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☆ Hong Kong property sales could surge after easing measures — but don't expect prices to pop
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Vivian Kam | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Residential buildings in Hong Kong, China on October 23, 2023. He doesn't expect the move to reverse downward trend in Hong Kong's property prices as interest rates remain high. He expects the policy address will give property prices "a chance to stabilize" and for volumes to pick up. HIBOR refers to the interest rate for interbank borrowing, while prime rate is determined by individual banks. Risks for Hong Kong property

Persons: Vernon Yuen, John Lee, Ken Yeung, Buggle Lau, KC Mok, Mok, Kitty Yiu, Yiu, Eugene Law, Law Organizations: Getty, Hong, Midland Realty, CNBC, Hong Kong Locations: Hong Kong, China, Hong

☆ Hong Kong is paying new parents $2,500 for having a baby but that won’t even pay a month’s rent
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong CNN —Hong Kong is to pay new parents more than $2,500 for having a baby in a bid to boost its flagging birth rate, but many residents in the notoriously expensive city say it’s barely enough to cover a month’s rent. In Japan (birth rate 1.3), parents get a monthly allowance of $107 dollars for each newborn until two years of age. For each child between three years old and senior high, parents get $66.7 per month. Hong Kong subsidizes education from kindergarten to senior high, but nursery, the year or two before kindergarten, is not usually covered. “The government should be thinking about how to convince [us] that Hong Kong is conducive to child-raising,” Lau said.

Persons: John Lee Ka, chiu, ” Lee, ”, Ken Lau, Kristy Chan, ” Lau, Kim Yeung, ” Yeung, Paul Yip Siu, Hong, ” Yip, Sze Lai, Sze, Lau, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong, HK, CNN, Midland Realty, fai, University of Hong, Society for Community Organization Locations: Hong Kong, East Asia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, University of Hong Kong

The collaboration, which also involves the United Kingdom, is known as AUKUS, an acronym for the three countries' names. “State visits are a big deal," said Charles Edel, a senior adviser and Australia chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. The day's events end with a state dinner in a pavilion erected on the South Lawn of the White House. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said there's “no more important time than now” to hold the state visit to demonstrate the strength of the U.S. relationship with Australia. Biden wants $3.4 billion to expand naval production facilities to help provide Australia with the nuclear-powered submarines.

Persons: Joe Biden, Anthony Albanese, Biden, Albanese, they're, Charles Edel, “ They’re, ” Biden, they've, Jill Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, there's, Bidens, Jodie Haydon, Xi Jinping, “, ” Albanese, Xi, Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, —, ”, John Lee, Sullivan, Lee Organizations: WASHINGTON, Australian, Hamas, Microsoft, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Office, White, Israel, Australia, House Republicans, Arlington National Cemetery, Australians, Economic Cooperation, APEC, U.S, Capitol, Hudson Institute Locations: U.S, Pacific, Israel, East, Europe, Ukraine, The U.S, Australia, United Kingdom, Washington, Gaza, White, France, South Korea, India, Japan, Papa New Guinea, Arlington, China, San Francisco, Beijing, Asia, Sydney

[1/2] Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee delivers his annual policy address at the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, China October 25, 2023. Chief Executive John Lee said Hong Kong's economy, which contracted 3.5 percent last year, would "resume growth this year" as inbound tourism and consumption improved, and unemployment fell. Hong Kong's economy grew 2.2% in the first half of the year, and is expected to grow four percent this year. "External forces continue to meddle in Hong Kong affairs," he said, without giving specifics or naming any country. Some Western governments have criticised the ongoing national security clamp down, which has led to the imprisonment of many opposition democrats and closure of liberal media outlets.

Persons: John Lee, Tyrone Siu, Hong, Lee, Hong Kong's, Clare Jim, Twinnie Siu, Jessie Pang, Donny Kwok, James Pomfret, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Hong, Legislative, REUTERS, Tyrone, U.S, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, Hong

☆ Hong Kong slashes stamp duties, easing property curbs for the first time in over 10 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee delivers his annual policy address to the Legislative Council on October 25, 2023. Hong Kong will slash buyers' stamp duties for property buyers to help boost its struggling real estate sector, while reducing levies on stock trades in a bid to kickstart economic activity in the Asian financial hub. This is the first time property cooling measures — in a variety of stamp duties known as "spicy policies" — will be relaxed effective Wednesday. They were first introduced in 2010 to curb red-hot property prices in a low interest rate environment. Home prices in Hong Kong fell four months in a row.

