Hong Kong's Court of Appeal upheld on Tuesday a court decision to deny a trial by jury to the first person charged under a new national security law, a landmark decision that marks a departure from the global financial hub's common law tradition. 
 
Last month, the Court of First Instance in the High Court ruled that Tong Ying-kit would face a trial without jury, citing 'a perceived risk of the personal safety of jurors and their family members'. His lawyer appealed. 
 
"Although jury trial is the conventional mode of trial in the Court of First Instance, it should not be assumed to be the only means of achieving fairness in the criminal process," according to a summary of the decision by judges Jeremy Poon, Wally Yeung and Johnson Lam. 
 
"When personal safety of jurors and their family members is under threat and due administration of justice might be impaired, there is a real risk that the goal of a fair trial by jury will be put in peril." 
 
Police say Tong carried a sign reading 'Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times' and drove his motorbike into officers during a protest on July 1, knocking several down on a narrow street before falling over and getting arrested. 
 
It was the first day on which the security law that Beijing imposed on the city, targeting what China deems as secession, separatism, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, was in force. Tong, 24, was charged with inciting separatism and terrorism. 
 
In February, Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng informed the defendant's legal team his trial would be heard by three judges appointed for national security cases instead of a jury, citing risks to jurors' safety. 
 
Tong then filed for a judicial review of the decision, which High Court Judge Alex Lee in the Court of First Instance rejected. 
 
Hong Kong's Judiciary describes trial by jury as one of the most important features of the city's legal system, a common law tradition designed to offer defendants additional protection against the possibility of authorities overreaching their power. 
 
Article 46 of the new law, drafted by Beijing, where courts are controlled by the Communist Party and conviction rates are close to 100%, states three instances in which juries can be scrapped: protecting state secrets, cases involving foreign forces and protecting jurors' safety. 
 
Tong has also been denied bail. Hong Kong's common law has traditionally allowed defendants to seek release unless prosecutors can show lawful grounds for their detention. 
 
In another departure from common law practices, the burden is now placed on the defendant to prove they will not break the law if released on bail. 
 
The trial is due to start on Wednesday. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Hong Kong's Court of Appeal upheld on Tuesday a court decision to deny a trial by jury to the first person charged under a new national security law, a landmark decision that marks a departure from the global financial hub's common law tradition.

Hong Kong's Court of Appeal upheld on Tuesday a court decision to deny a trial by jury to the first person charged under a new national security law, a landmark decision that marks a departure from the global financial hub's common law tradition. Last month, the Court of First Instance in the High Court ruled that Tong Ying-kit would face a trial without jury, citing 'a perceived risk of the personal safety of jurors and their family members'. His lawyer appealed. "Although jury trial is the conventional mode of trial in the Court of First Instance, it should not be assumed to be the only means of achieving fairness in the criminal process," according to a summary of the decision by judges Jeremy Poon, Wally Yeung and Johnson Lam. "When personal safety of jurors and their family members is under threat and due administration of justice might be impaired, there is a real risk that the goal of a fair trial by jury will be put in peril." Police say Tong carried a sign reading 'Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times' and drove his motorbike into officers during a protest on July 1, knocking several down on a narrow street before falling over and getting arrested. It was the first day on which the security law that Beijing imposed on the city, targeting what China deems as secession, separatism, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, was in force. Tong, 24, was charged with inciting separatism and terrorism. In February, Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng informed the defendant's legal team his trial would be heard by three judges appointed for national security cases instead of a jury, citing risks to jurors' safety. Tong then filed for a judicial review of the decision, which High Court Judge Alex Lee in the Court of First Instance rejected. Hong Kong's Judiciary describes trial by jury as one of the most important features of the city's legal system, a common law tradition designed to offer defendants additional protection against the possibility of authorities overreaching their power. Article 46 of the new law, drafted by Beijing, where courts are controlled by the Communist Party and conviction rates are close to 100%, states three instances in which juries can be scrapped: protecting state secrets, cases involving foreign forces and protecting jurors' safety. Tong has also been denied bail. Hong Kong's common law has traditionally allowed defendants to seek release unless prosecutors can show lawful grounds for their detention. In another departure from common law practices, the burden is now placed on the defendant to prove they will not break the law if released on bail. The trial is due to start on Wednesday. (With inputs from agencies)

Hong Kong court upholds decision to have no jury at first national security trial

Starlink, the satellite internet unit of Elon Musk's SpaceX, expects to be able to provide continuous global coverage by around September but will then need to seek regulatory approvals, its president Gwynne Shotwel said on Tuesday. 
 
"We've successfully deployed 1,800 or so satellites and once all those satellites reach their operational orbit, we will have continuous global coverage, so that should be like September timeframe," she told a Macquarie Group technology conference via webcast. 
 
"But then, we have regulatory work to go into every country and get approved to provide telecoms services." 
 
Starlink, which has said it plans to deploy 12,000 satellites in total at a cost of roughly $10 billion, currently offers beta services in 11 countries, Shotwel said. 
 
In May, Musk said the low-Earth orbiting satellite network had received more than 500,000 preorders for its internet service and anticipates no technical problems meeting demand. 
 
The US&nbsp;Federal Communications Commission this year approved SpaceX's plan to deploy some Starlink satellites at a lower earth orbit than planned to provide high-speed broadband internet services to people, who currently lack access. 
 
Starlink is one of a growing number of makers of small satellites that also includes Amazon.com's Kuiper, Britain's OneWeb, venture capital-backed Planet, and Raytheon Technologies Corp's Blue Canyon Technologies. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Starlink, the satellite internet unit of Elon Musk's SpaceX, expects to be able to provide continuous global coverage by around September but will then need to seek regulatory approvals, its president Gwynne Shotwel said on Tuesday.

Starlink, the satellite internet unit of Elon Musk's SpaceX, expects to be able to provide continuous global coverage by around September but will then need to seek regulatory approvals, its president Gwynne Shotwel said on Tuesday. "We've successfully deployed 1,800 or so satellites and once all those satellites reach their operational orbit, we will have continuous global coverage, so that should be like September timeframe," she told a Macquarie Group technology conference via webcast. "But then, we have regulatory work to go into every country and get approved to provide telecoms services." Starlink, which has said it plans to deploy 12,000 satellites in total at a cost of roughly $10 billion, currently offers beta services in 11 countries, Shotwel said. In May, Musk said the low-Earth orbiting satellite network had received more than 500,000 preorders for its internet service and anticipates no technical problems meeting demand. The US Federal Communications Commission this year approved SpaceX's plan to deploy some Starlink satellites at a lower earth orbit than planned to provide high-speed broadband internet services to people, who currently lack access. Starlink is one of a growing number of makers of small satellites that also includes Amazon.com's Kuiper, Britain's OneWeb, venture capital-backed Planet, and Raytheon Technologies Corp's Blue Canyon Technologies. (With inputs from agencies)

SpaceX's satellite internet unit Starlink expects it can provide global coverage around September

North Korea has told the World Health Organization that it tested more than 30,000 people for the coronavirus through June 10, but has yet to find a single infection.

The WHO said in a monitoring report on Tuesday that North Korea's testing figures included 733 people, who were tested during June 4-10, of which 149 were with influenza-like illnesses or severe respiratory infections.

Experts widely doubt North Korea's claim that it has not had a single case of the virus, given its poor health infrastructure and porous border with China, its major ally and economic lifeline.

Describing its anti-virus efforts as a 'matter of national existence',&nbsp;the North has banned tourists, jetted out diplomats and severely restricted cross-border traffic and trade. The self-imposed lockdown has caused further strain on an economy already battered by decades of mismanagement and crippling US-led sanctions over the country's nuclear weapons programme.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a political conference last week called for officials to brace for prolonged COVID-19 restrictions, indicating that the country isn't ready to open its borders anytime soon.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

North Korea has told the World Health Organization that it tested more than 30,000 people for the coronavirus through June 10, but has yet to find a single infection.

North Korea has told the World Health Organization that it tested more than 30,000 people for the coronavirus through June 10, but has yet to find a single infection. The WHO said in a monitoring report on Tuesday that North Korea's testing figures included 733 people, who were tested during June 4-10, of which 149 were with influenza-like illnesses or severe respiratory infections. Experts widely doubt North Korea's claim that it has not had a single case of the virus, given its poor health infrastructure and porous border with China, its major ally and economic lifeline. Describing its anti-virus efforts as a 'matter of national existence', the North has banned tourists, jetted out diplomats and severely restricted cross-border traffic and trade. The self-imposed lockdown has caused further strain on an economy already battered by decades of mismanagement and crippling US-led sanctions over the country's nuclear weapons programme. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a political conference last week called for officials to brace for prolonged COVID-19 restrictions, indicating that the country isn't ready to open its borders anytime soon. (With inputs from agencies)

North Korea tells WHO it has detected no virus cases

US President Joe Biden is looking forward to a meeting with his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani during which the two leaders will discuss ways to ensure Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorist groups who pose a threat to America, the White House has said.

Biden will meet Ghani at the White House on Friday for the first face-to-face interaction ahead of the withdrawal of the remaining US and NATO forces from the war-torn country by September 11.

"The President looks forward to welcoming him to the White House for a meeting on Friday. I expect their focus of their conversation will be to continue to discuss how we can work together to ensure that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorist groups who pose a threat to the US homeland," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday.

Their conversation will also be about how they can work together to continue to implement humanitarian assistance, other assistance that the United States remains committed to, even as the US works to draw down its troops from Afghanistan.

The US defence department said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the military leadership are constantly looking at the pace we're going at, and the capabilities we have, and the capabilities that we're going to need throughout to complete the withdrawal. Biden has directed the Pentagon to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by September 11 this year.&nbsp;

The high-level meeting between Biden and Ghani will take place as the Taliban insurgents have in recent weeks captured dozens of new districts in Afghanistan and both sides are said to have suffered heavy casualties.

The escalation in fighting between Afghan security forces and Taliban militants have dealt fresh blows to the US-brokered peace negotiations between Kabul and the insurgents.

The US military exit from Afghanistan before September 11 stems from the February 2020 agreement Washington signed with the Taliban in return for counterterrorism guarantees and pledges the group would negotiate a political settlement to the war with the Afghan government.

In April, President Biden announced that the US will withdraw all remaining troops from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks, in an effort to end a deadly conflict that has cost trillions of dollars and the lives of more than 2,300 American troops.

Biden has made it clear that a continued military strategy was no longer sustainable in Afghanistan.&nbsp;"We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan hoping to create ideal conditions for the withdrawal and expecting a different result," he said in a major policy speech on April 14 from the Treaty Room of the White House - where former president George W&nbsp;Bush first informed the nation of US strikes on al-Qaida training camps in Afghanistan in October 2001.

In response to Biden's announcement, Afghan President Ghani said his country respects his American counterpart's decision to draw down their troops by September of this year and Kabul will ensure a smooth transition.

Ghani pointed out that the Afghanistan National Defence and Security Forces have been carrying out most of the operations independently since the US-Taliban agreement of February 2020 to defend the people and the country. 
"Our forces are capable of defending Afghanistan against current threats," the Afghan president said in a statement in April.

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden is looking forward to a meeting with his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani during which the two leaders will discuss ways to ensure Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorist groups who pose a threat to America, the White House has said.

US President Joe Biden is looking forward to a meeting with his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani during which the two leaders will discuss ways to ensure Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorist groups who pose a threat to America, the White House has said. Biden will meet Ghani at the White House on Friday for the first face-to-face interaction ahead of the withdrawal of the remaining US and NATO forces from the war-torn country by September 11. "The President looks forward to welcoming him to the White House for a meeting on Friday. I expect their focus of their conversation will be to continue to discuss how we can work together to ensure that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorist groups who pose a threat to the US homeland," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday. Their conversation will also be about how they can work together to continue to implement humanitarian assistance, other assistance that the United States remains committed to, even as the US works to draw down its troops from Afghanistan. The US defence department said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the military leadership are constantly looking at the pace we're going at, and the capabilities we have, and the capabilities that we're going to need throughout to complete the withdrawal. Biden has directed the Pentagon to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by September 11 this year. The high-level meeting between Biden and Ghani will take place as the Taliban insurgents have in recent weeks captured dozens of new districts in Afghanistan and both sides are said to have suffered heavy casualties. The escalation in fighting between Afghan security forces and Taliban militants have dealt fresh blows to the US-brokered peace negotiations between Kabul and the insurgents. The US military exit from Afghanistan before September 11 stems from the February 2020 agreement Washington signed with the Taliban in return for counterterrorism guarantees and pledges the group would negotiate a political settlement to the war with the Afghan government. In April, President Biden announced that the US will withdraw all remaining troops from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks, in an effort to end a deadly conflict that has cost trillions of dollars and the lives of more than 2,300 American troops. Biden has made it clear that a continued military strategy was no longer sustainable in Afghanistan. "We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan hoping to create ideal conditions for the withdrawal and expecting a different result," he said in a major policy speech on April 14 from the Treaty Room of the White House - where former president George W Bush first informed the nation of US strikes on al-Qaida training camps in Afghanistan in October 2001. In response to Biden's announcement, Afghan President Ghani said his country respects his American counterpart's decision to draw down their troops by September of this year and Kabul will ensure a smooth transition. Ghani pointed out that the Afghanistan National Defence and Security Forces have been carrying out most of the operations independently since the US-Taliban agreement of February 2020 to defend the people and the country. "Our forces are capable of defending Afghanistan against current threats," the Afghan president said in a statement in April. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden-Ghani meet to ensure Afghanistan never becomes safe haven for terrorists: WH

A senior North Korean official ridiculed American hopes for talks on Tuesday, as the United States and South Korea agreed to consider scrapping a controversial working group established to coordinate their policy toward Pyongyang. 
 
Kim Yo Jong, a senior official in the ruling party and sister of leader Kim Jong Un, released a statement in state media on Tuesday saying the United States appears to be interpreting signals from Pyongyang in a way that would lead to disappointment. 
 
She was responding to US&nbsp;National Security adviser Jake Sullivan, who on Sunday said, he saw as an 'interesting signal' in a recent speech by Kim Jong Un on preparing for both confrontation and diplomacy with the United States. 
 
"It seems that the US&nbsp;may interpret the situation in such a way as to seek a comfort for itself," she said in a statement carried by KCNA. "The expectation, which they chose to harbour the wrong way, would plunge them into a greater disappointment." 
 
Kim's statement came during a visit to Seoul by recently appointed US&nbsp;special representative for North Korea Sung Kim, who was scheduled to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Unification Minister Lee In-young, who handles relations with the North, on Tuesday. 
 
On Monday, Sung Kim said he was willing to meet with the North Koreans 'anywhere, anytime without preconditions' and that he looks forward to a 'positive response soon'. 
 
During talks between Kim and his South Korean counterpart Noh Kyu-duk, the two agreed to 'look into terminating the working group' while reinforcing coordination at other levels, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement. 
 
The working group was set up in 2018 to help the two allies coordinate their approaches to issues, such as denuclearisation talks, humanitarian aid, sanctions enforcement and inter-Korean relations amid a flurry of diplomatic engagement with North Korea at the time. 
 
When asked last year about Seoul's proposals, such as reopening individual tourism to its northern neighbour, US&nbsp;ambassador to South Korea at the time, Harry Harris, said that 'in order to avoid a misunderstanding later that could trigger sanctions... it’s better to run this through the working group'. 
 
