In Hong Kong

A Hong Kong court found 14 people guilty of subversion on Thursday in the biggest case against pro-democracy campaigners since China imposed a national security law to crush dissent.

The 14, along with 31 others who pleaded guilty, could face life in jail, with sentencing expected later this year.

Hong Kong's new national security law came into force on Saturday, putting into immediate effect tough penalties of up to life imprisonment for crimes including treason and insurrection.

The law — commonly referred to as Article 23 — targets five categories of national security crimes and was swiftly passed by Hong Kong's opposition-free legislature on Tuesday.

12 people were injured by the fire that broke out this morning

Jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai will go on trial in Hong Kong on Monday for national security crimes, facing life in prison in a case that has sparked international condemnation.

China on Friday accused Britain and the United States of "malicious intentions" after they condemned Hong Kong police for offering bounties for information leading to the capture of five overseas activists.

The city's authorities said Thursday that the wanted individuals would be pursued "till the end" as they offered HK$1,000,000 ($128,000) bounties for help catching them.

A former security chief who oversaw the crackdown on Hong Kong's democracy movement was anointed the business hub's new leader on Sunday by a small committee of Beijing loyalists.

John Lee, 64, was the only candidate in the Beijing-backed race to succeed outgoing leader Carrie Lam.

Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam announced Monday that she will step down in June, ending a divisive term that saw democracy protests squashed and strict pandemic curbs plunge the business hub into international isolation.

Ending months of speculation, Lam confirmed she would not seek a second term when a committee made up of the city's political elite chooses a new leader next month.

Ljubljana – A group of several thousand protesters again gathered in Ljubljana on Wednesday to protest against the Covid pass mandate in what was the third such protest. Starting in Republic Square, the rally moved to the ring road, which was closed for a while, as the police tried to break up the crowd, including by using a water canon.

Hong Kong's national security law has created a "human rights emergency", Amnesty International said on June 30, a year after China imposed it on the city to crush a pro-democracy movement.

Hong Kong media tycoon and outspoken pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai was sentenced to more jail time on May 28 over his role in an anti-government protest in 2019, as authorities step up a crackdown on dissent in the city.