Tag Archives: Hong Kong

Reuters reports: Hong Kong’s top court partially approved on Tuesday a landmark appeal by an LGBTQ activist for recognition of same-sex marriages, calling for new regulations for gay couples to protect their basic social needs. The ruling by Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal followed a five-year legal battle fought by jailed democracy and LGBTQ rights activist Jimmy Sham. It …

The South China Morning Post reports: British Airways has temporarily suspended passenger flights to and from Hong Kong after more of its aircrew were sent to a government quarantine camp. Two separate sources said the British flag carrier had taken the decision after one aircrew member tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival at Hong Kong International Airport on Saturday. The …

Via press release from the State Department: On July 16, the U.S. Department of State, along with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, issued a business advisory to caution U.S. businesses about emerging risks to their operations and activities in Hong Kong. Many of these risks stem from …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Facebook, Twitter, and Alphabet’s Google have privately warned the Hong Kong government that they could stop offering their services in the city if authorities proceed with planned changes to data-protection laws that could make them liable for the malicious sharing of individuals’ information online. A letter sent by an industry group that includes the internet …

Bloomberg reports: A man was infected with the coronavirus after recovering from an initial bout in April in what scientists said was the first case showing that re-infection may occur within a few months. The 33-year-old’s second SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected via airport screening on his return to Hong Kong from Europe this month. Researchers at the University of Hong …

Forbes reports: When Walt Disney World opened its doors to greet park guests to the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on July 11, the decision was met with no small amount of criticism. Florida is in the midst of its largest coronavirus surge yet. Critics of Disney’s plan were vocally opposing the resort’s reopening before the July 13 announcement that …

The Insider reports: Boris Johnson has offered three million Hong Kong citizens the chance to live and work in the UK after China defied global opposition to impose a new national security law on the region. The UK prime minister on Wednesday told the House of Commons that he will go ahead with the move after China imposed new security …

USA Today reports: Hong Kong’s legislature approved a contentious bill Thursday that makes it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem. The legislation was approved after pro-democracy opposition lawmakers tried to disrupt the vote. The bill was passed with 41 lawmakers voting for it and just one voting against. Most of the pro-democracy lawmakers boycotted the vote out of protest. …

The Telegraph reports: Boris Johnson is ready to open the door to nearly three million Hong Kong citizens if China imposes a new security law that critics say would rob the territory of its autonomy. The Prime Minister, writing in The Times, has offered to make what he says would be one of the “biggest changes” in the history of …

Reuters reports: Britain is prepared to offer extended visa rights and a pathway to citizenship for almost 3 million Hong Kong residents in response to China’s push to impose national security legislation in the former British colony. Foreign minister Dominic Raab [photo] said on Thursday that if Beijing went ahead, Britain would extend the rights of 350,000 ‘British National Overseas’ …

The BBC reports: Hong Kong has announced plans to slash cross-border travel between the city and mainland China as the new coronavirus continues to spread. More than 100 people have now died in China, with confirmed infections surging to more than 4,500. High-speed trains and ferries that cross the border will be suspended from Thursday, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam …

The Associated Press reports: China on Monday expanded its sweeping efforts to contain a deadly virus, extending the Lunar New Year holiday to keep the public at home and avoid spreading infection as the death toll rose to 81. Mongolia closed its vast border with China, and Hong Kong and Malaysia announced they would bar entry to visitors from the …

The South China Morning Post reports: The virus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan, already on lockdown, banned most vehicle use downtown and Hong Kong said it would close schools for two weeks as authorities scrambled Saturday to stop the spread of an illness that has infected more than 1,200 people and killed 41. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam [photo] said her …

Agence France-Presse reports: US President Donald Trump claimed Friday that were it not for him, Hong Kong “would have been obliterated in 14 minutes” by Chinese troops. In an interview with Fox News, Trump said President Xi Jinping refrained from sending in the military against pro-democracy demonstrators in the semi-autonomous city only because he asked him to. “If it weren’t …

The South China Morning Post reports: A Hong Kong court on Friday turned down the city’s first judicial challenge for same-sex marriage and civil union partnerships, but urged the government to “undertake a comprehensive review” to save time and money from court actions arising from discrimination. Court of First Instance judge Mr Justice Anderson Chow ruled against a lesbian woman …

Deadspin reports: A day after NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement wondering whether everyone couldn’t just get along and enjoy some hoops, eight members of Congress, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ted Cruz, signed a letter to Silver condemning the the NBA’s response to the controversy over Daryl Morey’s tweet supporting Hong Kong protestors. Perhaps basketball can bring everyone together. …

The New York Times reports: Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, said on Wednesday that she was withdrawing a contentious extradition bill that set off months of protests in the city, moving to quell the worst political crisis since the former British colony returned to Chinese control 22 years ago. The move eliminates the major objection among protesters, but it …

The Verge reports: Google just published a blog post revealing that it has disabled 210 YouTube channels that the company says “behaved in a coordinated manner while uploading videos related to the ongoing protests in Hong Kong.” Google cites the behavior as being “consistent with recent observations and actions related to China announced by Facebook and Twitter.” The accounts were …

From the Hollywood Reporter: Disney’s live-action Mulan remake has a become a surprise flashpoint in Hong Kong’s ongoing pro-democracy, anti-police brutality protests, after the film’s star, Chinese-American actress Crystal Liu, took to social media to voice her support for the Hong Kong police force. Liu’s statement sparked instant outcry in Hong Kong, where the local police have been accused by …

The BBC reports: Flight check-in has been suspended at Hong Kong International Airport for a second consecutive day because of anti-government protests. The airport, which is one of the world’s busiest, has been the site of daily protests since Friday. Videos on social media show passengers struggling to get through demonstrators, who have been sitting inside blocking departures. The city’s …