Though Harris added that it was not the United States’ place to approve South Korean decisions, the remarks caused controversy in Seoul and a former aide to South Korean President Moon Jae-in later told parliament the working group was increasingly seen as an obstacle to inter-Korean relations. 
 
The Moon administration would see ending the working group as a goodwill gesture from new US&nbsp;President Joe Biden, said Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a Korea expert at King's College London. 
 
"From a South Korean perspective, this was basically a mechanism for the US&nbsp;to block inter-Korean projects during the Trump years," he said. "It would be a clever political move for the Biden administration to end the group, since consultation between Washington and Seoul will take place anyway." 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

A senior North Korean official ridiculed American hopes for talks on Tuesday, as the United States and South Korea agreed to consider scrapping a controversial working group established to coordinate their policy toward Pyongyang.

A senior North Korean official ridiculed American hopes for talks on Tuesday, as the United States and South Korea agreed to consider scrapping a controversial working group established to coordinate their policy toward Pyongyang. Kim Yo Jong, a senior official in the ruling party and sister of leader Kim Jong Un, released a statement in state media on Tuesday saying the United States appears to be interpreting signals from Pyongyang in a way that would lead to disappointment. She was responding to US National Security adviser Jake Sullivan, who on Sunday said, he saw as an 'interesting signal' in a recent speech by Kim Jong Un on preparing for both confrontation and diplomacy with the United States. "It seems that the US may interpret the situation in such a way as to seek a comfort for itself," she said in a statement carried by KCNA. "The expectation, which they chose to harbour the wrong way, would plunge them into a greater disappointment." Kim's statement came during a visit to Seoul by recently appointed US special representative for North Korea Sung Kim, who was scheduled to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Unification Minister Lee In-young, who handles relations with the North, on Tuesday. On Monday, Sung Kim said he was willing to meet with the North Koreans 'anywhere, anytime without preconditions' and that he looks forward to a 'positive response soon'. During talks between Kim and his South Korean counterpart Noh Kyu-duk, the two agreed to 'look into terminating the working group' while reinforcing coordination at other levels, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The working group was set up in 2018 to help the two allies coordinate their approaches to issues, such as denuclearisation talks, humanitarian aid, sanctions enforcement and inter-Korean relations amid a flurry of diplomatic engagement with North Korea at the time. When asked last year about Seoul's proposals, such as reopening individual tourism to its northern neighbour, US ambassador to South Korea at the time, Harry Harris, said that 'in order to avoid a misunderstanding later that could trigger sanctions... it’s better to run this through the working group'. Though Harris added that it was not the United States’ place to approve South Korean decisions, the remarks caused controversy in Seoul and a former aide to South Korean President Moon Jae-in later told parliament the working group was increasingly seen as an obstacle to inter-Korean relations. The Moon administration would see ending the working group as a goodwill gesture from new US President Joe Biden, said Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a Korea expert at King's College London. "From a South Korean perspective, this was basically a mechanism for the US to block inter-Korean projects during the Trump years," he said. "It would be a clever political move for the Biden administration to end the group, since consultation between Washington and Seoul will take place anyway." (With inputs from agencies)

North Korea ridicules US hopes for talks as allies rethink approach

The United States is in talks with some of the key actors in Libya over the withdrawal of foreign forces ahead of elections planned for December, Washington's top Libya envoy said on Monday. 
 
Special Envoy for Libya Richard Norland told reporters that part of the importance of Libya's elections was so a fully empowered, credible and legitimate government could push foreign actors to pull out their troops. 
 
"That will be a very important development and ... very impactful, but we're not suggesting that we have to wait until next year to try to make some progress," Norland said ahead of US&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken's travel to the Second Berlin Conference on Libya this week. 
 
"There are negotiations underway with some of the key actors aimed at trying to remove some of the mercenaries, the foreign fighters," Norland added. 
 
Libya has suffered a decade of chaos and violence since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted the then head of state Muammar Gaddafi, but its two main warring sides this year consented to a new government. 
 
But while the installation of a unified administration and a push for national elections in December are seen as the best hope in years for a lasting political solution, the process is still fraught with challenges. 
 
Most territory is still controlled by local armed groups, major outside powers have not pulled foreign fighters from the front lines, and key figures disagree on the management of Libya's economic resources. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The United States is in talks with some of the key actors in Libya over the withdrawal of foreign forces ahead of elections planned for December, Washington's top Libya envoy said on Monday.

The United States is in talks with some of the key actors in Libya over the withdrawal of foreign forces ahead of elections planned for December, Washington's top Libya envoy said on Monday. Special Envoy for Libya Richard Norland told reporters that part of the importance of Libya's elections was so a fully empowered, credible and legitimate government could push foreign actors to pull out their troops. "That will be a very important development and ... very impactful, but we're not suggesting that we have to wait until next year to try to make some progress," Norland said ahead of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's travel to the Second Berlin Conference on Libya this week. "There are negotiations underway with some of the key actors aimed at trying to remove some of the mercenaries, the foreign fighters," Norland added. Libya has suffered a decade of chaos and violence since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted the then head of state Muammar Gaddafi, but its two main warring sides this year consented to a new government. But while the installation of a unified administration and a push for national elections in December are seen as the best hope in years for a lasting political solution, the process is still fraught with challenges. Most territory is still controlled by local armed groups, major outside powers have not pulled foreign fighters from the front lines, and key figures disagree on the management of Libya's economic resources. (With inputs from agencies)

Washington in talks over removal of foreign fighters from Libya: US envoy

Russian state prosecutor's office said on Monday it banned Bard College, a US&nbsp;non-governmental organisation, after labelling it 'undesirable'. 
 
The Russian foreign ministry said in April, it would end the activity in Russia of US&nbsp;funds and NGOs which it believed interfere in the country's internal affairs, in retaliation to an array of US&nbsp;government sanctions imposed on Moscow. 
 
The state prosecutor's office said that the activity of educational NGO Bard College 'represents the threat to the constitutional order and security of Russian Federation'. Bard was not immediately available to comment. 
 
Russia-US&nbsp;ties slumped to a new post-Cold War in March after US&nbsp;President Joe Biden said he thought his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin was a 'killer', while Moscow and Washington recalled their ambassadors. 
 
Biden and Putin met in Geneva last week and agreed for the envoys to return. 
 
Speaking at a news conference after meeting with Biden, Putin said the organizations, which are supported by the United States, would 'contain' Russia. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Russian state prosecutor's office said on Monday it banned Bard College, a US non-governmental organisation, after labelling it 'undesirable'. The Russian foreign ministry said in April, it would end the activity in Russia of US funds and NGOs which it believed interfere in the country's internal affairs, in retaliation to an array of US government sanctions imposed on Moscow.

Russian state prosecutor's office said on Monday it banned Bard College, a US non-governmental organisation, after labelling it 'undesirable'. The Russian foreign ministry said in April, it would end the activity in Russia of US funds and NGOs which it believed interfere in the country's internal affairs, in retaliation to an array of US government sanctions imposed on Moscow. The state prosecutor's office said that the activity of educational NGO Bard College 'represents the threat to the constitutional order and security of Russian Federation'. Bard was not immediately available to comment. Russia-US ties slumped to a new post-Cold War in March after US President Joe Biden said he thought his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin was a 'killer', while Moscow and Washington recalled their ambassadors. Biden and Putin met in Geneva last week and agreed for the envoys to return. Speaking at a news conference after meeting with Biden, Putin said the organizations, which are supported by the United States, would 'contain' Russia. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia bans US NGO Bard College after labelling it 'undesirable'

Aston Martin is suing a Swiss car dealer that it says withheld customer payments for its $3 million Valkyrie sports car, the luxury carmaker said on Tuesday. 
 
The London-listed company has also ended its commercial agreement with the dealer, Nebula Project AG, saying it would now take customer deposits directly for special vehicles, such as the Valkyrie rather than involve a third party. 
 
Aston Martin is also ending agreements with AF Cars AG, which runs the British carmaker's St&nbsp;Gallen dealership in Switzerland and is led by Nebula board members, saying that some cars were sold in breach of dealership agreements. 
 
Nebula and one of its board members, Andreas Baenziger, did not respond immediately to emailed requests for comment. Florian Kamelger, another board member, said in an email that Nebula would release a statement later on Tuesday. 
 
"Both Aston Martin and its customers have been impacted by Nebula Project AG and its board members' behaviour," Aston Martin said in a statement. 
 
A source close to Aston Martin said the case will be filed in a Swiss court on Tuesday, though neither the source nor the company disclosed the size of damages being sought. 
 
Aston Martin's statement said it could face a 15 million pound ($21 million) hit to its 2021 results because of the alleged withheld payments but added that it was on course to meet financial expectations for the year. 
 
Shares in the FTSE 250 company were down 1.9% at 1897.5 pence by 0747 GMT. 
 
The Valkyrie is a limited-edition supercar that utilises Formula One technology and sells for about $3 million, though the company hasn't listed an official price. First deliveries are on track for the second half of this year, the company said. 
 
Aston Martin said it would work to ensure affected customers receive their Valkyrie cars as scheduled despite the company not having received all of their money.

Aston Martin is suing a Swiss car dealer that it says withheld customer payments for its $3 million Valkyrie sports car, the luxury carmaker said on Tuesday. The London-listed company has also ended its commercial agreement with the dealer, Nebula Project AG, saying it would now take customer deposits directly for special vehicles, such as the Valkyrie rather than involve a third party.

Aston Martin is suing a Swiss car dealer that it says withheld customer payments for its $3 million Valkyrie sports car, the luxury carmaker said on Tuesday. The London-listed company has also ended its commercial agreement with the dealer, Nebula Project AG, saying it would now take customer deposits directly for special vehicles, such as the Valkyrie rather than involve a third party. Aston Martin is also ending agreements with AF Cars AG, which runs the British carmaker's St Gallen dealership in Switzerland and is led by Nebula board members, saying that some cars were sold in breach of dealership agreements. Nebula and one of its board members, Andreas Baenziger, did not respond immediately to emailed requests for comment. Florian Kamelger, another board member, said in an email that Nebula would release a statement later on Tuesday. "Both Aston Martin and its customers have been impacted by Nebula Project AG and its board members' behaviour," Aston Martin said in a statement. A source close to Aston Martin said the case will be filed in a Swiss court on Tuesday, though neither the source nor the company disclosed the size of damages being sought. Aston Martin's statement said it could face a 15 million pound ($21 million) hit to its 2021 results because of the alleged withheld payments but added that it was on course to meet financial expectations for the year. Shares in the FTSE 250 company were down 1.9% at 1897.5 pence by 0747 GMT. The Valkyrie is a limited-edition supercar that utilises Formula One technology and sells for about $3 million, though the company hasn't listed an official price. First deliveries are on track for the second half of this year, the company said. Aston Martin said it would work to ensure affected customers receive their Valkyrie cars as scheduled despite the company not having received all of their money.

