🌊 Human Rights Press Awards suspended
🌊 Human Rights Press Awards suspended
Return to the theatre for The Open Couple!
Good morning.
If you haven’t kept up with my adventures in Spain, you’re missing out! Daily updates are on Twitter and frequent photos go up on Instagram as well.
On Today’s Tide
Protests | Occupy founder Benny Tai pleads guilty.
COVID-19 | New cases and lockdown updates.
Media | Human Rights Press Awards suspended.
Events | Theatre kids rejoice!
Behind the paywall:
Politics | A senior member of a leading polls institute leaves Hong Kong.
Protests | Rioting convictions for anti anti-mask law protesters. Tiananmen vigil organisers in court for the first time in months. And more.
Government | Government employment subsidies to come next month. LegCo schedules some second readings.
Business | Salon chain files for IPO in Hong Kong. Imports from Canada and France on hold. And more.
Environment | New fleet of KMB electric buses. And… SHARK!?
Crime | Arson incident and a woman arrested for infanticide.
Appointments | Police force confirms its new Deputy Commissioner.
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Benny Tai pleads guilty to illegal election spending
Protests
Benny Tai, the Occupy Movement’s co-founder and former law professor, pleaded guilty to illegal election spending during the campaign period before the 2016 LegCo elections. The spending in question refers to six newspaper ads he placed in Ming Pao and Apple Daily to advertise his strategic voting scheme in support of the pro-democracy candidates running for the legislative council. According to the District Court, this is not legal as Tai was neither a candidate nor a candidate’s election expense agent.
The advertisements were part of Tai’s “ThunderGo” plan, which aimed to help democratic candidates win over half of LegCo’s seats. You can learn more about ThunderGo here.
See more updates on Hong Kong’s protest cases behind the paywall:
COVID in HK
New cases: 431
242 detected by PCR test, 189 by RATs
16 imported
Deaths: 18
Tests are required for people who were present at 40 specified places.
Lockdown updates:
Two residential blocks were put into lockdown in Sha Tin and Tuen Mun.
Two positive COVID-19 cases and two undetermined cases were found at Lok Chuen House at Shui Chuen O Estate in Sha Tin after an overnight lockdown.
Human Rights Press Awards cancelled
Media
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club will not hold its 26th annual Human Rights Press Awards this year, saying that the Club did “not wish unintentionally to violate the law” by hosting the event. The winners were scheduled to be announced on 3 May, meaning that several journalists and media members are likely disappointed that they no longer have the honour of making a LinkedIn post on their latest award for clout (I know I would).
Several press freedom committee members at the FCC have resigned after the announcement, including Shibani Mahtani, Timothy McLaughlin and Mary Hui.
“As a former winner and judge of the HRPA, I feel nothing but the deepest regret and do not stand by this decision … It is an award that meant something not only to Hong Kong but journalists across Asia who covered some of the most consequential developments in the region last year."
— Shibani Mahtani, Southeast Asia and HK bureau chief for Washington Post
Events and deals
Support Harbour Times, our friends and partners by attending these events! Let everyone know who sent you by tagging @harbourtimes
Watch The Open Couple live!
Event Description: “In this farce about sexual politics in marriage, a man persuades his suicidal wife that an open marriage is politically correct and embarks on dalliances with younger women, to her dismay and fury. After deciding to be on her own, the tables are turned when she confesses to a new man, Nobel prize nominated professor and inspired singer-songwriter, it is the husband who becomes suicidal.”
Shoutout to The Open Couple’s director and High Tide subscriber Ryan King for sharing the event!
When: 11-14 May at 8 PM
Where: HKRep Black Box, 8F, Sheung Wan Civic Centre, 345 Queen’s Rd Central, Sheung Wan
Price: $250
For more local events, check out yesterday’s High Tide.
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Deputy CEO of lead polling institute leaves Hong Kong
Politics
Chung Kim-wah, the deputy CEO of the independent Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (PORI), announced that he has left Hong Kong for the UK. The reasoning behind his departure was that in HK one could “no longer live normally and without intimidation.”
Ex-leaders of Tiananmen vigil group in court
Protests
These are the latest updates on Hong Kong’s protest cases:
Three former leaders of the now disbanded Tiananmen vigil organising group (Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho and Chow Hang-tung) appeared in court for the first time since the COVID-19 prison lockdown that began over two months ago.
Louis Lo, a former member of Hong Kong National Front (a former independence party) lost the appeal against his 12-year jail sentence for possessing explosives at the time of the 2019 protests.
11 people were convicted of rioting in Wan Chai the day after the anti-mask law came into effect in October 2019.
Employment subsidies coming in May
Government
These are the latest updates in Hong Kong’s government:
The government announced yesterday that the government employment subsidies will be distributed to companies as of early May.
The Legislative Council will be resuming the Second Readings of the Appropriation Bill 2022 and the Temporary Protection Measures for Business Tenants (COVID-19 Pandemic) Bill.
Chinese beauty salon chain files for IPO
Business
These are the latest updates in Hong Kong business:
Chinese salon chain Beauty Farm Medical and Health Industry has filed for IPO in Hong Kong.
Swire Pacific completed the US$190 million sale of its marine services business.
80% (over 230) of the flats at Monaco Marine in Kai Tak were sold in its first round of sale over the weekend..
Hong Kong has halted the import of poutry meat and products from Canada and France due to H5N1 outbreaks.
SHARK!!! Or not…
Environment
These are the latest updates in Hong Kong environment:
KMB unleashed 16 new electric buses onto Hong Kong’s streets on Monday. You can find these green mobiles on the No. 6 route between Lai Chi Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui.
Residents who called police after thinking they saw a shark may have instead seen an ocean sunfish instead, according to experts. What’s scarier than a single shark sighting? The inhumane culling of sharks for their fins (which haven’t been proven to even have any health benefits when consumed):
Arson near a shipping container site
Crime
These are the latest updates in Hong Kong crime:
A 24-year-old woman has been arrested and charged for the murder of a 19-month-old girl.
An arson attack at Container Port Road car park in Kwai Chung damaged 15 trucks.
Police Force announces senior appointment
Appointments
Chow Yat-ming has been appointed as the Deputy Commissioner of Police. The term beings on 28 April when Chow will replace retiring Deputy Commissioner (Management), Kwok Yam-shu.
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