End of Record
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Thursday, November 28, 2019
[CNN], !即時 Instant News, Protesters celebrate a victory after Trump signs Hong Kong human rights act
Hong Kong (CNN)Protesters in Hong Kong will hold a celebratory, pro-US rally Thursday after President Donald Trump gave them what one prominent activist termed a "timely Thanksgiving present."
Trump signed an act in support of the protest movement despite a potential backlash from Beijing that could derail delicate US-China trade talks, after it was passed almost unanimously by both houses of Congress.
Anti-government protesters in the semi-autonomous Chinese city have long campaigned in favor of the bill -- which would permit Washington to impose sanctions or even suspend Hong Kong's special trading status over rights violations. Trump's decision to sign the act gives the movement a second major symbolic victory in a matter of days.
On Sunday, pro-democracy candidates scored a landslide victory in district council elections, framed as a de-facto referendum on the protest movement, which began in June in opposition to a controversial extradition bill but has grown to include demands for greater democratic freedoms and inquiries into alleged police brutality.
Activists and pro-democracy politicians in the city celebrated online after Trump signed the bill, with former lawmaker Nathan Law calling it a "timely Thanksgiving present."
Shortly after the bill was signed into law, China's Foreign Ministry accused the US of "bullying behavior," "disregarding the facts" and "publicly supporting violent criminals."
"We urge the United States not to insist on going down this path, or China would firmly strike back and the United States would have to bear all consequences," the statement read.
The Chinese government also summoned the US envoy to China, Ambassador Terry Branstad, to "lodge solemn representation and strong protest" over the measure.
There are concerns that Beijing and Washington's disagreement over Hong Kong could affect trade negotiations between China and the US, as the two sides previously appeared to be nearing the initial stages of a deal. Asian markets dropped slightly after Trump signed the bill, a sign that investors may be worried about how the law could affect talks.
While the unrest in Hong Kong began with peaceful mass marches, as the movement has dragged on, protests have gotten increasingly violent, and the last two weeks saw several universities occupied by demonstrators.
The most intense standoff -- between police and protesters around the centrally located campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) -- appears to be coming to an end.
A government "safety team" entered the campus Thursday to begin cleaning up, likely to be a painstaking process because of the hundreds of unused petrol bombs scattered around the school's grounds.
What happens next?
Though the Hong Kong legislation was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in Washington, it's unlikely to have any immediate, tangible effect.
The main bill that Trump signed into law, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, requires the State Department to annually review whether the city is "sufficiently autonomous" to justify its special trading status with the US.
If it is found not to be, the law could result in Washington withdrawing that status, which would be a massive blow to Hong Kong's economy.
The bill also lays out a process for the President to impose sanctions and travel restrictions on those who are found to be knowingly responsible for arbitrary detention, torture and forced confession of any individual in Hong Kong, or other violations of internationally recognized human rights in the Asian financial hub.
There is no indication however that Trump intends to enact any of the powers in the act anytime soon, and in a statement, the White House said it would only enforce parts of the law because "certain provisions of the Act would interfere with the exercise of the President's constitutional authority to state the foreign policy of the United States."
There is also concern that any change to the US-Hong Kong trade relationship could disproportionately affect average Hong Kongers, rather than Beijing or the city's leaders.
The US is Hong Kong's second biggest partner in terms of total trade, according to figures from the Hong Kong government. Washington exported $50 billion worth of goods and services to the territory in 2018, US figures show.
Susan Thornton, who served as the State Department's top Asia diplomat early in the Trump administration, said in an interview last month that she worried the legislation could end up "punishing exactly the wrong people."
A companion piece of legislation passed by Trump bans the export of certain crowd control items to Hong Kong, like tear gas and rubber bullets -- gear that the city could also buy from mainland China.
Hong Kong police have fired around 10,000 rounds of tear gas and about 4,800 rubber bullets during the months of unrest, the city's security minister John Lee said Wednesday. He added that more than 5,800 people have been arrested since June in relation to the protests.
In a statement after Trump signed the bills into law, the Hong Kong government said they were "unreasonable" and would "send an erroneous signal to protesters, which is not conducive to alleviating the situation in Hong Kong."
Both Beijing and Hong Kong accused Washington of intervening in the city's and China's internal affairs.
Sen. Marco Rubio, who authored the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, has previously denied that charge.
"Our treatment of Hong Kong is an internal matter. It's a matter of our own public policy," Rubio said in an interview with CNBC. "We have a right to change our law."
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/28/asia/hong-kong-reaction-trump-legislation-intl-hnk/index.html
Trump signed an act in support of the protest movement despite a potential backlash from Beijing that could derail delicate US-China trade talks, after it was passed almost unanimously by both houses of Congress.
Anti-government protesters in the semi-autonomous Chinese city have long campaigned in favor of the bill -- which would permit Washington to impose sanctions or even suspend Hong Kong's special trading status over rights violations. Trump's decision to sign the act gives the movement a second major symbolic victory in a matter of days.
On Sunday, pro-democracy candidates scored a landslide victory in district council elections, framed as a de-facto referendum on the protest movement, which began in June in opposition to a controversial extradition bill but has grown to include demands for greater democratic freedoms and inquiries into alleged police brutality.
Activists and pro-democracy politicians in the city celebrated online after Trump signed the bill, with former lawmaker Nathan Law calling it a "timely Thanksgiving present."
Shortly after the bill was signed into law, China's Foreign Ministry accused the US of "bullying behavior," "disregarding the facts" and "publicly supporting violent criminals."
"We urge the United States not to insist on going down this path, or China would firmly strike back and the United States would have to bear all consequences," the statement read.
The Chinese government also summoned the US envoy to China, Ambassador Terry Branstad, to "lodge solemn representation and strong protest" over the measure.
There are concerns that Beijing and Washington's disagreement over Hong Kong could affect trade negotiations between China and the US, as the two sides previously appeared to be nearing the initial stages of a deal. Asian markets dropped slightly after Trump signed the bill, a sign that investors may be worried about how the law could affect talks.
While the unrest in Hong Kong began with peaceful mass marches, as the movement has dragged on, protests have gotten increasingly violent, and the last two weeks saw several universities occupied by demonstrators.
The most intense standoff -- between police and protesters around the centrally located campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) -- appears to be coming to an end.
A government "safety team" entered the campus Thursday to begin cleaning up, likely to be a painstaking process because of the hundreds of unused petrol bombs scattered around the school's grounds.
What happens next?
Though the Hong Kong legislation was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in Washington, it's unlikely to have any immediate, tangible effect.
The main bill that Trump signed into law, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, requires the State Department to annually review whether the city is "sufficiently autonomous" to justify its special trading status with the US.
If it is found not to be, the law could result in Washington withdrawing that status, which would be a massive blow to Hong Kong's economy.
The bill also lays out a process for the President to impose sanctions and travel restrictions on those who are found to be knowingly responsible for arbitrary detention, torture and forced confession of any individual in Hong Kong, or other violations of internationally recognized human rights in the Asian financial hub.
There is no indication however that Trump intends to enact any of the powers in the act anytime soon, and in a statement, the White House said it would only enforce parts of the law because "certain provisions of the Act would interfere with the exercise of the President's constitutional authority to state the foreign policy of the United States."
There is also concern that any change to the US-Hong Kong trade relationship could disproportionately affect average Hong Kongers, rather than Beijing or the city's leaders.
The US is Hong Kong's second biggest partner in terms of total trade, according to figures from the Hong Kong government. Washington exported $50 billion worth of goods and services to the territory in 2018, US figures show.
Susan Thornton, who served as the State Department's top Asia diplomat early in the Trump administration, said in an interview last month that she worried the legislation could end up "punishing exactly the wrong people."
A companion piece of legislation passed by Trump bans the export of certain crowd control items to Hong Kong, like tear gas and rubber bullets -- gear that the city could also buy from mainland China.
Hong Kong police have fired around 10,000 rounds of tear gas and about 4,800 rubber bullets during the months of unrest, the city's security minister John Lee said Wednesday. He added that more than 5,800 people have been arrested since June in relation to the protests.
In a statement after Trump signed the bills into law, the Hong Kong government said they were "unreasonable" and would "send an erroneous signal to protesters, which is not conducive to alleviating the situation in Hong Kong."
Both Beijing and Hong Kong accused Washington of intervening in the city's and China's internal affairs.
Sen. Marco Rubio, who authored the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, has previously denied that charge.
"Our treatment of Hong Kong is an internal matter. It's a matter of our own public policy," Rubio said in an interview with CNBC. "We have a right to change our law."
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/28/asia/hong-kong-reaction-trump-legislation-intl-hnk/index.html
[BBC], !即時 Instant News, Hong Kong protests: Trump signs Human Rights and Democracy Act into law
US President Donald Trump has signed into law a bill that supports pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
The Human Rights and Democracy Act mandates an annual review, to check if Hong Kong has enough autonomy to justify its special status with the US.
Mr Trump said he signed the law "out of respect for President Xi [Jinping], China, and the people of Hong Kong".
China's foreign ministry said it would take "firm counter measures" - accusing the US of "sinister intentions".
Mr Trump is currently seeking a deal with China, in order to end a trade war between the two countries.
Hong Kong's government also reacted, saying the American bill would send the wrong signal and would not help to ease the situation.
But one of the leaders of the Hong Kong protest movement, Joshua Wong, said the US law was a "remarkable achievement" for "all Hongkongers".
Mr Trump had previously been non-committal about whether he would sign the bill, saying he was "with" Hong Kong but also that Mr Xi was "an incredible guy".
However, the bill had widespread congressional support, which meant that even if he vetoed it, lawmakers could potentially have voted to overturn his decision.
The president also signed a second bill, which bans the export of crowd-control munitions to the police in Hong Kong - including tear gas, rubber bullets and stun guns.
"[The bills] are being enacted in the hope that leaders and representatives of China and Hong Kong will be able to amicably settle their differences, leading to long-term peace and prosperity for all," Mr Trump said.
What does the law say?
The bill was introduced in June in the early stages of the protests in Hong Kong, and was overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives last month.
It says: "Hong Kong is part of China but has a largely separate legal and economic system.
"The [annual review] shall assess whether China has eroded Hong Kong's civil liberties and rule of law as protected by Hong Kong's Basic Law."
Among other things, Hong Kong's special trading status means it is not affected by US sanctions or tariffs placed on the mainland.
The bill also says the US should allow Hong Kong residents to obtain US visas, even if they have been arrested for being part of non-violent protests.
What is the situation in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong's protests started in June against a proposed law to allow extradition to mainland China but it has since transformed into a larger pro-democracy movement.
The protests have also seen increasingly violent clashes, with police being attacked, and officers firing live bullets.
Protesters have thrown petrol bombs and attacked businesses seen as being pro-Beijing.
The protesters, meanwhile, have accused police of brutality.
On Sunday, Hong Kong held local council elections that were seen as a barometer of public opinion towards the government and the protesters.
The elections saw a landslide victory for the pro-democracy movement, with 17 of the 18 councils now controlled by pro-democracy councillors.
What's happening in Hong Kong today?
Police moved into the Polytechnic University campus where a handful of protesters were thought to be holding out.
The campus was the site of a siege, which turned into one of the defining moments of the anti-government protests.
Police moved in with negotiators and psychologists to convince any remaining students to leave - as well as to clear dangerous items and gather evidence.
It's not clear whether the officers found any remaining students. Over the past week, most protesters have either surrendered or escaped.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-50581862
The Human Rights and Democracy Act mandates an annual review, to check if Hong Kong has enough autonomy to justify its special status with the US.
Mr Trump said he signed the law "out of respect for President Xi [Jinping], China, and the people of Hong Kong".
China's foreign ministry said it would take "firm counter measures" - accusing the US of "sinister intentions".
Mr Trump is currently seeking a deal with China, in order to end a trade war between the two countries.
Hong Kong's government also reacted, saying the American bill would send the wrong signal and would not help to ease the situation.
But one of the leaders of the Hong Kong protest movement, Joshua Wong, said the US law was a "remarkable achievement" for "all Hongkongers".
Mr Trump had previously been non-committal about whether he would sign the bill, saying he was "with" Hong Kong but also that Mr Xi was "an incredible guy".
However, the bill had widespread congressional support, which meant that even if he vetoed it, lawmakers could potentially have voted to overturn his decision.
The president also signed a second bill, which bans the export of crowd-control munitions to the police in Hong Kong - including tear gas, rubber bullets and stun guns.
"[The bills] are being enacted in the hope that leaders and representatives of China and Hong Kong will be able to amicably settle their differences, leading to long-term peace and prosperity for all," Mr Trump said.
What does the law say?
The bill was introduced in June in the early stages of the protests in Hong Kong, and was overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives last month.
It says: "Hong Kong is part of China but has a largely separate legal and economic system.
"The [annual review] shall assess whether China has eroded Hong Kong's civil liberties and rule of law as protected by Hong Kong's Basic Law."
Among other things, Hong Kong's special trading status means it is not affected by US sanctions or tariffs placed on the mainland.
The bill also says the US should allow Hong Kong residents to obtain US visas, even if they have been arrested for being part of non-violent protests.
What is the situation in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong's protests started in June against a proposed law to allow extradition to mainland China but it has since transformed into a larger pro-democracy movement.
The protests have also seen increasingly violent clashes, with police being attacked, and officers firing live bullets.
Protesters have thrown petrol bombs and attacked businesses seen as being pro-Beijing.
The protesters, meanwhile, have accused police of brutality.
On Sunday, Hong Kong held local council elections that were seen as a barometer of public opinion towards the government and the protesters.
The elections saw a landslide victory for the pro-democracy movement, with 17 of the 18 councils now controlled by pro-democracy councillors.
What's happening in Hong Kong today?
Police moved into the Polytechnic University campus where a handful of protesters were thought to be holding out.
The campus was the site of a siege, which turned into one of the defining moments of the anti-government protests.
Police moved in with negotiators and psychologists to convince any remaining students to leave - as well as to clear dangerous items and gather evidence.
It's not clear whether the officers found any remaining students. Over the past week, most protesters have either surrendered or escaped.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-50581862
[端新聞], !新聞總滙 Daily Summary, 早報：不顧北京強烈反對，特朗普正式簽署《香港人權與民主法案》
特朗普正式簽署《香港人權與民主法案》
美國白宮27日下午宣布，總統特朗普正式簽署了《香港人權與民主法案》，儘管北京方面對此多次表達嚴厲抗議。
特朗普在一份聲明中表示，「我簽署這份法案，是出於對習主席、中國和香港人民的尊重」，簽署法案「是希望中國和香港的領導人及代表能夠友好解決彼此之間的分歧，為所有人帶來長期的和平與繁榮」。
根據美國國會參眾兩院最終達成一致的版本，美國國務卿每年至少一次確認香港是否擁有足夠的自治權，以決定是否繼續維持香港自由貿易的特殊地位。
該法案也令美國可以對在香港侵犯人權的個人和組織發起制裁。
李嘉誠接受路透社專訪：那些莫須有的指責，我已習慣
香港富豪李嘉誠以書面形式接受路透社獨家專訪。對於中國官方在香港反修例運動期間對他的批評，李嘉誠表示，「對那些莫須有的指責，我已經習慣了」。
今年9月份，李嘉誠曾發聲談論香港當時已持續三個多月的反修例運動。他呼籲政府和示威者都保持克制；希望執政者「對未來主人翁能夠網開一面」；雙方都為對方想一想，大事化小。
中共中央政法委隨即回應，批評李嘉誠「縱容犯罪」，不是為香港著想，要看香港滑向深淵。香港工聯會主席更在臉書貼文嘲諷李嘉誠為「曱甴王」。
李嘉誠在對路透社的書面採訪中表示：「在社交媒體的世界，有些人別有用心散播惡毒猜疑和假消息，破壞互信」，「此時此刻要不招風雨，確實不易」。
李嘉誠還透露，中國國家主席習近平2017年訪港時，就曾明確要求香港商界及富豪們肩負社會責任，支持中央政府維持香港的社會穩定。李嘉誠以自己設立慈善基金會，在大中華地區廣泛支持教育、醫療、公益事業作為回應。
路透社還指，此前有多名私人財富管理經理對路透表示，已於9月初撤回的逃犯條例曾令部分客戶感到擔憂。路透社詢問李嘉誠如何看待相關法案，以及是否認為富商會成為法案目標。李嘉誠的發言人回應表示：「逃犯條例已撤回，多說也無謂」。
伊朗網絡逐步解封，政府指7000名抗議者被捕
伊朗最高領袖哈梅內伊週三發表公開講話，稱近日因油價上漲引發的示威活動是「非常危險的陰謀」，美國是幕後黑手。哈梅內伊稱如今抗議風波已經平息，他對警察、伊斯蘭革命衞隊提出讚揚。
伊朗政府也表示，這次是伊斯蘭共和國40年歷史上最大規模的抗議活動，抗議人數達20萬人，約7000人被捕。
伊朗內政部長表示，示威者燒毀了731家銀行、70個加油站和140個政府場所，破壞了超過50多個安全部隊基地。
大赦國際組織本週表示，已統計到至少143名抗議者被打死。但伊朗官方拒絕承認，且沒有公布任何傷亡數字。
伊朗民眾抗議期間，全國封鎖互聯網長達八天。如今伊朗網絡流量逐漸恢復到之前正常水平的70%左右，軍隊警方武力鎮壓抗議者的錄像陸續流出。
這些錄像顯示，伊朗警察、軍人對手無寸鐵的抗議者當街毆打，向人群近距離開槍；部分城市的運動場、學校都變成拘留所。伊朗衞生部門人員呼籲民眾獻血，亦顯示鎮壓行動造成大量人員受傷。
歐洲議會通過馮德萊恩任歐盟委員會主席
歐洲議會27日在法國斯特拉斯堡召開議會，以461票贊同、157票反對、89票棄權的結果通過了新一屆歐盟委員會委員名單。
新一屆歐盟委員會將於12月1日就職。現年61歲的德國前防長馮德萊恩（Ursula von der Leyen）將正式出任歐盟委員會主席。
馮德萊恩當天在歐洲議會發表演講，介紹新一屆歐盟委員會的分工情況，強調一系列政策主張，包括加強歐盟戰略自主性、大力推行「綠色新政」以應對氣候變化等。
馮德萊恩表示，氣候變化關乎每一個人，所有人都有責任採取行動。她承諾上任百日內將提出全面計劃，並表示歐盟未來任何新的貿易協議都將包括環保內容。
蘋果公司向俄妥協，在地圖上將克里米亞標記為俄羅斯領土
蘋果公司被發現遵照俄羅斯政府要求，已在其地圖應用中將克里米亞半島標記為俄羅斯領土的一部分。俄羅斯軍隊於2014年3月從烏克蘭手中吞併了克里米亞，引起國際社會強烈譴責。
據 BBC 報導，在俄羅斯境內打開蘋果自家的地圖應用（Apple Maps）或天氣應用（Weather）時，克里米亞被顯示為俄羅斯領土。不過在其他地區打開應用，克里米亞顯示為不屬於任何一個國家。
俄羅斯杜馬（下議院）發表聲明指，「克里米亞和塞瓦斯托波爾如今在蘋果設備上已顯示為俄羅斯領土」。塞瓦斯托波爾是位於克里米亞半島西南岸的港口城市，俄羅斯將其視為一個單獨地區。
此前蘋果公司與俄政府就此問題進行了數月談判。蘋果公司主張將克里米亞標記為不屬於任何一個國家，但俄方表示蘋果必須遵守俄羅斯憲法。
環球時報公開「王立強」涉詐騙罪庭審片段
《環球時報》昨日公布了一段庭審錄像，指是近日在澳洲自稱中國間諜的王立強2016年因詐騙罪接受審判的片段。
環球稱該報記者從福建南平市光澤縣法院獨家獲得這段錄像。錄像中，名為「王立強」的男子當庭認罪，承認詐騙12萬元人民幣。最終，他因犯詐騙罪被判處有期徒刑一年三個月，緩刑一年六個月。
報導還稱，王立強顛倒黑白的「慣騙」；如今跑到國外，在西方輿論炒作下，以「中國特工」的身份編造抹黑中國的故事。
上週五，澳洲媒體公布了對自稱「中國間諜」的王立強（Wang William Liqiang，音譯）的採訪。他向澳方提交了17頁自白內容，自稱參與過多項北京主導的間諜行動，包括干預香港、台灣政治。
上海市公安局靜安分局隨即在官方微博發布通報，指經公安機關核查，該名男子是涉案在逃人員。台灣政府已派員前往澳洲調查真相。
台灣藝人高以翔在浙江錄製高強度真人秀節目猝死
浙江衞視昨日中午發布消息，證實加拿大籍台灣藝人高以翔在浙江寧波錄製《追我吧》真人秀節目期間，於當日凌晨1點多錄製跑步環節時暈倒，隨後搶救無效去世，年僅35歲。
浙江衞視昨晚發表聲明，稱第一時間對高以翔救治並送院，對他的去世感到悲痛。聲明還稱，節目組將深刻反思，對節目錄製所有環節全面檢查，做好安保工作。
內地媒體指，高以翔當時跑得很累，嘴裏不停說「我不行了」，然後突然昏倒在地。工作人員第一時間以為是節目效果，沒有立刻上前救治。隨後所有藝人跑了過來，醫生到場後做了近10分鐘 CPR；直到2點多高以翔被送往醫院，最終不治。
事件引起網絡熱議。許多網民譴責娛樂行業壓榨藝人以及行業工作人員，深夜甚至通宵錄製節目，嚴重違反勞動法及侵犯人權；譴責綜藝節目為了收視率無限提高挑戰難度，《追我吧》對體能的要求連參加錄製的奧運冠軍都吃不消；質疑涉及大型及危險性活動，節目組醫療保障工作不足，高以翔事件疑似延誤搶救最佳時機等。許多網民呼籲該節目立即停止錄製。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191128-morning-brief/
美國白宮27日下午宣布，總統特朗普正式簽署了《香港人權與民主法案》，儘管北京方面對此多次表達嚴厲抗議。
特朗普在一份聲明中表示，「我簽署這份法案，是出於對習主席、中國和香港人民的尊重」，簽署法案「是希望中國和香港的領導人及代表能夠友好解決彼此之間的分歧，為所有人帶來長期的和平與繁榮」。
根據美國國會參眾兩院最終達成一致的版本，美國國務卿每年至少一次確認香港是否擁有足夠的自治權，以決定是否繼續維持香港自由貿易的特殊地位。
該法案也令美國可以對在香港侵犯人權的個人和組織發起制裁。
李嘉誠接受路透社專訪：那些莫須有的指責，我已習慣
香港富豪李嘉誠以書面形式接受路透社獨家專訪。對於中國官方在香港反修例運動期間對他的批評，李嘉誠表示，「對那些莫須有的指責，我已經習慣了」。
今年9月份，李嘉誠曾發聲談論香港當時已持續三個多月的反修例運動。他呼籲政府和示威者都保持克制；希望執政者「對未來主人翁能夠網開一面」；雙方都為對方想一想，大事化小。
中共中央政法委隨即回應，批評李嘉誠「縱容犯罪」，不是為香港著想，要看香港滑向深淵。香港工聯會主席更在臉書貼文嘲諷李嘉誠為「曱甴王」。
李嘉誠在對路透社的書面採訪中表示：「在社交媒體的世界，有些人別有用心散播惡毒猜疑和假消息，破壞互信」，「此時此刻要不招風雨，確實不易」。
李嘉誠還透露，中國國家主席習近平2017年訪港時，就曾明確要求香港商界及富豪們肩負社會責任，支持中央政府維持香港的社會穩定。李嘉誠以自己設立慈善基金會，在大中華地區廣泛支持教育、醫療、公益事業作為回應。
路透社還指，此前有多名私人財富管理經理對路透表示，已於9月初撤回的逃犯條例曾令部分客戶感到擔憂。路透社詢問李嘉誠如何看待相關法案，以及是否認為富商會成為法案目標。李嘉誠的發言人回應表示：「逃犯條例已撤回，多說也無謂」。
伊朗網絡逐步解封，政府指7000名抗議者被捕
伊朗最高領袖哈梅內伊週三發表公開講話，稱近日因油價上漲引發的示威活動是「非常危險的陰謀」，美國是幕後黑手。哈梅內伊稱如今抗議風波已經平息，他對警察、伊斯蘭革命衞隊提出讚揚。
伊朗政府也表示，這次是伊斯蘭共和國40年歷史上最大規模的抗議活動，抗議人數達20萬人，約7000人被捕。
伊朗內政部長表示，示威者燒毀了731家銀行、70個加油站和140個政府場所，破壞了超過50多個安全部隊基地。
大赦國際組織本週表示，已統計到至少143名抗議者被打死。但伊朗官方拒絕承認，且沒有公布任何傷亡數字。
伊朗民眾抗議期間，全國封鎖互聯網長達八天。如今伊朗網絡流量逐漸恢復到之前正常水平的70%左右，軍隊警方武力鎮壓抗議者的錄像陸續流出。
這些錄像顯示，伊朗警察、軍人對手無寸鐵的抗議者當街毆打，向人群近距離開槍；部分城市的運動場、學校都變成拘留所。伊朗衞生部門人員呼籲民眾獻血，亦顯示鎮壓行動造成大量人員受傷。
歐洲議會通過馮德萊恩任歐盟委員會主席
歐洲議會27日在法國斯特拉斯堡召開議會，以461票贊同、157票反對、89票棄權的結果通過了新一屆歐盟委員會委員名單。
新一屆歐盟委員會將於12月1日就職。現年61歲的德國前防長馮德萊恩（Ursula von der Leyen）將正式出任歐盟委員會主席。
馮德萊恩當天在歐洲議會發表演講，介紹新一屆歐盟委員會的分工情況，強調一系列政策主張，包括加強歐盟戰略自主性、大力推行「綠色新政」以應對氣候變化等。
馮德萊恩表示，氣候變化關乎每一個人，所有人都有責任採取行動。她承諾上任百日內將提出全面計劃，並表示歐盟未來任何新的貿易協議都將包括環保內容。
蘋果公司向俄妥協，在地圖上將克里米亞標記為俄羅斯領土
蘋果公司被發現遵照俄羅斯政府要求，已在其地圖應用中將克里米亞半島標記為俄羅斯領土的一部分。俄羅斯軍隊於2014年3月從烏克蘭手中吞併了克里米亞，引起國際社會強烈譴責。
據 BBC 報導，在俄羅斯境內打開蘋果自家的地圖應用（Apple Maps）或天氣應用（Weather）時，克里米亞被顯示為俄羅斯領土。不過在其他地區打開應用，克里米亞顯示為不屬於任何一個國家。
俄羅斯杜馬（下議院）發表聲明指，「克里米亞和塞瓦斯托波爾如今在蘋果設備上已顯示為俄羅斯領土」。塞瓦斯托波爾是位於克里米亞半島西南岸的港口城市，俄羅斯將其視為一個單獨地區。
此前蘋果公司與俄政府就此問題進行了數月談判。蘋果公司主張將克里米亞標記為不屬於任何一個國家，但俄方表示蘋果必須遵守俄羅斯憲法。
環球時報公開「王立強」涉詐騙罪庭審片段
《環球時報》昨日公布了一段庭審錄像，指是近日在澳洲自稱中國間諜的王立強2016年因詐騙罪接受審判的片段。
環球稱該報記者從福建南平市光澤縣法院獨家獲得這段錄像。錄像中，名為「王立強」的男子當庭認罪，承認詐騙12萬元人民幣。最終，他因犯詐騙罪被判處有期徒刑一年三個月，緩刑一年六個月。
報導還稱，王立強顛倒黑白的「慣騙」；如今跑到國外，在西方輿論炒作下，以「中國特工」的身份編造抹黑中國的故事。
上週五，澳洲媒體公布了對自稱「中國間諜」的王立強（Wang William Liqiang，音譯）的採訪。他向澳方提交了17頁自白內容，自稱參與過多項北京主導的間諜行動，包括干預香港、台灣政治。
上海市公安局靜安分局隨即在官方微博發布通報，指經公安機關核查，該名男子是涉案在逃人員。台灣政府已派員前往澳洲調查真相。
台灣藝人高以翔在浙江錄製高強度真人秀節目猝死
浙江衞視昨日中午發布消息，證實加拿大籍台灣藝人高以翔在浙江寧波錄製《追我吧》真人秀節目期間，於當日凌晨1點多錄製跑步環節時暈倒，隨後搶救無效去世，年僅35歲。
浙江衞視昨晚發表聲明，稱第一時間對高以翔救治並送院，對他的去世感到悲痛。聲明還稱，節目組將深刻反思，對節目錄製所有環節全面檢查，做好安保工作。
內地媒體指，高以翔當時跑得很累，嘴裏不停說「我不行了」，然後突然昏倒在地。工作人員第一時間以為是節目效果，沒有立刻上前救治。隨後所有藝人跑了過來，醫生到場後做了近10分鐘 CPR；直到2點多高以翔被送往醫院，最終不治。
事件引起網絡熱議。許多網民譴責娛樂行業壓榨藝人以及行業工作人員，深夜甚至通宵錄製節目，嚴重違反勞動法及侵犯人權；譴責綜藝節目為了收視率無限提高挑戰難度，《追我吧》對體能的要求連參加錄製的奧運冠軍都吃不消；質疑涉及大型及危險性活動，節目組醫療保障工作不足，高以翔事件疑似延誤搶救最佳時機等。許多網民呼籲該節目立即停止錄製。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191128-morning-brief/
[Aljazeera], !即時 Instant News, China furious after Trump signs Hong Kong legislation
Trump says he signed bills out of 'respect' for China, but country reacts with fury and warns of 'firm countermeasures'.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed into law congressional legislation backing protesters in Hong Kong drawing a swift and furious response from Beijing, which promised 'firm countermeasures'.
The legislation, approved unanimously by the Senate - the United States's upper house - and by all but one member of the House of Representatives - the lower house - last week, requires Hong Kong's special trade status with the US to be reviewed annually by the State Department, and also threatens sanctions for human rights violations.
Congress passed a second bill, which Trump also signed, banning the export to the Hong Kong police of crowd-control munitions, such as tear gas, pepper spray, rubber-coated bullets and stun guns.
"I signed these bills out of respect for President Xi, China, and the people of Hong Kong," Trump said in a statement. "They are being enacted in the hope that Leaders and Representatives of China and Hong Kong will be able to amicably settle their differences leading to long term peace and prosperity for all."
China's condemnation was swift.
A foreign ministry statement issued on Thursday, shortly after the US announcement repeated heated condemnations of the law and promised "firm countermeasures". Hong Kong's government, which received a drubbing in district elections on Sunday, expressed "extreme regret".
Protesters have been on the streets of the territory since June, angered first by a proposed extradition bill that would have allowed people to be sent to China for trial. That bill has now been dropped, but the protests have evolved into wider calls for China to stand by commitments made to allow Hong Kong a "high degree of autonomy" when it regained sovereignty over the city in 1997.
That pledge, known as "one country, two systems", was meant to last 50 years and is the basis of the self-governing Chinese territory's special status under US law. Protesters say freedoms have been steadily eroded.
China anger
Trump had been vague about whether he would sign or veto the legislation while trying to strike a deal with China on trade that he has made a top priority in advance of his 2020 re-election bid.
After Congress passed the bill, Trump's aides debated whether the president's endorsement could undermine efforts to reach an interim deal, and most of them ultimately recommended the signing to show support for the protesters, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The decision was also influenced by the overwhelming majorities in the Senate and House in favour of the legislation, which was widely seen as making the bills veto-proof, as well as the landslide victory in Hong Kong on Sunday of the pro-democracy camp, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
If Trump had opted to use his veto, it could have been overridden by two-thirds votes in the Senate and the House. The legislation would have automatically become law on December 3 if Trump had opted to do nothing.
Hong Kong's Carrie Lam offers no concessions despite poll rout
"He had no choice," said Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane, reporting from Washington DC. "Congress forced his hand."
Culhane added that Trump's statement suggested the president was reluctant to invoke the legislation that China had denounced as a gross interference in its affairs and a violation of international law.
After pushing back against the legislation for days, the foreign ministry on Thursday issued a strongly-worded statement accusing the US of acting arbitrarily and interfering in its internal matters.
"This is not just about Hong Kong," Al Jazeera's Andrew Thomas said from Hong Kong. "This is about the US meddling in China's internal affairs. They are absolutely furious about it."
In its statement, the Hong Kong government said the two acts "clearly" intervened in Hong Kong's internal affairs. "They are unnecessary and unwarranted," it said, adding the measures would send "an erroneous signal to protesters, which is not conducive to alleviating the situation in Hong Kong."
Move welcomed
In Washington, members of Congress applauded Trump's decision to sign the bill.
"The US now has new and meaningful tools to deter further influence and interference from Beijing into Hong Kong’s internal affairs," Republican Senator Marco Rubio said in a statement.
Many see the US legislation as symbolic, but the bills' provisions have the potential, if implemented, to completely change relations between the US and Hong Kong and leave the territory treated in the same as any other Chinese city.
Analysts say any move to end Hong Kong's special treatment could prove self-defeating to the US, which has benefitted from the business-friendly conditions in the territory. If Hong Kong becomes just another Chinese port, companies that rely on the territory's role as a middleman or for trans-shipping could take their business elsewhere.
That said, the bills contain strong waivers that would allow the president to block their provisions on grounds of national security or national interest.
According to the State Department, 85,000 US citizens were living in Hong Kong in 2018 and more than 1,300 US companies were operating there, including nearly every major US financial firm.
The territory is a major destination for US legal and accounting services. In 2018, the largest US bilateral trade-in-goods surplus was with Hong Kong at $31.1bn.
Trade between Hong Kong and the US was estimated to be worth $67.3 bn in 2018, with the US running a $33.8 bn surplus - its biggest with any country or territory, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/trump-approves-legislation-backing-hong-kong-protesters-191128002853679.html
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed into law congressional legislation backing protesters in Hong Kong drawing a swift and furious response from Beijing, which promised 'firm countermeasures'.
The legislation, approved unanimously by the Senate - the United States's upper house - and by all but one member of the House of Representatives - the lower house - last week, requires Hong Kong's special trade status with the US to be reviewed annually by the State Department, and also threatens sanctions for human rights violations.
Congress passed a second bill, which Trump also signed, banning the export to the Hong Kong police of crowd-control munitions, such as tear gas, pepper spray, rubber-coated bullets and stun guns.
"I signed these bills out of respect for President Xi, China, and the people of Hong Kong," Trump said in a statement. "They are being enacted in the hope that Leaders and Representatives of China and Hong Kong will be able to amicably settle their differences leading to long term peace and prosperity for all."
China's condemnation was swift.
A foreign ministry statement issued on Thursday, shortly after the US announcement repeated heated condemnations of the law and promised "firm countermeasures". Hong Kong's government, which received a drubbing in district elections on Sunday, expressed "extreme regret".
Protesters have been on the streets of the territory since June, angered first by a proposed extradition bill that would have allowed people to be sent to China for trial. That bill has now been dropped, but the protests have evolved into wider calls for China to stand by commitments made to allow Hong Kong a "high degree of autonomy" when it regained sovereignty over the city in 1997.
That pledge, known as "one country, two systems", was meant to last 50 years and is the basis of the self-governing Chinese territory's special status under US law. Protesters say freedoms have been steadily eroded.
China anger
Trump had been vague about whether he would sign or veto the legislation while trying to strike a deal with China on trade that he has made a top priority in advance of his 2020 re-election bid.
After Congress passed the bill, Trump's aides debated whether the president's endorsement could undermine efforts to reach an interim deal, and most of them ultimately recommended the signing to show support for the protesters, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The decision was also influenced by the overwhelming majorities in the Senate and House in favour of the legislation, which was widely seen as making the bills veto-proof, as well as the landslide victory in Hong Kong on Sunday of the pro-democracy camp, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
If Trump had opted to use his veto, it could have been overridden by two-thirds votes in the Senate and the House. The legislation would have automatically become law on December 3 if Trump had opted to do nothing.
Hong Kong's Carrie Lam offers no concessions despite poll rout
"He had no choice," said Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane, reporting from Washington DC. "Congress forced his hand."
Culhane added that Trump's statement suggested the president was reluctant to invoke the legislation that China had denounced as a gross interference in its affairs and a violation of international law.
After pushing back against the legislation for days, the foreign ministry on Thursday issued a strongly-worded statement accusing the US of acting arbitrarily and interfering in its internal matters.
"This is not just about Hong Kong," Al Jazeera's Andrew Thomas said from Hong Kong. "This is about the US meddling in China's internal affairs. They are absolutely furious about it."
In its statement, the Hong Kong government said the two acts "clearly" intervened in Hong Kong's internal affairs. "They are unnecessary and unwarranted," it said, adding the measures would send "an erroneous signal to protesters, which is not conducive to alleviating the situation in Hong Kong."
Move welcomed
In Washington, members of Congress applauded Trump's decision to sign the bill.
"The US now has new and meaningful tools to deter further influence and interference from Beijing into Hong Kong’s internal affairs," Republican Senator Marco Rubio said in a statement.
Many see the US legislation as symbolic, but the bills' provisions have the potential, if implemented, to completely change relations between the US and Hong Kong and leave the territory treated in the same as any other Chinese city.
Analysts say any move to end Hong Kong's special treatment could prove self-defeating to the US, which has benefitted from the business-friendly conditions in the territory. If Hong Kong becomes just another Chinese port, companies that rely on the territory's role as a middleman or for trans-shipping could take their business elsewhere.
That said, the bills contain strong waivers that would allow the president to block their provisions on grounds of national security or national interest.
According to the State Department, 85,000 US citizens were living in Hong Kong in 2018 and more than 1,300 US companies were operating there, including nearly every major US financial firm.
The territory is a major destination for US legal and accounting services. In 2018, the largest US bilateral trade-in-goods surplus was with Hong Kong at $31.1bn.
Trade between Hong Kong and the US was estimated to be worth $67.3 bn in 2018, with the US running a $33.8 bn surplus - its biggest with any country or territory, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/trump-approves-legislation-backing-hong-kong-protesters-191128002853679.html
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
[端新聞], !新聞總滙 Daily Summary, 晚報：半年內43宗投訴，港府擬要求公務員宣誓擁護《基本法》及效忠特區
半年內43宗投訴，港府擬要求公務員宣誓擁護《基本法》及效忠特區
香港立法會今天召開大會，公務員事務局局長羅智光回應議員質詢時，確認港府正研究要求公務員宣誓擁護香港《基本法》及效忠香港特別行政區。
羅智光回應建制派民建聯周浩鼎的書面質詢，提到自今年6月收到43名公務員涉嫌參與非法集結、或公開發表詆毁「一國兩制」言論的投訴。羅智光表示，相關投訴已經轉交所屬部門跟進，調查期間有關人員會被停職，若查明投訴屬實，則可能被書面警告、革職、迫令退休等。
建制派新民黨葉劉淑儀則提出書面質詢，促請特首制定政策及發布行政命令，要求所有公務員宣誓擁護香港《基本法》及效忠香港特別行政區。
羅智光回應時表示，局方就此已有初步構思，但有多個問題尚待釐清，包括相關安排應透過行政命令還是修訂法例落實、宣誓要求適用於所有公務員還是特定職系、公務員拒絕宣誓或違反誓言的後果等。他表示，局方將諮詢律政司及職方意見。
羅智光強調《基本法》第99條已訂明公務員必須盡忠職守及對香港特區政府負責，同時《公務員守則》訂明公務員必須守法，以及遵從不偏不倚、政治中立的原則，對特首及特區政府完全忠誠。
羅智光提到近月有公務員涉嫌參與非法集會被捕，另有紀律部隊人員之間不合拍的事件，導致立法會有意見認為公務員未能「同心同德」。他強調港府對公務員違法「零容忍」，並呼籲相關部門日後迅速處理及回應公務員、紀律部隊人員之間不合拍的事件，以免影響公眾對公務員團隊的觀感。
喬姆斯基、巴特勒、齊澤克等3700名學者聯署，譴責港警闖入大學校園
全球逾3700位知名學者參與「香港監察」（Hong Kong Watch）發起的聯署，譴責香港警方針對大學校園學生採取「不合比例、報復式的暴力」，呼籲就警方涉嫌濫暴展開獨立調查。
參與聯署的包括哲學家喬姆斯基（Noam Chomsky）、性別研究理論家朱迪斯・巴特勒（Judith Butler）、哲學家齊澤克（Slavoj Žižek）、哲學家格雷林（A. C. Grayling）、曾任希臘財政部長的雅典大學經濟學教授瓦魯法基斯（Yanis Varoufakis）、認知心理學家平克（Steven Pinker）等。
聯署信提到，香港警方早前在未經許可下闖入大學校園，並施放大量催淚彈，受影響院校包括中文大學、城市大學、理工大學、香港大學等。此外，聯署信提到本月11日有交通警員在西灣河槍傷學生、在葵芳駕駛電單車追撞人群，並斥責這些行為違反《警察通例》，譴責警方在這些事件中採取不合理暴力。聲明又提到，有香港警員發表仇恨言論，導致社會進一步分裂。
聯署學者促請香港院校高層發出嚴正聲明，表明拒絕警方闖入校園、支持師生的集會自由，以至重申大學保障學術自由、為學生提供可以暢所欲言的安全環境的責任。
另外，聯署學者敦促香港警方立即停止暴力行為，針對違反法規的警員展開調查、針對採取不當暴力的警員予以即時停職。
他們進一步要求港府展開由法官主理的獨立調查，以研判自今年6月以來警方使用武力的情況。他們強調，相關調查有必要傳召目擊者作供、收集整理完備而具代表性的證據，以便獨立地研判警察行為；他們認為，這種調查權責範圍，遠超現存監警會所能應付。
聯署信末段重申，捍衛學術自由、言論自由、採訪自由、集會結社自由，以至保障學生安全，為普世追求的價值，聯署學者會繼續與香港同行。
美國眾議院或於聖誕節前就彈劾特朗普進行全院表決
美國眾議院針對總統特朗普「通烏門」的彈劾調查，預料會於下週進入下一階段。民主黨表示，期望於聖誕節前就彈劾進行眾議院全院表決。
眾議院情報委員會日前結束彈劾調查聽證會，目前正爭取於當地下週二（12月3日）提交報告。情報委員會公開了白宮管理和預算辦公室（OMB）官員桑迪（Mark Sandy）的部份供詞，桑迪披露他於今年7月從電郵內容得知，特朗普親自對 OMB 下令扣起對烏克蘭的四億美元軍事援助、且沒有解釋理由，他當時曾向上級提出相關做法可能違法。
桑迪提到，自今年9月先後有數名 OMB 職員請辭，其中包括一名法律部僱員，他們辭職的原因涉及無法認同扣起援助金的做法。
因應情報委員會可能於下週二提交報告，司法委員會已計劃於當地下週三（12月4日）舉行聽證會。司法委員會聽證會將邀請法律專家從憲法角度，檢視彈劾是否成立及草擬彈劾條款；同時，委員會已向特朗普及其代表律師發出邀請，希望他們在聽證會上作供。
據報道，由民主黨控制的眾議院有望在聖誕節前就彈劾進行全院表決。假如眾議院通過彈劾議案，由共和黨控制的參議院將於明年1月召開彈劾聆訊。
特朗普赦免火雞，藉機諷刺民主黨的彈劾調查
美國將於當地週四（28日）迎來感恩節，白宮於當地週二（26日）按傳統舉行赦免火雞儀式，特朗普藉機諷刺民主黨針對他的彈劾調查及其他批評。
特朗普開玩笑提到民主黨批評他對「Turkey」太過軟弱（編註：此處語帶雙關，既指獲赦免的火雞，亦指月前入侵敘利亞的土耳其）。另外，他嘲笑眾議院情報委員會主席希夫（Adam Schiff），指希夫會等兩隻火雞獲得赦免後，傳召牠們出席彈劾調查聽證會。
理大校方搜尋留守者無發現，要求警方立即解封校園
香港理工大學連續第二日派員在校內尋找留守抗爭者，但沒有發現。校方隨後表示已盡力處理事件，要求警方立即解封校園，讓校方展開修復工程。
理大行政副校長盧麗華，連同副校長衛炳江、楊立偉，以至紅十字會人員等近百人，今天再次進入校園範圍，並按學系分組，到所屬辦公室尋找留守者，同時視察校內設施的損壞程度。
搜尋工作歷時數個小時，盧麗華指沒有發現任何留守者，並強調校方已傾盡全力處理事件，要求警方立即解封校園。
連日來參與搜尋的香港大學法律學院首席講師張達明表示，相信大部份留守者已經離開，特別是紅隧今早重開後，校內人士很容易離開校園；他認為校園實際上已經解封，看不到警方有需要繼續派警力駐守，同時認為警方進入校園蒐證的作用不大。
美國少女在「TikTok」發片籲關注中共打壓新疆，帳戶被永久停用
美國少女阿齊茲（Feroza Aziz）在抖音海外版「TikTok」發布影片，呼籲關注中共打壓新疆少數族裔，帳戶隨後被永久停用。
「TikTok」否認政治審查相關影片，解釋指阿齊茲此前曾發布有關「911恐襲」主謀拉登（Osama bin Laden）的影片，違反社交平台指引，因而永久停止其帳戶。
阿齊茲早前在「TikTok」發布三段影片，第一段起初是化妝教學、教導使用睫毛夾，但話鋒一轉提到中共以「再教育」名義在新疆設置的集中營，並呼籲網民關注新疆狀況。該段影片錄得約140萬次觀看、近50萬個「讚好」。在另一段影片中，阿齊茲預言這些訊息可能遭到審查。
日前，阿齊茲在 Twitter 發文，表示其「TikTok」帳戶已被禁言。
「TikTok」隨後確認，已於本月15日永久停止阿齊茲的一個帳戶。「TikTok」否認對用戶內容作政治審查，但指阿齊茲發布與拉登有關的影片，違反社交平台指引。「TikTok」強調阿齊茲的其他帳戶不受影響，而阿齊茲尚未再作公開回應。
早在今年9月，英國《衛報》披露一份「TikTok」內部指引，提到公司會審查「天安門」、「西藏獨立」等關鍵詞。「新疆」雖然並未列入審查關鍵詞，但指引亦提到禁止高度敏感題材，包括分離主義、宗教派系衝突、種族衝突等。抖音母公司北京字節跳動科技當時發表聲明，承認公司內部曾經存在該份指引，但已於今年5月停用。
英國工黨再度捲入反猶太主義風波，或影響大選選情
英國在野工黨再度被指充斥反猶太主義，黨魁郝爾彬（Jeremy Corbyn）在 BBC 節目上反駁指控、並四度拒絕為工黨處理手法致歉。外界形容，大選選情落後於執政保守黨的工黨，正面臨今次選戰中的最艱難局面。
英國首席拉比米爾維斯（Ephraim Mirvis）日前在《泰晤士報》撰文，批評工黨高層默許反猶太新毒害在該黨植根萌芽，猶太社群對郝爾彬可能成為首相感到不安，暗示郝爾彬並不適合擔任首相。
就米爾維斯罕有地就政局表態，坎特伯雷大主教韋爾比（Justin Welby）亦在 Twitter 轉載消息，呼籲關注猶太社群的不安和恐懼。
在 BBC 黃金時段專訪中，郝爾彬強調他接任工黨黨魁以來，黨內的反猶太主義並無增強，而他亦已採取一切行動打擊反猶太主義。節目期間，他四度拒絕就工黨被指處理反猶太主義不力作出道歉。
郝爾彬一直高調支持巴勒斯坦人爭取權益，因此惹來外界批評工黨敵視猶太人。今年初，郝爾彬已曾被指打擊黨內反猶太主義不力，最終導致九名工黨議員退黨。近期，英國平等機會監察機構亦就工黨可能涉及歧視猶太人展開調查。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191127-evening-brief/
香港立法會今天召開大會，公務員事務局局長羅智光回應議員質詢時，確認港府正研究要求公務員宣誓擁護香港《基本法》及效忠香港特別行政區。
羅智光回應建制派民建聯周浩鼎的書面質詢，提到自今年6月收到43名公務員涉嫌參與非法集結、或公開發表詆毁「一國兩制」言論的投訴。羅智光表示，相關投訴已經轉交所屬部門跟進，調查期間有關人員會被停職，若查明投訴屬實，則可能被書面警告、革職、迫令退休等。
建制派新民黨葉劉淑儀則提出書面質詢，促請特首制定政策及發布行政命令，要求所有公務員宣誓擁護香港《基本法》及效忠香港特別行政區。
羅智光回應時表示，局方就此已有初步構思，但有多個問題尚待釐清，包括相關安排應透過行政命令還是修訂法例落實、宣誓要求適用於所有公務員還是特定職系、公務員拒絕宣誓或違反誓言的後果等。他表示，局方將諮詢律政司及職方意見。
羅智光強調《基本法》第99條已訂明公務員必須盡忠職守及對香港特區政府負責，同時《公務員守則》訂明公務員必須守法，以及遵從不偏不倚、政治中立的原則，對特首及特區政府完全忠誠。
羅智光提到近月有公務員涉嫌參與非法集會被捕，另有紀律部隊人員之間不合拍的事件，導致立法會有意見認為公務員未能「同心同德」。他強調港府對公務員違法「零容忍」，並呼籲相關部門日後迅速處理及回應公務員、紀律部隊人員之間不合拍的事件，以免影響公眾對公務員團隊的觀感。
喬姆斯基、巴特勒、齊澤克等3700名學者聯署，譴責港警闖入大學校園
全球逾3700位知名學者參與「香港監察」（Hong Kong Watch）發起的聯署，譴責香港警方針對大學校園學生採取「不合比例、報復式的暴力」，呼籲就警方涉嫌濫暴展開獨立調查。
參與聯署的包括哲學家喬姆斯基（Noam Chomsky）、性別研究理論家朱迪斯・巴特勒（Judith Butler）、哲學家齊澤克（Slavoj Žižek）、哲學家格雷林（A. C. Grayling）、曾任希臘財政部長的雅典大學經濟學教授瓦魯法基斯（Yanis Varoufakis）、認知心理學家平克（Steven Pinker）等。
聯署信提到，香港警方早前在未經許可下闖入大學校園，並施放大量催淚彈，受影響院校包括中文大學、城市大學、理工大學、香港大學等。此外，聯署信提到本月11日有交通警員在西灣河槍傷學生、在葵芳駕駛電單車追撞人群，並斥責這些行為違反《警察通例》，譴責警方在這些事件中採取不合理暴力。聲明又提到，有香港警員發表仇恨言論，導致社會進一步分裂。
聯署學者促請香港院校高層發出嚴正聲明，表明拒絕警方闖入校園、支持師生的集會自由，以至重申大學保障學術自由、為學生提供可以暢所欲言的安全環境的責任。
另外，聯署學者敦促香港警方立即停止暴力行為，針對違反法規的警員展開調查、針對採取不當暴力的警員予以即時停職。
他們進一步要求港府展開由法官主理的獨立調查，以研判自今年6月以來警方使用武力的情況。他們強調，相關調查有必要傳召目擊者作供、收集整理完備而具代表性的證據，以便獨立地研判警察行為；他們認為，這種調查權責範圍，遠超現存監警會所能應付。
聯署信末段重申，捍衛學術自由、言論自由、採訪自由、集會結社自由，以至保障學生安全，為普世追求的價值，聯署學者會繼續與香港同行。
美國眾議院或於聖誕節前就彈劾特朗普進行全院表決
美國眾議院針對總統特朗普「通烏門」的彈劾調查，預料會於下週進入下一階段。民主黨表示，期望於聖誕節前就彈劾進行眾議院全院表決。
眾議院情報委員會日前結束彈劾調查聽證會，目前正爭取於當地下週二（12月3日）提交報告。情報委員會公開了白宮管理和預算辦公室（OMB）官員桑迪（Mark Sandy）的部份供詞，桑迪披露他於今年7月從電郵內容得知，特朗普親自對 OMB 下令扣起對烏克蘭的四億美元軍事援助、且沒有解釋理由，他當時曾向上級提出相關做法可能違法。
桑迪提到，自今年9月先後有數名 OMB 職員請辭，其中包括一名法律部僱員，他們辭職的原因涉及無法認同扣起援助金的做法。
因應情報委員會可能於下週二提交報告，司法委員會已計劃於當地下週三（12月4日）舉行聽證會。司法委員會聽證會將邀請法律專家從憲法角度，檢視彈劾是否成立及草擬彈劾條款；同時，委員會已向特朗普及其代表律師發出邀請，希望他們在聽證會上作供。
據報道，由民主黨控制的眾議院有望在聖誕節前就彈劾進行全院表決。假如眾議院通過彈劾議案，由共和黨控制的參議院將於明年1月召開彈劾聆訊。
特朗普赦免火雞，藉機諷刺民主黨的彈劾調查
美國將於當地週四（28日）迎來感恩節，白宮於當地週二（26日）按傳統舉行赦免火雞儀式，特朗普藉機諷刺民主黨針對他的彈劾調查及其他批評。
特朗普開玩笑提到民主黨批評他對「Turkey」太過軟弱（編註：此處語帶雙關，既指獲赦免的火雞，亦指月前入侵敘利亞的土耳其）。另外，他嘲笑眾議院情報委員會主席希夫（Adam Schiff），指希夫會等兩隻火雞獲得赦免後，傳召牠們出席彈劾調查聽證會。
理大校方搜尋留守者無發現，要求警方立即解封校園
香港理工大學連續第二日派員在校內尋找留守抗爭者，但沒有發現。校方隨後表示已盡力處理事件，要求警方立即解封校園，讓校方展開修復工程。
理大行政副校長盧麗華，連同副校長衛炳江、楊立偉，以至紅十字會人員等近百人，今天再次進入校園範圍，並按學系分組，到所屬辦公室尋找留守者，同時視察校內設施的損壞程度。
搜尋工作歷時數個小時，盧麗華指沒有發現任何留守者，並強調校方已傾盡全力處理事件，要求警方立即解封校園。
連日來參與搜尋的香港大學法律學院首席講師張達明表示，相信大部份留守者已經離開，特別是紅隧今早重開後，校內人士很容易離開校園；他認為校園實際上已經解封，看不到警方有需要繼續派警力駐守，同時認為警方進入校園蒐證的作用不大。
美國少女在「TikTok」發片籲關注中共打壓新疆，帳戶被永久停用
美國少女阿齊茲（Feroza Aziz）在抖音海外版「TikTok」發布影片，呼籲關注中共打壓新疆少數族裔，帳戶隨後被永久停用。
「TikTok」否認政治審查相關影片，解釋指阿齊茲此前曾發布有關「911恐襲」主謀拉登（Osama bin Laden）的影片，違反社交平台指引，因而永久停止其帳戶。
阿齊茲早前在「TikTok」發布三段影片，第一段起初是化妝教學、教導使用睫毛夾，但話鋒一轉提到中共以「再教育」名義在新疆設置的集中營，並呼籲網民關注新疆狀況。該段影片錄得約140萬次觀看、近50萬個「讚好」。在另一段影片中，阿齊茲預言這些訊息可能遭到審查。
日前，阿齊茲在 Twitter 發文，表示其「TikTok」帳戶已被禁言。
「TikTok」隨後確認，已於本月15日永久停止阿齊茲的一個帳戶。「TikTok」否認對用戶內容作政治審查，但指阿齊茲發布與拉登有關的影片，違反社交平台指引。「TikTok」強調阿齊茲的其他帳戶不受影響，而阿齊茲尚未再作公開回應。
早在今年9月，英國《衛報》披露一份「TikTok」內部指引，提到公司會審查「天安門」、「西藏獨立」等關鍵詞。「新疆」雖然並未列入審查關鍵詞，但指引亦提到禁止高度敏感題材，包括分離主義、宗教派系衝突、種族衝突等。抖音母公司北京字節跳動科技當時發表聲明，承認公司內部曾經存在該份指引，但已於今年5月停用。
英國工黨再度捲入反猶太主義風波，或影響大選選情
英國在野工黨再度被指充斥反猶太主義，黨魁郝爾彬（Jeremy Corbyn）在 BBC 節目上反駁指控、並四度拒絕為工黨處理手法致歉。外界形容，大選選情落後於執政保守黨的工黨，正面臨今次選戰中的最艱難局面。
英國首席拉比米爾維斯（Ephraim Mirvis）日前在《泰晤士報》撰文，批評工黨高層默許反猶太新毒害在該黨植根萌芽，猶太社群對郝爾彬可能成為首相感到不安，暗示郝爾彬並不適合擔任首相。
就米爾維斯罕有地就政局表態，坎特伯雷大主教韋爾比（Justin Welby）亦在 Twitter 轉載消息，呼籲關注猶太社群的不安和恐懼。
在 BBC 黃金時段專訪中，郝爾彬強調他接任工黨黨魁以來，黨內的反猶太主義並無增強，而他亦已採取一切行動打擊反猶太主義。節目期間，他四度拒絕就工黨被指處理反猶太主義不力作出道歉。
郝爾彬一直高調支持巴勒斯坦人爭取權益，因此惹來外界批評工黨敵視猶太人。今年初，郝爾彬已曾被指打擊黨內反猶太主義不力，最終導致九名工黨議員退黨。近期，英國平等機會監察機構亦就工黨可能涉及歧視猶太人展開調查。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191127-evening-brief/
[端新聞], !新聞總滙 Daily Summary, 早報：美媒指香港區議會選舉前，內地官方新聞草稿預測建制派獲勝
美媒指香港區議會選舉前，內地官方新聞草稿預測建制派獲勝
美國時政雜誌《外交政策》（Foreign Policy）網站週一刊文指，香港區議會選舉結果公布之前，內地多家官方媒體編輯提前收到新聞通稿草稿，預測包括何君堯在內的建制派將會獲勝，只需根據勝出結果填寫具體數字即可；最終選舉結果令北京的編輯部「驚慌失措」，努力尋找角度令輿論呈現出支持中共的導向。
文章作者、資深編輯帕爾默（James Palmer）表示，上述消息是他從內地多家官方媒體記者和編輯處獲得，包括《中國日報》英文版、《環球時報》英文版和《人民日報》，所有消息人士均要求匿名。
25日凌晨，香港選舉結果陸續公布。最終泛民派獲得388席，比上屆增加263席；建制派僅獲得59席，比上屆減少240席。
內地中央級官媒新華社25日直到下午2點半發出新聞稿，僅表示 「區議會選舉結束」，「18個選區452個區議會議席全部產生」，但罕見沒有透露選舉結果。
當天稍早時候，《環球時報》在報導中透露了「泛民獲得452個民選席位中的多數席位」，但也沒有公布具體席位數字。
而親北京的港媒《大公報》則在26日A2版用最大字體寫道：「建制派堅持反暴，得票增55%」。
帕爾默表示，選舉之前內地官方高調宣傳顯示，北京方面似乎相信建制派將贏得選舉勝利；香港特首林鄭月娥也一再稱香港「沈默的大多數」已對抗議行動感到厭倦。但最終選舉結果與他們的預期相反，帕爾默認為這是北京對香港出現「巨大誤判」。
出現「巨大誤判」的還有內地網民。自選舉結果公布以來，《人民日報》、《環球時報》等官媒微博涉及香港區議會選舉、香港抗議活動及美國對港政策的內容下，許多內地網民留言譴責官媒長期製造輿論假象，誤導民眾。不過這些留言隨後會被屏蔽或刪除，例如在《人民日報》這條微博下，雖然留言數量顯示為4000多條，但只能看到十幾條。
帕爾默的文章與《香港01》25日一篇報導互相印證。報導引述消息人士稱，「北京對昨日的戰果大感吃驚」，「北京必重新評估香港局勢，林鄭應不應該留任下去，或者會是其中一項議題」。
本月4日，林鄭月娥剛剛與中國國家主席習近平在上海會面。當時習近平聽取了林鄭關於香港近期局勢的匯報，表示中央對林鄭「高度信任」，對林鄭和管治團隊的工作「充分肯定」，並強調恢復秩序仍是首要任務。
另據路透社昨日引述六名消息人士透露，中央政府不滿中聯辦未能處理風波，正計劃撤換中聯辦主任王志民；而且中央早在深圳紫荊山莊設立危機管理指揮中心，繞過中聯辦處理香港局勢。
但中國外交部駐港特派員公署昨日下午發表回應聲明，稱就路透社的「不實報導」提出嚴正交涉，敦促路透社秉持真實、專業、負責任的態度，停止傳播不實消息。
美議員將推法案，允許台灣人員在美政府機構展示青天白日旗
據中央社報導，美國共和黨籍參議員克魯茲（Ted Cruz）辦公室發言人26日證實，克魯茲正在計劃推出「台灣主權象徵法案」（Taiwan Symbols of Sovereignty Act，簡稱 Taiwan SOS Act），期望部分解除因美國「一中政策」令台灣人員受到的限制，包括允許台灣外交及軍事人員在美國期間展示青天白日旗及穿著軍服等。
在上週五的一場座談會上，共和黨政府資深顧問惠頓（Christian Whiton）就曾透露克魯茲有提出該法案的計劃，目的在於「剝掉」（peel back）美國在「一中政策」下的部分自我設限措施，例如在西點軍校就讀的台灣交換學生不能穿著台灣軍服等。惠頓形容「這本來就不是一個中國政策的規定」。
美國對台旅客授權網站，青天白日旗變五星紅旗
據中央社報導，台灣旅客赴美前申請許可的「旅行授權電子系統」（ESTA）中，其申請官網首頁「語言變更」選項，原本「中文」旁國旗圖樣是青天白日旗，如今卻變成五星紅旗。
美國在台協會（AIT）向中央社記者表示，已經通知美國海關與邊境保護局（CBP）相關情況，正在調查當中。
台灣於2012年11月正式加入美國免簽證計劃，旅客赴美需事先申請 ESTA 授權許可。
廣州法院裁定日企日籍員工「危害國家安全」，判監三年
據共同社引述消息人士指，中國廣州市中級法院10月15日曾判處日本大型貿易公司伊藤忠商事一名40多歲男性日本員工犯有「危害國家安全罪」，處以三年有期徒刑，並沒收15萬元人民幣。
日本官房長官菅義偉在26日記者會上就事件表示，正在掌握事實關係，並稱「作為政府將盡力提供援助，諸如領事探視、與家人聯絡等」。伊藤忠商事公關部表示「抱歉令相關人士擔心」，但未談及事實關係。
報導指，自2015年以來，中國以涉嫌間諜行為等至少起訴了九名日本人，一審全部結束；其中已有兩人提起上訴。
格魯吉亞民眾再上街，要求加快改革選舉制度
格魯吉亞民眾為呼籲政府加快改革選舉制度，連續第二週爆發大規模示威活動。週一晚數千名抗議者包圍國會大樓 ，期間與警方發生衝突，至少28人被捕，3人受傷。
抗議民眾要求以總理加哈里亞（Giorgi Gakhari）為代表的政府領導人辭職，並按比例投票制提前舉行國會選舉。防暴警察在驅趕抗議民眾時使用了水炮車。
11月17日，格魯吉亞國會否決了改革選舉制度的憲法修正案，兩萬多名抗議者隨即走上街頭，與警方發生衝突，當日共有37人被捕。
阿爾巴尼亞6.4級地震致至少18死600傷
阿爾巴尼亞西北部港口城市杜爾斯（Durres）附近26日發生黎克特制6.4級（芮氏規模6.4）地震，造成至少18人死亡，600多人受傷，周邊大量建築倒塌損毀。
地震伴隨多次餘震，餘震強度最高達5.3級。救援工作仍在進行，官方指已從廢墟中救出約42名倖存者。
數小時後，波斯尼亞莫斯塔爾（Mostar）市又發生一場5.4級地震，受災情況暫不清楚。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191127-morning-brief/
美國時政雜誌《外交政策》（Foreign Policy）網站週一刊文指，香港區議會選舉結果公布之前，內地多家官方媒體編輯提前收到新聞通稿草稿，預測包括何君堯在內的建制派將會獲勝，只需根據勝出結果填寫具體數字即可；最終選舉結果令北京的編輯部「驚慌失措」，努力尋找角度令輿論呈現出支持中共的導向。
文章作者、資深編輯帕爾默（James Palmer）表示，上述消息是他從內地多家官方媒體記者和編輯處獲得，包括《中國日報》英文版、《環球時報》英文版和《人民日報》，所有消息人士均要求匿名。
25日凌晨，香港選舉結果陸續公布。最終泛民派獲得388席，比上屆增加263席；建制派僅獲得59席，比上屆減少240席。
內地中央級官媒新華社25日直到下午2點半發出新聞稿，僅表示 「區議會選舉結束」，「18個選區452個區議會議席全部產生」，但罕見沒有透露選舉結果。
當天稍早時候，《環球時報》在報導中透露了「泛民獲得452個民選席位中的多數席位」，但也沒有公布具體席位數字。
而親北京的港媒《大公報》則在26日A2版用最大字體寫道：「建制派堅持反暴，得票增55%」。
帕爾默表示，選舉之前內地官方高調宣傳顯示，北京方面似乎相信建制派將贏得選舉勝利；香港特首林鄭月娥也一再稱香港「沈默的大多數」已對抗議行動感到厭倦。但最終選舉結果與他們的預期相反，帕爾默認為這是北京對香港出現「巨大誤判」。
出現「巨大誤判」的還有內地網民。自選舉結果公布以來，《人民日報》、《環球時報》等官媒微博涉及香港區議會選舉、香港抗議活動及美國對港政策的內容下，許多內地網民留言譴責官媒長期製造輿論假象，誤導民眾。不過這些留言隨後會被屏蔽或刪除，例如在《人民日報》這條微博下，雖然留言數量顯示為4000多條，但只能看到十幾條。
帕爾默的文章與《香港01》25日一篇報導互相印證。報導引述消息人士稱，「北京對昨日的戰果大感吃驚」，「北京必重新評估香港局勢，林鄭應不應該留任下去，或者會是其中一項議題」。
本月4日，林鄭月娥剛剛與中國國家主席習近平在上海會面。當時習近平聽取了林鄭關於香港近期局勢的匯報，表示中央對林鄭「高度信任」，對林鄭和管治團隊的工作「充分肯定」，並強調恢復秩序仍是首要任務。
另據路透社昨日引述六名消息人士透露，中央政府不滿中聯辦未能處理風波，正計劃撤換中聯辦主任王志民；而且中央早在深圳紫荊山莊設立危機管理指揮中心，繞過中聯辦處理香港局勢。
但中國外交部駐港特派員公署昨日下午發表回應聲明，稱就路透社的「不實報導」提出嚴正交涉，敦促路透社秉持真實、專業、負責任的態度，停止傳播不實消息。
美議員將推法案，允許台灣人員在美政府機構展示青天白日旗
據中央社報導，美國共和黨籍參議員克魯茲（Ted Cruz）辦公室發言人26日證實，克魯茲正在計劃推出「台灣主權象徵法案」（Taiwan Symbols of Sovereignty Act，簡稱 Taiwan SOS Act），期望部分解除因美國「一中政策」令台灣人員受到的限制，包括允許台灣外交及軍事人員在美國期間展示青天白日旗及穿著軍服等。
在上週五的一場座談會上，共和黨政府資深顧問惠頓（Christian Whiton）就曾透露克魯茲有提出該法案的計劃，目的在於「剝掉」（peel back）美國在「一中政策」下的部分自我設限措施，例如在西點軍校就讀的台灣交換學生不能穿著台灣軍服等。惠頓形容「這本來就不是一個中國政策的規定」。
美國對台旅客授權網站，青天白日旗變五星紅旗
據中央社報導，台灣旅客赴美前申請許可的「旅行授權電子系統」（ESTA）中，其申請官網首頁「語言變更」選項，原本「中文」旁國旗圖樣是青天白日旗，如今卻變成五星紅旗。
美國在台協會（AIT）向中央社記者表示，已經通知美國海關與邊境保護局（CBP）相關情況，正在調查當中。
台灣於2012年11月正式加入美國免簽證計劃，旅客赴美需事先申請 ESTA 授權許可。
廣州法院裁定日企日籍員工「危害國家安全」，判監三年
據共同社引述消息人士指，中國廣州市中級法院10月15日曾判處日本大型貿易公司伊藤忠商事一名40多歲男性日本員工犯有「危害國家安全罪」，處以三年有期徒刑，並沒收15萬元人民幣。
日本官房長官菅義偉在26日記者會上就事件表示，正在掌握事實關係，並稱「作為政府將盡力提供援助，諸如領事探視、與家人聯絡等」。伊藤忠商事公關部表示「抱歉令相關人士擔心」，但未談及事實關係。
報導指，自2015年以來，中國以涉嫌間諜行為等至少起訴了九名日本人，一審全部結束；其中已有兩人提起上訴。
格魯吉亞民眾再上街，要求加快改革選舉制度
格魯吉亞民眾為呼籲政府加快改革選舉制度，連續第二週爆發大規模示威活動。週一晚數千名抗議者包圍國會大樓 ，期間與警方發生衝突，至少28人被捕，3人受傷。
抗議民眾要求以總理加哈里亞（Giorgi Gakhari）為代表的政府領導人辭職，並按比例投票制提前舉行國會選舉。防暴警察在驅趕抗議民眾時使用了水炮車。
11月17日，格魯吉亞國會否決了改革選舉制度的憲法修正案，兩萬多名抗議者隨即走上街頭，與警方發生衝突，當日共有37人被捕。
阿爾巴尼亞6.4級地震致至少18死600傷
阿爾巴尼亞西北部港口城市杜爾斯（Durres）附近26日發生黎克特制6.4級（芮氏規模6.4）地震，造成至少18人死亡，600多人受傷，周邊大量建築倒塌損毀。
地震伴隨多次餘震，餘震強度最高達5.3級。救援工作仍在進行，官方指已從廢墟中救出約42名倖存者。
數小時後，波斯尼亞莫斯塔爾（Mostar）市又發生一場5.4級地震，受災情況暫不清楚。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191127-morning-brief/
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
[端新聞], !新聞總滙 Daily Summary, 晚報：路透社指中央在深圳設立指揮中心處理香港風波，並擬撤換中聯辦主任
路透社：中央在深圳設立指揮中心處理香港風波，並擬撤換中聯辦主任王志民
香港「反送中運動」持續逾五個月仍未平息。路透社引述六名消息人士透露，中央政府不滿中聯辦未能處理風波，正計劃撤換中聯辦主任王志民；另外，中央早在深圳紫荊山莊設立危機管理指揮中心，繞過中聯辦處理香港局勢。
消息人士透露，中央領導近月就香港問題草擬策略，並向深圳危機管理指揮中心下達指令，而指揮中心則每日向國家主席習近平提交書面報告。期間，國務院主管港澳事務的副總理韓正、港澳辦主任張曉明，以至公安部、國家安全部、網信辦等部門的副部長級官員曾赴指揮中心，接見包括特首林鄭月娥等多名港府官員、商界領袖、親北京政客等。
由反對修訂《逃犯條例》引發的「反送中運動」，自今年6月全面爆發。消息人士指出，中央高層起初希望採取中間路線處理危機，即不接納示威者訴求，但避免血腥鎮壓，以免影響香港的國際金融中心地位。
消息人士提到今年6月12日反修例示威者衝擊立法會，翌日韓正曾在紫荊山莊會見林鄭月娥，林鄭月娥提出「暫緩」修例，經中央領導討論後獲得同意，林鄭月娥於6月15日作公布。報道引述知情人士指，韓正當時亦設立「熱線」，授權林鄭月娥直接對其辦公室進行溝通，而毋需經過中聯辦。
至9月4日，林鄭月娥宣布正式「撤回」修例草案。報道引述港府一名高官透露，直至港府臨近宣布「撤回」修例，中聯辦、在港親北京政客才知悉相關決定。
至少兩名消息人士指出，中央不滿中聯辦只跟富商、精英打交道，導致辦公室與群眾脫離。中央認為有需要作出改變，因此計劃撤換中聯辦主任王志民。
中國外交部駐港特派員公署：路透社報道不實
路透社提到，港澳辦及中聯辦均沒有回覆記者查詢，而特首辦則拒絕評論報道。
中國外交部駐港特派員公署則於下午發表聲明，就路透社的「不實報道」提出嚴正交涉，敦促路透社秉持真實、專業、負責任的態度，停止傳播不實消息。
公署發言人強調「香港事務純屬中國內政」，不管香港局勢如何變化，中國維護國家主權、安全、發展利益的決心堅定不移，貫徹「一國兩制」方針的決心堅定不移，反對外部勢力干涉香港事務的決心堅定不移。
區選後首次見記者，林鄭月娥稱不少選民透過投票表達對暴力的不滿
香港特首林鄭月娥今早出席行政會議前會見傳媒，是建制派在週日（24日）區議會選舉大敗、失去17區控制權後，她首次見記者。
林鄭月娥承認，今次選舉並非單純地選出地區代表，而是有大量選民希望透過選票表達對政治議題的看法，包括對港府施政、社會目前動盪環境的不滿，港府會反省及改善。
有記者問及，支持民間「五大訴求」、要求調查警暴的候選人在區選大獲全勝，港府會否因此考慮改變立場。然而，林鄭月娥重申任何訴求都不能訴諸暴力，並指也有不少選民透過投票表達對暴力的不滿。
林鄭月娥提到，她於9月4日已經宣布撤回《逃犯條例》修例草案，並就示威者的另外多項訴求作出詳細回應。她認為，現時最應該做的是儘快啟動「四大行動」，包括與社區進行對話。她特別提到，港府正參考英國等地經驗，研究成立「獨立檢討委員會」（Independent Review Committee），以檢視社會動盪的成因、並提出建議（見下一則新聞）。
被問及建制派區選大敗是否與港府施政有關時，林鄭月娥指今次區選變成部份選民反對政府、表達對政府不滿的選舉，對建制派選情當然有影響，但港府對選舉結果無損建制派繼續服務市民的初心感到高興，而港府亦會繼續與建制派合作。另外，她強調自己沒有收到任何中央政府就選舉結果要求問責的指示。
林鄭月娥：警方包圍理工大學是「執法工作」
提到仍然被警方圍困的理工大學，林鄭月娥強調警方行動是「執法工作」，港府處理事件時亦要堅守法治，同時警方已按她要求採取人性化做法，包括離開理大校園的留守者只登記資料、而不作即時拘捕，以達到和平解決問題的目標。
林鄭月娥呼籲留守者儘快和平、安全地離開校園，但承認當前警民關係比較緊張，留守者可能對離開校園有所擔憂。她強調港府希望為事件降溫、不希望刺激留守者，因此警方談判「安全小組」會待合適時間才進入校園，而港府亦希望毋需動用到「安全小組」。
林鄭月娥稱早於9月提出「獨立檢討」，胡志偉批評做法不倫不類
林鄭月娥今早回應傳媒提問時，提到正研究「獨立檢討委員會」。她下午於 Facebook 發文澄清，指今次並非首次提出要檢討香港社會深層次問題，而早在9月4日公布「四大行動」時，已有一項「獨立檢討」計劃。
林鄭月娥解釋，相關「獨立檢討」會參考英國2011年8月騷亂後成立的「Riots Communities and Victims Panel」，檢討工作將「對事不對人」。她透露港府正物色社會領袖、專家及學者，希望早日啟動相關工作。
香港「反送中運動」示威者一直堅持「五大訴求」，其中包括成立「獨立調查委員會」以調查整場修例風波，包括警方涉嫌濫權濫暴、「721 元朗白衣人肆意襲擊市民事件」等。
就林鄭月娥透露正研究成立「獨立檢討委員會」，泛民主派民主黨主席胡志偉批評做法不倫不類，企圖迴避市民的成立「獨立調查委員會」訴求。胡志偉強調，必須獨立調查警暴，並檢視所有負責官員的政治錯誤。
相反，建制派經民聯梁美芬歡迎港府成立「獨立檢討委員會」，並促請港府珍惜社會目前相對和平的機遇，在一週至十天內公布「獨立檢討委員會」的具體細節。她又呼籲支持示威的市民「不妨退一步海闊天空」。
港府宣布紅隧明早5時恢復通車
港府今天召開跨部門記者會，宣布紅磡隧道將於明日（27日）早上5時正恢復通車。
記者會由政務司司長張建宗等官員主持。張建宗表示，港府於上週四（21日）展開跨部門工作，聯同路政署、機電工程署、食物環境衞生署、消防處等部門，合共約800人參與搶修紅隧，其中以安全為首要考慮。
香港「反送中」示威者近數週多次發起「三罷」行動，其中本月14日有人破壞紅隧收費亭等設施，當局隨後封閉紅隧，至今近兩週。
浸大校長錢大康宣布明年任期屆滿後退休，強調決定與政治環境無關
香港浸會大學校長錢大康向教職員及學生發信，宣布將於明年任期屆滿後退休。
錢大康提到香港的大學正受社會風波衝擊，承認自己選擇此時宣布退休可能會引起不必要的揣測。他強調退休決定與近期的政治環境無關，反而因社會動盪不安而曾經考慮延遲退休，但由於家人反對、加上已年屆68歲，因此決定退休讓賢。
浸大校董會感謝錢大康任內貢獻，同時已展開全球招聘下任校長，適當時候會公布詳情。
楊潔篪敦促華府阻止《香港人權與民主法案》立法
就美國國會早前通過《香港人權與民主法案》，中共中央政治局委員、中央外事工作委員會辦公室主任楊潔篪敦促華府認清形勢，阻止法案成為法律。
楊潔篪重申，中方堅決反對、並強烈譴責美國國會通過相關法案，並已美方表明嚴正立場。他強調「香港事務純屬中國內政」，任何外部勢力不得干涉，並批評相關法案損害中方利益、破壞香港繁榮穩定。他警告，美方利用香港問題干涉中國內政、阻礙中國發展的任何企圖都不會得逞。
中國外交部昨日（25日）傳召美國駐華大使布蘭斯塔德（Terry Branstad），敦促美方糾正錯誤、停止干預香港事務及中國內政，否則一切後果由美方承擔。
向心夫婦涉違反台灣國家安全法接受調查，被限制出境、出海
中國創新投資公司主席向心及其妻龔青因涉嫌違反國家安全法，昨晚（25日）在台灣台北地檢署接受調查，至今天凌晨獲釋，但被限制出境、出海。據中央社報道，兩人接受盤問時態度配合、有問必答，但否認擔當中國間諜。
自稱曾為中國間諜的男子「王立強」（Wang Liqiang，音譯）日前向澳洲傳媒披露，自己曾以中國創新投資公司的員工身份，掩飾為中國從事的間諜活動。他透露中國創新投資金司是在中國解放軍總參謀部之下成立，從事滲透香港金融市場、蒐集軍事情報等，同時亦投資台灣傳媒企業、與台灣電視台建立秘密聯盟，向台灣輸出中國式新聞審查。
中國創新投資公司隨後發表公告，強調從未僱用「王立強」。上海市公安局亦發布通報，稱查核發現相關男子的真實姓名為「王立強」，是一名「涉案在逃人員」，曾犯下多宗詐騙罪，其持有的中國護照、香港身份證都是偽造證件。
隨後有消息傳出「王立強」只是受訪時採用的化名，引發外界對中國當局所發布「證據」的質疑。然而，化名之說尚未得到澳洲當局證實。
週日晚上（24日），向心夫婦在桃園機場準備離境時，被法務部人員帶走、要求就涉嫌參與情報及特務活動配合調查。至昨日下午，國安處人員將向心夫婦帶到新店偵訊，晚上約9時移送台北地檢署第五辦公室接受複訊，指兩人涉嫌違反國家安全法。向心夫婦被扣留調查至今天凌晨約2時半，他們離開時，代表律師拒絕回答在場記者提問。
重慶市江北區政法部門依法調查「宇芽 YUYAMIKA」報稱遭家暴一案
重慶市公安局江北分局今天在官方微博公告，指相關部門高度重視微博主「宇芽 YUYAMIKA」報稱被前男友「沱沱的風魔教」（微博名稱）家暴一案，已第一時間介入調查。
公告提到江北區政法部門已依法展開調查處理，而市、區婦聯對一切家暴行為予以強烈譴責，將為當事人提供幫助和服務。
「宇芽 YUYAMIKA」昨日（25日）在微博上載片段，其中包括自己遭受「沱沱的風魔教」暴力對待的閉路電視錄影、她在鏡頭前對「沱沱的風魔教」家暴行為的控訴，以至「沱沱的風魔教」兩任前妻、前學生、友人等的錄音或錄影訪問。
宇芽的控訴轟動中國網絡和輿論。截止今天黃昏6時，相關片段在微博錄得逾1.2億次觀看、45萬次轉發、30萬個留言，以及逾360萬個「點讚（可選擇悲傷、憤怒、驚訝等）」回應。
阿里巴巴在港首日掛牌
阿里巴巴在香港首日掛牌，集資880億港元。阿里巴巴股價開市報187元、較招股價176元高出6.25%，初段一度觸及189.5元、較招股價高近8%，收市報187.6元、升幅收窄至不足7%，成交額約140億元。
今次是阿里巴巴第二次來港上市，也是在港上市的第四隻同股不同權股份。今早上市儀式由阿里巴巴執行主席張勇、副主席蔡崇信主持，由淘寶客戶敲鑼，而阿里巴巴創辦人馬雲未有出席。
另外，擔任阿里巴巴獨立董事的香港前特首董建華、財政司司長陳茂波、港交所主席史美倫、行政總裁李小加等均有出席上市儀式。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191126-evening-brief/
香港「反送中運動」持續逾五個月仍未平息。路透社引述六名消息人士透露，中央政府不滿中聯辦未能處理風波，正計劃撤換中聯辦主任王志民；另外，中央早在深圳紫荊山莊設立危機管理指揮中心，繞過中聯辦處理香港局勢。
消息人士透露，中央領導近月就香港問題草擬策略，並向深圳危機管理指揮中心下達指令，而指揮中心則每日向國家主席習近平提交書面報告。期間，國務院主管港澳事務的副總理韓正、港澳辦主任張曉明，以至公安部、國家安全部、網信辦等部門的副部長級官員曾赴指揮中心，接見包括特首林鄭月娥等多名港府官員、商界領袖、親北京政客等。
由反對修訂《逃犯條例》引發的「反送中運動」，自今年6月全面爆發。消息人士指出，中央高層起初希望採取中間路線處理危機，即不接納示威者訴求，但避免血腥鎮壓，以免影響香港的國際金融中心地位。
消息人士提到今年6月12日反修例示威者衝擊立法會，翌日韓正曾在紫荊山莊會見林鄭月娥，林鄭月娥提出「暫緩」修例，經中央領導討論後獲得同意，林鄭月娥於6月15日作公布。報道引述知情人士指，韓正當時亦設立「熱線」，授權林鄭月娥直接對其辦公室進行溝通，而毋需經過中聯辦。
至9月4日，林鄭月娥宣布正式「撤回」修例草案。報道引述港府一名高官透露，直至港府臨近宣布「撤回」修例，中聯辦、在港親北京政客才知悉相關決定。
至少兩名消息人士指出，中央不滿中聯辦只跟富商、精英打交道，導致辦公室與群眾脫離。中央認為有需要作出改變，因此計劃撤換中聯辦主任王志民。
中國外交部駐港特派員公署：路透社報道不實
路透社提到，港澳辦及中聯辦均沒有回覆記者查詢，而特首辦則拒絕評論報道。
中國外交部駐港特派員公署則於下午發表聲明，就路透社的「不實報道」提出嚴正交涉，敦促路透社秉持真實、專業、負責任的態度，停止傳播不實消息。
公署發言人強調「香港事務純屬中國內政」，不管香港局勢如何變化，中國維護國家主權、安全、發展利益的決心堅定不移，貫徹「一國兩制」方針的決心堅定不移，反對外部勢力干涉香港事務的決心堅定不移。
區選後首次見記者，林鄭月娥稱不少選民透過投票表達對暴力的不滿
香港特首林鄭月娥今早出席行政會議前會見傳媒，是建制派在週日（24日）區議會選舉大敗、失去17區控制權後，她首次見記者。
林鄭月娥承認，今次選舉並非單純地選出地區代表，而是有大量選民希望透過選票表達對政治議題的看法，包括對港府施政、社會目前動盪環境的不滿，港府會反省及改善。
有記者問及，支持民間「五大訴求」、要求調查警暴的候選人在區選大獲全勝，港府會否因此考慮改變立場。然而，林鄭月娥重申任何訴求都不能訴諸暴力，並指也有不少選民透過投票表達對暴力的不滿。
林鄭月娥提到，她於9月4日已經宣布撤回《逃犯條例》修例草案，並就示威者的另外多項訴求作出詳細回應。她認為，現時最應該做的是儘快啟動「四大行動」，包括與社區進行對話。她特別提到，港府正參考英國等地經驗，研究成立「獨立檢討委員會」（Independent Review Committee），以檢視社會動盪的成因、並提出建議（見下一則新聞）。
被問及建制派區選大敗是否與港府施政有關時，林鄭月娥指今次區選變成部份選民反對政府、表達對政府不滿的選舉，對建制派選情當然有影響，但港府對選舉結果無損建制派繼續服務市民的初心感到高興，而港府亦會繼續與建制派合作。另外，她強調自己沒有收到任何中央政府就選舉結果要求問責的指示。
林鄭月娥：警方包圍理工大學是「執法工作」
提到仍然被警方圍困的理工大學，林鄭月娥強調警方行動是「執法工作」，港府處理事件時亦要堅守法治，同時警方已按她要求採取人性化做法，包括離開理大校園的留守者只登記資料、而不作即時拘捕，以達到和平解決問題的目標。
林鄭月娥呼籲留守者儘快和平、安全地離開校園，但承認當前警民關係比較緊張，留守者可能對離開校園有所擔憂。她強調港府希望為事件降溫、不希望刺激留守者，因此警方談判「安全小組」會待合適時間才進入校園，而港府亦希望毋需動用到「安全小組」。
林鄭月娥稱早於9月提出「獨立檢討」，胡志偉批評做法不倫不類
林鄭月娥今早回應傳媒提問時，提到正研究「獨立檢討委員會」。她下午於 Facebook 發文澄清，指今次並非首次提出要檢討香港社會深層次問題，而早在9月4日公布「四大行動」時，已有一項「獨立檢討」計劃。
林鄭月娥解釋，相關「獨立檢討」會參考英國2011年8月騷亂後成立的「Riots Communities and Victims Panel」，檢討工作將「對事不對人」。她透露港府正物色社會領袖、專家及學者，希望早日啟動相關工作。
香港「反送中運動」示威者一直堅持「五大訴求」，其中包括成立「獨立調查委員會」以調查整場修例風波，包括警方涉嫌濫權濫暴、「721 元朗白衣人肆意襲擊市民事件」等。
就林鄭月娥透露正研究成立「獨立檢討委員會」，泛民主派民主黨主席胡志偉批評做法不倫不類，企圖迴避市民的成立「獨立調查委員會」訴求。胡志偉強調，必須獨立調查警暴，並檢視所有負責官員的政治錯誤。
相反，建制派經民聯梁美芬歡迎港府成立「獨立檢討委員會」，並促請港府珍惜社會目前相對和平的機遇，在一週至十天內公布「獨立檢討委員會」的具體細節。她又呼籲支持示威的市民「不妨退一步海闊天空」。
港府宣布紅隧明早5時恢復通車
港府今天召開跨部門記者會，宣布紅磡隧道將於明日（27日）早上5時正恢復通車。
記者會由政務司司長張建宗等官員主持。張建宗表示，港府於上週四（21日）展開跨部門工作，聯同路政署、機電工程署、食物環境衞生署、消防處等部門，合共約800人參與搶修紅隧，其中以安全為首要考慮。
香港「反送中」示威者近數週多次發起「三罷」行動，其中本月14日有人破壞紅隧收費亭等設施，當局隨後封閉紅隧，至今近兩週。
浸大校長錢大康宣布明年任期屆滿後退休，強調決定與政治環境無關
香港浸會大學校長錢大康向教職員及學生發信，宣布將於明年任期屆滿後退休。
錢大康提到香港的大學正受社會風波衝擊，承認自己選擇此時宣布退休可能會引起不必要的揣測。他強調退休決定與近期的政治環境無關，反而因社會動盪不安而曾經考慮延遲退休，但由於家人反對、加上已年屆68歲，因此決定退休讓賢。
浸大校董會感謝錢大康任內貢獻，同時已展開全球招聘下任校長，適當時候會公布詳情。
楊潔篪敦促華府阻止《香港人權與民主法案》立法
就美國國會早前通過《香港人權與民主法案》，中共中央政治局委員、中央外事工作委員會辦公室主任楊潔篪敦促華府認清形勢，阻止法案成為法律。
楊潔篪重申，中方堅決反對、並強烈譴責美國國會通過相關法案，並已美方表明嚴正立場。他強調「香港事務純屬中國內政」，任何外部勢力不得干涉，並批評相關法案損害中方利益、破壞香港繁榮穩定。他警告，美方利用香港問題干涉中國內政、阻礙中國發展的任何企圖都不會得逞。
中國外交部昨日（25日）傳召美國駐華大使布蘭斯塔德（Terry Branstad），敦促美方糾正錯誤、停止干預香港事務及中國內政，否則一切後果由美方承擔。
向心夫婦涉違反台灣國家安全法接受調查，被限制出境、出海
中國創新投資公司主席向心及其妻龔青因涉嫌違反國家安全法，昨晚（25日）在台灣台北地檢署接受調查，至今天凌晨獲釋，但被限制出境、出海。據中央社報道，兩人接受盤問時態度配合、有問必答，但否認擔當中國間諜。
自稱曾為中國間諜的男子「王立強」（Wang Liqiang，音譯）日前向澳洲傳媒披露，自己曾以中國創新投資公司的員工身份，掩飾為中國從事的間諜活動。他透露中國創新投資金司是在中國解放軍總參謀部之下成立，從事滲透香港金融市場、蒐集軍事情報等，同時亦投資台灣傳媒企業、與台灣電視台建立秘密聯盟，向台灣輸出中國式新聞審查。
中國創新投資公司隨後發表公告，強調從未僱用「王立強」。上海市公安局亦發布通報，稱查核發現相關男子的真實姓名為「王立強」，是一名「涉案在逃人員」，曾犯下多宗詐騙罪，其持有的中國護照、香港身份證都是偽造證件。
隨後有消息傳出「王立強」只是受訪時採用的化名，引發外界對中國當局所發布「證據」的質疑。然而，化名之說尚未得到澳洲當局證實。
週日晚上（24日），向心夫婦在桃園機場準備離境時，被法務部人員帶走、要求就涉嫌參與情報及特務活動配合調查。至昨日下午，國安處人員將向心夫婦帶到新店偵訊，晚上約9時移送台北地檢署第五辦公室接受複訊，指兩人涉嫌違反國家安全法。向心夫婦被扣留調查至今天凌晨約2時半，他們離開時，代表律師拒絕回答在場記者提問。
重慶市江北區政法部門依法調查「宇芽 YUYAMIKA」報稱遭家暴一案
重慶市公安局江北分局今天在官方微博公告，指相關部門高度重視微博主「宇芽 YUYAMIKA」報稱被前男友「沱沱的風魔教」（微博名稱）家暴一案，已第一時間介入調查。
公告提到江北區政法部門已依法展開調查處理，而市、區婦聯對一切家暴行為予以強烈譴責，將為當事人提供幫助和服務。
「宇芽 YUYAMIKA」昨日（25日）在微博上載片段，其中包括自己遭受「沱沱的風魔教」暴力對待的閉路電視錄影、她在鏡頭前對「沱沱的風魔教」家暴行為的控訴，以至「沱沱的風魔教」兩任前妻、前學生、友人等的錄音或錄影訪問。
宇芽的控訴轟動中國網絡和輿論。截止今天黃昏6時，相關片段在微博錄得逾1.2億次觀看、45萬次轉發、30萬個留言，以及逾360萬個「點讚（可選擇悲傷、憤怒、驚訝等）」回應。
阿里巴巴在港首日掛牌
阿里巴巴在香港首日掛牌，集資880億港元。阿里巴巴股價開市報187元、較招股價176元高出6.25%，初段一度觸及189.5元、較招股價高近8%，收市報187.6元、升幅收窄至不足7%，成交額約140億元。
今次是阿里巴巴第二次來港上市，也是在港上市的第四隻同股不同權股份。今早上市儀式由阿里巴巴執行主席張勇、副主席蔡崇信主持，由淘寶客戶敲鑼，而阿里巴巴創辦人馬雲未有出席。
另外，擔任阿里巴巴獨立董事的香港前特首董建華、財政司司長陳茂波、港交所主席史美倫、行政總裁李小加等均有出席上市儀式。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191126-evening-brief/
[端新聞], !新聞總滙 Daily Summary, 早報：理大稱今日將派多小組尋找留守者，望警方早日解封校園
理大深夜聲明：今派多小組尋找留守者，望警方早日解封校園
香港理工大學昨天深夜發表聲明，表示今日將派遣多個小組到校園內尋找留守人士，勸喻他們離開，並希望警方能夠早日解封校園。
校方透露，小組成員將包括教職員、專業輔導員、醫療人員、社工和保安同事等。校方表示會盡最大努力勸喻留守者立刻和平離開校園，令學校獲得修復，盡快恢復正常運作。理大昨日稍早曾發表聲明指，估計仍有數十名留守者。
香港警方昨晚也表示，已聯同中學校長、社工、臨床心理學家、防止自殺機構等，就理大事件組成安全小組，將派出少量談判組人員進入校園勸諭留守者離開。警方強調此舉不是作出拘捕，完成勸諭工作後就會離開。
昨日香港區議會選舉結果揭曉後，泛民主派數十名當選人在尖東舉行集會，聲援理大留守者；並發表聯合聲明，促請警方儘快解封校園。經與警方交涉後，鄺俊宇、范國威等五名議員進入理大校園，與留守者交談。
晚上7點多，鄺俊宇透過臉書轉述留守者對外表示：「各位手足，大家好。我們知道現在外邊有活動想聲援，深切感謝大家，知道大家想營救我們的心情好逼切。現在理大裏面情況平靜，被困市民情況暫時安好，現在有幾位新當選議員朋友，對我們傳達了大家的關心及心情。請給我們多一點時間，這一刻並不是好時機去硬碰，以免18/11的事件重演。見到再多任何一位手足受傷或被捕，是現時我們最害怕見到的畫面，請好好保護自己，請大家等待我們的消息，謝謝大家。」
夜晚，逾百人在理大附近聚集，向學校方向點亮手機，高喊口號，合唱《願榮光歸香港》、《海闊天空》等歌曲，聲援留守者。人群亦呼籲警方撤離，以及要求港府回應「五大訴求」。
教育界立法會議員葉建源、鄺俊宇、范國威等人深夜又在校園內與兩名留守者長時間商談，討論解決方案。葉建源表示，留守者不希望引起衝突，也期望校方盡快接管校園，警方退場。
凌晨4點半，一名留守的示威者主動走向傳媒，稱過去幾日在理大「住得很好，很開心」，感謝外界關心。他同時呼籲外界試圖發起行動的聲援者三思，不希望有人為此犧牲。
據理大昨日公布，自警方上週一（18日）同意暫不採取任何方式進入校園，校方一直努力勸喻留守者離開，至今約有1000人離開校園，當中包括約50名理大學生、300名中學生。
南韓指金正恩指導發射海岸炮違反軍事協議
據韓聯社報導，就北韓最高領袖金正恩25日在西部海域緩衝區指導海岸炮射擊事件，南韓國防部發言人崔賢洙表示遺憾，並指此舉違反南北韓《九一九軍事協議》。
南韓敦促北韓立即停止可能加劇邊境地區軍事緊張的一切軍事行為，避免類似事件再次。
報導引述朝中社當天消息指，金正恩視察了駐守在西部前線的昌麟島防禦部隊和海岸炮連陣地，檢查備戰情況，並現場命令海岸炮部隊執行射擊任務。
南北韓於去年簽署了該項軍事協議。有南韓軍方人士指，這是北韓首次違反協議。
英國貨櫃車案司機承認協助非法移民
據 BBC 報導，貨櫃車內發現39名越南移民遇難者的英國司機羅賓遜（Maurice Robinson）已承認密謀協助非法移民。
現年25歲的羅賓遜被關在倫敦東部一所監獄。25日他通過視頻連線參加法庭聽證會，承認在2018年5月1日至2019年10月24日期間，與他人密謀協助非法移民，且因此獲利。
羅賓遜還被控39項過失殺人罪，此次聽證會沒有要求他就這些指控作出辯護。此案下一次聽證會將於12月13日舉行。
Uber 因安全問題被倫敦拒延牌照，稱將上訴
英國倫敦交通局25日以安全問題為由，拒絕對打車平台 Uber 公司延續運營牌照，這將導致 Uber 無法在其全球五大市場之一的倫敦開展業務。Uber 表示將上訴，上訴期間會繼續在倫敦開展業務。
倫敦交通局表示，儘管 Uber 已經作出許多積極調整，但仍然沒有達到適合續牌的標準。交通局確認 Uber 在倫敦存在「故障模式」（pattern of failures），包括有數次違規或不符合要求的駕駛者仍能註冊新的 Uber 帳戶並載客，這會對乘客安全造成威脅。
倫敦交通局2017年就曾拒絕對 Uber 續牌，但 Uber 隨後獲得兩次延期許可，最後一次延期到11月24日截止。
國際消除家庭暴力日：重慶女子控訴被家暴引熱議
今年11月25日是第20個「國際消除家庭暴力日」。一名重慶女子宇芽在微博上發布了一段12分鐘短片，揭露前男友過去半年多次對她家暴。事件引起轟動，截止發稿前，這條短片在微博平台已獲得超過39萬次轉發，超過25萬條留言。
被揭露的施暴者微博名為「沱沱的風魔教」（下稱「沱沱」）。宇芽形容他是一名畫家，出版過畫冊和攝影集。
宇芽面對鏡頭講述，在與沱沱相處的一年中，她經歷了五次家暴。有時因為很小的事情，沱沱就會動手打人。
第四次被家暴時，宇芽試圖逃走，已經衝進電梯，沒想到沱沱追了上來，將她從電梯中拖了回去。電梯監控畫面顯示，一名女子倒在地上試圖反抗，被一名男子抓着腳部強力拖出電梯。
宇芽還表示，僅過十天，她又經歷了最後一次家暴。她被摔在地上，無法站起，被對方用穿着鞋的腳踩在臉上，被辱罵，被踢打。
短片中，沱沱的兩任前妻、前學生、友人均接受採訪，講述沱沱的家暴歷史。
第一任前妻阿步通過語音接受採訪，指沱沱曾對她家暴，包括在她懷孕期間踢她肚子。第二任前妻金秋出面接受採訪，指沱沱曾抓起她的頭往牆上撞。
沱沱的前學生趙夢蛟也接受了採訪，證實她曾見到宇芽被家暴後的慘狀。短片中又播放了據稱是沱沱的語音，他對趙夢蛟發出人身威脅：「趙夢蛟這個人我只有往死裏打了，我現在知道她住哪裏了」。
沱沱本人在微博上對事件表示出「不說不看」的迴避態度。目前尚未見到警方表示介入事件。
中國內地於2015年12月通過了《反家暴法》，自2016年3月開始實施。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191126-morning-brief/
香港理工大學昨天深夜發表聲明，表示今日將派遣多個小組到校園內尋找留守人士，勸喻他們離開，並希望警方能夠早日解封校園。
校方透露，小組成員將包括教職員、專業輔導員、醫療人員、社工和保安同事等。校方表示會盡最大努力勸喻留守者立刻和平離開校園，令學校獲得修復，盡快恢復正常運作。理大昨日稍早曾發表聲明指，估計仍有數十名留守者。
香港警方昨晚也表示，已聯同中學校長、社工、臨床心理學家、防止自殺機構等，就理大事件組成安全小組，將派出少量談判組人員進入校園勸諭留守者離開。警方強調此舉不是作出拘捕，完成勸諭工作後就會離開。
昨日香港區議會選舉結果揭曉後，泛民主派數十名當選人在尖東舉行集會，聲援理大留守者；並發表聯合聲明，促請警方儘快解封校園。經與警方交涉後，鄺俊宇、范國威等五名議員進入理大校園，與留守者交談。
晚上7點多，鄺俊宇透過臉書轉述留守者對外表示：「各位手足，大家好。我們知道現在外邊有活動想聲援，深切感謝大家，知道大家想營救我們的心情好逼切。現在理大裏面情況平靜，被困市民情況暫時安好，現在有幾位新當選議員朋友，對我們傳達了大家的關心及心情。請給我們多一點時間，這一刻並不是好時機去硬碰，以免18/11的事件重演。見到再多任何一位手足受傷或被捕，是現時我們最害怕見到的畫面，請好好保護自己，請大家等待我們的消息，謝謝大家。」
夜晚，逾百人在理大附近聚集，向學校方向點亮手機，高喊口號，合唱《願榮光歸香港》、《海闊天空》等歌曲，聲援留守者。人群亦呼籲警方撤離，以及要求港府回應「五大訴求」。
教育界立法會議員葉建源、鄺俊宇、范國威等人深夜又在校園內與兩名留守者長時間商談，討論解決方案。葉建源表示，留守者不希望引起衝突，也期望校方盡快接管校園，警方退場。
凌晨4點半，一名留守的示威者主動走向傳媒，稱過去幾日在理大「住得很好，很開心」，感謝外界關心。他同時呼籲外界試圖發起行動的聲援者三思，不希望有人為此犧牲。
據理大昨日公布，自警方上週一（18日）同意暫不採取任何方式進入校園，校方一直努力勸喻留守者離開，至今約有1000人離開校園，當中包括約50名理大學生、300名中學生。
南韓指金正恩指導發射海岸炮違反軍事協議
據韓聯社報導，就北韓最高領袖金正恩25日在西部海域緩衝區指導海岸炮射擊事件，南韓國防部發言人崔賢洙表示遺憾，並指此舉違反南北韓《九一九軍事協議》。
南韓敦促北韓立即停止可能加劇邊境地區軍事緊張的一切軍事行為，避免類似事件再次。
報導引述朝中社當天消息指，金正恩視察了駐守在西部前線的昌麟島防禦部隊和海岸炮連陣地，檢查備戰情況，並現場命令海岸炮部隊執行射擊任務。
南北韓於去年簽署了該項軍事協議。有南韓軍方人士指，這是北韓首次違反協議。
英國貨櫃車案司機承認協助非法移民
據 BBC 報導，貨櫃車內發現39名越南移民遇難者的英國司機羅賓遜（Maurice Robinson）已承認密謀協助非法移民。
現年25歲的羅賓遜被關在倫敦東部一所監獄。25日他通過視頻連線參加法庭聽證會，承認在2018年5月1日至2019年10月24日期間，與他人密謀協助非法移民，且因此獲利。
羅賓遜還被控39項過失殺人罪，此次聽證會沒有要求他就這些指控作出辯護。此案下一次聽證會將於12月13日舉行。
Uber 因安全問題被倫敦拒延牌照，稱將上訴
英國倫敦交通局25日以安全問題為由，拒絕對打車平台 Uber 公司延續運營牌照，這將導致 Uber 無法在其全球五大市場之一的倫敦開展業務。Uber 表示將上訴，上訴期間會繼續在倫敦開展業務。
倫敦交通局表示，儘管 Uber 已經作出許多積極調整，但仍然沒有達到適合續牌的標準。交通局確認 Uber 在倫敦存在「故障模式」（pattern of failures），包括有數次違規或不符合要求的駕駛者仍能註冊新的 Uber 帳戶並載客，這會對乘客安全造成威脅。
倫敦交通局2017年就曾拒絕對 Uber 續牌，但 Uber 隨後獲得兩次延期許可，最後一次延期到11月24日截止。
國際消除家庭暴力日：重慶女子控訴被家暴引熱議
今年11月25日是第20個「國際消除家庭暴力日」。一名重慶女子宇芽在微博上發布了一段12分鐘短片，揭露前男友過去半年多次對她家暴。事件引起轟動，截止發稿前，這條短片在微博平台已獲得超過39萬次轉發，超過25萬條留言。
被揭露的施暴者微博名為「沱沱的風魔教」（下稱「沱沱」）。宇芽形容他是一名畫家，出版過畫冊和攝影集。
宇芽面對鏡頭講述，在與沱沱相處的一年中，她經歷了五次家暴。有時因為很小的事情，沱沱就會動手打人。
第四次被家暴時，宇芽試圖逃走，已經衝進電梯，沒想到沱沱追了上來，將她從電梯中拖了回去。電梯監控畫面顯示，一名女子倒在地上試圖反抗，被一名男子抓着腳部強力拖出電梯。
宇芽還表示，僅過十天，她又經歷了最後一次家暴。她被摔在地上，無法站起，被對方用穿着鞋的腳踩在臉上，被辱罵，被踢打。
短片中，沱沱的兩任前妻、前學生、友人均接受採訪，講述沱沱的家暴歷史。
第一任前妻阿步通過語音接受採訪，指沱沱曾對她家暴，包括在她懷孕期間踢她肚子。第二任前妻金秋出面接受採訪，指沱沱曾抓起她的頭往牆上撞。
沱沱的前學生趙夢蛟也接受了採訪，證實她曾見到宇芽被家暴後的慘狀。短片中又播放了據稱是沱沱的語音，他對趙夢蛟發出人身威脅：「趙夢蛟這個人我只有往死裏打了，我現在知道她住哪裏了」。
沱沱本人在微博上對事件表示出「不說不看」的迴避態度。目前尚未見到警方表示介入事件。
中國內地於2015年12月通過了《反家暴法》，自2016年3月開始實施。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191126-morning-brief/
Monday, November 25, 2019
[端新聞], !新聞總滙 Daily Summary, 晚報：泛民逾70區選當選人集會聲援理大留守者，校方促港府人道放行
泛民逾70區選當選人集會聲援理大留守者，校方促港府人道放行
香港理工大學校方與警方會面，再度要求港府及警方以和平人道方式安排留守者離開。另外，區議會選舉一批泛民主派當選人在尖東舉行集會，聲援理大留守者。
理大校方今天發表聲明，稱估計目前尚有數十人留守理大校園。聲明提到，自警方上週一（18日）同意暫不採取任何方式進入校園，校方一直努力勸喻留守者離開，至今約有1000人離開校園，當中包括約50名理大學生、300名中學生。
聲明提到，校園目前一片狼藉，衛生情況、空氣質素亦差。由於校園環境日益危險，留守者的健康及情緒愈來愈差，校方會見警方時已再度要求以和平人道方式安排留守者離開，包括警方登記留守者的身份證後放行，以至儘快解封校園，將管理權歸還校方、以便展開復修工程等。
今天下午，民陣召集人岑子杰、立法會議員鄺俊宇、范國威、梁耀忠等逾70名區選當選人，在尖東百週年紀念公園集會，各人輪流發言，包括聲援理大留守者、促請警方儘快解封理大校園等。
他們隨後與警方協商，將派出五名代表進入理大校園，嘗試接觸留守者以提供協助；同時，其餘當選人將轉到禮賓府，向特首林鄭月娥表達訴求。
美國海軍部長史賓沙被指私下言論與公開立場不一，被要求辭職
美國國防部長埃斯柏（Mark Esper）證實，早前要求海軍部長史賓沙（Richard Spencer）辭職，並已於當地週日（24日）收到史賓沙的辭呈。埃斯柏指史賓沙的私下言論與公開立場不一，已對他失去信任和信心，因此要求他主動請辭。
據報道，今次風波源於史賓沙處理海豹突擊隊成員加拉查（Edward Gallagher）的手法。加拉查為海豹突擊隊排長，曾八次獲派海外服役，兩度獲頒銅星勳章；然而於2017年在伊拉克摩蘇爾服役期間，加拉查被指割喉殺害一名「伊斯蘭國」（IS）戰俘、並在屍體旁邊拍照，涉嫌違反軍方規定。
加拉查隨後被送往軍事法庭，被控謀殺、企圖殺人、在高處射擊平民、與俘虜屍體合照等七宗罪。最終，法庭裁定加拉查只有與俘虜屍體合照一項罪名成立，軍方決定將他降級。
不過，總統特朗普不滿法庭裁決及軍方處罰，反而稱讚加拉查是「戰爭英雄」，並行使權力恢復其軍階，又強調不會容讓海軍褫奪他象徵突擊隊員身份的「三叉戟徽章」。據報道，事件令白宮與軍方高層的關係緊張。
史賓沙曾公開表示，認為應由海軍委員會審議加拉查的去留問題。然而，有國防部官員引述白宮高級官員透露，史賓沙曾秘密向白宮建議准許加拉查留在部隊、保留「三叉戟徽章」，以至以現時軍階退役。史賓沙的建議與公開立場不符，同時被指有私下越級向白宮提出建議之嫌。
最終，史賓沙應埃斯柏的要求提出請辭。他在辭職信中提到，自己與委任他的三軍總司令（編註：由總統擔任）在良好軍紀這項重大議題上有不同的原則和見解。特朗普則在 Twitter 發文，重申不滿海軍處理加拉查事件的手法，並宣布提名駐挪威大使 Ken Braithwaite 接任海軍部長。
澳洲情報機關正調查中方派人競選澳洲國會議員的案件
澳洲安全情報組織（ASIO）確認，正在調查中國情報組織涉嫌派人競選澳洲國會議員的案件。澳洲總理莫里森（Scott Morrison）表示，相關傳聞令他深感憂慮。
澳洲《時代報》、第九頻道及《悉尼先驅晨報》早前發表聯合調查報道，指有疑似中國情報組織向澳洲自由黨（LP）黨員、任職豪華汽車經紀的趙波（Bo Zhao，音譯）提出，給他100萬澳元，要求他參加澳洲國會選舉。
趙波去年向澳洲安全情報組織披露事件，供稱負責聯絡他的是一名墨爾本商人。然而至今年3月，趙波被發現死於墨爾本一間汽車旅館，死因至今尚未查明。
澳洲安全情報組織發表聲明，強調情報機關認真看待有關中方企圖在澳洲國會安插「代理人」的報道，且早在報道發表前已經在調查今次案件。聲明強調，澳洲國家安全持續受到外國情報活動的威脅，當局會繼續對抗。
美國眾議院情報委員會開始撰寫彈劾調查聽證會報告
美國眾議院情報委員會結束為期兩週、合共五場的彈劾調查第一階段公開聽證會。眾議院情報委員會主席希夫（Adam Schiff）表示，委員會目前未有打算再舉行聽證會，但調查工作仍在進行中，不排除會發現更多證據，委員會亦有可能傳召更多證人作供。
眾議院情報委員會結束第一階段公開聽證會後，將根據取得的供詞、證據等撰寫報告，完成後提交予眾議院司法委員會。司法委員會將判斷是否有足夠證據，對總統特朗普正式展開彈劾程序。
南韓 KARA 前成員具荷拉陳屍寓所，警方初步排除他殺可能
南韓偶像團體 KARA 前成員具荷拉於昨晚（24日）被發現陳屍寓所，終年28歲。首爾地方警察廳廳長今天對傳媒表示，初步調查排除他殺可能。
據南韓傳媒報道，具荷拉於昨晚約6時被發現陳屍於首爾江南區的寓所。首爾地方警察廳廳長指出，警方查看閉路電視片段，發現具荷拉於昨日凌晨零時35分返回寓所，其後未再外出。警方初步調查後排除他殺可能，但具荷拉的確切死因尚待進一步調查。另外，警方在案發現場尋獲相信由具荷拉親筆撰寫的字條，內容顯得「相當悲觀」，但暫時無法確認字條是否遺書，亦不便公開字條內容。
具荷拉於2008年以 KARA 成員身份出道，至2016年與被指壓榨旗下藝人的經理人公司 DSP Media 解約，隨後轉投 Keyeast Entertainment，至生前為日本經理人公司尾木製作旗下藝人。
去年，具荷拉時任男友崔某報案，自稱遭具荷拉毆打；具荷拉反駁，指事件屬「相互施暴」，並展示較崔某更為嚴重的傷勢。事件隨後持續發酵，並曝光崔某曾以性愛影片威脅具荷拉的消息。
然而，消息反而令具荷拉招致部份南韓網民的惡意指摘，例如批評她生活不檢點、不夠謹慎、與壞人交往等。另一方面，也有女性組織「不便的勇氣」於去年10月在首爾舉行集會聲援具荷拉，呼籲嚴懲性罪行、以非法拍攝「色情錄影」以作報復等行為；另外，有網民在青瓦台網站發起聯署請願，要求重罰「與崔某類似的色情錄影報復罪犯」。
早在今年5月，具荷拉已曾於寓所燒炭自殺，但被經理人及時發現。6月，具荷拉在社交網站發文稱「抑鬱症很不容易」，但強調自己會努力克服抑鬱症，向大家展現積極向上的一面；她又提到公眾有表達的自由，但希望大家在發布惡意留言之前三思、想想「我是個什麽樣的人」。
今年8月，崔某被裁定恐嚇、強迫、傷害、毁壞財物等罪名成立，被判監禁18個月、緩刑三年。
上月14日，偶像團體 f(x) 前成員 Sulli（雪莉）在寓所上吊身亡，終年25歲。作為 Sulli 生前摯友的具荷拉在社交網站上悼念，並強調自己會「好好活下去」，最終卻不幸離世。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191125-evening-brief/
香港理工大學校方與警方會面，再度要求港府及警方以和平人道方式安排留守者離開。另外，區議會選舉一批泛民主派當選人在尖東舉行集會，聲援理大留守者。
理大校方今天發表聲明，稱估計目前尚有數十人留守理大校園。聲明提到，自警方上週一（18日）同意暫不採取任何方式進入校園，校方一直努力勸喻留守者離開，至今約有1000人離開校園，當中包括約50名理大學生、300名中學生。
聲明提到，校園目前一片狼藉，衛生情況、空氣質素亦差。由於校園環境日益危險，留守者的健康及情緒愈來愈差，校方會見警方時已再度要求以和平人道方式安排留守者離開，包括警方登記留守者的身份證後放行，以至儘快解封校園，將管理權歸還校方、以便展開復修工程等。
今天下午，民陣召集人岑子杰、立法會議員鄺俊宇、范國威、梁耀忠等逾70名區選當選人，在尖東百週年紀念公園集會，各人輪流發言，包括聲援理大留守者、促請警方儘快解封理大校園等。
他們隨後與警方協商，將派出五名代表進入理大校園，嘗試接觸留守者以提供協助；同時，其餘當選人將轉到禮賓府，向特首林鄭月娥表達訴求。
美國海軍部長史賓沙被指私下言論與公開立場不一，被要求辭職
美國國防部長埃斯柏（Mark Esper）證實，早前要求海軍部長史賓沙（Richard Spencer）辭職，並已於當地週日（24日）收到史賓沙的辭呈。埃斯柏指史賓沙的私下言論與公開立場不一，已對他失去信任和信心，因此要求他主動請辭。
據報道，今次風波源於史賓沙處理海豹突擊隊成員加拉查（Edward Gallagher）的手法。加拉查為海豹突擊隊排長，曾八次獲派海外服役，兩度獲頒銅星勳章；然而於2017年在伊拉克摩蘇爾服役期間，加拉查被指割喉殺害一名「伊斯蘭國」（IS）戰俘、並在屍體旁邊拍照，涉嫌違反軍方規定。
加拉查隨後被送往軍事法庭，被控謀殺、企圖殺人、在高處射擊平民、與俘虜屍體合照等七宗罪。最終，法庭裁定加拉查只有與俘虜屍體合照一項罪名成立，軍方決定將他降級。
不過，總統特朗普不滿法庭裁決及軍方處罰，反而稱讚加拉查是「戰爭英雄」，並行使權力恢復其軍階，又強調不會容讓海軍褫奪他象徵突擊隊員身份的「三叉戟徽章」。據報道，事件令白宮與軍方高層的關係緊張。
史賓沙曾公開表示，認為應由海軍委員會審議加拉查的去留問題。然而，有國防部官員引述白宮高級官員透露，史賓沙曾秘密向白宮建議准許加拉查留在部隊、保留「三叉戟徽章」，以至以現時軍階退役。史賓沙的建議與公開立場不符，同時被指有私下越級向白宮提出建議之嫌。
最終，史賓沙應埃斯柏的要求提出請辭。他在辭職信中提到，自己與委任他的三軍總司令（編註：由總統擔任）在良好軍紀這項重大議題上有不同的原則和見解。特朗普則在 Twitter 發文，重申不滿海軍處理加拉查事件的手法，並宣布提名駐挪威大使 Ken Braithwaite 接任海軍部長。
澳洲情報機關正調查中方派人競選澳洲國會議員的案件
澳洲安全情報組織（ASIO）確認，正在調查中國情報組織涉嫌派人競選澳洲國會議員的案件。澳洲總理莫里森（Scott Morrison）表示，相關傳聞令他深感憂慮。
澳洲《時代報》、第九頻道及《悉尼先驅晨報》早前發表聯合調查報道，指有疑似中國情報組織向澳洲自由黨（LP）黨員、任職豪華汽車經紀的趙波（Bo Zhao，音譯）提出，給他100萬澳元，要求他參加澳洲國會選舉。
趙波去年向澳洲安全情報組織披露事件，供稱負責聯絡他的是一名墨爾本商人。然而至今年3月，趙波被發現死於墨爾本一間汽車旅館，死因至今尚未查明。
澳洲安全情報組織發表聲明，強調情報機關認真看待有關中方企圖在澳洲國會安插「代理人」的報道，且早在報道發表前已經在調查今次案件。聲明強調，澳洲國家安全持續受到外國情報活動的威脅，當局會繼續對抗。
美國眾議院情報委員會開始撰寫彈劾調查聽證會報告
美國眾議院情報委員會結束為期兩週、合共五場的彈劾調查第一階段公開聽證會。眾議院情報委員會主席希夫（Adam Schiff）表示，委員會目前未有打算再舉行聽證會，但調查工作仍在進行中，不排除會發現更多證據，委員會亦有可能傳召更多證人作供。
眾議院情報委員會結束第一階段公開聽證會後，將根據取得的供詞、證據等撰寫報告，完成後提交予眾議院司法委員會。司法委員會將判斷是否有足夠證據，對總統特朗普正式展開彈劾程序。
南韓 KARA 前成員具荷拉陳屍寓所，警方初步排除他殺可能
南韓偶像團體 KARA 前成員具荷拉於昨晚（24日）被發現陳屍寓所，終年28歲。首爾地方警察廳廳長今天對傳媒表示，初步調查排除他殺可能。
據南韓傳媒報道，具荷拉於昨晚約6時被發現陳屍於首爾江南區的寓所。首爾地方警察廳廳長指出，警方查看閉路電視片段，發現具荷拉於昨日凌晨零時35分返回寓所，其後未再外出。警方初步調查後排除他殺可能，但具荷拉的確切死因尚待進一步調查。另外，警方在案發現場尋獲相信由具荷拉親筆撰寫的字條，內容顯得「相當悲觀」，但暫時無法確認字條是否遺書，亦不便公開字條內容。
具荷拉於2008年以 KARA 成員身份出道，至2016年與被指壓榨旗下藝人的經理人公司 DSP Media 解約，隨後轉投 Keyeast Entertainment，至生前為日本經理人公司尾木製作旗下藝人。
去年，具荷拉時任男友崔某報案，自稱遭具荷拉毆打；具荷拉反駁，指事件屬「相互施暴」，並展示較崔某更為嚴重的傷勢。事件隨後持續發酵，並曝光崔某曾以性愛影片威脅具荷拉的消息。
然而，消息反而令具荷拉招致部份南韓網民的惡意指摘，例如批評她生活不檢點、不夠謹慎、與壞人交往等。另一方面，也有女性組織「不便的勇氣」於去年10月在首爾舉行集會聲援具荷拉，呼籲嚴懲性罪行、以非法拍攝「色情錄影」以作報復等行為；另外，有網民在青瓦台網站發起聯署請願，要求重罰「與崔某類似的色情錄影報復罪犯」。
早在今年5月，具荷拉已曾於寓所燒炭自殺，但被經理人及時發現。6月，具荷拉在社交網站發文稱「抑鬱症很不容易」，但強調自己會努力克服抑鬱症，向大家展現積極向上的一面；她又提到公眾有表達的自由，但希望大家在發布惡意留言之前三思、想想「我是個什麽樣的人」。
今年8月，崔某被裁定恐嚇、強迫、傷害、毁壞財物等罪名成立，被判監禁18個月、緩刑三年。
上月14日，偶像團體 f(x) 前成員 Sulli（雪莉）在寓所上吊身亡，終年25歲。作為 Sulli 生前摯友的具荷拉在社交網站上悼念，並強調自己會「好好活下去」，最終卻不幸離世。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191125-evening-brief/
[端新聞], !新聞總滙 Daily Summary, 早報：BBC 援引中國政府新文件，指新疆「再教育營」形同監獄
BBC 援引新文件：新疆「再教育營」形同監獄
繼《紐約時報》之後，英國廣播公司（BBC）週日也公布了其從國際調查記者協會（ICIJ）獲得的中國政府內部文件，顯示中國當局對新疆「再教育營」的管理模式形同監獄。
BBC 引述中共新疆政法委書記朱海侖2017年向「再教育營」發出一份九頁文件，顯示當局指示管理者按照監獄標準進行嚴格管治，包括「絕不允許發生逃跑事件」、「嚴格學員活動管控，防止在上課、就餐、如廁、洗澡、就醫、親情會面等過程中發生逃跑事件」。
在「學習」上，文件要求將國語（普通話）學習作為工作重點：使用國語教材，用國語講課，加強書面及口語考試，將「考試成績特別是國語測試成績」列入檔案，作為「學員結業」的主要依據。
在管理上，文件要求進行分類管理，設置「強制區、嚴管區、普管區」，對不同區採取不同的管理方式，「加大違規行為懲戒和處罰力度」。
文件還列出「結業」的若干標準，包括「收教時問題較輕」、「培訓至少一年以上」、各項成績達標、「屬於普管區」等。
文件還指，「教育培訓中心工作政策性強、敏感度高」，要「嚴格保密」。
《紐約時報》上週曾指，獲得超過400頁中國官方內部文件，揭露新疆「再教育營」大規模拘禁的政治決策和運作方式。
中國外交部發言人在對《紐約時報》回應中表示，新疆事務純屬中國內政，重在保持繁榮穩定。發言人形容《紐約時報》報導屬移花接木，斷章取義，但沒有否認文件的真實性。
中國男子自稱「間諜」向澳媒披露北京情報活動
澳洲媒體上週五報導，一名中國叛逃者王立強（Wang William Liqiang，音譯）向澳方尋求庇護。
他自稱中國間諜，參與過多項北京主導的間諜行動，包括干預香港、台灣政治。該男子提交了17頁自白內容，不過其真實性遭到質疑。
上海公安：王立強是涉案在逃人員
上海市公安局靜安分局23日晚在官方微博發布通報，指經公安機關核查，該名男子真實姓名是王立強，26歲，福建南平人，無業，是涉案在逃人員。
通報指，2016年10月，王立強因詐騙罪被福建省光澤縣人民法院判處有期徒刑一年零三個月，緩刑一年零六個月。2019年2月，王立強虛構進口汽車投資項目詐騙東某460餘萬元人民幣。2019年4月19日，上海市公安局靜安分局以涉嫌詐騙罪對王立強進行立案偵查。
通報還指，2019年4月10日，王立強前往香港。經核查，其所持有的所謂中華人民共和國護照和香港永久居民身分證件均是偽造證件。目前，公安機關對此案正在進一步工作中。
台灣兩黨：力求2020大選不被干預
王立強向澳洲媒體表示，他曾用偽造南韓護照進入台灣，為干預台灣2018年地方選舉及2020年總統大選。
國民黨週六發布新聞稿指，作為在野黨不具有執政公權力，呼籲民進黨政府儘快查明事實，令台灣2020年大選能夠公平、公正、公開舉行。國民黨同時提醒民進黨政府，不要借機大打「恐共牌」，謀求選舉利益。
民進黨發言人李晏榕週六到刑事警察局報案，指民進黨一系列競選影片配音、字幕等遭惡意篡改，懷疑是大陸網軍所為。
總統蔡英文隨後表示，中國大陸影響台灣大選意圖非常明顯，介入影子越來越明顯、清楚，呼籲民眾須戒慎恐懼。
香港公司：從未參與情報活動，王立強非員工
王立強在自白中表示，他曾是香港上市公司「中國創新投資」職員，該公司是北京在港間諜基地，包括參與策劃銅鑼灣書店事件。
中國創新投資隨即發表聲明，否認王立強為公司員工，並表示公司及主席兼行政總裁從未參與過任何情報活動。聲明還指控澳洲媒體報導內容荒謬，純屬虛構，公司將對此採取法律行動。
彭博正式宣布角逐2020總統大選
紐約前市長、億萬富豪彭博（Michael Bloomberg）週日正式宣布以民主黨人身份角逐2020年美國總統大選。他將與民主黨其他17名參選人爭奪黨內總統候選人提名資格。
現年77歲的彭博在聲明中表示，參選是為「打敗特朗普，重建美國」。他相信自己在「經濟、政治、慈善」領域的獨特經驗能夠幫他勝出。
商界出身的彭博於1981年創立彭博有限合夥企業（Bloomberg L.P.），目前仍然擔任行政總裁。據福布斯估計，彭博坐擁534億美元身家，在今年的福布斯美國富豪榜上排名第八。
2002年至2013年間，彭博連續擔任三屆紐約市長。彭博早年隸屬民主黨，但2001年競選紐約市長前轉投共和黨，在「911 恐襲」後數週舉行的選舉中勝中。至2007年，彭博退出共和黨，成為無黨派人士，直至2018年重投民主黨。在2016年總統大選前，彭博亦曾考慮參選總統，但最終決定放棄角逐。
約翰遜公布保守黨競選綱領
英國首相約翰遜週日發表了59頁保守黨競選綱領宣言，表示將主要致力於「完成脱歐」，並「打造一個新的英國」。此時距離英國12月12日大選還有18天。民調顯示，保守黨支持率大幅領先工黨。
約翰遜表示，他將在聖誕節前再度令下議院對脱歐協議進行表決，希望1月31日限期前完成脱歐，不再延遲期限。
他還表示，將會增加科研、教育和基建資源投入；承諾任期內不會提高收入税、消費税和保險費用；2050年前實現淨零碳排放的環保目標等。
教宗在長崎演講，呼籲全球廢除核武
羅馬天主教教宗方濟各近日亞洲巡訪，週日在日本長崎爆心地公園發表演講，呼籲全球廢除核武器。隨後教宗又走訪日本另一個遭原子彈攻擊的城市廣島並演講。
方濟各在演講中表示，「核攻擊會給人道上和環境上帶來毀滅性結局」，長崎這座城市就是見證者。
他批評國家之間軍備競爭是一種浪費，擔憂各國由於相互不信任，限制武器使用的國際框架存在崩潰危險。
他表示，教廷支持聯合國2017年通過的《禁止核武器條約》；呼籲各國為實現和平，遵循包括該條約在內的國際法原則，迅速採取行動。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191125-morning-brief/
繼《紐約時報》之後，英國廣播公司（BBC）週日也公布了其從國際調查記者協會（ICIJ）獲得的中國政府內部文件，顯示中國當局對新疆「再教育營」的管理模式形同監獄。
BBC 引述中共新疆政法委書記朱海侖2017年向「再教育營」發出一份九頁文件，顯示當局指示管理者按照監獄標準進行嚴格管治，包括「絕不允許發生逃跑事件」、「嚴格學員活動管控，防止在上課、就餐、如廁、洗澡、就醫、親情會面等過程中發生逃跑事件」。
在「學習」上，文件要求將國語（普通話）學習作為工作重點：使用國語教材，用國語講課，加強書面及口語考試，將「考試成績特別是國語測試成績」列入檔案，作為「學員結業」的主要依據。
在管理上，文件要求進行分類管理，設置「強制區、嚴管區、普管區」，對不同區採取不同的管理方式，「加大違規行為懲戒和處罰力度」。
文件還列出「結業」的若干標準，包括「收教時問題較輕」、「培訓至少一年以上」、各項成績達標、「屬於普管區」等。
文件還指，「教育培訓中心工作政策性強、敏感度高」，要「嚴格保密」。
《紐約時報》上週曾指，獲得超過400頁中國官方內部文件，揭露新疆「再教育營」大規模拘禁的政治決策和運作方式。
中國外交部發言人在對《紐約時報》回應中表示，新疆事務純屬中國內政，重在保持繁榮穩定。發言人形容《紐約時報》報導屬移花接木，斷章取義，但沒有否認文件的真實性。
中國男子自稱「間諜」向澳媒披露北京情報活動
澳洲媒體上週五報導，一名中國叛逃者王立強（Wang William Liqiang，音譯）向澳方尋求庇護。
他自稱中國間諜，參與過多項北京主導的間諜行動，包括干預香港、台灣政治。該男子提交了17頁自白內容，不過其真實性遭到質疑。
上海公安：王立強是涉案在逃人員
上海市公安局靜安分局23日晚在官方微博發布通報，指經公安機關核查，該名男子真實姓名是王立強，26歲，福建南平人，無業，是涉案在逃人員。
通報指，2016年10月，王立強因詐騙罪被福建省光澤縣人民法院判處有期徒刑一年零三個月，緩刑一年零六個月。2019年2月，王立強虛構進口汽車投資項目詐騙東某460餘萬元人民幣。2019年4月19日，上海市公安局靜安分局以涉嫌詐騙罪對王立強進行立案偵查。
通報還指，2019年4月10日，王立強前往香港。經核查，其所持有的所謂中華人民共和國護照和香港永久居民身分證件均是偽造證件。目前，公安機關對此案正在進一步工作中。
台灣兩黨：力求2020大選不被干預
王立強向澳洲媒體表示，他曾用偽造南韓護照進入台灣，為干預台灣2018年地方選舉及2020年總統大選。
國民黨週六發布新聞稿指，作為在野黨不具有執政公權力，呼籲民進黨政府儘快查明事實，令台灣2020年大選能夠公平、公正、公開舉行。國民黨同時提醒民進黨政府，不要借機大打「恐共牌」，謀求選舉利益。
民進黨發言人李晏榕週六到刑事警察局報案，指民進黨一系列競選影片配音、字幕等遭惡意篡改，懷疑是大陸網軍所為。
總統蔡英文隨後表示，中國大陸影響台灣大選意圖非常明顯，介入影子越來越明顯、清楚，呼籲民眾須戒慎恐懼。
香港公司：從未參與情報活動，王立強非員工
王立強在自白中表示，他曾是香港上市公司「中國創新投資」職員，該公司是北京在港間諜基地，包括參與策劃銅鑼灣書店事件。
中國創新投資隨即發表聲明，否認王立強為公司員工，並表示公司及主席兼行政總裁從未參與過任何情報活動。聲明還指控澳洲媒體報導內容荒謬，純屬虛構，公司將對此採取法律行動。
彭博正式宣布角逐2020總統大選
紐約前市長、億萬富豪彭博（Michael Bloomberg）週日正式宣布以民主黨人身份角逐2020年美國總統大選。他將與民主黨其他17名參選人爭奪黨內總統候選人提名資格。
現年77歲的彭博在聲明中表示，參選是為「打敗特朗普，重建美國」。他相信自己在「經濟、政治、慈善」領域的獨特經驗能夠幫他勝出。
商界出身的彭博於1981年創立彭博有限合夥企業（Bloomberg L.P.），目前仍然擔任行政總裁。據福布斯估計，彭博坐擁534億美元身家，在今年的福布斯美國富豪榜上排名第八。
2002年至2013年間，彭博連續擔任三屆紐約市長。彭博早年隸屬民主黨，但2001年競選紐約市長前轉投共和黨，在「911 恐襲」後數週舉行的選舉中勝中。至2007年，彭博退出共和黨，成為無黨派人士，直至2018年重投民主黨。在2016年總統大選前，彭博亦曾考慮參選總統，但最終決定放棄角逐。
約翰遜公布保守黨競選綱領
英國首相約翰遜週日發表了59頁保守黨競選綱領宣言，表示將主要致力於「完成脱歐」，並「打造一個新的英國」。此時距離英國12月12日大選還有18天。民調顯示，保守黨支持率大幅領先工黨。
約翰遜表示，他將在聖誕節前再度令下議院對脱歐協議進行表決，希望1月31日限期前完成脱歐，不再延遲期限。
他還表示，將會增加科研、教育和基建資源投入；承諾任期內不會提高收入税、消費税和保險費用；2050年前實現淨零碳排放的環保目標等。
教宗在長崎演講，呼籲全球廢除核武
羅馬天主教教宗方濟各近日亞洲巡訪，週日在日本長崎爆心地公園發表演講，呼籲全球廢除核武器。隨後教宗又走訪日本另一個遭原子彈攻擊的城市廣島並演講。
方濟各在演講中表示，「核攻擊會給人道上和環境上帶來毀滅性結局」，長崎這座城市就是見證者。
他批評國家之間軍備競爭是一種浪費，擔憂各國由於相互不信任，限制武器使用的國際框架存在崩潰危險。
他表示，教廷支持聯合國2017年通過的《禁止核武器條約》；呼籲各國為實現和平，遵循包括該條約在內的國際法原則，迅速採取行動。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191125-morning-brief/
[Washington Post], !即時 Instant News, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy parties sweep pro-Beijing establishment aside in local elections
HONG KONG — Pro-democracy parties scored stunning gains in the Hong Kong district council elections Sunday, sweeping aside pro-Beijing parties in a significant endorsement of the protest movement and an indictment of the political establishment seen as responsible for months of unrest in the city.
Voters took to the polls in record numbers to cast ballots in the only fully democratic election in the Chinese territory, an early sign that they wanted to send a strong message to their government and to the Communist Party in Beijing.
Early results compiled by the South China Morning Post showed pro-democracy parties winning 278 of the first 344 seats to be declared, pro-Beijing parties taking 42, and independents 24. Many prominent figures in the protest movement won, and many leading pro-establishment figures were unseated. Pro-democrats look to be able to secure 12 of 18 district councils available in Hong Kong — before this vote, they did not have a majority in any.
Pro-democracy parties had comfortably surpassed the number of seats they won in 2015 and were on course for their strongest showing ever in district council elections. They also appear to have secured all 117 seats afforded to them on the 1,200-member election committee that votes for Hong Kong’s leader — a system designed to give an upper hand in the process to pro-Beijing groups and business interests.
The pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the largest party in the district councils, had won just 26 races and lost 156. The pro-democracy Democratic Party, in contrast, had won 54 and lost only two.
The turnout — 2.94 million, or more than 71 percent of the 4.13 million eligible voters — was more than double the 1.4 million who voted in local elections in 2015. Voter registration was also a record high, driven in part by 390,000 first-time voters.
“Hong Kongers regard the election as a referendum and have clearly spoken that they are unhappy with how Hong Kong and Beijing have dealt with the ongoing protests in the last six months,” said Kelvin Lam, who won the South Horizons West seat, according to the South China Morning Post.
Lam was drafted to contest the seat for the pro-democracy camp after prominent activist Joshua Wong was barred from standing.
In 2015, pro-Beijing parties won just over 54 percent of the vote and 298 of the 452 seats to take control of all 18 district councils. They tend to be better funded and organized than pro-democracy groups, with solid links with the business elite and political establishment that allow them to argue that they are in the best position to get things done for their constituents.
Pro-democracy groups won 40 percent of the vote and 126 seats in 2015. Independents took the remainder.
But this time around, elections that have typically been fought on issues such as traffic, trash collection and the nuisance of pests such as wild boars became a referendum on the most fundamental issue in the territory: Whether one stands with the movement fighting for democratic freedoms or with the pro-
Beijing establishment that has had a grip on the former colony since Britain handed it back to China in 1997.
The protests were sparked in June by a proposal to allow criminal suspects to be extradited to China. The government eventually withdrew the proposal, but not before demonstrators added more demands: Full democracy, retracting the official description of the protests as riots, amnesty for arrested protesters and an inquiry into alleged police brutality.
“The voice of the public is loud and clear: Five demands, not one less,” said Roy Kwong Chun-Yu, who won in the Pek Long constituency. If Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam “doesn’t listen to our voice,” he said, “she must still not be awake.”
Even in pro-Beijing strongholds such as North Point, fresh-faced candidates running on an explicitly pro-democracy platform unseated longtime incumbents. Among them was 23-year-old Karrine Fu, who beat 45-year-old Hung Lin-Cham, the DAB incumbent who had won the past three elections.
The DAB threw its weight behind the unpopular extradition bill. Its vice chairman, Holden Chow, lost his seat to a 25-year-old pro-democracy activist in one of several upsets for the party.
Lo Kin-Hei, vice chairman of the Democratic Party, called the result a “clear win” for the pro-
democracy camp. “Really wonder what Carrie Lam & [Chinese President] Xi Jinping thought when they see the record-breaking turnout & result today,” he tweeted.
Voters waited in hours-long lines that snaked around city blocks, an unusual experience for Hong Kong residents. Almost every neighborhood has seen violent unrest at some point over the nearly six-month-long protest movement, with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets and protesters countering with molotov cocktails and projectiles.
“Everyone just asks what side you are on, pro-democracy or pro-establishment,” said Sabrina Koo, a pro-democracy candidate. “Only after that do they ask us what our plans are for the community and about local issues.”
Voters, relishing the opportunity to express their democratic rights, were unperturbed by the lines. Gloria Lai, 40, took her two children to a polling station close to a major protest flash point in Wan Chai: a road that in the past months has seen tear gas, water cannons and massive fires. They waited an hour to vote.
“I want my children to always remember that it is their right to vote, it is their right to voice out their opinion, and this is something to be treasured,” she said. “We don’t have the right to vote for our chief executive, but we have this.”
The contest for district council is the only fully democratic election in Hong Kong. The city’s leader is not directly elected. Only half of the Legislative Council, the lawmaking body, is chosen by the people.
Another voter in Wan Chai, which is represented by pro-Beijing politicians, said he flew back to Hong Kong from Britain, where he has lived for the past decade, to cast his ballot. The 39-year-old man, who asked to be identified only by his last name, Chan, said he has never seen such lines in an election, including in Britain.
“This is the best way to express our views. It is the right way,” he said. “We don’t want violence on the streets, but if we don’t have a way to express our political views in any other way, that will happen.”
Francis Lee, who researches public opinion and the media at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the high turnout, while “expected because of the heated political and social atmosphere” of recent months, was still impressive for Hong Kong.
“A combination of police tactics and the [subway and rail network’s] tendency to close numerous stations during protest events has made it extremely difficult to hold any large-scale peaceful protests,” he said. “Many moderate supporters of the movement were frustrated by the lack of opportunities to express themselves,” he said, and saw the election as a way to reenter the fold.
The well-funded establishment camp was hoping for support from a “silent majority” that has grown uncomfortable with protest violence in Hong Kong.
Some voters expressed a desire for a return of peace to the city streets and said they were voting for experienced candidates.
“Nothing is more important than bettering the lives of ordinary people,” said a 74-year-old pro-Beijing supporter who gave his last name as Chow. “The responsibility of our youth is to study hard, not to make society a mess.”
Others said the protest movement had changed their views. Two voters in Sai Wan Ho, where a young protester was shot at close range this month, said they were deeply influenced by what they had seen.
“I couldn’t sleep well last night, I’ve been anticipating this election for so long,” said a 52-year-old man who gave his last name as Wong. “I really hope these elections can change the situation and change the political development of Hong Kong.”
The election was overwhelmingly peaceful and orderly, marking a rare weekend without violence or police action. Riot officers in green fatigues, some wearing masks, were seen at some polling stations, but the atmosphere was generally calm.
Otherwise, it felt like a typical weekend in the city before the protests began in June: Families out shopping and eating and people running errands. The weeks leading up to the vote saw the biggest escalation in violence since the protests began, with hundreds of demonstrators arrested after police seized a university campus that had become a fortified base for the movement.
Two protesters still holed up in Hong Kong Polytechnic University held a news conference urging people to vote.
Hundreds of candidates chose to run in response to the events of the past months. They included Cathy Yau, a police officer who left the force over concerns about abuse of authority and ran on a pro-democracy platform; Jimmy Sham, a leader of the Civil Human Rights Front, the group behind the largest peaceful rallies in the movement; and Tommy Cheung, who decided to contest elections in Yuen Long after mobs attacked protesters at a subway station there.
Sham appeared at his constituency in Sha Tin, walking with the help of cane, a reminder of the political violence against candidates ahead of the vote. Sham was attacked in October by a group of men wielding hammers.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/record-turnout-in-hong-kong-election-seen-as-a-referendum-on-the-pro-democracy-protest-movement/2019/11/24/31804b00-0df5-11ea-8054-289aef6e38a3_story.html?fbclid=IwAR1KXMCENrVUH-mlDZtjE9tsSWToaL_1MpdjvHRmX55AIWoYFzuG23qMkkg
Voters took to the polls in record numbers to cast ballots in the only fully democratic election in the Chinese territory, an early sign that they wanted to send a strong message to their government and to the Communist Party in Beijing.
Early results compiled by the South China Morning Post showed pro-democracy parties winning 278 of the first 344 seats to be declared, pro-Beijing parties taking 42, and independents 24. Many prominent figures in the protest movement won, and many leading pro-establishment figures were unseated. Pro-democrats look to be able to secure 12 of 18 district councils available in Hong Kong — before this vote, they did not have a majority in any.
Pro-democracy parties had comfortably surpassed the number of seats they won in 2015 and were on course for their strongest showing ever in district council elections. They also appear to have secured all 117 seats afforded to them on the 1,200-member election committee that votes for Hong Kong’s leader — a system designed to give an upper hand in the process to pro-Beijing groups and business interests.
The pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the largest party in the district councils, had won just 26 races and lost 156. The pro-democracy Democratic Party, in contrast, had won 54 and lost only two.
The turnout — 2.94 million, or more than 71 percent of the 4.13 million eligible voters — was more than double the 1.4 million who voted in local elections in 2015. Voter registration was also a record high, driven in part by 390,000 first-time voters.
“Hong Kongers regard the election as a referendum and have clearly spoken that they are unhappy with how Hong Kong and Beijing have dealt with the ongoing protests in the last six months,” said Kelvin Lam, who won the South Horizons West seat, according to the South China Morning Post.
Lam was drafted to contest the seat for the pro-democracy camp after prominent activist Joshua Wong was barred from standing.
In 2015, pro-Beijing parties won just over 54 percent of the vote and 298 of the 452 seats to take control of all 18 district councils. They tend to be better funded and organized than pro-democracy groups, with solid links with the business elite and political establishment that allow them to argue that they are in the best position to get things done for their constituents.
Pro-democracy groups won 40 percent of the vote and 126 seats in 2015. Independents took the remainder.
But this time around, elections that have typically been fought on issues such as traffic, trash collection and the nuisance of pests such as wild boars became a referendum on the most fundamental issue in the territory: Whether one stands with the movement fighting for democratic freedoms or with the pro-
Beijing establishment that has had a grip on the former colony since Britain handed it back to China in 1997.
The protests were sparked in June by a proposal to allow criminal suspects to be extradited to China. The government eventually withdrew the proposal, but not before demonstrators added more demands: Full democracy, retracting the official description of the protests as riots, amnesty for arrested protesters and an inquiry into alleged police brutality.
“The voice of the public is loud and clear: Five demands, not one less,” said Roy Kwong Chun-Yu, who won in the Pek Long constituency. If Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam “doesn’t listen to our voice,” he said, “she must still not be awake.”
Even in pro-Beijing strongholds such as North Point, fresh-faced candidates running on an explicitly pro-democracy platform unseated longtime incumbents. Among them was 23-year-old Karrine Fu, who beat 45-year-old Hung Lin-Cham, the DAB incumbent who had won the past three elections.
The DAB threw its weight behind the unpopular extradition bill. Its vice chairman, Holden Chow, lost his seat to a 25-year-old pro-democracy activist in one of several upsets for the party.
Lo Kin-Hei, vice chairman of the Democratic Party, called the result a “clear win” for the pro-
democracy camp. “Really wonder what Carrie Lam & [Chinese President] Xi Jinping thought when they see the record-breaking turnout & result today,” he tweeted.
Voters waited in hours-long lines that snaked around city blocks, an unusual experience for Hong Kong residents. Almost every neighborhood has seen violent unrest at some point over the nearly six-month-long protest movement, with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets and protesters countering with molotov cocktails and projectiles.
“Everyone just asks what side you are on, pro-democracy or pro-establishment,” said Sabrina Koo, a pro-democracy candidate. “Only after that do they ask us what our plans are for the community and about local issues.”
Voters, relishing the opportunity to express their democratic rights, were unperturbed by the lines. Gloria Lai, 40, took her two children to a polling station close to a major protest flash point in Wan Chai: a road that in the past months has seen tear gas, water cannons and massive fires. They waited an hour to vote.
“I want my children to always remember that it is their right to vote, it is their right to voice out their opinion, and this is something to be treasured,” she said. “We don’t have the right to vote for our chief executive, but we have this.”
The contest for district council is the only fully democratic election in Hong Kong. The city’s leader is not directly elected. Only half of the Legislative Council, the lawmaking body, is chosen by the people.
Another voter in Wan Chai, which is represented by pro-Beijing politicians, said he flew back to Hong Kong from Britain, where he has lived for the past decade, to cast his ballot. The 39-year-old man, who asked to be identified only by his last name, Chan, said he has never seen such lines in an election, including in Britain.
“This is the best way to express our views. It is the right way,” he said. “We don’t want violence on the streets, but if we don’t have a way to express our political views in any other way, that will happen.”
Francis Lee, who researches public opinion and the media at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the high turnout, while “expected because of the heated political and social atmosphere” of recent months, was still impressive for Hong Kong.
“A combination of police tactics and the [subway and rail network’s] tendency to close numerous stations during protest events has made it extremely difficult to hold any large-scale peaceful protests,” he said. “Many moderate supporters of the movement were frustrated by the lack of opportunities to express themselves,” he said, and saw the election as a way to reenter the fold.
The well-funded establishment camp was hoping for support from a “silent majority” that has grown uncomfortable with protest violence in Hong Kong.
Some voters expressed a desire for a return of peace to the city streets and said they were voting for experienced candidates.
“Nothing is more important than bettering the lives of ordinary people,” said a 74-year-old pro-Beijing supporter who gave his last name as Chow. “The responsibility of our youth is to study hard, not to make society a mess.”
Others said the protest movement had changed their views. Two voters in Sai Wan Ho, where a young protester was shot at close range this month, said they were deeply influenced by what they had seen.
“I couldn’t sleep well last night, I’ve been anticipating this election for so long,” said a 52-year-old man who gave his last name as Wong. “I really hope these elections can change the situation and change the political development of Hong Kong.”
The election was overwhelmingly peaceful and orderly, marking a rare weekend without violence or police action. Riot officers in green fatigues, some wearing masks, were seen at some polling stations, but the atmosphere was generally calm.
Otherwise, it felt like a typical weekend in the city before the protests began in June: Families out shopping and eating and people running errands. The weeks leading up to the vote saw the biggest escalation in violence since the protests began, with hundreds of demonstrators arrested after police seized a university campus that had become a fortified base for the movement.
Two protesters still holed up in Hong Kong Polytechnic University held a news conference urging people to vote.
Hundreds of candidates chose to run in response to the events of the past months. They included Cathy Yau, a police officer who left the force over concerns about abuse of authority and ran on a pro-democracy platform; Jimmy Sham, a leader of the Civil Human Rights Front, the group behind the largest peaceful rallies in the movement; and Tommy Cheung, who decided to contest elections in Yuen Long after mobs attacked protesters at a subway station there.
Sham appeared at his constituency in Sha Tin, walking with the help of cane, a reminder of the political violence against candidates ahead of the vote. Sham was attacked in October by a group of men wielding hammers.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/record-turnout-in-hong-kong-election-seen-as-a-referendum-on-the-pro-democracy-protest-movement/2019/11/24/31804b00-0df5-11ea-8054-289aef6e38a3_story.html?fbclid=IwAR1KXMCENrVUH-mlDZtjE9tsSWToaL_1MpdjvHRmX55AIWoYFzuG23qMkkg
[BBC], !即時 Instant News, Hong Kong elections: Pro-democracy groups makes big gains
Hong Kong's opposition pro-democracy movement has made unprecedented gains in the Chinese territory's district council elections, early results show.
According to the figures, pro-democracy candidates have won 278 seats so far, and pro-Beijing candidates 42.
Despite fears the vote could be disrupted or cancelled over the unrest, it went ahead peacefully.
The election was seen as a test of support for the government after months of unrest, protests and clashes.
The government and Beijing had been hoping the election would bring a show of support from the so-called "silent majority", but that did not materialise. Instead some significant pro-Beijing candidates lost council seats.
One controversial pro-Beijing lawmaker, who lost his seat, Junius Ho, said "heaven and earth have been turned upside down".
Protests explained in 100 and 500 words
How is Hong Kong run and how much control does China have?
The twists and turns in Hong Kong so far
Hong Kong's district councillors have little political power and mainly deal with local issues such as bus routes and rubbish collection, so the district elections don't normally generate such interest.
But these polls were the first time people could express at the ballot box their opinion on embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam's handling of the crisis, which was sparked by a now withdrawn extradition law.
A record 4.1 million people had registered to vote - more than half the population.
And more than 2.9m people cast votes for the 452 seats available, a turnout of more than 71%, against 47% in 2015.
The weekend was the first in months without any clashes or violence between protesters and police.
"Facing the extremely challenging situation, I'm pleased to say... we have a relatively calm and peaceful environment for [the] election today," Chief Executive Carrie Lam said after voting.
What's the latest?
In one of the biggest losses for the pro-Beijing camp, lawmaker Junius Ho - one of Hong Kong's most controversial politicians - suffered a shock defeat.
He was stabbed earlier this month by a man pretending to be a supporter. The lawmaker has openly voiced his support for Hong Kong's police force on multiple occasions. He was in July filmed shaking hands with a group of men - suspected of being triad gangsters - who later assaulted pro-democracy protesters.
Jimmy Sham, a political activist who has recently risen to prominence as the leader of the Civil Human Rights Front - a campaign group responsible for organising some of the mass protest marches - won a seat after running for the first time.
Mr Sham has also been attacked twice, once apparently with hammers. Photographs at the time showed him lying on the street covered in blood.
Standing on crutches, Mr Sham told Reuters news agency on Sunday that the election was "special because it is a formal confrontation between pro-establishment and pro-democracy parties".
Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was barred from running in the elections, a move he referred to as "political screening", but the pro-democracy candidate who replaced him is said to have won.
In a tweet, Mr Wong said the "historic" results showed that public opinion had not turned against the pro-democracy movement.
Reflecting on her reported defeat, pro-Beijing lawmaker Alice Mak suggested Ms Lam's administration was partly to blame.
"In the election campaign, pro-government candidates have been unfairly treated. This is a very important reason," she said.
Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the city's largest pro-Beijing party, was among the few establishment candidates to secure her seat.
"I think [Lee] is the only one who can survive the de facto referendum," said Leung Kwok-hung, her pro-democracy opponent in the poll.
'A wipeout beyond imagination'
Stephen McDonell, BBC China correspondent, in Hong Kong
Outside the Yau Ma Tei North polling station, local residents lined up to gain entry so they could watch the vote count. The doors opened and they poured into the public viewing area.
Six months into an ongoing political crisis, people have lost faith in government institutions. They wanted to make sure that this process was fair and transparent.
As they waited for the total in their own district council to be tallied, they could see the numbers coming in from elsewhere on their mobile phones.
By their facial expressions it was clear they couldn't believe what was unfolding, and people cheered in astonishment as one surprising result came in after another.
Nobody imagined such a comprehensive wipeout, and Carrie Lam's administration will no doubt come under renewed pressure to listen to the demands of protestors following such an overwhelming defeat for her and her allies.
More than 1,000 candidates ran for 452 district council seats which, for the first time, were all contested. A further 27 district seats are allocated to representatives of rural districts.
Pro-Beijing parties held the majority of these seats ahead of the election.
Under Hong Kong's electoral system, 117 of the district councillors will also sit on the 1,200-member committee that votes for the chief executive.
So a pro-democracy district win could translate eventually to a bigger share, and say, in who becomes the city's next leader.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-50531408?fbclid=IwAR2tOViqlyTL-4Gs9KH1jfd68IH7w-G3Rl3GAABnYtQ8xSGyLKN_0Kp2QZM
According to the figures, pro-democracy candidates have won 278 seats so far, and pro-Beijing candidates 42.
Despite fears the vote could be disrupted or cancelled over the unrest, it went ahead peacefully.
The election was seen as a test of support for the government after months of unrest, protests and clashes.
The government and Beijing had been hoping the election would bring a show of support from the so-called "silent majority", but that did not materialise. Instead some significant pro-Beijing candidates lost council seats.
One controversial pro-Beijing lawmaker, who lost his seat, Junius Ho, said "heaven and earth have been turned upside down".
Protests explained in 100 and 500 words
How is Hong Kong run and how much control does China have?
The twists and turns in Hong Kong so far
Hong Kong's district councillors have little political power and mainly deal with local issues such as bus routes and rubbish collection, so the district elections don't normally generate such interest.
But these polls were the first time people could express at the ballot box their opinion on embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam's handling of the crisis, which was sparked by a now withdrawn extradition law.
A record 4.1 million people had registered to vote - more than half the population.
And more than 2.9m people cast votes for the 452 seats available, a turnout of more than 71%, against 47% in 2015.
The weekend was the first in months without any clashes or violence between protesters and police.
"Facing the extremely challenging situation, I'm pleased to say... we have a relatively calm and peaceful environment for [the] election today," Chief Executive Carrie Lam said after voting.
What's the latest?
In one of the biggest losses for the pro-Beijing camp, lawmaker Junius Ho - one of Hong Kong's most controversial politicians - suffered a shock defeat.
He was stabbed earlier this month by a man pretending to be a supporter. The lawmaker has openly voiced his support for Hong Kong's police force on multiple occasions. He was in July filmed shaking hands with a group of men - suspected of being triad gangsters - who later assaulted pro-democracy protesters.
Jimmy Sham, a political activist who has recently risen to prominence as the leader of the Civil Human Rights Front - a campaign group responsible for organising some of the mass protest marches - won a seat after running for the first time.
Mr Sham has also been attacked twice, once apparently with hammers. Photographs at the time showed him lying on the street covered in blood.
Standing on crutches, Mr Sham told Reuters news agency on Sunday that the election was "special because it is a formal confrontation between pro-establishment and pro-democracy parties".
Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was barred from running in the elections, a move he referred to as "political screening", but the pro-democracy candidate who replaced him is said to have won.
In a tweet, Mr Wong said the "historic" results showed that public opinion had not turned against the pro-democracy movement.
Reflecting on her reported defeat, pro-Beijing lawmaker Alice Mak suggested Ms Lam's administration was partly to blame.
"In the election campaign, pro-government candidates have been unfairly treated. This is a very important reason," she said.
Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the city's largest pro-Beijing party, was among the few establishment candidates to secure her seat.
"I think [Lee] is the only one who can survive the de facto referendum," said Leung Kwok-hung, her pro-democracy opponent in the poll.
'A wipeout beyond imagination'
Stephen McDonell, BBC China correspondent, in Hong Kong
Outside the Yau Ma Tei North polling station, local residents lined up to gain entry so they could watch the vote count. The doors opened and they poured into the public viewing area.
Six months into an ongoing political crisis, people have lost faith in government institutions. They wanted to make sure that this process was fair and transparent.
As they waited for the total in their own district council to be tallied, they could see the numbers coming in from elsewhere on their mobile phones.
By their facial expressions it was clear they couldn't believe what was unfolding, and people cheered in astonishment as one surprising result came in after another.
Nobody imagined such a comprehensive wipeout, and Carrie Lam's administration will no doubt come under renewed pressure to listen to the demands of protestors following such an overwhelming defeat for her and her allies.
More than 1,000 candidates ran for 452 district council seats which, for the first time, were all contested. A further 27 district seats are allocated to representatives of rural districts.
Pro-Beijing parties held the majority of these seats ahead of the election.
Under Hong Kong's electoral system, 117 of the district councillors will also sit on the 1,200-member committee that votes for the chief executive.
So a pro-democracy district win could translate eventually to a bigger share, and say, in who becomes the city's next leader.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-50531408?fbclid=IwAR2tOViqlyTL-4Gs9KH1jfd68IH7w-G3Rl3GAABnYtQ8xSGyLKN_0Kp2QZM
[Aljazeera], !即時 Instant News, , Hong Kong democrats score historic victory amid ongoing protests
Local elections were seen as major test for the pro-Beijing government after nearly half a year of demonstrations.
Hong Kong, China - Hong Kong's pro-democratic parties swept the board in highly anticipated local elections seen as a barometer of public opinion after nearly six months of increasingly violent protests that have polarised the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
Total turnout exceeded 2.94 million voters, a rate of 71 percent, surpassing a record from the previous legislative council election in 2016 of about 1.47 million.
As of 12pm (04:00 GMT), pro-democracy candidates had won a clear majority with 390 seats of the 452 district council seats, according to local broadcaster RTHK.
In the wake of the landslide win, Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam said she would "listen humbly" to voters.
Before daybreak on Sunday, long queues began to snake around the city's neighbourhoods as a mix of young and old voters waited for the polls - the first since political unrest erupted in June - to open.
In the working-class neighbourhood of Yau Ma Tei, a regular scene of clashes between police and demonstrators, no one waiting in line wore black, surgical masks or chanted slogans - all hallmarks of the pro-democracy protest movement.
The queue was quiet and orderly as voters ate breakfast in line and scrolled through their phones. Small squads of riot police were seen mingling around.
"I would like to say 'no' to the government, to what they have done these past few months," said Patrick Yeung, a 33-year-old IT worker who came early to vote, anticipating long lines.
"It makes me very angry ... [Chief Executive] Carrie Lam just doesn't listen to Hong Kong. We've come out so many times and they don't listen and make this situation worse."
'De facto referendum'
The district council historically deals with local livelihood issues, such as traffic and hygiene. But the protests have dramatically elevated their significance, at least symbolically.
For nearly half a year, anger and frustration have gripped Hong Kong as the city's Beijing-backed government refuses to concede to protesters' demands - save for the retraction of the hated extradition bill that sparked the unrest.
Government intransigence has galvanised the public, and voters are capitalising on the democratic opportunity to reiterate their demands, which include universal suffrage to choose Hong Kong's leaders, an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality and amnesty for all those arrested in connection with the protests.
A record 4.1 million people, including 400,000 new voters, signed up to cast ballots in the poll that will see all 452 seats across Hong Kong's 18 districts contested.
"This election is totally a de facto referendum for the protests," said Samson Yuen, an assistant professor at Lingnan University.
"Clearly, this one is more about political stance over the protests," Yuen said.
For the past few weeks, doubts loomed over whether the elections would even take place. Several candidates on both sides were attacked and multiple pro-democracy candidates were arrested, while prominent democracy activist Joshua Wong was barred from running.
Just a neighbourhood over from Yau Ma Tei, an estimated couple of dozen protesters remain trapped at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which police have surrounded following one of the movement's fiercest clashes on campus. The city was paralysed for days as violence reached new escalations on both sides.
Patrick Nip, the secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, said the violence "reduced the chance of holding the elections", while the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper, the People's Daily, said: "Only by supporting the police force decisively putting down the riots can [Hong Kong] return to peace and hold fair elections, to help Hong Kong start again."
Hong Kong's Electoral Affairs Commission had called on the public to "stop all threats and violence to support the holding of elections in a peaceful and orderly manner".
For her part, Lam, when asked whether elections would be postponed, said the government "hopes that the elections can continue as planned".
Some pro-establishment voters, too, hoped to use their vote as a call to restore order.
"He supports constructive ideas to build up Hong Kong. We support people who do not disrupt Hong Kong," said Gary Wu, 40, who works in logistics, as he handed out fliers for a pro-establishment candidate named Horace Cheung in the Kennedy Town area.
"The priority should be people living here, a stable environment and economy."
'We are not going to give up our rights'
Given all the uncertainty surrounding the elections, Ryan Chen flew home on Saturday from Singapore, where he who works for a multinational company, just to vote in the election. Aged 35, this was his first time voting in the district council elections.
"It's important ... It's a way to really express your own opinions, one of the few ways you can do it in an orderly fashion," he said. "We should cherish the ability to express it ... It shows [the government] our opinions and gathers us together as Hongkongers," Chen added.
"But whether the government cares, honestly they don't."
The days running up to polls have been some of the most peaceful in months. To ensure the elections were not cancelled, protesters called on the public to exercise restraint. And in a bid to rally public support, protesters rebuilt the so-called Lennon Walls - some of which had been torn down by pro-establishment activists - and plastered public spaces with promotional materials, canvassing on street corners and disseminating reminders online.
Among the many new faces running for district council is Jason Chan, 22, a recent graduate now running in Fortress Hill for the pro-democracy camp.
Chan said this election was a "gesture to show the government that we are not going to give up our rights".
He added: "It becomes a kind of safer way to participate in politics compared to protesting on the streets, running inside established institutions."
One of the clarion calls for the district council election is to have more of a say in the selection of the city's leader. At present, the chief executive is chosen by a 1,200-person electoral committee, many of whom are Beijing loyalists. While a sizeable chunk goes to the district councillors, in the end, the elections are more symbolic than effective.
"There's no way to tip the balance, but that's not the point," said Steve Tsang, director of SOAS China Institute, University of London. "What Hong Kong people are really asking for is to 'listen to our voices, hear us, and act on what we say'."
Yuen, of Lingnan University, echoed that point. "Even if the pro-democracy camp are able to capture a lot of seats, it won't have very substantial meaning in terms of everyday politics ... It doesn't have a substantial effect on the pro-democracy movement, more of moral support for the current protests."
But even that is reason enough to draw youngsters to the polls.
"These few months have really shown a new picture for what Hong Kong people can do," said Iverson Ha, 23, a university student studying politics.
"We felt so powerless before June. Now many people come out, many people suffer. I don't think the government will respond to anything so it depends on civil society.
"Can we also fight in those different fields? If we can, I think Hong Kong has a future."
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/months-protests-hong-kong-heads-key-polls-191124051609941.html?fbclid=IwAR0gAzeFdPcIF8BtbIGdrEO4tsC5SsP6q9eEHOTzPxEUW4NfgVorhuIeat0
Hong Kong, China - Hong Kong's pro-democratic parties swept the board in highly anticipated local elections seen as a barometer of public opinion after nearly six months of increasingly violent protests that have polarised the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
Total turnout exceeded 2.94 million voters, a rate of 71 percent, surpassing a record from the previous legislative council election in 2016 of about 1.47 million.
As of 12pm (04:00 GMT), pro-democracy candidates had won a clear majority with 390 seats of the 452 district council seats, according to local broadcaster RTHK.
In the wake of the landslide win, Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam said she would "listen humbly" to voters.
Before daybreak on Sunday, long queues began to snake around the city's neighbourhoods as a mix of young and old voters waited for the polls - the first since political unrest erupted in June - to open.
In the working-class neighbourhood of Yau Ma Tei, a regular scene of clashes between police and demonstrators, no one waiting in line wore black, surgical masks or chanted slogans - all hallmarks of the pro-democracy protest movement.
The queue was quiet and orderly as voters ate breakfast in line and scrolled through their phones. Small squads of riot police were seen mingling around.
"I would like to say 'no' to the government, to what they have done these past few months," said Patrick Yeung, a 33-year-old IT worker who came early to vote, anticipating long lines.
"It makes me very angry ... [Chief Executive] Carrie Lam just doesn't listen to Hong Kong. We've come out so many times and they don't listen and make this situation worse."
'De facto referendum'
The district council historically deals with local livelihood issues, such as traffic and hygiene. But the protests have dramatically elevated their significance, at least symbolically.
For nearly half a year, anger and frustration have gripped Hong Kong as the city's Beijing-backed government refuses to concede to protesters' demands - save for the retraction of the hated extradition bill that sparked the unrest.
Government intransigence has galvanised the public, and voters are capitalising on the democratic opportunity to reiterate their demands, which include universal suffrage to choose Hong Kong's leaders, an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality and amnesty for all those arrested in connection with the protests.
A record 4.1 million people, including 400,000 new voters, signed up to cast ballots in the poll that will see all 452 seats across Hong Kong's 18 districts contested.
"This election is totally a de facto referendum for the protests," said Samson Yuen, an assistant professor at Lingnan University.
"Clearly, this one is more about political stance over the protests," Yuen said.
For the past few weeks, doubts loomed over whether the elections would even take place. Several candidates on both sides were attacked and multiple pro-democracy candidates were arrested, while prominent democracy activist Joshua Wong was barred from running.
Just a neighbourhood over from Yau Ma Tei, an estimated couple of dozen protesters remain trapped at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which police have surrounded following one of the movement's fiercest clashes on campus. The city was paralysed for days as violence reached new escalations on both sides.
Patrick Nip, the secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, said the violence "reduced the chance of holding the elections", while the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper, the People's Daily, said: "Only by supporting the police force decisively putting down the riots can [Hong Kong] return to peace and hold fair elections, to help Hong Kong start again."
Hong Kong's Electoral Affairs Commission had called on the public to "stop all threats and violence to support the holding of elections in a peaceful and orderly manner".
For her part, Lam, when asked whether elections would be postponed, said the government "hopes that the elections can continue as planned".
Some pro-establishment voters, too, hoped to use their vote as a call to restore order.
"He supports constructive ideas to build up Hong Kong. We support people who do not disrupt Hong Kong," said Gary Wu, 40, who works in logistics, as he handed out fliers for a pro-establishment candidate named Horace Cheung in the Kennedy Town area.
"The priority should be people living here, a stable environment and economy."
'We are not going to give up our rights'
Given all the uncertainty surrounding the elections, Ryan Chen flew home on Saturday from Singapore, where he who works for a multinational company, just to vote in the election. Aged 35, this was his first time voting in the district council elections.
"It's important ... It's a way to really express your own opinions, one of the few ways you can do it in an orderly fashion," he said. "We should cherish the ability to express it ... It shows [the government] our opinions and gathers us together as Hongkongers," Chen added.
"But whether the government cares, honestly they don't."
The days running up to polls have been some of the most peaceful in months. To ensure the elections were not cancelled, protesters called on the public to exercise restraint. And in a bid to rally public support, protesters rebuilt the so-called Lennon Walls - some of which had been torn down by pro-establishment activists - and plastered public spaces with promotional materials, canvassing on street corners and disseminating reminders online.
Among the many new faces running for district council is Jason Chan, 22, a recent graduate now running in Fortress Hill for the pro-democracy camp.
Chan said this election was a "gesture to show the government that we are not going to give up our rights".
He added: "It becomes a kind of safer way to participate in politics compared to protesting on the streets, running inside established institutions."
One of the clarion calls for the district council election is to have more of a say in the selection of the city's leader. At present, the chief executive is chosen by a 1,200-person electoral committee, many of whom are Beijing loyalists. While a sizeable chunk goes to the district councillors, in the end, the elections are more symbolic than effective.
"There's no way to tip the balance, but that's not the point," said Steve Tsang, director of SOAS China Institute, University of London. "What Hong Kong people are really asking for is to 'listen to our voices, hear us, and act on what we say'."
Yuen, of Lingnan University, echoed that point. "Even if the pro-democracy camp are able to capture a lot of seats, it won't have very substantial meaning in terms of everyday politics ... It doesn't have a substantial effect on the pro-democracy movement, more of moral support for the current protests."
But even that is reason enough to draw youngsters to the polls.
"These few months have really shown a new picture for what Hong Kong people can do," said Iverson Ha, 23, a university student studying politics.
"We felt so powerless before June. Now many people come out, many people suffer. I don't think the government will respond to anything so it depends on civil society.
"Can we also fight in those different fields? If we can, I think Hong Kong has a future."
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/months-protests-hong-kong-heads-key-polls-191124051609941.html?fbclid=IwAR0gAzeFdPcIF8BtbIGdrEO4tsC5SsP6q9eEHOTzPxEUW4NfgVorhuIeat0
[Financial Times], !即時 Instant News, Pro-democracy candidates storm to landslide victory in Hong Kong
Pro-democracy candidates have routed their pro-Beijing opponents to win more than half of the seats in Hong Kong’s local council elections and provide a big boost to anti-government protests that have rocked the Asian financial hub.
With votes still being counted, pro-democracy candidates had secured 278 of the 452 district council seats. Pro-establishment forces, which support Beijing, had taken 42 seats while independents, who are not endorsed by either camp, had won 24 seats.
The democratic camp gained control of at least 12 of the 18 district councils. Four years ago, pro-democracy candidates won only 100 seats.
District council elections are historically muted affairs. Councillors wield little political power and the campaign is typically focused on humdrum local issues such as noise pollution.
But on Sunday, more than 2.9m people voted in the district council elections, a record turnout of 71.2 per cent across all territory-wide elections.
For the first time all seats were contested and more than 4m people were registered to vote, an all-time high. The groundswell of interest in the elections came as the city’s protest movement showed no sign of abating, with a stand-off between protesters and police at Polytechnic University entering its second week.
“We can’t be on the front lines but I hope to try to help our young people by casting a vote,” said Raymond Ng, a surveyor in his early 40s who brought his 65-year-old mother to vote for the first time.
“I hope the young people will be less impulsive — if we win at least they will feel better.”
One of the protesters’ demands is for genuine, universal suffrage that they insisted was guaranteed by Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law.
Hong Kong’s district council elections are the most democratic and representative elections in the territory. The business community has an outsized vote in determining the composition of the city’s more powerful Legislative Council, Hong Kong’s de facto parliament, while the chief executive is decided by 1,200 mostly pro-Beijing loyalists.
The local election results will determine 117 of the 1,200 electors who choose the city’s chief executive.
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https://www.ft.com/content/8a29a112-0e7b-11ea-a7e6-62bf4f9e548a?sharetype=blocked
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, has the lowest approval ratings of any chief executive in Hong Kong’s history, but no one from her administration has resigned over the worsening political unrest. Dissatisfaction with the government has risen to more than 80 per cent in the latest opinion polls.
“This is the first time I actually read through all the campaign messages of the candidates,” said Helen, 72, who declined to give her last name. “I think Hong Kong now needs representatives who can express the opinions of the general public and to make reasonable demands to the government.”
https://www.ft.com/content/8a29a112-0e7b-11ea-a7e6-62bf4f9e548a?sharetype=blocked
With votes still being counted, pro-democracy candidates had secured 278 of the 452 district council seats. Pro-establishment forces, which support Beijing, had taken 42 seats while independents, who are not endorsed by either camp, had won 24 seats.
The democratic camp gained control of at least 12 of the 18 district councils. Four years ago, pro-democracy candidates won only 100 seats.
District council elections are historically muted affairs. Councillors wield little political power and the campaign is typically focused on humdrum local issues such as noise pollution.
But on Sunday, more than 2.9m people voted in the district council elections, a record turnout of 71.2 per cent across all territory-wide elections.
For the first time all seats were contested and more than 4m people were registered to vote, an all-time high. The groundswell of interest in the elections came as the city’s protest movement showed no sign of abating, with a stand-off between protesters and police at Polytechnic University entering its second week.
“We can’t be on the front lines but I hope to try to help our young people by casting a vote,” said Raymond Ng, a surveyor in his early 40s who brought his 65-year-old mother to vote for the first time.
“I hope the young people will be less impulsive — if we win at least they will feel better.”
One of the protesters’ demands is for genuine, universal suffrage that they insisted was guaranteed by Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law.
Hong Kong’s district council elections are the most democratic and representative elections in the territory. The business community has an outsized vote in determining the composition of the city’s more powerful Legislative Council, Hong Kong’s de facto parliament, while the chief executive is decided by 1,200 mostly pro-Beijing loyalists.
The local election results will determine 117 of the 1,200 electors who choose the city’s chief executive.
Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour.
https://www.ft.com/content/8a29a112-0e7b-11ea-a7e6-62bf4f9e548a?sharetype=blocked
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, has the lowest approval ratings of any chief executive in Hong Kong’s history, but no one from her administration has resigned over the worsening political unrest. Dissatisfaction with the government has risen to more than 80 per cent in the latest opinion polls.
“This is the first time I actually read through all the campaign messages of the candidates,” said Helen, 72, who declined to give her last name. “I think Hong Kong now needs representatives who can express the opinions of the general public and to make reasonable demands to the government.”
https://www.ft.com/content/8a29a112-0e7b-11ea-a7e6-62bf4f9e548a?sharetype=blocked
Sunday, November 24, 2019
[The Guardian], !即時 Instant News, Hong Kong voters deliver landslide victory for pro-democracy campaigners
Pro-democracy politicians projected to control 18 out of 18 councils after proxy vote on Carrie Lam’s leadership
Hong Kong’s voters have turned out in record numbers to deliver a landslide for pro-democracy campaigners in local elections, handing them control of every one of the region’s 18 councils for the first time.
The results are a powerful rebuke to the government in a vote that was widely seen as a proxy referendum on the city’s protest movement.
Both in absolute numbers and in turnout rates it was easily the biggest exercise in democratic participation that Hong Kong has seen, with many voters waiting more than an hour to cast their ballots.
Hong Kong: protests prompt huge turnout for local elections
Read more
When polls closed at 10.30pm on Sunday, nearly 3 million people had voted, representing more than 71% of the electorate and nearly half of Hong Kong’s population. Many had never voted before.
Pro-democracy politicians took control of all of the city’s 18 district councils, an unexpected clean sweep that analysts say was a unanimous vote of no confidence in the government.
It is also a sea change in Hong Kong politics, where pro-Beijing and government politicians have enjoyed a wealth of resources and support from the elite sectors.
“I would not use the word happy, but we have made progress towards a situation where we can fight back against the government,” said Clarisse Yeung, an artist-turned-politician who led campaigning in the Wan Chai district, and announced the shift of power with tears in her eyes.
“It’s important because we all know that we have been sacrificing too much in the past few months,” she said. “Hong Kong people are no longer naive. We have to prepare ourselves, we have to have faith in ourselves to bring change.”
A string of prominent pro-Beijing candidates were also evicted from what had been safe seats, among them Junius Ho, who has been widely reviled for shaking hands with a gang of thugs who attacked protesters and commuters in July.
There will be few immediate political consequences in Hong Kong because the councils have limited powers, only a small budget and a mandate restricted to hyper-local issues such as parks, bus stops and waste collection.
But the pro-democratic landslide was a defiant rebuke to the government’s frequent argument that its hardline policies had the support of a “silent majority”, who had been cowed by protester violence. In a peaceful vote, the city’s people came out against them.
It will also give Communist party chiefs in Beijing – who have backed the government as it dug into confrontation with demonstrators – cause to reconsider their approach. Hong Kong’s protests are perhaps the biggest challenge to China’s autocratic president, Xi Jinping, since he took power in 2012.
And these local election victories may sow the seeds of greater long-term influence for democrats, because the councils play a role in choosing the city’s chief executive and some legislators.
Many of those who turned out on Sunday had never cast a ballot before. “It’s my first time voting. I registered myself because of the [protest] movement,” said Vivian Lee, an insurance worker in her 30s. “I’m happy so many people have come out to vote, because we want our voices heard.”
Despite long queues outside polling stations a spirit of exhilaration gripped much of the city, perhaps because people had a chance to give private, peaceful verdicts on a showdown that has upended normal life.
It was the first weekend without teargas on the streets since mid-August, though after voting ended, riot police did end an almost entirely peaceful day by using pepper spray to resolve a dispute between supporters of rival candidates.
District elections had not previously attracted much interest in Hong Kong, or beyond. The councils have a reputation for self-serving indolence and for years they were packed by disciplined and well-funded pro-Beijing candidates.
But months of pro-democracy protests, from a 2 million-strong peaceful march in June, to increasingly violent street demonstrations that culminated in a siege of a city-centre university, turned a sleepy local poll into something more significant.
It was widely seen as a proxy referendum on the leader, Carrie Lam, who responded to the movement by backing an escalation of police action and refusing to negotiate or compromise with the protesters.
For many in Hong Kong, that made the poll both an opportunity and an obligation, particularly important because district councils are the only Hong Kong authority selected by full universal suffrage. The city’s leader is chosen by an electoral college and only some seats in the city’s legislature are selected in open ballots.
“If you are willing to march or protest in the streets, which requires blood and sweat and tears, it’s much easier to walk downstairs and vote,” said one man who has taken part in the street protests, and asked not to be named because of fear of official retaliation. “Even if the system is broken, we can try to use it against the government.”
A last-minute surge in registrations added nearly 400,000 voters to the electoral rolls – most of them young – and a wave of novice pro-democracy candidates meant that for the first time in Hong Kong’s history every seat was contested.
Many pro-Beijing candidates were running on promises to “stop the violence” of the protests in which at least two people have died and hundreds have been injured, some critically.
Authorities have tried to paint the demonstrators as unreasonable extremists, and brush off calls for an independent inquiry into escalating police brutality.
But even in establishment strongholds, support for pro-democracy candidates grew. Adrian Lau ran in a seat that had never been contested by a pro-democracy candidate before, near a village where in July thugs thought to have links to the establishment attacked protesters and commuters.
“Many people have completely lost trust in the police after the incident,” he said. “Some told us they’d vote for us and thank us for giving them an alternative but daren’t say that out loud.”
Stephen, a retired businessman in his 60s voting in the affluent Mid-Levels neighbourhood, said: “This will send the message to the government that they should be more humble. It’s your job to serve people, and not beat people up if they don’t listen to you.”
Timeline
Hong Kong protests
Hide
February 2019
A new Hong Kong extradition law is proposed, which would allow people to be transferred to mainland China for a variety of crimes. Residents fear it could lead to politically motivated extraditions into China's much harsher judicial system.
31 March 2019
Large public demonstrations start as thousands march in the streets to protest against the extradition bill.
11 May 2019
Hong Kong lawmakers scuffle in parliament during a row over the law.
30 May 2019
Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam, introduces concessions to the extradition bill, including limiting the scope of extraditable offences, but critics say they are not enough.
12 June 2019
The scale of protests continues to increase as more than half a million people take to the streets. Police use rubber bullets and teargas against the biggest protests Hong Kong has seen for decades.
15 June 2019
Lam says the proposed extradition law has been postponed indefinitely.
1 July 2019
The protests continue as demonstrators storm the Legislative Council, destroying pictures, daubing graffiti on the walls and flying the old flag of Hong Kong emblazoned with the British union flag. The protests coincide with the 22nd anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from the UK back to China.
21 July 2019
Armed men in white T-shirts thought to be supporting the Chinese government attack passengers and passers-by in Yuen Long metro station, while nearby police take no action.
30 July 2019
44 protesters are charged with rioting, which further antagonises the anti-extradition bill movement.
September 2019
By now the protest movement has coalesced around five key demands: complete withdrawal of the proposed extradition bill, withdrawal of the use of the word "riot" in relation to the protests, unconditional release of arrested protesters and charges against them dropped, an independent inquiry into police behaviour and the implementation of genuine universal suffrage.
15 September 2019
The mass protests enter their fifteenth week, with police resorting to teargas and water cannon against the demonstrators, and a wave of "doxxing" using digital techniques to unmask police and protesters as a new front in the battle.
1 October 2019
Police shoot a protester with live ammunition for the first time, as demonstrations continue on the day marking the 70th anniversary of the declaration of the People's Republic of China.
7 October 2019
The first charges are brought against protesters for covering their faces, after authorities bring in new laws banning face masks in order to make it easier to identify or detain protesters.
11 October 2019
Hong Kong officials spark outrage in the city as it revealed that nearly a third of protesters arrested since June have been children. Seven hundred and 50 out of the 2,379 people arrested were under 18, and 104 were under 16.
16 October 2019
Lam is forced to deliver a key annual policy speech via video link after after being heckled in parliament, as the legislative council resumed sessions after it was suspended on 12 June. Later in the day one of the protest leaders, Jimmy Sham, was attacked by assailants wielding hammers and knives.
23 October 2019
Chan Tong-kai, the murder suspect whose case prompted the original extradition bill is released from prison, saying that he is willing to surrender himself to Taiwan. The extradition bill is also formally withdrawn, a key demand of protesters.
8 November 2019
Chow Tsz-lok, 22, becomes the first fatality of the protests. Chow, a computer science student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), was found injured in a car park in Tseung Kwan O in Kowloon, where he was believed to have fallen one storey. Protesters had been trying to disrupt a police officer’s wedding, which was being held in the area. A week later a 70-year-old cleaner who is thought to have been hit by a brick during a clash between protesters and pro-Beijing residents becomes the second person to die.
18 November 2019
Hundreds of protestors are trapped as police lay siege to a university, firing tear gas.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/24/hong-kong-residents-turn-up-for-local-elections-in-record-numbers?fbclid=IwAR3lOih1aI2_Ga3FQ0cWY_tx5s95OUeEvzIyaUtd0sT49tGHO7bNTCuAFDU
Hong Kong’s voters have turned out in record numbers to deliver a landslide for pro-democracy campaigners in local elections, handing them control of every one of the region’s 18 councils for the first time.
The results are a powerful rebuke to the government in a vote that was widely seen as a proxy referendum on the city’s protest movement.
Both in absolute numbers and in turnout rates it was easily the biggest exercise in democratic participation that Hong Kong has seen, with many voters waiting more than an hour to cast their ballots.
Hong Kong: protests prompt huge turnout for local elections
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When polls closed at 10.30pm on Sunday, nearly 3 million people had voted, representing more than 71% of the electorate and nearly half of Hong Kong’s population. Many had never voted before.
Pro-democracy politicians took control of all of the city’s 18 district councils, an unexpected clean sweep that analysts say was a unanimous vote of no confidence in the government.
It is also a sea change in Hong Kong politics, where pro-Beijing and government politicians have enjoyed a wealth of resources and support from the elite sectors.
“I would not use the word happy, but we have made progress towards a situation where we can fight back against the government,” said Clarisse Yeung, an artist-turned-politician who led campaigning in the Wan Chai district, and announced the shift of power with tears in her eyes.
“It’s important because we all know that we have been sacrificing too much in the past few months,” she said. “Hong Kong people are no longer naive. We have to prepare ourselves, we have to have faith in ourselves to bring change.”
A string of prominent pro-Beijing candidates were also evicted from what had been safe seats, among them Junius Ho, who has been widely reviled for shaking hands with a gang of thugs who attacked protesters and commuters in July.
There will be few immediate political consequences in Hong Kong because the councils have limited powers, only a small budget and a mandate restricted to hyper-local issues such as parks, bus stops and waste collection.
But the pro-democratic landslide was a defiant rebuke to the government’s frequent argument that its hardline policies had the support of a “silent majority”, who had been cowed by protester violence. In a peaceful vote, the city’s people came out against them.
It will also give Communist party chiefs in Beijing – who have backed the government as it dug into confrontation with demonstrators – cause to reconsider their approach. Hong Kong’s protests are perhaps the biggest challenge to China’s autocratic president, Xi Jinping, since he took power in 2012.
And these local election victories may sow the seeds of greater long-term influence for democrats, because the councils play a role in choosing the city’s chief executive and some legislators.
Many of those who turned out on Sunday had never cast a ballot before. “It’s my first time voting. I registered myself because of the [protest] movement,” said Vivian Lee, an insurance worker in her 30s. “I’m happy so many people have come out to vote, because we want our voices heard.”
Despite long queues outside polling stations a spirit of exhilaration gripped much of the city, perhaps because people had a chance to give private, peaceful verdicts on a showdown that has upended normal life.
It was the first weekend without teargas on the streets since mid-August, though after voting ended, riot police did end an almost entirely peaceful day by using pepper spray to resolve a dispute between supporters of rival candidates.
District elections had not previously attracted much interest in Hong Kong, or beyond. The councils have a reputation for self-serving indolence and for years they were packed by disciplined and well-funded pro-Beijing candidates.
But months of pro-democracy protests, from a 2 million-strong peaceful march in June, to increasingly violent street demonstrations that culminated in a siege of a city-centre university, turned a sleepy local poll into something more significant.
It was widely seen as a proxy referendum on the leader, Carrie Lam, who responded to the movement by backing an escalation of police action and refusing to negotiate or compromise with the protesters.
For many in Hong Kong, that made the poll both an opportunity and an obligation, particularly important because district councils are the only Hong Kong authority selected by full universal suffrage. The city’s leader is chosen by an electoral college and only some seats in the city’s legislature are selected in open ballots.
“If you are willing to march or protest in the streets, which requires blood and sweat and tears, it’s much easier to walk downstairs and vote,” said one man who has taken part in the street protests, and asked not to be named because of fear of official retaliation. “Even if the system is broken, we can try to use it against the government.”
A last-minute surge in registrations added nearly 400,000 voters to the electoral rolls – most of them young – and a wave of novice pro-democracy candidates meant that for the first time in Hong Kong’s history every seat was contested.
Many pro-Beijing candidates were running on promises to “stop the violence” of the protests in which at least two people have died and hundreds have been injured, some critically.
Authorities have tried to paint the demonstrators as unreasonable extremists, and brush off calls for an independent inquiry into escalating police brutality.
But even in establishment strongholds, support for pro-democracy candidates grew. Adrian Lau ran in a seat that had never been contested by a pro-democracy candidate before, near a village where in July thugs thought to have links to the establishment attacked protesters and commuters.
“Many people have completely lost trust in the police after the incident,” he said. “Some told us they’d vote for us and thank us for giving them an alternative but daren’t say that out loud.”
Stephen, a retired businessman in his 60s voting in the affluent Mid-Levels neighbourhood, said: “This will send the message to the government that they should be more humble. It’s your job to serve people, and not beat people up if they don’t listen to you.”
Timeline
Hong Kong protests
Hide
February 2019
A new Hong Kong extradition law is proposed, which would allow people to be transferred to mainland China for a variety of crimes. Residents fear it could lead to politically motivated extraditions into China's much harsher judicial system.
31 March 2019
Large public demonstrations start as thousands march in the streets to protest against the extradition bill.
11 May 2019
Hong Kong lawmakers scuffle in parliament during a row over the law.
30 May 2019
Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam, introduces concessions to the extradition bill, including limiting the scope of extraditable offences, but critics say they are not enough.
12 June 2019
The scale of protests continues to increase as more than half a million people take to the streets. Police use rubber bullets and teargas against the biggest protests Hong Kong has seen for decades.
15 June 2019
Lam says the proposed extradition law has been postponed indefinitely.
1 July 2019
The protests continue as demonstrators storm the Legislative Council, destroying pictures, daubing graffiti on the walls and flying the old flag of Hong Kong emblazoned with the British union flag. The protests coincide with the 22nd anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from the UK back to China.
21 July 2019
Armed men in white T-shirts thought to be supporting the Chinese government attack passengers and passers-by in Yuen Long metro station, while nearby police take no action.
30 July 2019
44 protesters are charged with rioting, which further antagonises the anti-extradition bill movement.
September 2019
By now the protest movement has coalesced around five key demands: complete withdrawal of the proposed extradition bill, withdrawal of the use of the word "riot" in relation to the protests, unconditional release of arrested protesters and charges against them dropped, an independent inquiry into police behaviour and the implementation of genuine universal suffrage.
15 September 2019
The mass protests enter their fifteenth week, with police resorting to teargas and water cannon against the demonstrators, and a wave of "doxxing" using digital techniques to unmask police and protesters as a new front in the battle.
1 October 2019
Police shoot a protester with live ammunition for the first time, as demonstrations continue on the day marking the 70th anniversary of the declaration of the People's Republic of China.
7 October 2019
The first charges are brought against protesters for covering their faces, after authorities bring in new laws banning face masks in order to make it easier to identify or detain protesters.
11 October 2019
Hong Kong officials spark outrage in the city as it revealed that nearly a third of protesters arrested since June have been children. Seven hundred and 50 out of the 2,379 people arrested were under 18, and 104 were under 16.
16 October 2019
Lam is forced to deliver a key annual policy speech via video link after after being heckled in parliament, as the legislative council resumed sessions after it was suspended on 12 June. Later in the day one of the protest leaders, Jimmy Sham, was attacked by assailants wielding hammers and knives.
23 October 2019
Chan Tong-kai, the murder suspect whose case prompted the original extradition bill is released from prison, saying that he is willing to surrender himself to Taiwan. The extradition bill is also formally withdrawn, a key demand of protesters.
8 November 2019
Chow Tsz-lok, 22, becomes the first fatality of the protests. Chow, a computer science student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), was found injured in a car park in Tseung Kwan O in Kowloon, where he was believed to have fallen one storey. Protesters had been trying to disrupt a police officer’s wedding, which was being held in the area. A week later a 70-year-old cleaner who is thought to have been hit by a brick during a clash between protesters and pro-Beijing residents becomes the second person to die.
18 November 2019
Hundreds of protestors are trapped as police lay siege to a university, firing tear gas.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/24/hong-kong-residents-turn-up-for-local-elections-in-record-numbers?fbclid=IwAR3lOih1aI2_Ga3FQ0cWY_tx5s95OUeEvzIyaUtd0sT49tGHO7bNTCuAFDU
[Telegraph], !即時 Instant News, Protests drive record numbers to Hong Kong polls in 'referendum on Carrie Lam'
Hong Kong voters turned out in record numbers on Sunday for district elections, with early results showing pro-democracy candidates triumphing over those who have sided with Beijing in the six-month-long protests.
The election is widely viewed as a test of public support for pro-Beijing chief executive Carrie Lam’s handling of pro-democracy protests that have plunged the Asian financial hub into crisis.
Results started to trickle out after midnight and showed at least a dozen pro-democracy candidates winning, including former student leaders.
Among them was a candidate who replaced prominent activist Joshua Wong, the only person barred from running in the election.
Rally organiser Jimmy Sham, one of the public faces of the protest movement who was bloodied in an attack by assailants with hammers last month, also triumphed.
Pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho, who was stabbed by a knife-wielding man while campaigning this month, was among those who lost.
The poll for delegates on the lowest tier of government – which has never had so much attention - will also be a barometer of public patience with the protest movement.
The unrest has seen many violent street clashes with riot police and at times crippled the city’s business and transport networks.
A record 4.1 million people registered to vote in the election, which normally sees a turnout rate of about 40 per cent.
By 8am, long queues had already formed outside the city’s 600 polling stations, while government data showed more than 2.94 million people had voted, putting the turnout rate at 70 per cent.
About 1.47 million voted in the last district elections four years ago, which was itself a record.
In the bitterly divided city, many voters said that they would make their choice not on local issues, but based on their views of the ongoing political turmoil – the worst unrest that Hong Kong has experienced since it switched from British to Chinese rule in 1997.
“We want to change the government. We want to use the district elections to express our voice,” said Shirley Ng, 50, a social welfare worker, in Sham Shui Po, a predominantly working class neighbourhood in Kowloon.
“There has been a political awakening that has made people more aware of what the government is doing,” she said.
A few blocks away, voters waited patiently to enter a polling station on Pei Ho Street, an area badly affected by tear gas in recent battles between the police and more radical protesters who set up burning roadblocks.
Mr Wong, an accountant in his late 30s, said this election was especially important to him, revealing that his business had suffered during the unrest, but he added: “If they kill us and take our freedom, what’s the point of giving us good business?”
A record 1,104 candidates were vying for 452 seats.
Although district councils normally deal with mundane issues like recycling and building management, they also have an important say in the selection of the city’s chief executive, who is not directly elected by the public.
If the pro-democracy camp gains control, they could secure six seats in the Legislative Council, or parliament, and 117 seats on the 1,200-member panel that appoints Hong Kong’s leader.
Cathy Yau, 36, a pan-Democratic candidate standing in Causeway Bay, left her job in the embattled police force to run for office.
The first salvos of tear gas fired at protesters in June had been the tipping point, she said.
The protests, now a rallying cry for democracy, started over a now-withdrawn extradition bill that would have allowed people to be sent to mainland China for trial.
“The government didn’t quickly address the voices that are against the extradition bill,” said Ms Yau.
“I didn’t understand why the government would not give a response.”
Bruce Lui, a senior journalism lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University, said that both pro-Beijing and pro-democratic parties had afforded new meaning to the local polls this year, to include their stances on recent violence.
“This is way beyond the highlights of the candidates' manifesto on purely 'district affairs',” he said.
The district elections have traditionally been the bastion of pro-Beijing parties, and government supporters also saw Sunday’s poll as a chance to share their opinions.
“I always come out to vote, but this year I am nervous about the political situation of the last few months. Lots of rioters are destroying Hong Kong,” said Kathy, 46, a housewife from Causeway Bay, which has seen some of the largest demonstrations in the city’s history.
In Sha Tin, Hong Kong’s most populous district, Mrs Pang, a housewife in her 70s, said she wanted to vote to restore “harmony” in society. “Social unrest has created unease in my life... it’s had a big impact on me,” she said.
If the pan-Democratic bloc wins, it could exert more pressure on Carrie Lam, the unpopular chief executive to find new ways to resolve the impasse with the protest movement.
Lord David Alton, who joined an international election observers team to monitor the poll, said the crisis needed a “political solution.”
He added: “I would like to see the appointment of a respected mediator from within the region…I would say the most pressing demand at the moment is dealing with the issue of police brutality.”
Denying the public the right to vote for the city’s leader had left a “sense of powerlessness” that had fueled the protests, he argued.
“If great cities like Paris or London or New York can have directly elected mayors then why can’t Hong Kong? The answer to that is that Beijing has opposed it.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/11/24/protests-drive-record-numbers-hong-kong-polls-referendum-carrie/?fbclid=IwAR2ZiJLz3kXzJD3b4KNtynK7gJFQDVVkAZBnmnO_W7Mh8-aozezqVdttUWg
The election is widely viewed as a test of public support for pro-Beijing chief executive Carrie Lam’s handling of pro-democracy protests that have plunged the Asian financial hub into crisis.
Results started to trickle out after midnight and showed at least a dozen pro-democracy candidates winning, including former student leaders.
Among them was a candidate who replaced prominent activist Joshua Wong, the only person barred from running in the election.
Rally organiser Jimmy Sham, one of the public faces of the protest movement who was bloodied in an attack by assailants with hammers last month, also triumphed.
Pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho, who was stabbed by a knife-wielding man while campaigning this month, was among those who lost.
The poll for delegates on the lowest tier of government – which has never had so much attention - will also be a barometer of public patience with the protest movement.
The unrest has seen many violent street clashes with riot police and at times crippled the city’s business and transport networks.
A record 4.1 million people registered to vote in the election, which normally sees a turnout rate of about 40 per cent.
By 8am, long queues had already formed outside the city’s 600 polling stations, while government data showed more than 2.94 million people had voted, putting the turnout rate at 70 per cent.
About 1.47 million voted in the last district elections four years ago, which was itself a record.
In the bitterly divided city, many voters said that they would make their choice not on local issues, but based on their views of the ongoing political turmoil – the worst unrest that Hong Kong has experienced since it switched from British to Chinese rule in 1997.
“We want to change the government. We want to use the district elections to express our voice,” said Shirley Ng, 50, a social welfare worker, in Sham Shui Po, a predominantly working class neighbourhood in Kowloon.
“There has been a political awakening that has made people more aware of what the government is doing,” she said.
A few blocks away, voters waited patiently to enter a polling station on Pei Ho Street, an area badly affected by tear gas in recent battles between the police and more radical protesters who set up burning roadblocks.
Mr Wong, an accountant in his late 30s, said this election was especially important to him, revealing that his business had suffered during the unrest, but he added: “If they kill us and take our freedom, what’s the point of giving us good business?”
A record 1,104 candidates were vying for 452 seats.
Although district councils normally deal with mundane issues like recycling and building management, they also have an important say in the selection of the city’s chief executive, who is not directly elected by the public.
If the pro-democracy camp gains control, they could secure six seats in the Legislative Council, or parliament, and 117 seats on the 1,200-member panel that appoints Hong Kong’s leader.
Cathy Yau, 36, a pan-Democratic candidate standing in Causeway Bay, left her job in the embattled police force to run for office.
The first salvos of tear gas fired at protesters in June had been the tipping point, she said.
The protests, now a rallying cry for democracy, started over a now-withdrawn extradition bill that would have allowed people to be sent to mainland China for trial.
“The government didn’t quickly address the voices that are against the extradition bill,” said Ms Yau.
“I didn’t understand why the government would not give a response.”
Bruce Lui, a senior journalism lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University, said that both pro-Beijing and pro-democratic parties had afforded new meaning to the local polls this year, to include their stances on recent violence.
“This is way beyond the highlights of the candidates' manifesto on purely 'district affairs',” he said.
The district elections have traditionally been the bastion of pro-Beijing parties, and government supporters also saw Sunday’s poll as a chance to share their opinions.
“I always come out to vote, but this year I am nervous about the political situation of the last few months. Lots of rioters are destroying Hong Kong,” said Kathy, 46, a housewife from Causeway Bay, which has seen some of the largest demonstrations in the city’s history.
In Sha Tin, Hong Kong’s most populous district, Mrs Pang, a housewife in her 70s, said she wanted to vote to restore “harmony” in society. “Social unrest has created unease in my life... it’s had a big impact on me,” she said.
If the pan-Democratic bloc wins, it could exert more pressure on Carrie Lam, the unpopular chief executive to find new ways to resolve the impasse with the protest movement.
Lord David Alton, who joined an international election observers team to monitor the poll, said the crisis needed a “political solution.”
He added: “I would like to see the appointment of a respected mediator from within the region…I would say the most pressing demand at the moment is dealing with the issue of police brutality.”
Denying the public the right to vote for the city’s leader had left a “sense of powerlessness” that had fueled the protests, he argued.
“If great cities like Paris or London or New York can have directly elected mayors then why can’t Hong Kong? The answer to that is that Beijing has opposed it.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/11/24/protests-drive-record-numbers-hong-kong-polls-referendum-carrie/?fbclid=IwAR2ZiJLz3kXzJD3b4KNtynK7gJFQDVVkAZBnmnO_W7Mh8-aozezqVdttUWg
[New York Times], !即時 Instant News, Hong Kong Election Results Give Democracy Backers Big Win
A surge in voting, especially by young people, allowed democracy advocates to win many more seats on local councils.
HONG KONG — Pro-democracy candidates buoyed by months of street protests in Hong Kong won a stunning victory in local elections on Sunday, as record numbers voted in a vivid expression of the city’s aspirations and its anger with the Chinese government.
It was a pointed rebuke of Beijing and its allies in Hong Kong, and the turnout — seven in 10 eligible voters — suggested that the public continues to back the democracy movement, even as the protests grow increasingly violent. Young Hong Kongers, a major force behind the demonstrations of the past six months, played a leading role in the voting surge.
With three million voters casting ballots, pro-democracy candidates captured 389 of 452 elected seats, up from only 124 and far more than they have ever won. With one race undecided, the government’s allies held just 57 seats, a remarkable collapse from 300.
To many democracy advocates, Sunday was a turning point.
“There has been a very deep awakening of the Hong Kong people,” said Alan Leong, chairman of the Civic Party, one of the largest pro-democracy parties.
The elections were for district councils, one of the lowest elected offices in Hong Kong, and they are typically a subdued affair focused on community issues. The job mostly entails pushing for neighborhood needs like bus stops and traffic lights.
But this election took on outsize significance, and was viewed as a referendum on the unrest that has created the city’s worst political crisis in decades. In a semiautonomous part of China where greater democracy is one of the protesters’ biggest demands, it gave residents a rare chance to vote.
The gains at the ballot box are likely to embolden a democracy movement that has struggled with how to balance peaceful and violent protests to achieve its goals.
They are also likely to deepen the challenges for China’s central government, which wants to curb the unrest in Hong Kong. And they might exacerbate Beijing’s fears about giving the city’s residents even greater say in choosing their government.
The district councils are among the most democratic bodies in Hong Kong. Almost all the seats are directly elected, unlike the legislature, where the proportion is just over half. The territory’s chief executive is also not chosen directly by voters, but is instead selected by a committee stacked in favor of Beijing.
The election results will give democracy forces considerably more influence on that committee, which is scheduled to choose a new chief executive in 2022.
The district councils name about a tenth of the group's 1,200 members, and now all of these will flip from pro-Beijing to pro-democracy seats. Democracy advocates already control about a quarter of the seats, while other previously pro-Beijing sectors of the committee are now starting to lean toward democracy, most notably accountants and real estate lawyers.
Mr. Leong, the Civic Party chairman, called on the Chinese Communist Party to change its policies in Hong Kong.
“Unless the C.C.P. is doing something concrete to address the concerns of the Hong Kong people,” he said, “I think this movement cannot end.”
Regina Ip, a cabinet member and the leader of a pro-Beijing political party, said she was surprised to see so many young voters, many of whom tried to confront her with the protesters’ demands.
“Normally,” she said, “the young people do not come out to vote. But this time, the opposition managed to turn them out.”
Ahead of the election, the city’s leadership was concerned that the vote would be marred by the chaos of recent months. Some of the most violent clashes yet between protesters and the police took place last week, turning two university campuses into battlegrounds.
But the city remained relatively calm on Sunday as voters turned out in droves. Long lines formed at polling centers in the morning, snaking around skyscrapers and past small shops. Riot police officers were deployed near polling stations on Sunday.
David Lee, a retired printer approaching his 90th birthday, was among the earliest voters on Hong Kong Island and said he had come because he wanted democracy.
“This is important,” he said.
Some analysts had predicted that pro-democracy candidates would have difficulty making big gains. Pro-Beijing candidates are much better financed, and the district races have traditionally been won on purely local issues, not big questions like democracy, said Joseph Cheng, a retired professor at City University of Hong Kong.
But voter turnout soared to 71 percent, far surpassing expectations. Typically in district council elections, it is little more than 40 percent. Four years ago, after the 2014 Umbrella Movement increased public interest in politics, turnout climbed to 47 percent. This year, the number of registered voters hit a record.
On Sunday, several prominent pro-Beijing politicians lost their races, among them Michael Tien, a longtime establishment lawmaker. After his defeat, he said the increase in young voters signaled that they were becoming more politically engaged, adding that the government should listen to them.
In the district of Tuen Mun, about a hundred people celebrated with cheers and champagne the defeat of Junius Ho, a controversial lawmaker many protesters accused of supporting mob attacks against them.
The victory on Sunday eclipsed the pro-democracy camp’s last big win in these elections, when they won 198 seats, still short of a majority, following huge protests in 2003. Those demonstrations led the government to scrap a national security bill requested by Beijing that critics said would have endangered civil liberties in Hong Kong.
The government’s allies dominated the elections that followed, though. Beijing began investing heavily in grass-roots mobilization efforts, including busing large numbers of older Hong Kong citizens from retirement homes in mainland China to polling places in Hong Kong.
Instead of just focusing on local issues, many pro-democracy candidates ran on the broad themes of the protest movement, especially anger at police brutality, and the intensity of the demonstrations sometimes spilled into the race. Candidates on both sides were attacked while campaigning.
Mandy Lee, 53, a homemaker who voted at the Kowloon Bay neighborhood, showed up to vote for the pro-Beijing establishment and criticized the protests.
“It’s not that I have no sympathy toward young people, but I strongly believe that their efforts are futile,” she said. “We are a tiny island; it’s only a matter of time before China takes us over and integrates us.”
The outcome of the election could further complicate the position of Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s embattled chief executive. Critics say that she has failed to engage with the community over the protests and that she has not listened to people’s concerns.
In June, Mrs. Lam set off enormous protests by pushing ahead with a bill that would have allowed the extradition of Hong Kong residents to the opaque judicial system in mainland China. The issue played to deeper worries about Beijing’s encroachment on Hong Kong, which has maintained its own political and judicial system since the former British colony was reclaimed by China in 1997.
Mrs. Lam withdrew her proposal after months of protests, but many said she acted too late. The protesters are now demanding additional concessions, including the introduction of universal suffrage and an independent inquiry into police conduct.
The election results on Sunday will allow them to argue that the public supports them. About 57 percent of voters cast ballots for pro-democracy candidates, while nearly 40 percent voted for Beijing’s allies. The remaining 3 percent voted for independents, who won five seats.
Many pro-Beijing political parties receive large donations from the Hong Kong subsidiaries of state-owned enterprises in mainland China, which they use to organize picnics and other campaign events. But the results on Sunday showed the limits of these efforts.
Matthew Cheung, the chief secretary and second-highest official of the Hong Kong government, said on Sunday during the voting that the city’s leadership would pay close attention to the results of the vote no matter how it turned out.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/24/world/asia/hong-kong-election-results.html?fbclid=IwAR0Z3mgtvXzL5lFJVP3uoSuRZ2KUkbSm_iARzAvB6ddEzas1rtshhJJzDUY
HONG KONG — Pro-democracy candidates buoyed by months of street protests in Hong Kong won a stunning victory in local elections on Sunday, as record numbers voted in a vivid expression of the city’s aspirations and its anger with the Chinese government.
It was a pointed rebuke of Beijing and its allies in Hong Kong, and the turnout — seven in 10 eligible voters — suggested that the public continues to back the democracy movement, even as the protests grow increasingly violent. Young Hong Kongers, a major force behind the demonstrations of the past six months, played a leading role in the voting surge.
With three million voters casting ballots, pro-democracy candidates captured 389 of 452 elected seats, up from only 124 and far more than they have ever won. With one race undecided, the government’s allies held just 57 seats, a remarkable collapse from 300.
To many democracy advocates, Sunday was a turning point.
“There has been a very deep awakening of the Hong Kong people,” said Alan Leong, chairman of the Civic Party, one of the largest pro-democracy parties.
The elections were for district councils, one of the lowest elected offices in Hong Kong, and they are typically a subdued affair focused on community issues. The job mostly entails pushing for neighborhood needs like bus stops and traffic lights.
But this election took on outsize significance, and was viewed as a referendum on the unrest that has created the city’s worst political crisis in decades. In a semiautonomous part of China where greater democracy is one of the protesters’ biggest demands, it gave residents a rare chance to vote.
The gains at the ballot box are likely to embolden a democracy movement that has struggled with how to balance peaceful and violent protests to achieve its goals.
They are also likely to deepen the challenges for China’s central government, which wants to curb the unrest in Hong Kong. And they might exacerbate Beijing’s fears about giving the city’s residents even greater say in choosing their government.
The district councils are among the most democratic bodies in Hong Kong. Almost all the seats are directly elected, unlike the legislature, where the proportion is just over half. The territory’s chief executive is also not chosen directly by voters, but is instead selected by a committee stacked in favor of Beijing.
The election results will give democracy forces considerably more influence on that committee, which is scheduled to choose a new chief executive in 2022.
The district councils name about a tenth of the group's 1,200 members, and now all of these will flip from pro-Beijing to pro-democracy seats. Democracy advocates already control about a quarter of the seats, while other previously pro-Beijing sectors of the committee are now starting to lean toward democracy, most notably accountants and real estate lawyers.
Mr. Leong, the Civic Party chairman, called on the Chinese Communist Party to change its policies in Hong Kong.
“Unless the C.C.P. is doing something concrete to address the concerns of the Hong Kong people,” he said, “I think this movement cannot end.”
Regina Ip, a cabinet member and the leader of a pro-Beijing political party, said she was surprised to see so many young voters, many of whom tried to confront her with the protesters’ demands.
“Normally,” she said, “the young people do not come out to vote. But this time, the opposition managed to turn them out.”
Ahead of the election, the city’s leadership was concerned that the vote would be marred by the chaos of recent months. Some of the most violent clashes yet between protesters and the police took place last week, turning two university campuses into battlegrounds.
But the city remained relatively calm on Sunday as voters turned out in droves. Long lines formed at polling centers in the morning, snaking around skyscrapers and past small shops. Riot police officers were deployed near polling stations on Sunday.
David Lee, a retired printer approaching his 90th birthday, was among the earliest voters on Hong Kong Island and said he had come because he wanted democracy.
“This is important,” he said.
Some analysts had predicted that pro-democracy candidates would have difficulty making big gains. Pro-Beijing candidates are much better financed, and the district races have traditionally been won on purely local issues, not big questions like democracy, said Joseph Cheng, a retired professor at City University of Hong Kong.
But voter turnout soared to 71 percent, far surpassing expectations. Typically in district council elections, it is little more than 40 percent. Four years ago, after the 2014 Umbrella Movement increased public interest in politics, turnout climbed to 47 percent. This year, the number of registered voters hit a record.
On Sunday, several prominent pro-Beijing politicians lost their races, among them Michael Tien, a longtime establishment lawmaker. After his defeat, he said the increase in young voters signaled that they were becoming more politically engaged, adding that the government should listen to them.
In the district of Tuen Mun, about a hundred people celebrated with cheers and champagne the defeat of Junius Ho, a controversial lawmaker many protesters accused of supporting mob attacks against them.
The victory on Sunday eclipsed the pro-democracy camp’s last big win in these elections, when they won 198 seats, still short of a majority, following huge protests in 2003. Those demonstrations led the government to scrap a national security bill requested by Beijing that critics said would have endangered civil liberties in Hong Kong.
The government’s allies dominated the elections that followed, though. Beijing began investing heavily in grass-roots mobilization efforts, including busing large numbers of older Hong Kong citizens from retirement homes in mainland China to polling places in Hong Kong.
Instead of just focusing on local issues, many pro-democracy candidates ran on the broad themes of the protest movement, especially anger at police brutality, and the intensity of the demonstrations sometimes spilled into the race. Candidates on both sides were attacked while campaigning.
Mandy Lee, 53, a homemaker who voted at the Kowloon Bay neighborhood, showed up to vote for the pro-Beijing establishment and criticized the protests.
“It’s not that I have no sympathy toward young people, but I strongly believe that their efforts are futile,” she said. “We are a tiny island; it’s only a matter of time before China takes us over and integrates us.”
The outcome of the election could further complicate the position of Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s embattled chief executive. Critics say that she has failed to engage with the community over the protests and that she has not listened to people’s concerns.
In June, Mrs. Lam set off enormous protests by pushing ahead with a bill that would have allowed the extradition of Hong Kong residents to the opaque judicial system in mainland China. The issue played to deeper worries about Beijing’s encroachment on Hong Kong, which has maintained its own political and judicial system since the former British colony was reclaimed by China in 1997.
Mrs. Lam withdrew her proposal after months of protests, but many said she acted too late. The protesters are now demanding additional concessions, including the introduction of universal suffrage and an independent inquiry into police conduct.
The election results on Sunday will allow them to argue that the public supports them. About 57 percent of voters cast ballots for pro-democracy candidates, while nearly 40 percent voted for Beijing’s allies. The remaining 3 percent voted for independents, who won five seats.
Many pro-Beijing political parties receive large donations from the Hong Kong subsidiaries of state-owned enterprises in mainland China, which they use to organize picnics and other campaign events. But the results on Sunday showed the limits of these efforts.
Matthew Cheung, the chief secretary and second-highest official of the Hong Kong government, said on Sunday during the voting that the city’s leadership would pay close attention to the results of the vote no matter how it turned out.
“The election is an important political thermometer,” he said. “We will definitely take it seriously.”
Reporting was contributed by K.K. Rebecca Lai in New York and Jin Wu and Katherine Li in Hong Kong.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/24/world/asia/hong-kong-election-results.html?fbclid=IwAR0Z3mgtvXzL5lFJVP3uoSuRZ2KUkbSm_iARzAvB6ddEzas1rtshhJJzDUY
Friday, November 22, 2019
[端新聞], !新聞總滙 Daily Summary, 晚報：高院予律政司七天時間提上訴，期間暫緩執行《禁蒙面法》違憲裁決
高等法院予律政司七天時間提上訴，期間暫緩執行《禁蒙面法》違憲裁決
高等法院今天下午5時頒佈裁決，暫緩執行《禁蒙面法》違憲的裁決、為期七天，即《禁蒙面法》至本月29日前仍然生效。
高等法院於本週一（18日）裁定港府動用《緊急法》訂立《禁蒙面法》違憲。律政司昨日（21日）表明會提出上訴，並要求法院暫緩執行裁決、或頒令指《禁蒙面法》維持生效。
至今天下午5時，高院頒佈裁決，拒絕律政司申請，但給予律政司七天時間提出上訴，期間違憲裁決暫緩執行。
美國前國務卿基辛格訪華，憂美中貿易戰持續或升溫成熱戰
正在訪華的美國前國務卿基辛格（Henry Kissinger）與中國國務委員兼外長王毅會面。
基辛格表示，他堅信美中關係對世界和平非常重要，兩國陷入衝突將對世界造成負面影響，導致各國必須在美中之間作出抉擇。
王毅則表示，美國目前有政治勢力嘗試改變中美關係的大風向，將中美推向對立、對抗，做法不符兩國利益、以至世界人民的願望，亦有違歷史發展的潮流。另外，王毅形容基辛格是中美關係的重要開拓者，讚揚他過往為關係所作的貢獻。
基辛格隨後亦與中國國家主席習近平會面。
現年96歲的基辛格，於美國已故總統尼克遜（Richard Nixon）時期擔任國務卿，被視為美中關係正常化的主要推手。
基辛格昨日（21日）在北京出席彭博創新經濟論壇時表示，他非常關注美中貿易戰，擔心假如衝突持續下去，最終會出現比20世紀歐洲更壞的情況。他警告，第一次世界大戰就爆發於一場相對輕微的經濟危機之後，相比之下，各國今天擁有的武器威力巨大。
基辛格指出，美國及中國都是經濟大國，因此無可避免會在世界各地互相衝撞。他指中，冷戰期間美國和蘇聯的主要任務是談判以降低兩國的核子武力，相比之下，美國和中國之間的衝突是被動的，而至今仍然欠缺將中國政權當成「軍事強權」對待的架構。他認為，如果美中雙方把世界上每項議題都看成彼此間的衝突，對人類來說會非常危險。
民主剛果麻疹疫情持續，今年以來錄25萬宗病例、近5000人死亡
剛果民主共和國（通稱：民主剛果）全國各省的麻疹疫情仍未受控，當局今年以來錄得近25萬宗病例，其中近5000人死亡。世界衛生組織（WHO）表示，該國正面對全球最大規模、且蔓延速度最快的麻疹疫情。
根據聯合國兒童基金會於今年10月發表的報告，民主剛果今年感染麻疹的患者當中有約74%為五歲或以下小童，而最終死亡的患者當中有近九成為小童。世衛指出在過去15個月內，民主剛果國內死於麻疹的人數，較死於伊波拉病毒的人數多出逾一倍。
據報導，由於民主剛果的醫療設施落後、民眾缺乏例行健康護理，以至當地局勢不穩、曾有健康院遇襲，令當局無法遏止麻疹疫情蔓延。今年9月份，民主剛果當局聯同世衛，為首批80萬名兒童緊急接種疫苗，至今已接種兒童已有約400萬人，但專家指出需要接種疫苗兒童人數遠超這個數目，而疫苗已經面臨供不應求。
據世衛指出，今年截至上月全球錄得逾44萬宗麻疹病例。在南太平洋島國薩摩亞，年內有逾700人感染麻疹，其中至少6人死亡；當局上週末宣布進入緊急狀態，下令全國停課，強制全民接種疫苗。而在鄰國斐濟亦有至少9人確診感染麻疹，加上當地疫苗短缺，衛生部門暫時只能為高危人士優先接種，包括6個月至3歲的兒童、近期曾經外遊的人士等。
圖瓦盧拒絕中國企業興建人工島計劃，強調不為經濟利益犧牲對台邦交
太平洋島國圖瓦盧證實已拒絕中國企業在當地興建人工島的合作計劃，理由是相信相關企業背後有中國政府支持，計劃旨在削弱台灣在該區的影響力。
圖瓦盧外交部長科夫（Simon Kofe）近日到訪台灣，確認已經拒絕與中國企業的相關合作。位於南太平洋的圖瓦盧，陸地面積只有26平方公里，持續面對陸沉風險；據報道，相關計劃宣稱可以協助解決海平面上升問題。
然而，科夫提到當局聽到很多消息，指一些接受中國援助的國家陷入債務問題，中國政府會藉機在受助國家興建軍事基地，他希望圖瓦盧的決定能向其他島國發出警惕訊號。
同時，科夫指出圖瓦盧與台灣已經推持邦交40年，不會為經濟利益而犧牲與台灣的友誼。他提到，圖瓦盧還計劃與鄰近的台灣邦交國瑙魯、馬紹爾群島及帕勞結盟，組成「台灣之友」、共同對抗中國的影響力。
圖瓦盧於今年9月選出納塔諾（Kausea Natano）擔任新總理，外界關注圖瓦盧會否改變對台外交政策。科夫透露，納塔諾正計劃等待台灣舉行總統大選過後、於明年4月國是訪問台灣。
美軍連續兩日派艦到南海「自由航行」，中方警告驅離
中國解放軍南部戰區發言人表示，美國海軍吉福茲號近海戰鬥艦（USS Gabrielle Giffords）及邁耶號導彈驅逐艦（USS Wayne E. Meyer）分別於週三及週四（20日及21日）進入南沙島礁海域和西沙群島海域，解放軍調動海空兵力全程跟縱監視、查證識別，並予以警告驅離。
發言人批評美方近年打着「航行自由」的旗號，頻繁派戰艦及戰機到南海地區滋擾生事；中方敦促美方停止類似的挑釁冒險行徑，以免發生不測，並重申中國對南海諸島及附近海域擁有無可爭辯的主權。
美國海軍第七艦隊發言人表示，美軍基於國際法律基礎而執行相關任務，宣示美方對堅持行使權利和自由的承諾，確保所有國家享有國際海空領域的合法使用權。
上海法院剛撤消費限制令，王思聰再被北京法院限制消費
據中國傳媒報道，大連萬達集團董事長王健林的兒子王思聰於週二（19日）獲上海市嘉定區法院撤銷限制消費令，但同日又被北京市第二中級法院頒布限制消費令。
據中國執行信息公開網顯示，北京市第二中級法院於本月4日立案，處理「嘉興璟字悌為股權投資基金合伙企業」就執行王思聰國內非涉外仲裁裁決的申請，隨後因王思聰未按執行通知書指定時間履行生效法律文書確定的給付義務，因此法院對他採取限制消費措施，禁止他作出高消費及非生活和工作必須的消費行為。然而，法院未有說明王思聰欠下多少款項。
王思聰早前因欠債1.5億元人民幣，而於本月9日被上海市嘉定區法院頒布限制消費令，至週二解除。王思聰名下普思投資的負責人表示，公司正全力解決債務糾紛，亦有能力解決問題，只是法律程序需時。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191122-evening-brief/
高等法院今天下午5時頒佈裁決，暫緩執行《禁蒙面法》違憲的裁決、為期七天，即《禁蒙面法》至本月29日前仍然生效。
高等法院於本週一（18日）裁定港府動用《緊急法》訂立《禁蒙面法》違憲。律政司昨日（21日）表明會提出上訴，並要求法院暫緩執行裁決、或頒令指《禁蒙面法》維持生效。
至今天下午5時，高院頒佈裁決，拒絕律政司申請，但給予律政司七天時間提出上訴，期間違憲裁決暫緩執行。
美國前國務卿基辛格訪華，憂美中貿易戰持續或升溫成熱戰
正在訪華的美國前國務卿基辛格（Henry Kissinger）與中國國務委員兼外長王毅會面。
基辛格表示，他堅信美中關係對世界和平非常重要，兩國陷入衝突將對世界造成負面影響，導致各國必須在美中之間作出抉擇。
王毅則表示，美國目前有政治勢力嘗試改變中美關係的大風向，將中美推向對立、對抗，做法不符兩國利益、以至世界人民的願望，亦有違歷史發展的潮流。另外，王毅形容基辛格是中美關係的重要開拓者，讚揚他過往為關係所作的貢獻。
基辛格隨後亦與中國國家主席習近平會面。
現年96歲的基辛格，於美國已故總統尼克遜（Richard Nixon）時期擔任國務卿，被視為美中關係正常化的主要推手。
基辛格昨日（21日）在北京出席彭博創新經濟論壇時表示，他非常關注美中貿易戰，擔心假如衝突持續下去，最終會出現比20世紀歐洲更壞的情況。他警告，第一次世界大戰就爆發於一場相對輕微的經濟危機之後，相比之下，各國今天擁有的武器威力巨大。
基辛格指出，美國及中國都是經濟大國，因此無可避免會在世界各地互相衝撞。他指中，冷戰期間美國和蘇聯的主要任務是談判以降低兩國的核子武力，相比之下，美國和中國之間的衝突是被動的，而至今仍然欠缺將中國政權當成「軍事強權」對待的架構。他認為，如果美中雙方把世界上每項議題都看成彼此間的衝突，對人類來說會非常危險。
民主剛果麻疹疫情持續，今年以來錄25萬宗病例、近5000人死亡
剛果民主共和國（通稱：民主剛果）全國各省的麻疹疫情仍未受控，當局今年以來錄得近25萬宗病例，其中近5000人死亡。世界衛生組織（WHO）表示，該國正面對全球最大規模、且蔓延速度最快的麻疹疫情。
根據聯合國兒童基金會於今年10月發表的報告，民主剛果今年感染麻疹的患者當中有約74%為五歲或以下小童，而最終死亡的患者當中有近九成為小童。世衛指出在過去15個月內，民主剛果國內死於麻疹的人數，較死於伊波拉病毒的人數多出逾一倍。
據報導，由於民主剛果的醫療設施落後、民眾缺乏例行健康護理，以至當地局勢不穩、曾有健康院遇襲，令當局無法遏止麻疹疫情蔓延。今年9月份，民主剛果當局聯同世衛，為首批80萬名兒童緊急接種疫苗，至今已接種兒童已有約400萬人，但專家指出需要接種疫苗兒童人數遠超這個數目，而疫苗已經面臨供不應求。
據世衛指出，今年截至上月全球錄得逾44萬宗麻疹病例。在南太平洋島國薩摩亞，年內有逾700人感染麻疹，其中至少6人死亡；當局上週末宣布進入緊急狀態，下令全國停課，強制全民接種疫苗。而在鄰國斐濟亦有至少9人確診感染麻疹，加上當地疫苗短缺，衛生部門暫時只能為高危人士優先接種，包括6個月至3歲的兒童、近期曾經外遊的人士等。
圖瓦盧拒絕中國企業興建人工島計劃，強調不為經濟利益犧牲對台邦交
太平洋島國圖瓦盧證實已拒絕中國企業在當地興建人工島的合作計劃，理由是相信相關企業背後有中國政府支持，計劃旨在削弱台灣在該區的影響力。
圖瓦盧外交部長科夫（Simon Kofe）近日到訪台灣，確認已經拒絕與中國企業的相關合作。位於南太平洋的圖瓦盧，陸地面積只有26平方公里，持續面對陸沉風險；據報道，相關計劃宣稱可以協助解決海平面上升問題。
然而，科夫提到當局聽到很多消息，指一些接受中國援助的國家陷入債務問題，中國政府會藉機在受助國家興建軍事基地，他希望圖瓦盧的決定能向其他島國發出警惕訊號。
同時，科夫指出圖瓦盧與台灣已經推持邦交40年，不會為經濟利益而犧牲與台灣的友誼。他提到，圖瓦盧還計劃與鄰近的台灣邦交國瑙魯、馬紹爾群島及帕勞結盟，組成「台灣之友」、共同對抗中國的影響力。
圖瓦盧於今年9月選出納塔諾（Kausea Natano）擔任新總理，外界關注圖瓦盧會否改變對台外交政策。科夫透露，納塔諾正計劃等待台灣舉行總統大選過後、於明年4月國是訪問台灣。
美軍連續兩日派艦到南海「自由航行」，中方警告驅離
中國解放軍南部戰區發言人表示，美國海軍吉福茲號近海戰鬥艦（USS Gabrielle Giffords）及邁耶號導彈驅逐艦（USS Wayne E. Meyer）分別於週三及週四（20日及21日）進入南沙島礁海域和西沙群島海域，解放軍調動海空兵力全程跟縱監視、查證識別，並予以警告驅離。
發言人批評美方近年打着「航行自由」的旗號，頻繁派戰艦及戰機到南海地區滋擾生事；中方敦促美方停止類似的挑釁冒險行徑，以免發生不測，並重申中國對南海諸島及附近海域擁有無可爭辯的主權。
美國海軍第七艦隊發言人表示，美軍基於國際法律基礎而執行相關任務，宣示美方對堅持行使權利和自由的承諾，確保所有國家享有國際海空領域的合法使用權。
上海法院剛撤消費限制令，王思聰再被北京法院限制消費
據中國傳媒報道，大連萬達集團董事長王健林的兒子王思聰於週二（19日）獲上海市嘉定區法院撤銷限制消費令，但同日又被北京市第二中級法院頒布限制消費令。
據中國執行信息公開網顯示，北京市第二中級法院於本月4日立案，處理「嘉興璟字悌為股權投資基金合伙企業」就執行王思聰國內非涉外仲裁裁決的申請，隨後因王思聰未按執行通知書指定時間履行生效法律文書確定的給付義務，因此法院對他採取限制消費措施，禁止他作出高消費及非生活和工作必須的消費行為。然而，法院未有說明王思聰欠下多少款項。
王思聰早前因欠債1.5億元人民幣，而於本月9日被上海市嘉定區法院頒布限制消費令，至週二解除。王思聰名下普思投資的負責人表示，公司正全力解決債務糾紛，亦有能力解決問題，只是法律程序需時。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191122-evening-brief/
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