Aston Martin sues Swiss dealer over Valkyrie sports car payments

A federal appeals court on Monday put a hold on a federal judge’s ruling that overturned California’s 32-year-old ban on assault weapons.

The state law, which dates to 1989, was challenged in a 2019 lawsuit filed against the state’s attorney general by plaintiffs including James Miller, a California resident, and the San Diego County Gun Owners, a political action committee.

On June 4, Judge Roger T. Benitez of U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California said in a decision that the state law defining assault weapons and restricting their use was unconstitutional.

“Like the Swiss Army knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment,” Benitez wrote in the first line of a 94-page decision.

The AR-15 is “good for both home and battle,” he wrote, adding: “One is to be forgiven if one is persuaded by news media and others that the nation is awash with murderous AR-15 assault rifles. The facts, however, do not support this hyperbole, and facts matter.”

But the judge granted a 30-day stay of the ruling at the request of California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, a move that allowed Bonta to appeal it.

In a decision on Monday, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals further extended Benitez’s stay, pending resolution of another case challenging the ban. “The stay shall remain in effect until further order of this court,” the judges wrote.

The three judges were Senior Circuit Court Judge Barry G. Silverman, nominated to the bench by President Bill Clinton; Circuit Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen, nominated by President Barack Obama; and Circuit Judge Ryan D. Nelson, nominated by President Donald Trump.

Bonta welcomed the ruling Monday. “This leaves our assault weapons laws in effect while appellate proceedings continue,” Bonta said on Twitter. “We won’t stop defending these life-saving laws.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday night.

John Dillon, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

In the earlier ruling, Benitez wrote that the case was about “what should be a muscular constitutional right and whether a state can force a gun policy choice that impinges on that right with a 30-year-old failed experiment.” He added, “Government is not free to impose its own new policy choices on American citizens where constitutional rights are concerned.”

The firearms banned under the state’s law, he wrote, were not “bazookas, howitzers or machine guns,” but rather “fairly ordinary, popular, modern rifles.”

Benitez was nominated as a district court judge in 2003 by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate the next year. In 2017, he blocked a new California law that would have banned magazines of more than 10 rounds. A three-judge panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his ruling in a split decision last year, but the appeals court said in February that an 11-judge panel would rehear the case.

A federal appeals court on Monday put a hold on a federal judge’s ruling that overturned California’s 32-year-old ban on assault weapons. The state law, which dates to 1989, was challenged in a 2019 lawsuit filed against the state’s attorney general by plaintiffs including James Miller, a California resident, and the San Diego County Gun Owners, a political action committee.

A federal appeals court on Monday put a hold on a federal judge’s ruling that overturned California’s 32-year-old ban on assault weapons. The state law, which dates to 1989, was challenged in a 2019 lawsuit filed against the state’s attorney general by plaintiffs including James Miller, a California resident, and the San Diego County Gun Owners, a political action committee. On June 4, Judge Roger T. Benitez of U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California said in a decision that the state law defining assault weapons and restricting their use was unconstitutional. “Like the Swiss Army knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment,” Benitez wrote in the first line of a 94-page decision. The AR-15 is “good for both home and battle,” he wrote, adding: “One is to be forgiven if one is persuaded by news media and others that the nation is awash with murderous AR-15 assault rifles. The facts, however, do not support this hyperbole, and facts matter.” But the judge granted a 30-day stay of the ruling at the request of California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, a move that allowed Bonta to appeal it. In a decision on Monday, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals further extended Benitez’s stay, pending resolution of another case challenging the ban. “The stay shall remain in effect until further order of this court,” the judges wrote. The three judges were Senior Circuit Court Judge Barry G. Silverman, nominated to the bench by President Bill Clinton; Circuit Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen, nominated by President Barack Obama; and Circuit Judge Ryan D. Nelson, nominated by President Donald Trump. Bonta welcomed the ruling Monday. “This leaves our assault weapons laws in effect while appellate proceedings continue,” Bonta said on Twitter. “We won’t stop defending these life-saving laws.” Gov. Gavin Newsom did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday night. John Dillon, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. In the earlier ruling, Benitez wrote that the case was about “what should be a muscular constitutional right and whether a state can force a gun policy choice that impinges on that right with a 30-year-old failed experiment.” He added, “Government is not free to impose its own new policy choices on American citizens where constitutional rights are concerned.” The firearms banned under the state’s law, he wrote, were not “bazookas, howitzers or machine guns,” but rather “fairly ordinary, popular, modern rifles.” Benitez was nominated as a district court judge in 2003 by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate the next year. In 2017, he blocked a new California law that would have banned magazines of more than 10 rounds. A three-judge panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his ruling in a split decision last year, but the appeals court said in February that an 11-judge panel would rehear the case.

Appeals court blocks ruling that overturned California’s assault weapons ban

Europe's top court on Tuesday said that Google's YouTube and other online platforms are not liable for copyright-infringing works uploaded by users onto their platforms under certain conditions. 
 
