Jimmy Lai found guilty of violating national security law

Jimmy Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, was found guilty on Monday on two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials.

The verdict was handed down by the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the national security case of Lai and three companies linked to the now-defunct Apple Daily.

The defendants include Lai, Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited, and Apple Daily Internet Limited, all facing charges of conspiracy to publish seditious materials and conspiracy to collude with external forces. Lai was also facing a separate charge of conspiring to collude with external forces.

The trial officially commenced on Dec. 18, 2023, and has been presided over by three judges appointed under the national security law in Hong Kong. The prosecution concluded its presentation of evidence on June 11, 2024, and on July 25, the court ruled that all charges were substantiated. Lai's testimony began on Nov. 20, 2024, and ended in March 2025. Closing arguments began on Aug. 18 and were finalized on Aug. 28.

China's Foreign Ministry on Monday expressed condolences to the bereaved families and the injured over the mass shooting at a Sydney beach, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at the press briefing in Beijing on Monday.

The incident killed at least 16 people and left dozens of others injured, marking the deadliest shooting in the country since 1996.

"Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent a message of condolences to Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong over the incident. China mourns for the victims and expresses sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured," said Guo.

The incident occurred at around 18:40 local time on Sunday at the renowned attraction in Bondi Beach, where over 1,000 people had gathered to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights.