Meanwhile. . .

Axios - A Hong Kong court today convicted pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai of sedition and colluding with foreign forces in a landmark national security trial. Lai, 78, founded Apple Daily, Hong Kong's now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper before authorities forced it to close in 2021. He became a symbol of the city's pro-democracy movement.  His conviction effectively concludes an era of open political challenge in Hong Kong and marks the city's transformation under Chinese rule.