The case marks the latest development in a long-running battle between Europe's $1 trillion creative industry and online platforms, with the former seeking compensation or action from the latter for unauthorised works that are uploaded. 
 
YouTube found itself in the dock after Frank Peterson, a music producer, sued the company and Google in Germany over the uploading to YouTube by users in 2008 of several phonograms to which he holds the rights. 
 
In a second case, publishing group Elsevier took legal action against file-hosting service Cyando in Germany after its users uploaded several Elsevier works on its platform Uploaded in 2013 without its approval. 
 
A German court subsequently sought advice from the EU Court of Justice, which ruled on both cases on Tuesday. 
 
"As currently stands, operators of online platforms do not, in principle, themselves make a communication to the public of copyright-protected content illegally posted online by users of those platforms," the EU Court of Justice said. 
 
"However, those operators do make such a communication in breach of copyright where they contribute, beyond merely making those platforms available, to giving access to such content to the public," judges said. 
 
The cases are C-682/18 YouTube and C-683/18 Cyando.

Europe's top court on Tuesday said that Google's YouTube and other online platforms are not liable for copyright-infringing works uploaded by users onto their platforms under certain conditions.

Europe's top court on Tuesday said that Google's YouTube and other online platforms are not liable for copyright-infringing works uploaded by users onto their platforms under certain conditions. The case marks the latest development in a long-running battle between Europe's $1 trillion creative industry and online platforms, with the former seeking compensation or action from the latter for unauthorised works that are uploaded. YouTube found itself in the dock after Frank Peterson, a music producer, sued the company and Google in Germany over the uploading to YouTube by users in 2008 of several phonograms to which he holds the rights. In a second case, publishing group Elsevier took legal action against file-hosting service Cyando in Germany after its users uploaded several Elsevier works on its platform Uploaded in 2013 without its approval. A German court subsequently sought advice from the EU Court of Justice, which ruled on both cases on Tuesday. "As currently stands, operators of online platforms do not, in principle, themselves make a communication to the public of copyright-protected content illegally posted online by users of those platforms," the EU Court of Justice said. "However, those operators do make such a communication in breach of copyright where they contribute, beyond merely making those platforms available, to giving access to such content to the public," judges said. The cases are C-682/18 YouTube and C-683/18 Cyando.

EU top court hands win to YouTube in user copyright fight

Britain is working on easing travel restrictions for the fully vaccinated to allow people to enjoy a summer holiday on Europe's beaches but the plans are not finalised yet, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Tuesday. 
 
Currently, British citizens are essentially prevented from travelling to most countries, including those in the European Union, as the quarantine and testing rules are so cumbersome and expensive. 
 
British tourists are the second biggest outbound holiday spenders in Europe after Germans so their absence hurts the economies of southern Europe while the British tourism sector is reeling from a ruinous loss of income due to the restrictions. 
 
Hancock told Sky News that the government did want to let people have a family holiday abroad, but only when it was safe to do so. 
 
"The whole point of the vaccine programme is to be able to remove restrictions, and for people to be able to be kept safe by the vaccine, rather than by these rules," Hancock told LBC. 
 
"So we are working on a plan for double vaccinated people, using tests, to have that testing regime in place, instead of having to have the quarantine, in some circumstances," he said. 
 
Asked by Sky if vaccinated people would get their freedom back by August and so enjoy a foreign holiday this year, Hancock said he understood people wanted their freedoms back. 
 
For months, British ministers have given a host of contradictory signals about when and how travel rules will be eased more than a year since the most onerous restrictions in Britain's peacetime history were imposed to halt the virus. 
 
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that travellers would face hassle and delays this year if they sought to go abroad because the priority would be keeping the country safe. 
 
Johnson, who was slow to impose an initial lockdown in 2020, is wary of moving too fast to open up travel as the Delta variant first detected in India spreads. 
 
Britain has the seventh highest death toll from COVID-19 globally of nearly 128,000 deaths but has one of the fastest vaccine rollouts in the world, with 80% of adults having received a first COVID-19 vaccine dose and nearly 60% a second shot. 
 
Popular European holiday destinations for Britons, including Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Greece, are currently rated 'amber', which require returning passengers to take three expensive COVID-19 tests and isolate for 10 days on return. 
 
But travel companies are desperate to avoid another summer lost to COVID-19, and have demanded the government acts. 
 
European Union countries have already agreed to an easing of travel restrictions over summer that will allow fully vaccinated tourists to avoid tests or quarantines and broaden the list of EU regions from which it is safe to travel, but Britain has yet to announce a similar scheme. 
 
Britain's leading travel companies, such as the British Airways-owner IAG and easyJet, have cut thousands of jobs and raised billions of pounds to survive the pandemic. 
 
The Times newspaper reported that Britain would announce an easing on Thursday to allow British holidaymakers, who have had both coronavirus jabs to enjoy more quarantine-free travel from August. 
 
It is unclear how children, who have not yet been offered a vaccine in Britain, will travel. Hancock refused to give details or a timeframe for an easing of restrictions but said he was supportive of a change. 
 
"It is absolutely something we're working on - it's something I want to see," he said.

