The pro-government press has been fawning over an unlikely hero – retired British judge Lord Sumption. His Lordship pleased the poodles by writing a letter to The Times of London, defending his decision to carry on with his appointment as one of the overseas judges invited – one at a time – to sit on […]
Posted inHong Kong
Hong Kong volunteers turn out to restore Happy Valley’s historic Hindu cemetery
For decades, the Hindu cemetery in Happy Valley, tucked behind the community’s large temple on Wong Nai Chung Road, had fallen into disrepair. Overgrown vegetation and dirt engulfed almost all the gravestones, some of which had come loose and sunk into the mud from years of erosion. The cemetery’s war memorial, honouring Indian soldiers who […]
Posted inHong Kong
World Press Photo exhibition opens in Hong Kong after being nixed over ‘safety and security’ fears
An exhibition of World Press Photo winners opened at a different venue in Hong Kong Sunday after a local university called off the event that features images of the city’s 2019 pro-democracy protests because of security fears. The cancellation of the event, a showcase of the annual competition that awards “the best visual journalism” around […]
Posted inSinoBeat
Love on the rocks: Inside China’s marriage counselling boom
by Hector Retamal with Laurie Chen in Beijing From a small office in Shanghai, marriage counsellor Zhu Shenyong livestreams advice over several phones simultaneously to an attentive audience keen to save their relationships. On his wall hangs the mantra: “Let there be no bad marriages under heaven.” But in the earthly realities of modern China, […]
Posted inSinoBeat
China sanctions US, Canadian citizens over criticism of treatment of Uighurs
China announced sanctions against two Americans, a Canadian and a rights advocacy body Saturday over their criticism of Beijing’s treatment of Uyghurs, but Washington said the tit-for-tat measure would only intensify the spotlight on Xinjiang. At least one million Uyghurs and people from other mostly Muslim groups have been held in camps in the northwestern region, […]
Posted inPolitics & Protest
Interview: Veteran journalist Stephen Vines on Hong Kong’s struggle for democracy against the world’s largest dictatorship
Hong Kong’s reputation as an international city with guaranteed liberties and freedoms is crumbling nine months after Beijing imposed a national security law on the region in response to the pro-democracy protests that rocked the city in late 2019. In his latest book Defying the Dragon: Hong Kong and the World’s Largest Dictatorship, veteran journalist […]
Posted inHong Kong
Hong Kong Hot Shots put Covid privacy concerns in a new light
[Sponsored] From the moment a person steps out in Hong Kong they are asked to hand over their personal data — a small price to pay, some argue, to prevent the spread of a deadly pandemic through digital contact tracing. But the latest shift towards mass data acquisition has ignited a debate over transparency, and […]
Posted inSinoBeat
Hugo Boss statement saying it will ‘purchase and support’ Xinjiang cotton was ‘unauthorised,’ brand says
German clothing brand Hugo Boss has told HKFP that an official statement on its verified Weibo account saying it will continue to “purchase and support” Xinjiang cotton was “unauthorised.” This week, western fashion brands such as Adidas, Nike, H&M have come under fire from mainland netizens and state media for previously expressing concern about reports of forced Uighur […]
Posted inHong Kong
Hong Kong reports no locally acquired Covid-19 cases on Sat – a first in four months
Hong Kong reported no locally acquired Covid-19 infections on Saturday – a first in four months. The news signals an easing of the fourth wave of the coronavirus after an outbreak at fitness centres was thwarted earlier in March. On Saturday, the city reported just six imported new cases from India, Indonesia, Pakistan and the […]
Posted inOpinion
Macau media ‘gag’ forces Portugal out of its shell to issue stinging rebuke to China over its obligations
Last week the Portuguese Government issued a strongly-worded rebuke to Beijing over a controversial recent moves to censor Macau TV and radio, calling on China to abide by its international treaty obligations towards Portugal on fundamental rights. The rebuke came after HKFP revealed new guidelines issued to roughly 40 Portuguese and English-speaking reporters by the […]