Joshua Wong & Agnes Chow sentenced to jail | Hong Kong Weekly Political Briefing
Joshua Wong & Agnes Chow sentenced to jail | Hong Kong Weekly Political Briefing
Lawmaker self-exiles in Europe - hotline opens to report boat parties - skyscraper to replace Kai Tak Airport - urban planning for a greener & happier Hong Kong
This week on HT
United In Diversity: A positive signal at the end of a challenging year
by Cyril Ma
Over the weekend, a concert hosted by the German Consulate-General of Hong Kong and Macau and the Office of the European Union celebrated the many musical traditions across Europe.
People-centred design makes for successful urban transport: takeaways from the EnviroSeries Conference
by Jasmine Lee
Whether it’s designing Hong Kong’s MTR or its walkways, the city must put people first when planning for a future that is active, liveable, and happy.
Podcast | Green group works to spark collaboration between policymakers and sustainability innovators
by Jasmine Lee
Despite the seemingly bleak trajectory of climate change, SUSTAINHK co-founder Vince Siu has reasons to be optimistic for the future. Click the image or button below to listen to Siu talk more about the obstacles facing sustainability in Hong Kong’s on HT’s podcast Spyglass, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and more.
Highlights this week
COVID-19
Fines for violating social distancing measures increased from HK$2,000 to $5,000, with a maximum fine of up to $10,000. This change is set to come into effect on December 11.
Social distancing measures were tightened up with the onset of the fourth wave; public gatherings were further restricted from groups of four to two and the government released a hotline to report yacht parties.
Politics
Former Demosisto members Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, and Ivan Lam were handed jail sentences of 13.5, 10, and 7 months respectively. They were arrested over their involvement in an unauthorised assembly in the summer of 2019. Officials from Japan and the US have expressed grave concerns over the sentencing of some of HK’s most prominent pro-democracy activists.
Former pro-democrat lawmaker Ted Hui announced self-exile after he left Hong Kong on Monday to attend climate change meetings in Denmark. Before this announcement, his family had also left the city after his departure to Europe. Hui has no plans to return to HK and will withdraw from his position in HK’s Democratic Party (DP). Hui has left behind a number of open legal cases filed against him. Another democrat Alvin Yeung announced his departure from his position as the leader of Civic Party.
Jimmy Lai was arrested for fraud concerning Next Digital Media and has since been denied bail.
What you may have missed
The Finnish Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong is looking to hire an Executive Director!
A Tasmania-Hong Kong freight link was announced, with plans to ship fresh produce from Tasmania to HK as much as three times per week.
A four-week extension to HK’s statutory maternity leave will come into effect on December 11, bringing the allowed leave from 10 to 14 weeks.
HK$550 million in government funding was confirmed for the Lantau Tomorrow Vision project, which plans to create more land for housing and development.
Sky-high plans for the old Kai Tak Airport with it set to be replaced by a mixed-use skyscraper designed by Norwegian studio Snøhetta.
Spyglass, the podcast that takes a closer look at Hong Kong. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more:
