opportunities, with more than half of these recruits anticipated to be Saudi nationals. Over the past two years, Hilton’s portfolio of hotels across Saudi Arabia have welcomed more than 250 trainees through their doors, of which more than 200 are women,” added Hutchinson.
WEF meeting in Riyadh vital to build ‘trust’ in global systems, institutions
- Financial crises need attention, says the WEF’s Mirek Dusek
- Saudi Arabia has critical role to play in the region and globally
RIYADH: The World Economic Forum’s Special Meeting in Riyadh is a critical gathering needed to help address global wars and financial crises, says the WEF’s managing director.
Speaking to Arab News on Sunday, Mirek Dusek said the issue of rebuilding trust in institutions and systems continues the theme of the recent WEF meeting in Davos.
The erosion of trust has not only been the result of the COVID-19 pandemic or the military conflicts worldwide, but also goes back “all the way to the financial crisis.”
“There is a lot of research now, sociological and economic, looking at what it has done to society, in developing and in developed economies,” he added.
“What is also important is that you’re not rebuilding trust for a system of the past,” he continued. “You need to make sure that as you do those things, it’s really with the view for the future.
“We would term it intelligent economies … we live through this age of all these revolutions.
“So, it’s not only AI revolution, it’s also the biotech revolution, the energy transition revolution etc. and so, obviously, there are huge opportunities, but are we really equipped?”
Dusek explained that while AI comes with risks that can seriously impact societies, it also offers significant opportunities, particularly in terms of productivity.
He pointed out that the Riyadh meeting’s agenda seeks to “shape and build intelligent economies that are inclusive, sustainable and, obviously, dynamic.”
On the role of Riyadh in conflict resolution, Dusek said that as a G20 country with the region’s biggest economy, Saudi Arabia “is very visible on the international scene — on behalf also of the whole region.”
Dusek said “working on peace, security, and stability in this region is in the interest of the international community at large.” He added that the participation in Riyadh of many foreign ministers, including from the G7 Plus nations and Syria, as well as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, is “symptomatic of the fact that people, again, are paying attention.”
“We are, of course, dealing with the war in Gaza and the terrible humanitarian situation in Gaza, but I think it is a larger issue of how important it is to keep investing diplomatically in issues that may have been underinvested in the previous years,” he added.
He described this as “a big turning point in terms of where the regional security and stability picture will go.”
Dusek said holding the WEF’s Special Meeting in Saudi Arabia was an “important milestone” that fits the global conversation and agenda of Davos.
“If we just look under the hood of what intelligent economies mean, it is not only being able to really deploy some of these cutting-edge technologies in industry and in society, but it’s also figuring out how to have a more inclusive economy (and) labor force.
“It is figuring out the whole triangle of the energy transition — security, sustainability, and access.”
He said that the erosion of trust has deepened inequality within societies and in certain economies, and “intelligent economies” seek to address this growing gap.
“We are seeing the need to not only have outcomes that are medium- to long-term and look at the big picture.”
He added: “So, if you look at intelligent economies, it is the big picture systems view. And we continue to do that because it is important, but, of course, you also need to be able to see what are the solutions for the here and now and for the near term.”
He explained that for this reason, the WEF works closely with labor unions “not only in Davos or other meetings, but also in our ongoing work” to find ways to deliver to the most vulnerable and to fragile communities within each society.
He said a great deal of work is being done with organizations including the World Bank, and that the WEF continues to explore ways to “make sure that you finally figure out, for example, how to bring in more private capital into fragile markets, and crowding private capital for climate finance, for energy finance, etc.”
He added: “I think leaders and overall organizations are fully cognizant of that (of) moving in that direction. Is it enough? Obviously, we are seeing that particularly in terms of the statistics within societies.”
He pointed out that this awareness may have also been “triggered by some of these (global economic) shocks, but (there is) a clear realization that more needs to be done.”
DIFC records $2.6bn in gross written premiums, highest figure in its 20-year history
RIYADH: Dubai International Financial Centre recorded its highest gross written premiums in its 20-year history, amounting to $2.6 billion in 2023, marking a 23 percent increase from the previous year.
DIFC, a global financial center in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region, connects the fast-growing markets of the region with global economies and offers dining, retail, and living amenities, according to its website.
The center also recorded a 20 percent increase in the registration of insurance and reinsurance firms, including the first move of a Guernsey-based captive.
The Emirates News Agency reported that DIFC “has consolidated its position as the principal hub for the (re)insurance industry,” adding that DIFC’s appeal for managing general agents, representing 43 percent of new registrations, is a major factor shaping its insurance landscape.
This is credited to the center’s well-established regulatory framework, facilitating partnerships with cedants and brokers.