Britain is working on easing travel restrictions for the fully vaccinated to allow people to enjoy a summer holiday on Europe's beaches but the plans are not finalised yet, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Tuesday.

Britain is working on easing travel restrictions for the fully vaccinated to allow people to enjoy a summer holiday on Europe's beaches but the plans are not finalised yet, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Tuesday. Currently, British citizens are essentially prevented from travelling to most countries, including those in the European Union, as the quarantine and testing rules are so cumbersome and expensive. British tourists are the second biggest outbound holiday spenders in Europe after Germans so their absence hurts the economies of southern Europe while the British tourism sector is reeling from a ruinous loss of income due to the restrictions. Hancock told Sky News that the government did want to let people have a family holiday abroad, but only when it was safe to do so. "The whole point of the vaccine programme is to be able to remove restrictions, and for people to be able to be kept safe by the vaccine, rather than by these rules," Hancock told LBC. "So we are working on a plan for double vaccinated people, using tests, to have that testing regime in place, instead of having to have the quarantine, in some circumstances," he said. Asked by Sky if vaccinated people would get their freedom back by August and so enjoy a foreign holiday this year, Hancock said he understood people wanted their freedoms back. For months, British ministers have given a host of contradictory signals about when and how travel rules will be eased more than a year since the most onerous restrictions in Britain's peacetime history were imposed to halt the virus. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that travellers would face hassle and delays this year if they sought to go abroad because the priority would be keeping the country safe. Johnson, who was slow to impose an initial lockdown in 2020, is wary of moving too fast to open up travel as the Delta variant first detected in India spreads. Britain has the seventh highest death toll from COVID-19 globally of nearly 128,000 deaths but has one of the fastest vaccine rollouts in the world, with 80% of adults having received a first COVID-19 vaccine dose and nearly 60% a second shot. Popular European holiday destinations for Britons, including Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Greece, are currently rated 'amber', which require returning passengers to take three expensive COVID-19 tests and isolate for 10 days on return. But travel companies are desperate to avoid another summer lost to COVID-19, and have demanded the government acts. European Union countries have already agreed to an easing of travel restrictions over summer that will allow fully vaccinated tourists to avoid tests or quarantines and broaden the list of EU regions from which it is safe to travel, but Britain has yet to announce a similar scheme. Britain's leading travel companies, such as the British Airways-owner IAG and easyJet, have cut thousands of jobs and raised billions of pounds to survive the pandemic. The Times newspaper reported that Britain would announce an easing on Thursday to allow British holidaymakers, who have had both coronavirus jabs to enjoy more quarantine-free travel from August. It is unclear how children, who have not yet been offered a vaccine in Britain, will travel. Hancock refused to give details or a timeframe for an easing of restrictions but said he was supportive of a change. "It is absolutely something we're working on - it's something I want to see," he said.

Vaccinated Brits could be back on Europe's beaches soon: Minister

Hong Kong's High Court on Tuesday approved bail for a pro-democracy activist, who is among 47 charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under a sweeping national security law Beijing imposed on its freest city last year, the city's public broadcaster RTHK reported. 
 
Owen Chow, 24, who has been in jail for nearly four months, was ordered to pay HK$50,000 and follow a list of bail conditions, including not threatening national security, reporting to police every day and surrendering all travel documents, according to RTHK. 
 
Chow was the 12th activist in the case, who was given bail while awaiting trial. 
 
Foreign diplomats and rights groups are closely watching proceedings as concerns rise over the vanishing space for dissent in the former British colony, which has taken a rapid authoritarian turn since the law was imposed in June 2020. 
 
The case offers insight into how the security law drafted by Beijing clashes with Hong Kong's common-law traditions and could see activists held in custody for months until their trial begins. 
 
In contrast with past practice, the new law puts onus on defendants in the global financial hub to prove they will not pose a security threat if released on bail. 
 
Wong and the other charged activists are accused of organising and participating in an unofficial, non-binding primary poll in July 2020 that authorities said was part of a 'vicious plot' to 'overthrow' the government.

Hong Kong's High Court on Tuesday approved bail for a pro-democracy activist, who is among 47 charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under a sweeping national security law Beijing imposed on its freest city last year, the city's public broadcaster RTHK reported.

Hong Kong's High Court on Tuesday approved bail for a pro-democracy activist, who is among 47 charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under a sweeping national security law Beijing imposed on its freest city last year, the city's public broadcaster RTHK reported. Owen Chow, 24, who has been in jail for nearly four months, was ordered to pay HK$50,000 and follow a list of bail conditions, including not threatening national security, reporting to police every day and surrendering all travel documents, according to RTHK. Chow was the 12th activist in the case, who was given bail while awaiting trial. Foreign diplomats and rights groups are closely watching proceedings as concerns rise over the vanishing space for dissent in the former British colony, which has taken a rapid authoritarian turn since the law was imposed in June 2020. The case offers insight into how the security law drafted by Beijing clashes with Hong Kong's common-law traditions and could see activists held in custody for months until their trial begins. In contrast with past practice, the new law puts onus on defendants in the global financial hub to prove they will not pose a security threat if released on bail. Wong and the other charged activists are accused of organising and participating in an unofficial, non-binding primary poll in July 2020 that authorities said was part of a 'vicious plot' to 'overthrow' the government.

Hong Kong court grants bail to activist charged under security law: Media

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