When Mikko Takkunen relocated to the Chinese city from New York he felt the urge to capture its vanishing essence

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NGOs and bookshops are closing, media organisations are leaving and democracy activists are on trial

“Ideas are bulletproof”. Three words , stamped out in multicolour tiles above a doorway, represented one of the last vestiges of Hong Kong’s once vibrant literary spaces. On 31 March, Mount Zero, a beloved independent bookstore in Hong Kong, closed its doors for the final time. Hundreds of Hongkongers came to say goodbye.

The bookshop, which opened in 2018, took its slogan from the 2005 film V for Vendetta; the eponymous antihero’s Guy Fawkes mask occasionally appeared during Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests.

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Every pop star gets his own special power in this delightfully goofy Hong Kong action caper

Make no mistake, this caper-heist comedy from Hong Kong, starring all 12 members of the Cantopop outfit Mirror, is pure nonsense, but deliciously so. Presumably intended to tickle the fancy of Mirror’s many fans all over the world, even viewers who’ve never heard of this massive-selling pop group might be amused by the sheer silliness and unintentional campness of it all. As a plus, it’s practically a lookbook for a number of current menswear fashion brands.

The main conceit is that the lads are all members of a secret crime-busting fraternity called the League of Kaito who apparently, per the subtitles: “Hustle in hush, make everyone’s life better.” Which is nice. They are dispatched on missions by an unseen boss, sort of like Charlie’s Angels but with more tracksuits and (fractionally) less eyeliner. An opening montage introduces each of member of the league in turn, who all happen to have the same first names as the Mirror group members in real life, making it easier for the fans to follow their favourite.

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As deputy PM expected to impose sanctions, head of international alliance says ministers have taken years to respond

The UK government has been too slow to respond to cyber-attacks by China, the head of an international group of parliamentarians focusing on the issue has said, ahead of expected new British sanctions against Beijing.

Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, is expected to announce the sanctions in the Commons on Monday, after what the UK says have been cyber-attacks against MPs and peers , as well as one targeting the Electoral Commission in which Beijing allegedly accessed the personal details of about 40 million voters.

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The Article 23 legislation includes penalties for five categories of crime including treason, insurrection, espionage, sabotage and external interference

• Article 23: Hong Kong’s security law explained in 30 seconds

Hong Kong’s justice minister has warned that posting and sharing criticism of the city’s newly enacted national security law could be in breach of the legislation, which lays down harsh penalties for sedition.

Secretary for justice Paul Lam said in a televised interview on Sunday that a person might commit an offence if they reposted online critical statements issued by foreign countries and persons overseas, depending on their “intention and purpose”.

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The law, which covers treason, insurrection, theft of state secrets and espionage, sabotage, and external interference, follows a crackdown on dissent

On 19 March 2024, the Hong Kong government passed the Safeguarding National Security law, also known as Article 23, after a rushed public consultation and legislative review process.

It covers five types of crimes: treason, insurrection and incitement to mutiny, theft of state secrets and espionage, sabotage, and external interference. Penalties for some crimes have been increased, and there is a greater emphasis on crimes by or involving foreign parties.

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The former British territory was a flawed success. Xi Jinping has ended that with the punitive and hastily passed article 23

So farewell, Hong Kong. The vibrant, pulsating city-state that grew, under British rule, into one of the world’s great financial, business, cultural and tourism hubs has finally been brought to heel. Browbeaten, abused, silenced. Trust Xi Jinping, China’s dementor president, to suck out all the joy. Last Wednesday was the UN’s International Day of Happiness. But it was a sad, bad day for Hong Kong.

That was the moment residents woke up to the news that Hong Kong’s puppet legislature, acting on Beijing’s orders, had unanimously abolished its right to think, speak and act freely. Eating noodles is a seditious act now, if the noodles have secret foreign connections. Under new security laws , known as article 23, life imprisonment awaits those who defy the behemoth to the north.

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Law also known as article 23 puts into immediate effect tough penalties for crimes such as treason and insurrection

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.

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