Persons: John Lee, Hong Kong's Organizations: Legislative Locations: Hong Kong, Kong

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s leader on Wednesday cut taxes for some homebuyers and stock traders to boost markets as the city seeks to maintain its reputation as a global financial hub. Official data showed that a 15% year-on-year drop in home prices last December, and a 39% yearly decline in the volume of residential property transactions in 2022. A former security chief handpicked by Beijing to lead Hong Kong, Lee also is aiming to enact the city's own security law next year. But the city's constitution requires Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous territory, to enact its own laws for acts such as treason, secession and subversion. “External forces continue to meddle in Hong Kong affairs,” Lee said, without elaborating.

Persons: Hong, John Lee, Lee, ” Lee Organizations: British Locations: HONG KONG, China, Hong Kong, Beijing

HONG KONG, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's efforts to revive its shrinking stock market are mere stopgap solutions, as analysts say a reversal in fortunes for Asia's premier financial hub would not be possible without a major improvement in China's economic prospects. With a market value of around $4.3 trillion, Hong Kong is home to one of the top-ranked stock markets globally just behind those in the United States, Japan, China and Europe. New share offerings in Hong Kong have fizzled. Local media reported that a record 47 of the 638 trading participants on the Hong Kong exchange shut shop last year. Chinese firms listed in Hong Kong, such as tech giants Tencent (0700.HK) and Alibaba (9988.HK), comprise the bulk of the turnover on the Hong Kong exchange, leaving Hong Kong hostage to China's fortunes.

Persons: Hong, John Lee, Dickie Wong, Rob Brewis, Aubrey, Eddie Tam, Alvin Cheung, Cheung, ”, Alex Wong, Alex KY, Wong, who'd, Summer Zhen, Xie Yu, Vidya Ranganathan Organizations: Nasdaq, Kingston Securities, Seng China Enterprises, HK, Aubrey Capital Management, Hong, Asset Investments, Prudential, Asset Management Company, Global, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Hong Kong, United States, Japan, Europe, Shenzhen

☆ Hong Kong's leader will deliver his policy address this week. Here's what to expect
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Vivian Kam | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

An aerial view of a residential district in Hong Kong. He expects domestic demand will continue to be the key driver to Hong Kong's expansion. A nurse examines new born chinese childs with their mums at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on 30 April 2012 in Hong Kong. That's compared to 1.1 in Singapore and 1.7 in the U.S. To tackle the problem, local media reported the Hong Kong leader may consider giving 20,000 Hong Kong dollars ($2,556) to the family of every newborn baby in the territory, if at least one of the parents is a permanent resident. By offering attractive incentives ... Hong Kong can re-establish itself as an attractive destination for both local and international talent.

Persons: Chunyip Wong, John Lee, Hong, Eddie Kwok, Kwok, Thomas Shik, Shik, childs, Victor Fraile Rodriguez, Wise Lam Organizations: Hong, Hang Seng Bank, CNBC, Gross, Labor, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Corbis, Bank Locations: Hong Kong, Asia, Singapore, Hong, PwC, U.S

Houses at the Redhill Peninsula, a luxurious residential estate in the Tai Tam area of Hong Kong, on September 13. She was referring to the Hong Kong International School, one of the most prestigious in town. Flooded roads after heavy rains in Hong Kong on September 8. Typhoon Saola, which barreled through Hong Kong on September 1, was the strongest to hit the city in five years. Scientists say climate change will make such weather events only more frequent and some are urging Hong Kong to rethink its rain mitigation strategy.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Feng Shui, –, Benny Chan, Chris Lau, ”, Tyrone Siu, Saola, Haikui, Hong Kong, Leung, ” Leung, Mai, Ray Su, Su, wouldn’t, John Lee, Chan, ” Chan, “, Chan Kim Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, South China, Hong Kong Institute of Architects, CNN, Redhill, Porsche, Rover, Ferrari, Hong Kong International School, RTHK, University of Hong, Hong Kong’s Buildings Department, Liber Research Locations: Hong Kong, South, tycoons, Redhill, Tai Tam, Malibu, Los Angeles, “, Hong, University of Hong Kong

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana folklorist Nick Spitzer and Mississippi blues musician R.L. Boyce are among nine 2023 National Heritage Fellows set to be celebrated later this month by the National Endowment for the Arts, one of the nation’s highest honors in the folk and traditional arts. He founded the Louisiana Folklife Program, produced the five-LP Louisiana Folklife Recording Series, created the Louisiana Folklife Pavilion at the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans and helped launch the Baton Rouge Blues Festival. “But see, I play the old way, and nobody today can play my style, just me.”Boyce has played northern Mississippi blues for more than half a century. He has shared stages with blues greats John Lee Hooker, a 1983 NEA National Heritage Fellow, and Howlin’ Wolf.

Persons: Nick Spitzer, R.L, Boyce, Spitzer, Bess Lomax Hawes, ” Spitzer, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, Fats Domino, “, Hawes, ” Boyce, ”, John Lee Hooker, Howlin ’ Wolf, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Ed Eugene Carriere, Michael A, Cummings, Joe DeLeon “ Little Joe ” Hernandez, Roen, Elizabeth James, Perry, Luis Tapia, Wu Man Organizations: ORLEANS, Heritage Fellows, National Endowment, Arts, Heritage Fellowship, Library of Congress, Washington , D.C, Tulane University’s School of Liberal Arts, Tulane, Louisiana Folklife Program, Louisiana Folklife, Baton Rouge Blues, Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife, Heritage, Associated Press, NEA, Blues, Heritage Fellow Locations: Louisiana, Mississippi, Washington ,, New Orleans, Acadiana, Washington, Indianola , Washington, New York, Temple , Texas, Waimea , Hawaii, Dartmouth , Massachusetts, Santa Fe , New Mexico, Carlsbad , California

☆ 12,000 athletes and a lotus-shaped mega stadium. The Asian Games comes to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Jake Kwon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s leader Xi Jinping is to declare the Asian Games open at a lotus-shaped mega stadium in Hangzhou on Saturday. More than 12,000 athletes from the 45 members of the Asian Olympic Council will participate, making it the largest Asian Games ever, the Chinese state media news agency Xinhua reported Saturday. The ceremony will be attended by around 50,000 people, while more than 1,200 volunteers will be at the venue to help, Xinhua reported. To promote environmental responsibility, digital fireworks will be used at the opening ceremony instead of actual fireworks, Xinhua reported citing the ceremony’s director Sha Xiaolan. Hangzhou, the home of Chinese tech-giant Alibaba, aims to demonstrate cutting-edge technologies during the games, including cloud computing and artificial intelligence at the Games Village, Xinhua reported.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Xi Jinping, Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Bashar al, Assad, Hong, John Lee Ka, Han Duck, Qin Haiyang, Yang Liwei, Sha Xiaolan, ” Sha, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Asian Olympic, Asian Games, Xinhua, Korea’s, Games Locations: Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Cambodian, Syrian, ”, Xinhua, Asia

NEW YORK (AP) — A comprehensive new biography of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, a memoir on family by the prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen and an exploration of the crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s are among 10 books on the nonfiction longlist of the National Book Awards. The National Book Foundation, which presents the awards, also released its poetry longlist Thursday, a day after announcing 10 nominees each in the categories of young people's literature and books in translation. Judges will next month reduce each list to five finalists, with the winners to be announced during a Manhattan dinner ceremony on Nov. 15. Political Cartoons View All 1160 ImagesOthers on the poetry longlist are John Lee Clark's “How to Communicate,” Oliver de la Paz's “The Diaspora Sonnets,” Annelyse Gelman's “Vexations,” José Olivarez's “Promises of Gold,” Brandon Som's “Tripas,” Charif Shanahan's “Trace Evidence” and Evie Shockley's “suddenly we.”

Persons: Martin Luther King Jr, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Jonathan Eig's “, Nguyen's, ” Donovan X, Ned Blackhawk's “, Prudence Peiffer's, Cristina Rivera Garza's “ Liliana’s, ” Christina Sharpe's, ”, Shehadeh's, ” John Vaillant's, Williams, Monica Youn, Paisley Rekdal, Craig Santos Perez, John Lee Clark's, ” Oliver de la, ” Brandon Som's “, Evie Shockley's “ Organizations: Book Foundation, Native Peoples, New York, Justice, “ Locations: Manhattan, America, ” Utah

☆ Hong Kong's heaviest rain in at least 140 years floods city streets, metro
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

watch nowTorrential rain deluged Hong Kong on Friday leading to widespread flooding across the densely packed city, submerging streets, shopping malls and metro stations, as authorities shut schools and asked workers to stay at home. The Chinese special administrative region saw the highest hourly rainfall since records began 140 years ago. The city's cross harbour tunnel, one of main arteries connecting Hong Kong island to Kowloon, was also inundated with water, while photos showed a waterlogged shopping centre in the Chai Wan district. Police officers clear a storm drain as a taxi stands stranded in floodwaters during heavy rain in Hong Kong, China, early on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. Hong Kong, which was battered by a super typhoon last week, faces the prospect of another day of disruptions caused by intense rain from a different storm.

Persons: Justin Chin, Haikui, John Lee Organizations: Police, Bloomberg, Getty, Hong Kong Observatory Locations: Hong Kong, Kowloon, Chai Wan, China, Territories, China's Guangdong, City

☆ Hong Kong's Heaviest Rain in at Least 140 Years Floods City Streets, Metro
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Torrential rain deluged Hong Kong on Friday leading to widespread flooding across the densely packed city, submerging streets, shopping malls and metro stations, as authorities shut schools and asked workers to stay at home. Hong Kong Observatory reported rainfall of 158.1 millimetres (6.2 inches) between 11 p.m. HKT on Thursday and midnight on Friday (1500 to 1600 GMT on Thursday). Hong Kong's stock exchange will not open on Friday morning if the black rainstorm warning is still in place at 9 a.m., the exchange said. Videos circulating on social media showed streets turning into raging rivers, while one clip showed water gushing down an escalator into a swamped subway station. Hong Kong's MTR Corp which operates the city's rail network said at least one line was shut while others were operating at delayed intervals.

Persons: Haikui, John Lee, Farah Master, Jamie Freed Organizations: Reuters, Hong Kong Observatory, Hong Kong's MTR Corp Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Hong, Kowloon, Territories, Guangdong, City, Chai Wan

☆ A Chinese spy used fake LinkedIn profiles to target officials to hand over secrets, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Chinese spy created several fake LinkedIn profiles to target UK officials, The Times of London reports. Another Chinese agent previously confessed to using LinkedIn to find people likely to possess sensitive information. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Chinese spy has been using LinkedIn to try to get UK officials to hand over state secrets, The Times of London reported. The UK's security minister Tom Tugendhat said in a statement shared with Insider that the Home Office is aware of Chinese Intelligence using LinkedIn and other social media sites to target British citizens. In a statement shared with Insider, a LinkedIn spokesperson said: "Creating a fake account is a clear violation of our terms of service.

Persons: Beijing –, Robin Zhang, Eric Chen Yixi, Robin Cao, Lincoln Lam, John Lee, Eric Kim, Tom Tugendhat, It's, Lazarus – Organizations: The, LinkedIn, Chinese Ministry of State, The Times, Times, Intelligence, National Security, Washington Post, Reuters, Prevention & Defense Locations: London, Beijing, China, North Korea

☆ Man walked into a Southern California bar and shot his soon-to-be ex-wife and several others, killing 3 and injuring 6, authorities say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Jamiel Lynch Taylor Romine Josh Campbell Cheri Mossburg | Jamiel Lynch | Taylor Romine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

After opening fire inside the bar, Snowling retreated to a back parking lot area and began to retrieve two more guns, Barnes said. Established in 1884, Cook’s Corner bills itself as one of the oldest and most famous biker bars in Southern California, hosting regular specials and open mic nights. Cook's Corner bar is seen in an image taken prior to the night of the shooting. “We are Saddened by the news from Cooks Corner,” the band posted on its Facebook page overnight. “Our thoughts, prayers & condolences go out to everyone in the Cooks Corner community.”“We’ve experienced major earthquakes, forest fires, floods, recessions and other disasters,” the Cook’s Corner website reads.

Persons: John Snowling, Don Barnes, Snowling, Barnes, sheriff’s, “, Jeff Hallock, Tonya Clark, Glen Sprowl Jr, John Leehey, Tetsuya Takeuchi, Snowling’s, Takeuchi, isn’t, Etienne Laurent, Shutterstock Snowling, ” Jonathan Div, ” “, Katrina Foley, Gavin Newsom, ” Newsom, ” Barnes, Todd Spitzer, ”, “ We’ve Organizations: CNN, Orange County Sheriff, Twitter, Providence Mission Hospital, Authorities, Ventura Police Department, Sheriff’s Department, Company Locations: Southern California, Orange, Orange County, Scottsdale , Arizona, Stanton , California, Irvine , California, Los Angeles, Providence, Ohio, Camarillo , California, Camarillo, California, America, Clearwater

☆ Japan set to release Fukushima water amid criticism, seafood import bans
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] An aerial view shows the storage tanks for treated water at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 22, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Japan has maintained that the water release is safe. "Being told something is scientifically safe and feeling reassured are two different things... Proof that the water release is scientifically safe may not remove reputational damage," he said. The water will initially be released in smaller portions and with extra checks, with the first discharge totalling 7,800 cubic metres over about 17 days, Fukushima power plant operator Tepco (9501.T) said on Tuesday.

Persons: Wang Wenbin, Japan's, Yoon Suk, John Lee, Masanobu Sakamoto, Sakura Murakami, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS, Rights Companies Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Hong, National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative, World Health, Tepco, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Tokyo, Fukushima

☆ China is furious with Japan's plan to release treated Fukushima water into the ocean
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 destroyed the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which is situated on Japan's east coast, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) northeast of the capital Tokyo. Japan's government has repeatedly said the discharge of the treated water is safe and the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog has endorsed the move. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (C) speaks during a meeting with representatives of the Inter-Ministerial Council for Contaminated Water, Treated Water and Decommissioning Issues and the Inter-Ministerial Council Concerning the Continuous Implementation of the Basic Policy on Handling of ALPS Treated Water, at Prime Minister's Office, on August 22, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan. Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee, meanwhile, "strongly opposes" the discharge of wastewater from the Fukushima power plant. Hundreds of activists in South Korea had gathered in the capital of Seoul earlier this month to rally against Japan's plan to dispose of the treated water into the ocean.

Persons: Philip Fong, Fumio Kishida, Rodrigo Reyes Marin, Wang Wenbin, Wang, John Lee, Chung Sung Organizations: Afp, Getty, Japan, International Atomic Energy Agency, Inter, Ministerial Council, Minister's, Zuma, Anadolu Agency, Foreign Ministry, Japan's Embassy, CNBC, Hong, Japanese Locations: Shinchi, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Japan's, Tokyo, Japanese, China, London, Hong Kong, Seoul, South Korea, Korea, Fukushima

☆ U.S. will not invite sanctioned Hong Kong leader to APEC in November
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, who faces sanctions in the U.S., will not be invited to San Francisco during November's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The U.S. is set to host this year's gathering of leaders of APEC, of which Hong Kong is a member. Hong Kong's top official John Lee was placed under U.S. sanctions in 2020 because of his role in implementing what Washington deems a "draconian" Hong Kong national security law when he was the city's security secretary. A State Department spokesperson, asked about the decision, said the participation of all delegations in APEC events will be "in accordance with U.S. laws and regulations and on the basis of the spirit and principles of APEC." "We will work with Hong Kong, China to ensure appropriate participation in San Francisco," the spokesperson said, adding without giving details that U.S. President Joe Biden had begun sending invitations for the event.

Persons: John Lee, Hong, Hong Kong's, Marco Rubio, Lee, Rubio, Hong Kongers, " Rubio, Joe Biden, Liu Pengyu, Biden, Xi Jinping Organizations: San, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Washington, Hong, Reuters, Republican, U.S . State Department, U.S, The Washington, State Department, U.S . Treasury Department, China's Locations: Hong Kong, U.S, San Francisco, November's Asia, United States, China, Washington

☆ Hong Kong's golfers gird up for battle as housing policy threatens famed course
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/2] Miguel Angel Jimenez from Spain hits a shot on the 18th fairway during the final day of the Hong Kong Open Championship at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Hong Kong, China November 18, 2012. The rare measure drew criticism from NGOs who questioned whether the golf course would be redeveloped as planned by 2029. Three of these courses are in the Fanling golf course located close to the border with mainland China. "If you see the aggressiveness of the branding by other countries, Hong Kong is really under the gun. "The (Hong Kong) government absolutely should not allow populism and antagonism against the wealthy to spread," Tong said.

Persons: Miguel Angel Jimenez, Tyrone Siu, Hong Kong's, John Lee, Lee, Simon Yau, Sze Lai Shan, LIV Golf, Amr El Henawy, El Henawy, Ronny Tong, Tong, Clare Jim, Justin Fung, Anne Marie Roantree Organizations: Hong Kong, Hong Kong Golf Club, REUTERS, Hong, Urban Studies, Lingnan University of Hong, Development Bureau, Reuters, Town, Society of Community Organization, HIT, HONG, UNESCO, Pacific Cultural Heritage, Team, Thomson Locations: Spain, Hong Kong, China, Tyrone Siu HONG KONG, Lingnan University of Hong Kong, HONG KONG, Asia, Saudi

☆ Japan 'strongly' asks Hong Kong not to ban food imports on Fukushima water release
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, July 12 (Reuters) - Japan has made a strong request to Hong Kong officials not to tighten restrictions on food imports from Japan because of its plan to discharge treated radioactive water from its Fukushima nuclear plant, Tokyo's foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Japan, in a Wednesday meeting with Hong Kong government officials, explained its plans to discharge the treated water from the tsunami-wrecked plant and assured the safety of Japanese food, the ministry said. The meeting was held a day after Hong Kong leader John Lee said the city, Japan's second-largest market for agricultural and fisheries exports, would ban seafood products from a large number of Japanese prefectures if Tokyo goes ahead with its water release plan. read moreReporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hong, John Lee, Kantaro Komiya, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Hong, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Hong Kong, Japan's, Tokyo

Local media, citing unnamed sources, said Law's relatives were taken away from their homes in Hong Kong for questioning, then released. Law is among eight overseas-based activists who were issued with arrest warrants last week by the Hong Kong police for alleged offences under a national security law that China imposed in Hong Kong in 2020. "It is sinister that the Hong Kong authorities questioned the family members of Nathan Law," said Mark Sabah, with the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation. Demosisto was founded by Law and other activists, but disbanded after the enactment of the national security law. Additional reporting by Hong Kong newsroom; Editing by Christina Fincher and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nathan Law, Bobby Yip, Nathan Law's, Law, Mark Sabah, Hong, John Lee, Demosisto, Christina Fincher, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, police, Hong Kong, HK, Hong, Freedom, Hong Kong Foundation, Law, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, Lantau, Beijing, Britain, United States

☆ Family of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law taken in for questioning by police
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Hong Kong police searched the family home of exiled pro-democracy activist Nathan Law on Tuesday morning, taking relatives away for questioning, the city’s public broadcaster RTHK reported, citing sources. The sweeping law was imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong in 2020, after huge pro-democracy protests roiled the semi-autonomous city. The Hong Kong government has repeatedly denied the national security law is suppressing freedoms. Law arrived in Britain in July 2020, soon after the national security law was imposed in Hong Kong. He criticized the national security law as being used to “suppress dissenting voices,” and reiterated his hope for Hong Kong to one day gain full democracy.

Persons: Nathan Law, John Lee, Lee, Hong, Law, ”, “, Hong Kongers Organizations: CNN, Hong, RTHK, HK, Tung, Law, ”, . Law Locations: Hong Kong, Western, United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, Beijing

☆ Hong Kong plans widespread ban of Japanese sea products
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, July 11 (Reuters) - Hong Kong leader John Lee on Tuesday said the city will ban seafood products from a large number of Japanese prefectures if Tokyo goes ahead with a plan to discharge treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima plant into the ocean. Hong Kong is Japan's second-largest market for agricultural and fisheries exports. Hong Kong's current ban on shipments from one prefecture would "definitely" be expanded, said Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, at a media briefing. In 2022, Japan exported 75.5 billion yen ($536 million) in fishery products to Hong Kong, according to Japanese government statistics. ($1 = 140.8500 yen)Reporting by Farah Master, Jessie Pang and Twinnie Siu in Hong Kong, and Kantaro Komiya in Tokyo; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: John Lee, Lee, we'll, Hong, Farah Master, Jessie Pang, Twinnie Siu, Kantaro, Tom Hogue Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Hong, Administrative, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Kong, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Mainland China, China, Japan, South Korea, Fukushima

[1/2] Legislators vote for the third reading of the District Councils (Amendment) Bill, which pertains to electoral overhaul, at the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, China July 6, 2023. Under the amendment bill, only 88 seats would be directly elected by the public, down from 452 seats in an election that saw a landslide victory by the democracy camp in 2019. For the remaining seats not contested, 40 percent would be appointed by the city leader and 27 ex-officio seats would remain. China had promised universal suffrage as an ultimate goal for Hong Kong in its mini-constitution, the Basic Law. Pro-democracy politicians won 388 out of 452 district council seats during the last district council election in 2019, taking almost ninety percent of the seats and humiliating the pro-Beijing camp.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Lemon Wong, Wong, John Lee, Jessie Pang, Joyce Zhou, James Pomfret, Michael Perry Organizations: Legislative, REUTERS, Hong Kong's, Civic Party, Tuen Mun District Council, Reuters, Hong, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, Tyrone Siu HONG KONG, Hong, Tuen Mun, Beijing

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