‘Despicable’: Hong Kong slams Western ‘smears’ as US calls for Jimmy Lai’s release

A political row over former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has intensified after his guilty verdict, with the Hong Kong government condemning what it called “despicable political manipulations” and the United States calling for his release. The clash overnight followed Monday’s guilty verdict against the 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper. Lai was convicted of two conspiracy counts of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute...