An already strong contender for the most absurd news story of 2024 became one of the outstanding favorites for the title this week when Lionel Messi,
Hong Kong
Red Carpet Redacted: Nicole Kidman and Lionel Messi Expose Hong Kong’s Image Charade
Hong Kong authorities and their Beijing backers have a quixotic vision: They want a city composed of 7 million servants who shut up, smile, beaver
Hong Kong & Human Rights, January 2024: New Law to Silence Hong Kong’s Whispers
After months of threats on the part of Secretary of Security Chris Tang Ping-keung (鄧炳強) to criminalize the vague concept of “soft resistance,” a.k.a.
Hong Kong Carving Its Own Path of Repression
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee’s announcement that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will introduce its own national security
Hong Kong’s Economic Quagmire Continues
Hong Kong’s economy enjoyed a cyclical rebound in 2023. But wounds from COVID-19 policies, external headwinds from decelerating Chinese growth and
Hong Kong’s Semi-Democracy Continues Its Decay
Once known for its vibrant civil society and political rights, Hong Kong moved toward illiberal authoritarianism in 2023. This trend began with the
Hong Kong & Human Rights, December 2023: Sanctions-Busting and Show Trials
On December 19, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions on three Hong Kong or Hong Kong-Malaysia entities named Dirac Technology
Spineless Titans: Jimmy Lai Puts Global Corporate Cowardice on Trial
As Hong Kong’s world-famous media tycoon Jimmy Lai (黎智英) goes on trial this week for the crime of holding an opinion and believing others have right
Contagious Concerns: New China Outbreak Proves Hong Kong and Taiwan’s Crucial Health Role
Since at least the 1960s, when Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao alerted of deadly flu cases in Guangdong Province, a pattern has emerged: News of a
Hong Kong & Human Rights, November 2023: Creepy Cops and State Vigilantism
“If you see the police on the bus, absolutely do not think it is weird,” insisted the Mong Kok District police division in a Facebook post on November
New China Agent in U.K. Parliament Unveiled: Foreign Secretary David Cameron
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak talked a good game, at least while auditioning for the country’s top job. Back in July 2022, as a leadership candidate
Surveillance Coins and Hong Kong’s Pivot to Post-FTX Crypto
On November 2, 2023, in a Manhattan federal court, a gentleman named Samuel Bankman-Fried was convicted on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy