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NEW YORK (AP) — Nurses and two major hospital systems in New York City have reached a deal to end anearly monthlong strikeover staffing levels, workplace safety, health insurance and other issues.

The tentative agreement announced Monday by the nurses' union involves the Montefiore and Mount Sinai hospital systems. Nurses remain on strike at NewYork Presbyterian.

The walkout began Jan. 12, prompting the hospitals to scramble to hire legions of temporary nurses to fill in duringa demanding flu season.

The union said members at Montefiore and Mount Sinai hospitals will vote this week on whether to ratify the contracts and return to work.

The three-year deal affects roughly 10,500 of the some 15,000 nurses on strike at some of the city's biggest private, nonprofit hospitals.

"For four weeks, nearly 15,000 NYSNA members held the line in the cold and in the snow for safe patient care," Nancy Hagans, president of the New York State Nurses Association, said in a statement. "Now, nurses at Montefiore and Mount Sinai systems are heading back to the bedside with our heads held high."

The nurses union said the tentative agreement calls for a 12% pay raise over the life of the contract, as well as maintains nurses' health benefits with no additional out-of-pocket costs.

In addition, the proposed pact includes new protections against workplace violence, including specific protections for transgender and immigrant nurses and patients, as well as provisions addressing artificial intelligence in hospitals, the union said.

Nurses at Montefiore and Mount Sinai hospitals will vote to ratify their contracts starting Monday, the union said. If the tentative contract agreements are ratified, nurses will return to work on Saturday.

Mount Sinai said it would comment later on the deal while a Montefiore spokesperson confirmed its nurses will be voting Monday through Wednesday but declined to comment further.

Meanwhile, NewYork-Presbyterian said it agreed over the weekend to a proposal presented by mediators that includes pay raises, preserves nurses' pensions, maintains their health benefits and increases staffing levels. The union reiterated that the strike remains in effect at NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals.

The affected hospitals have insisted theiroperations are running smoothlyduring the walkout, with organ transplants, cardiac surgeries and other complex procedures largely uninterrupted. Many of the medical centers, however, canceled scheduled surgeries, transferred some patients and discharged others ahead of the strike.

The striking nurses priorities vary by hospital, but staffing has generally been a central issue. Nurses complained of being overworked, saying the hospitals held out for weeks on committing to more manageable patient loads. The union said Monday that the tentative agreements would increase staffing and otherwise address those concerns.

The hospitals and nurses also have been at odds over benefits, and the union sought workplace security upgrades and restrictions on the use ofartificial intelligence. Hospital staffers' longstanding security concerns flared into public view when agunman entered Mount Sinaiin November and a manholed up in a Brooklyn hospitalwith a sharp object last month. Police killed both men.

The hospitals said the union's demands were exorbitant. They say unionized nurses' salaries already average $162,000 to $165,000 a year, not including benefits.

The nurses and their political allies, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, countered that top hospital executivesmake millions of dollars a year.

Not every hospital in the three health care systems was affected by the strike, nor were any city-run public hospitals. Other private hospitals reached last-minute deals with the union.

Nurses staged a three-day strike in 2023 in the Mount Sinai and Montefiore systems. They ultimately inked contracts that raised pay 19% over three years and sought to make staffing improvements enforceable by allowing for extra pay if nurses worked short-handed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thechildren of Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy former Hong Kong media mogul and China critic, said Monday that a possible visit by President DonaldTrump to Beijing in Aprilcould be "crucial" in securing the release of their 78-year-old father.

Lai's son and daughter pleaded for their father's freedom on humanitarian grounds after a Hong Kong court on Mondaysentenced him to 20 years in prisonfollowing convictions under a Beijing-imposed national security law that has virtually silenced the city's dissent.

"The president has said multiple times that this is a case that he cares about," Sebastien Lai said about Trump during a call with reporters. "We are in a situation where the April visit will be, more obviously, be crucial, and, hopefully, my father will still be OK health-wise until that point."

Speaking of his father, the younger Lai said "this is a man who is, unfortunately, is very close to dying. He's a man who has gone through a tremendous amount. His body has deteriorated."

The ruling in Hong Kong is certain to add friction toalready fragile U.S.-China relations, with Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to meet this year to keep ties stabilized over thorny issues like tariffs, export restrictions andU.S. arms sales to Taiwan,a self-governed island that Beijing claims is Chinese territory.