The influx of global insurers, reinsurers, and brokers, as well as captives, MGAs, and other industry stakeholders into DIFC, is driven by several factors. These include buoyant oil prices and increased infrastructure spending, as well as a focus on sustainable projects and low insurance penetration in the region.
Among the notable entities to join DIFC’s insurance sector in the past year are Alif Limited, Arc Insurance and Reinsurance Limited, and Barents Risk Management Limited. Joining them are BharatRe Global Ltd. and many more, it added.
Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority, emphasized the center’s role as a global industry hub, hosting over 120 registered insurers, reinsurers, captives, MGAs, and related entities.
The significance of DIFC’s stature in the insurance domain is further underscored by its co-hosting of the Dubai World Insurance Congress, featuring discussions on key themes reshaping the industry’s future, including innovation, capital attraction, and talent development.
In 2023, a survey conducted at DWIC revealed an 87 percent confidence in the Middle East, Africa, and Southern Asia market’s strategic opportunities. Property, health, energy, cyber, and liability lines of business were identified as holding the most potential. The survey also highlighted an 85 percent confidence rate in renewals and client retention.
Over two decades, DIFC has fostered the growth of the insurance and reinsurance industry, attracting talent and expertise to access key markets in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
The center hosts major insurance brokers, five of which are top ranked by the specialized insurance credit rating agency, AM Best. This has contributed to a significant 61 percent increase in brokered premiums compared to 2022, surpassing the $2 billion mark and solidifying DIFC’s position as a global market for insurance and reinsurance placements.
Evans and Cassidy give Jaguar a 1-2 finish in Monaco E-Prix
- Duo recorded the team’s second such triumph in Formula E history
- Evans broke a streak of four previous misses where he led but did not secure a win in the principality
MONTE CARLO: Mitch Evans claimed victory in the 2024 Monaco E-Prix, breaking his streak of four prior misses where he had led but failed to win.
Leading his Jaguar TCS Racing teammate Nick Cassidy, Evans executed the team’s strategy flawlessly, securing a dominant 1-2 finish for the British team. Their tactics, including strategic use of ATTACK MODE boosts, propelled Evans to his first Monaco win and Jaguar TCS Racing’s second 1-2 finish in Formula E.
“It feels mega, and a lot of relief to finally get that first win here,” said Evans after his win. “It feels like it should have come a few years earlier, but finally got it done today. Extra special as it’s my first win of the season as well here. Hopefully, this is a turning point for me and I can start to consistently get big points. I’ve been chipping away at it but nothing too crazy, so it’s come at a crucial time. It just feels amazing, and a massive team effort with Nick today to get a Jaguar 1-2 here in Monaco.”
With this victory, Evans bumps himself up to fifth in the drivers’ standing and solidifies his position as a championship frontrunner for Season 10, while Jaguar TCS Racing maintains its impressive lead in the Teams’ running.
Behind the top three, Stoffel Vandoorne’s teammate Jean-Eric Vergne was close behind in fourth. Pascal Wehrlein of TAG Heuer Porsche finished fifth, while Oliver Rowland of Nissan Formula E Team crossed the line sixth. Seventh place went to Antonio Felix da Costa of TAG Heuer Porsche, followed by Nissan’s Sacha Fenestraz of Nissan Formula E Team. Captain of consistency, Maximilian Gunther of Maserati MSG Racing, took ninth place securing more points for the Monaco-based outfit, while Norman Nato of Andretti Formula E rounded out the top 10.
As the season progresses, the stage is set for further excitement and fierce battles on the track, with the next rounds scheduled to take place in Berlin for the next double-header on May 11 and 12.
“It’s an unreal feeling, it’s been an epic day,” Cassidy said. “Last year, we were 1-2 as well so it’s pretty cool actually that it’s the other way around. I’m really happy for him. We can be really proud of our effort today and it’s a great result for Jaguar TCS Racing.”
Away from the on-track action, British boxing champion Anthony Joshua also stole the show, engaging with drivers and dropping hints about his upcoming fight. Amid the buzz of the pre-race media activities, Joshua revealed the date for his next match at Wembley Stadium in London.
Sharing insights from his illustrious career, Joshua drew parallels between boxing and motorsport, emphasizing the importance of teamwork for success. As the crowd eagerly awaited news of his next opponent, Joshua tantalized with names like Filip Hrgovic, Daniel Dubois, and Deontay Wilder, hinting at a potential showdown with Tyson Fury.
With royalty in attendance, including Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco, the event culminated in the presentation of trophies to the podium-sitters, marking yet another thrilling chapter in Monaco’s motorsport history.
The next race in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is the 2024 Berlin E-Prix double-header on Saturday and Sunday, May 11-12.
