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Hong Kong police have been granted new powers to demand that individuals suspected of breaching the city's national security law provide mobile phone or computer passwords. This move is part of a further crackdown on dissent in the city.The amendments to the law, published by the city government, also empower customs officers to seize items deemed to have a 'seditious intention', regardless of whether any person has been arrested for an offence endangering national security.Refusing to comply with the demand for passwords could lead to up to one year's jail and a fine of up to HK$100,000 ($12,773), while providing false or misleading information could bring up to three years' imprisonment and a fine of up to HK$500,000.The sweeping national security law, imposed by Beijing in 2020, punishes acts including subversion and collusion with foreign forces with up to life imprisonment. The law has sparked criticism from western governments and rights groups, but Beijing and Hong Kong officials say it was needed to restore stability after months of pro-democracy protests in 2019.Urania Chiu, a law lecturer in the UK researching Hong Kong, said the new provisions interfere with fundamental liberties, including the privacy of communication and the right to a fair trial. Chiu stated that 'the sweeping powers given to law enforcement officers without any need for judicial authorisation are grossly disproportionate to any legitimate aim the bylaw purports to achieve.'A Hong Kong government spokesperson said the amended rules conform to the city's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, and its human rights provisions, and 'will not affect the lives of the general public or the normal operation of institutions and organisations'. According to the Security Bureau, a total of 386 people have been arrested for national security crimes so far, with 176 people and four companies convicted.

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced that the government will not provide universal support to deal with potential future rises in energy bills. Instead, any government assistance will be targeted towards those who need it most.Reeves criticized the support package offered by the previous government under Liz Truss as unaffordable and irresponsible, stating that it benefited the wealthiest households and led to high levels of national debt.The chancellor emphasized that any future support will be provided within the government's fiscal rules to keep inflation and interest rates low. The government is currently focusing on longer-term measures to reduce energy bills for all households.Reeves also mentioned that she will review the planned fuel duty rise in September, but did not commit to delaying or postponing it. She will hold meetings with supermarkets and banks to discuss how they can support their customers and ensure that the Competition and Markets Authority has the necessary powers to detect and prevent price gouging.The chancellor's announcement comes amid speculation about the government's response to the energy crisis and its impact on households.

Olympic gold medal-winning boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan has been cleared to return to competition at the Asian Boxing Championships following a review of her sex eligibility.World Boxing, the sport’s Olympic-level governing body, announced its decision before the Asian championships, which begin March 29 in Mongolia.Lin and Imane Khelif of Algeria won gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics amid international scrutiny and misconceptions over both boxers’ sex.While both met the eligibility rules followed at the time by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which ran the Paris tournament, the two fighters’ success led to a politically charged debate over those standards.World Boxing took over as the sport’s governing body last year, and it implemented a sex eligibility policy last August requiring all fighters to take a one-time genetic test designed to identify the presence of a Y chromosome.Lin has been absent from several international competitions since World Boxing introduced the test last summer.“We recognise that this has been a difficult period for the boxer and the CTBA and appreciate the way they have approached the appeal process and their acknowledgement of World Boxing’s requirement to ensure that its eligibility policy, which is designed to deliver safety and sporting integrity, has been correctly implemented and followed,” World Boxing secretary-general Tom Dielen said in a statement.Taiwan’s boxing association described the decision as a “tremendous relief” for Lin.“We are pleased that World Boxing’s independent medical experts thoroughly reviewed all evidence and confirmed that she has been female since birth,” it said in a statement.Lin “will make her highly anticipated return to the ring at the Asian Boxing Championships”, the statement said.

The trial in San Francisco centers on a class-action lawsuit filed against Elon Musk, who is accused of engaging in a pattern of deceptive behavior that misled investors as he attempted to back out of his $44bn deal to buy Twitter, now known as X, in 2022.Musk's claims about the number of bots on Twitter were a key part of his argument for backing out of the deal. He testified that Twitter had a much higher number of fake and spam accounts than the 5 percent it disclosed in regulatory filings, claiming it was actually around 20 percent. However, Twitter's former CFO Ned Segal disputed this claim, saying the number was closer to 1 percent.The trial has significant implications for Musk, whose fortune is now estimated at $839bn. If the court rules in favor of the shareholders, Musk could be liable for damages. The case highlights the challenges of navigating complex financial deals and the importance of transparency in corporate transactions.Closing arguments are set to begin on Tuesday, with the jury instructed to consider the evidence presented during the trial. The case has been closely watched by investors and observers, who are eager to see how the court will rule on the matter.