While Trump has said several times he will be visiting Beijing this April, China has yet to confirm it.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the decision to sentence Lai to 20 years "an unjust and tragic conclusion to this case." In a statement, Rubio urged Chinese authorities to grant Lai humanitarian parole, noting that Lai and his family "have suffered enough" after a trial lasting two years and his detention for more than five years.

After Lai was convicted in December, Trump said he felt "so badly" and that he had asked Xi to consider releasing Lai, who is the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, which was known for its critical reports about the governments in Hong Kong and Beijing.

"We're hopeful but we don't know," his daughter Claire Lai said of the prospects that Trump would successfully negotiate for her father's release.

Chris Tang, Hong Kong's secretary for security, accused "external forces" of ignoring the facts and making biased criticisms of court decisions. "We will refute baseless allegations and smearing resolutely by presenting the truth and facts for all to see," Tang said.

In an interview with The Associated Press in London, Sebastien Lai said it's time forworld leaders to keep pressure on Beijingwhen they visit China or meet with Xi by bringing up his father's case.

"I could only pray that this pressure helps," the younger Lai said. "I think my father's case is the litmus test to whatever engagement we have with China."

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government said he directly raised Jimmy Lai's case with Xi duringa visit to Chinalast month. U.K. officials said they will "rapidly engage further" after Monday's sentencing, but it wasn't clear what that entailed.

Sebastien Lai said he is "incredibly grateful" for Trump's past remarks about freeing his father, which have "given my family a lot of hope."

Now, it's about saving his father's life, the son said.

"It's a 20-year sentence, which is comically large, given that my father's 78. At that point in 20 years, he'll be 100 almost," he said. "But in the conditions he's been kept in ... he might die before then."

Hui reported from London.

Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted co-conspirator of Jeffrey Epstein, invoked the Fifth Amendment during the closed-door virtual deposition before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, according to Chairman James Comer and others who attended the session.

"This is obviously very disappointing," Comer told reporters after the brief deposition. "We had many questions to ask about the crimes she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co-conspirators. We sincerely want to get to the truth to the American people and justice for the survivors. That's what this investigation is about."

Latest release of Epstein files includes some survivors' names, despite DOJ assurances, lawyers say

It was expected that Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison in Texas,would refuse to answer questionsfrom lawmakers and committee staffers as part of the panel's investigation into the late financier and his ties to some of the world's most powerful figures in politics, business and entertainment. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died by suicide in 2019 while at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City.

Maxwell has a petition pending in federal court in New York that seeks to overturn her conviction or reduce her sentence.

Maxwell's attorney "pointed out a number of times that she has a habeas corpus petition pending for new trial or release," Republican Rep. Andy Biggs said. "And that's why she is not going to answer questions."

Asked whether he suspects that Maxwell, who is now in a minimum-security prison in Texas, succumbed to political pressure by refusing to testify, Comer said he had "no idea."

"Unfortunately, she had an opportunity today to answer questions that every American has, questions that would be very important in this investigation, and she chose to invoke her Fifth Amendment," Comer said.

Despite Maxwell refusing to cooperate, Comer emphasized his committee's investigation will continue with five confirmed depositions "on the books" in the coming weeks, including Leslie Wexner, the retail billionaire who was once Epstein's largest financial client, on Feb. 18.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clintonhas agreed to sit for a deposition on Feb. 26while former President Bill Clinton has agreed to a Feb. 27 deposition. Comer said that the committee will also interview Epstein's accountant and lawyer next month.

Biggs told reporters that Maxwell's lawyer read a statement at the outset of the deposition -- clearing both President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton "of any wrongdoing."

"One thing that the attorney for Ms. Maxwell said is that she has no indication and would say that neither Presidents Trump or Clinton are culpable for any wrongdoing," Biggs said.

AfterDeputy Attorney General Todd Blancheinterviewed Maxwell over two daysin a proffer session in July, Maxwell told Blanche that she never witnessed nor heard of any criminal or inappropriate activity by Trump, Clinton, nor any of the well-known men who associated with Epstein. Maxwell was moved to a federal minimum security prison in Texas, the Bureau of Prisons confirmed on Aug. 1.

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Biggs said Monday that the lawyer continued to press for clemency in exchange for Maxwell's testimony -- a pitch her legal team has floatedsince last July.

Last month, Maxwell's attorney David O. Markus again asked Comer to delay any compelled testimony from Maxwell until her habeas proceedings have been resolved, but suggested there was one scenario that might change Maxwell's stance -- clemency from the president.

"Of course, in the alternative, if Ms. Maxwell were to receive clemency, she would be willing -- and eager -- to testify openly and honestly, in public, before Congress in Washington, D.C.," Markus wrote to the committee on Jan. 21. "She welcomes the opportunity to share the truth and to dispel the many misconceptions and misstatements that have plagued this case from the beginning."

Democrats complained that Maxwell used the virtual deposition to renew her bid for clemency -- after Trump, in July,did not rule out pardoning Maxwell.

"Ghislaine Maxwell should have no hope of ever getting out of prison," Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam told reporters on Monday. "But today, she, through her lawyer, explicitly stated that she wants to be out of prison through a clemency that this president would grant."

Subramanyam claimed the hope of clemency is "why she's continuing to not cooperate with our investigation."

Comer also discouraged the president from granting Maxwell any form of clemency.

"Initially she had asked that the Oversight Committee grant immunity, and when we met with the survivors of Epstein it was pretty clear, according to the survivors -- and we had 20-some members in that meeting -- that Maxwell was a very bad person, and she committed a lot of crimes, and it was the intent, in my opinion, when we left that meeting in a bipartisan manner that we would not grant immunity," Comer explained. "Now, what she said today, she's asked for clemency from the president. So I personally, for the reasons you just stated, don't think she should be granted any type of immunity or clemency."

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett said Maxwell has shown no remorse and "is not seeking to bring about some kind of closure for these women."

After Epstein's death, investigation weighed potential charges against co-conspirators

"I got news for you, Ms. Maxwell: we're not done. We're going to continue to go," Crockett said.

Maxwell's deposition was more than six months in the making, and was first requested last July, when Comerformally issued a subpoenafor a deposition with Maxwell to occur at Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee on Aug. 11.

Comer agreed to delay the deposition as Maxwell awaited a Supreme Court ruling on her appeal,which she ultimately lost.

The closed deposition with Maxwell comes on the same day that members of Congress can go to the Department of Justice to view unredacted versions of the Epstein files that the department has withheld from public disclosure.

The Gist

• Following the latest batch of Epstein files released on January 30, the spotlight is back on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson for their association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

• Their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, are reportedly standing by their parents, but their relationship with Andrew in particular is "very strained and hard," a source told Hello!.

• "It's sad for them, but the real tragedy is for the victims," royal biographer Robert Jobson told the outlet.

Even amid the latest scandal surrounding their parents,Andrew Mountbatten-WindsorandSarah Ferguson, following the most recent tranche of the Epstein files, a new report indicates thatPrincess BeatriceandPrincess Eugenieare still standing by their father and mother.

On January 30, the U.S. Department of Justice released the latest batch of the Epstein files, which not only included the former Duke and Duchess of York but also Beatrice and Eugenie, albeit only in association with emails and photographs sent to Epstein by their parents. In one email, Sarah indicates that her daughters will join her for a Miami lunch with Epstein—though it was just days after his release from prison in 2009; at the time, Beatrice and Eugenie were 20 years old and 19 years old, respectively. Regardless, as a source toldHello!, "The sisters are not abandoning their father."

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"They aren't turning their backs on him," the friend added. "But everything is obviously very strained and hard."

Veteran royal biographer Robert Jobson told the outlet that Beatrice and Eugenie "must be overwhelmed and aghast by this." Of their mother, he added, "What was she thinking? Taking her daughters—the late Queen [Elizabeth]'s granddaughters—to meet this vile, convicted animal? It really beggars belief."

Andrew and Sarah surrendered their Duke and Duchess of York titles in October; by the end of the month,King Charleshad stripped Andrew of all of his royal titles and privileges, though Beatrice and Eugenie retain their princess titles and Her Royal Highness stylings. Following the latest Epstein files drop, both Andrew and Sarah have moved out of their 30-room mansion in Windsor, Royal Lodge, with Andrew heading for the Sandringham estate and Sarah "lying low at an overseas spa while considering her future and where she is going to live," according toHello!.

"She is in a bad way and feeling very guilty," Jobson said. "The last time I was in touch with her, she was worried about her mental health and mulling over the 'what ifs.'" Jobson continued, "The girls have been very sympathetic to her, but that might start to unravel. You have to wonder if they will ever be seen in public with her again."

Beatrice and Eugenie's decision to spend Christmas with King Charles and the royal family at Sandringham "speaks volumes," he added. "It might be hard to rebuild what they had. It's sad for them, but the real tragedy is for the victims."

Jobson toldPeoplethat Beatrice and Eugenie trusted Andrew in that he had done nothing wrong, and "they feel pretty duped by the whole thing," he said.

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"I do think they believed their father, and now it has all backfired," he added. "I know that Eugenie, especially, has found it very difficult." He continued, "They are older and mothers themselves now and will be thinking this is appalling."

"I have sympathy for them," Jobson said. "It's not their fault who their parents were associated with."

According to a source speaking toThe Times, Beatrice and Eugenie are "likeable, they carry themselves well, and work hard at their jobs." Longtime royal biographer Ingrid Seward also told the outlet that the sisters "will be worried and saddened for both their mother and father, though, and anxious about the future for them."

"They both absolutely adore their father and want the best for him," a source who has worked closely with the family toldThe Times. "But they also crave privacy as much as possible."

Read the original article onInStyle

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic; John Travolta/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

• John Travolta is a proud father

• The Grease alum shared a snap with his "beautiful babies," whom he shares with late wife Kelly Preston, from the holiday season

• In 2009, Travolta and Preston's elder son died at age 16
  

John Travoltanever misses a moment to share special moments with his children.

On Sunday, Feb. 8, theGreaseactor, 71, shared a snap with his children Benjamin, 15, and Ella, 25, during the holiday season onInstagram. Travolta put his arms around his kids, whom he shares withlate wife Kelly Preston, in the adorable snap as they posed for the photo.

"My beautiful babies in my belated Christmas card 2025," he wrote in the caption. "Hope all is going well."

View this post on Instagram

In addition to Benjamin and Ella, the actor and his late wife shared another son,Jett, who passed away at 16 years old in 2009. Last April, he shared a touching tribute to Jett onInstagramon Sunday, April 13 — what would have beenhis 33rd birthday.

Travolta's post featured a throwback photo of himself holding a young Jett in his arms while the little boy played with his ears. "Happy birthday Jett - I miss you so much," the proud dad wrote. "Love you forever!"

Travolta and his son Benjamin recently shared some special father-son time as they hiked on a snowy mountain in Norway. On Wednesday, Nov. 12 he posted shared a video onInstagram, where the teen looked all grown up.

In the clip, which was set to Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's song "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," Ben sported a large white coat and walked up the cliff before standing and looking at the scenic mountain view.

"Ain't no mountain high enough for my son Ben. Love from Norway," Travolta wrote in his caption.

John Travolta/Instagram

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

A few weeks later, Travolta shared a sweet tribute onInstagramon Sunday, Nov. 23, in celebration of his son Ben turning 15.

In the wintry snap, Travolta's lookalike son stood on a tall rock in front of a snowy mountain as he smiled for the picture. The photo was seemingly taken on the family's trip to Norway.

"Happy Birthday my dear Ben! I can't believe how quickly you've grown up! I love you!" Travolta captioned his post.

Read the original article onPeople

Home TownstarErin Napierhad a busy January being a "stay at home teacher mom" to her and husbandBen Napier's two daughters, Helen (8) and Mae (4).

The HGTV fan favoritetook to Instagramlast week to share an update on family life. "January flew by as we had the month off from filming and I got to be a stay at home teacher mom!" Erin wrote alongside a carousel of photos, including some rare snaps of Helen and Mae.

"My hair got longer, Mae loves music lessons and stick on earrings and drawing pictures, I picked up oil pastels and they took me to the beach, Helen turned 8 and memorized a John Updike poem, did a book report on the Wizard of Oz, started running track and drew what the music of the week felt like," she continued.

"Ben built a million fires, we checked a million books out at the library and read *some* of them. *not pictured from January: fever and snot and ear infection

* Is spring coming now? Maybe?" Erin concluded.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Erin Napier (@erinapier)

The photos included a snap of Erin's latest hairstyle, some of her oil pastel paintings, and her daughters' homework. Ben also featured in several photos, in one hugging Helen, another piggybacking Mae, and another giving Mae a lesson in their makeshift home classroom. As always, the Napiers never show their daughters' faces in the photos.

Another photo celebrated Helen's eighth birthday, including a special birthday chocolate chip cookie cake.

Fans jumped into the comments to share their reactions, with one Instagram commenter writing, "Wow! Great captures of the month of January! I think you have artistic kids!!! So blessed!!!"

"Sweet life, I commend you and Ben for choosing the simple life and FAMILY FIRST!!

Also, kudos for teaching Helen cursive (an almost lost talent)," said another.

"What a beautiful life you've created for your girls! It's so good to see something hopeful, inspiring, and real on SM," another added.

Another wrote, "Wonderful photos! You and Ben have created a beautiful family! I love your hair

Helen's cursive is so nice! Sending get well wishes!"

"Love absolutely everything!! But girl, you are rocking that longer hair!! Keep going!" said one fan.

"This is so stinkin beautiful!!! Very kind of you to share. You worked hard to take January off

Big hugs to all," another wrote.

"To be as popular as you are.. with literally MILLIONS of people who adore your work.. the books written.. and in all of that … you stay as beautifully absolute as you are… loving parents , raising beautiful daughters.. knowing nothing more than being a normal child that is having their best life … that one day, the will look back and know what love is. Keep being what so many families aspire to be. We just love ya'll," one user added.

Home TownSeason 10, New Episodes, Sundays, 8/7c, HGTV

Read the latest entertainment news onTV Insider.

Former Hong Kong media tycoonJimmy Laihas been sentenced to 20 years in prison, ending a years-long legal battle that has come to define Beijing's transformational crackdown on the once-freewheeling financial hub.

The 78-year-old self-made billionaire was among the highest-profile government critics charged since Beijing imposed a sweepingnational security lawon the semi-autonomous southern city in 2020.

The sentence is the longest delivered under that law and means Lai will not be eligible for parole until he is in his late 90s.

It has galvanized international calls for the pro-democracy media mogul's release, following a landmark trial that was closely watched by Western world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, who previously vowed to "get him out."

Trump is expected to travel to China in the coming months to meet his counterpart Xi Jinping and many of Lai's supporters will be lobbying him to raise the case.

Lai's son Sebastien called the sentence draconian and "life-threatening" for his father.

"Twenty years, it's a farce. It's essentially tantamount to a life sentence, or as Human Rights Watch calls it a death sentence, because in the conditions that my father is being kept in, I don't know if he even has a tenth of that," his son said.

His daughter Claire described it as "heartbreakingly cruel."

"I have watched my father's health deteriorate dramatically and the conditions he's kept in go from bad to worse. If this sentence is carried out, he will die a martyr behind bars," she said.

Lai's outspokenness over Hong Kong's shrinking freedoms – including to top US officials – and his role as the founder of now-defunct Apple Daily, a fiercely pro-democracy tabloid newspaper, had long made him a thorn in Beijing's side.

Both Beijing and Hong Kong's government have repeatedly rejected international criticism of Lai's prosecution and dismissed accusations that his jailing was politically motivated or an assault on press freedom. Authorities have said Lai has received adequate medical attention in prison.

"Lai used Apple Daily to poison the minds of citizens, incite hatred, distort facts, deliberately create social division, glorify violence, and openly beg external forces to sanction China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region," city leader John Lee, a former police officer and security chief, said on Monday.

Lai wasfound guiltyof two national security charges and a sedition charge in December following a years-long court battle.

Looking visibly slim in a white jacket, Lai smiled slightly upon hearing the sentence Monday. Before the court session began, he had put his hands together to greet those sitting in the court gallery and turned to see six former Apple Daily colleagues who were also awaiting sentencing.

Those colleagues were jailed too, receiving sentences ranging from 6 years, 9 months to 10 years behind bars. Apple Daily and its affiliated companies were fined 6 million Hong Kong Dollars ($767,000).

Beijing's national security law has transformed Hong Kong, with authorities jailing dozens of dissidents; forcing civil society groups and outspoken media outlets to disband; and neutering the city's once-raucous political scene.

City and national authorities say the law has "restored stability" following mass anti-government protests in 2019 that turned violent at times.

Supporters had been lining up for days outside the West Kowloon court since last week hoping to catch a glimpse of Lai. Police ramped up security outside, searching those lining up.

"He is the flag of Hong Kong," Chan Chun-yee, 75, who arrived outside the court on Thursday, told CNN. "I don't agree with everything he did but I aligned with his spirit and the things he pursued, such as freedom, democracy and justice."

