🌊 Free Tide: The fall of Apple Daily
🌊 Free Tide: The fall of Apple Daily
First trial under National Security Law commences
Good morning
Today might be a little heavy but in lighter updates, remember that merman sculpture with a fish head and human body? Take it sightseeing with our first Instagram reel – now you can share our memes in video form!
~ Kyna
Apple Daily prints its last edition
The pro-democracy newspaper has been officially forced to halt its local operations after HK$18 million of its assets were frozen. The board thanked their readers for their continuous support “and our journalists, staff and advertisers for their commitment over the past 26 years”.
Staff and fans bid the paper an emotional farewell by lighting up the rooftop of its office building and holding posters outside.
Ronson Chan, the new head of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) expects greater censorship after Apple Daily’s closure. The news has also drawn concern from international audiences, including a statement from the European Union.
“[Apple Daily’s] closing seriously undermines media freedom and pluralism, which are essential for any open and free society.”
— European Union
COVID news
Coronavirus in Hong Kong
New cases: 2 (imported)
Total cases: 11,899 cases so far (70 active cases, 210 total deaths, 11,619 total recovered)
All inbound flights from Indonesia are being suspended, effective 25 June. Indonesia will also be categorised as a high-risk country. This prohibition comes after a string of recent imported cases and is enforced when five or more passengers test positive for COVID-19 (upon arrival) within a seven-day period.
An airline ground staff tested positive for a mutant (L452R) strain of the virus. Lockdown is being enforced around the patient’s residence in a Tai Po public housing estate. The man worked at the airport last Wednesday. Anyone who visited the area for over two hours in the last two weeks must get tested by Friday.
Other local politics
New police watchdog chief Priscilla Wong promises to treat citizen complaints fairly and protect officers against false allegations if necessary. The Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC) will be critical of individual policemen and give them fair hearings regardless of rank. Speaking of fair hearings…
HK’s first trial under the National Security Law is now underway as the defendant pleads not guilty. Tong Ying-kit is charged with terrorist activity and inciting secession after allegedly driving a motorcycle into a group of police officers in Wan Chai while flying a flag emblazoned with a protest quote.
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