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This week on HT

Hong Kong trails other Asian countries in promoting LGBT diversity and inclusion in workplace, study suggests

by Thomas Chow

Only around 20 percent of respondents from Hong Kong said they would be “very comfortable” working with an openly LGBT manager, colleague or subordinate. In comparison, more than 30 percent of survey respondents from Japan and around 40 percent from India made the same claim. 

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Smoking alternative bill remains in stalemate

by a Contributing Author

Experts continue to debate the efficacy of heated tobacco products as a ban on these items is still in deliberation in Hong Kong.

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The Hong Kong start-up disrupting the construction sector with a zero-emissions power source

by Jasmine Lee

Meet the Enertainer by Ampd Energy, the future of construction that has the potential to decarbonise the whole sector.

Read More

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Highlights this week

• More anti-epidemic funds are on the way, with HK planning to funnel HK$5.5 billion into COVID-hit sectors.

• Officials from the Central Government Offices pledged their allegiance to the HKSAR, and their oath-taking was recorded on video.

• 10 of the 12 Hongkongers detained in Shenzhen (caught as they were fleeing to Taiwan by boat) were handed charges related to illegal border crossing. These fugitives were running from charges in Hong Kong related to unauthorised protesting and the national security law.

• OSL, Asia’s leading digital asset platform and member of BC Technology Group, earlier this week became the world’s first SFC-licensed, listed, digital asset wallet-insured, Big-4 audited digital asset trading platform.

• HK launches its Green and Sustainable Finance Strategic Plan. Financial firms will have to disclose their climate change policies starting from 2025.

• The US raises its travel advisory for HK up to a level three (the second-highest level), citing the national security law.

Under the radar

• Frances Hui, pro-democracy activist and founder of We the Hongkongers, announced on Facebook that she has left Hong Kong indefinitely, saying she has even distanced herself from family. Although she has had to leave Hong Kong behind, she has taken her identity as a Hongkonger with her. Listen to her talk about why claiming your identity matters on Spyglass.

• Turkey and Hong Kong signed a maritime agreement allowing Turkish seamen to work on Hong Kong-flagged ships.

• Over 1,300 surveillance and interception cases were authorised in HK in 2019, leading to 316 arrests. A similar number of cases were approved in 2018.

• The Competition Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Philippine Competition Commission, aiming to strengthen cooperation between the two agencies on competition issues of mutual concern.

Spyglass, the podcast that takes a closer look at Hong Kong. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more

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