Conspiracy 'mastermind'

When convicting Lai in December, the three judges hand-picked by the Hong Kong government to preside over national security cases said they found that there was "no doubt that (Lai) had harbored his resentment and hatred of the PRC (People's Republic of China)," calling him a "mastermind of the conspiracies."

They pointed to his lobbying of US politicians during Trump's first term – much of it before the security law was enacted – as evidence of sedition and colluding with foreign forces, including his meetings with senior White House figures and attempts to meet Trump himself.

Lai also used Apple Daily to call for international sanctions against China and Hong Kong, the judges concluded. The US alone sanctioned more than a dozen Hong Kong and Chinese officials.

In a press summary of Monday's sentence, the judges called his actions "conspiracies" that were "not only well planned but were premeditated" to reach both local and overseas audiences.

They also concluded that Lai committed the "most serious category" of sedition given the number of articles involved and the duration of the offence. Prosecutors previously said Apple Daily had published up to 161 seditious articles.

Lai can appeal the verdict and sentence. But the process often drags on for years, with a slim success rate. Only one in almost 100 people charged under the national security law has ever been fully acquitted.

Will Trump seek release?

International relations experts said Lai's battle for freedom could now spill over into the diplomatic sphere.

Lai, a British passport holder and a practicing Catholic, has powerful voices lobbying for his release in both Britain and the United States. In the latter, many on the Christian right have been vocal supporters.

Trump has vowed repeatedly to secure Lai's release. In August, Trump said he had put out a "request" to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, asking him to consider freeing Lai.

Lai's treatment could turn into another sticking point for the world's two biggest economies, which are already clashing over a range of issues from trade to Taiwan.

"Trump will likely raise it again in his bargaining with Xi," said Hung Ho-fung, Professor of Political Economy at John Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.

"He (Lai) is British citizen and a pro-democracy icon in the greater China region. Just raising the issue to Beijing is good press."

Meanwhile, Beijing may also find Lai a "useful bargaining chip," given his ailing health.

"If Beijing could exact compromises from Washington over trade, tech, and even Taiwan by eventually granting Lai a compassionate release based on health grounds, it is a good bargain," he said.

"Better than letting him die in jail and become another martyr," Ho added.

There was swift global reaction to Lai's sentence from multiple human rights groups, including Amnesty International which described the sentence as "a cold-blooded attack on freedom of expression."

Britain's Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called it a "politically motivated prosecution" in a statement on Monday, adding that she was concerned for Lai's health.

Many Western governments have also condemned Lai's prosecution and previously called for his release.

Beijing's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian hit back on Monday urging other countries to "refrain from making irresponsible remarks on judicial proceedings in (Hong Kong), and not to interfere in (its) judicial affairs."

Hong Kong, a city transformed

In many ways Lai's life story tracks that of the city whose cause he came to embrace.

Born in mainland China, Lai arrived in British-ruled Hong Kong at 12 years old, just one of millions of mainlanders who fled communist China and moved to the free-wheeling business hub.

He worked his way up from factory laborer to wealthy clothing tycoon and then pivoted to media, founding Apple Daily in 1995, two years before Hong Kong was handed over to China.

The outspoken publisher and his newspaper were once at the forefront of the city's pro-democracy movement, in a time of much greater press freedom.

The newspaper printed its last edition in June 2021 after police raided its office and froze its assets. Many ex-Apple Daily journalists have since left Hong Kong.

The city's press freedom ranking plunged drastically from 80th out of 180 countries in 2021 to 140th last year, according to Reporters Without Borders. Hong Kong once ranked 18th, in 2002.

A Hong Kong government spokesperson has said Lai's case has "nothing to do with freedom of the press at all."

Eric Lai, a senior fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Asian Law, and no relation to Jimmy Lai, said a credible financial hub requires the free flow of information to safeguard a transparent investment environment.

"With critical media outlets shut down and criminalized, as well as open exchange with foreign officials and policymakers on critical policy affairs being deemed criminal activities, the state of information access and free exchange of ideas and opinions are sharply jeopardized," he said.

"It has nothing to do with press freedom because they prioritize the need for safeguarding regime security over freedom of expressing sharp critiques," Eric Lai said.

CNN's Samra Zulfaqar contributed reporting

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