Beijing dismisses chorus of concern from western governments over punitive new law as slander

China has accused western governments and the United Nations of slander after they criticised Hong Kong’s new national security law , which was rushed through the city’s pro-Beijing parliament this week.

The law, known as Article 23 , covers newly defined acts of treason, espionage, theft of state secrets, sedition and foreign interference. Critics said it was ushering in a “new era of authoritarianism”, would further erode the rights and freedoms of residents, and would scare off international business and investment.

Punitive legislation is already in place. But the territory’s masters are hammering home the message

Residents of Hong Kong could be forgiven for a sense of deja vu. A draconian new national security law (NSL), broad in scope and harsh in penalties, is trampling over basic rights. It first happened four years ago, in response to the extraordinary uprising that saw one in four people take to the streets to defend the region’s autonomy and way of life.

Beijing imposed the 2020 law upon the territory, demolishing any vestiges of its claim to run Hong Kong on a “one country, two systems” basis. That legislation, both vague and sweeping, claims jurisdiction over acts committed by anyone anywhere in the world. It introduced trials without juries. It is so stringent that a police chief said that even watching a documentary on the protests might breach the law.

European Union joins chorus of criticism of Article 23, which includes harsh new penalties for offences such as insurrection, sedition and espionage

The European Union has sounded the alarm over Hong Kong’s new national security bill , saying it had the potential to “significantly” affect the work of the EU’s office and the territory’s status as a business hub.

On Tuesday Hong Kong lawmakers unanimously passed the new bill only two weeks after it was first presented, fast-tracking a major piece of legislation that critics say further threatens the city’s freedoms.

Critics say national security law cracking down on offences such as espionage will further erode civil liberties

Hong Kong lawmakers have passed a new national security law that grants the government more power to quash dissent, widely seen as the latest step in a sweeping political crackdown that was triggered by pro-democracy protests in 2019.

The legislature passed the safeguarding national security bill during a special session on Tuesday. It comes on top of a similar law imposed by Beijing four years ago, which has already largely silenced opposition voices in the financial hub.

Some artists have taken their work to Brussels, saying they no longer feel safe, yet the art market back home continues to boom

From a rocky perch a larger-than-life rendition of a female protester, clad in a hard hat and a gas mask, gazes over a city in turmoil. Known as Lady Liberty Hong Kong, the statue was hauled to the top of Lion Rock during the 2019 pro-democracy protests. It was meant to be her final resting place. But now all that remains of that intention is photographs. The statue was destroyed by unknown assailants the day after it was hauled up the peak, a landmark said to represent the resilient spirit of Hongkongers.

A photograph of Lady Liberty’s brief installation is one of several images relating to Hong Kong to be displayed in The Forbidden Art, an exhibition that opens on Monday in Brussels. Staged outside the EU parliament building, it aims to present a “fervent defence of artistic freedom as a fundamental human right”.

Sentences of nearly seven years handed down over 2019 action that was pivotal moment in uprising against Chinese rule

A Hong Kong court has sentenced 12 people to jail terms of up to almost seven years in a high-profile rioting case linked to the storming of the city legislature during a pro-democracy protest in 2019.

The incident was a pivotal moment in the months-long protests that embroiled the territory in the boldest populist uprising against Chinese Communist party rule since the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing. Demonstrators broke into Hong Kong’s legislative council building on 1 July 2019, smashing windows and streaming inside as public anger mounted over an “extradition” bill that would have allowed authorities to send people to mainland China for trial.

Lai’s supporters say evidence of Andy Li should not be relied upon as it was obtained through torture

A key prosecution witness in the trial of Jimmy Lai took the stand in a Hong Kong court on Wednesday, giving evidence that the UN’s special rapporteur has said could be tainted because of allegations of torture.

Andy Li , a computer programmer turned pro-democracy activist, gave evidence about his role in a crowdfunding campaign, Stand With Hong Kong, to rally support for the pro-democracy protests in 2019. The campaign, which ultimately raised more than $1.8m (£1.4m), placed advertisements in several newspapers including the Guardian, the Washington Post and the Australian.

Norris Wong’s initially scampering comedy drama takes a cynical turn as the music industry preys on heroine’s wistful idealism

The Oscar Hammersteins, Bernie Taupins and Tim Rices of this world would appreciate this endearing Hong Kong film, which focuses on the overlooked figure of the lyric-writer – here, specifically in the Cantopop industry. Norris Wong’s initially light and scampering comedy drama is counterbalanced by a cynicism that warns of the emotional hazards of dreaming big in this ego-crushing melody factory. In the words of the film’s swansong: “Success is great, but no one talks about being frustrated.”

Sze (Chung Suet Ying) is part of a high-school posse of aspiring Cantopop lyric- and songwriters. Insisting that her passion and her work should be the same thing, she is determined to go all the way. Undaunted by her tutor’s warning that “no one makes a living as a lyricist”, she learns the fiddly art of matching the Cantonese tone system to music; after which a breakthrough into the Asian Tin Pan Alley seems imminent when a Taiwanese company takes notice of her work. But the real lesson she must learn is how far to take a masochistic tolerance for disappointment.

Debate has begun on Article 23 – legislation designed to bring laws closer to those of mainland China

Hong Kong’s government has released the draft text of a new national security law that would further tighten control on the city and bring its laws closer in line with mainland China.

The law, known as Article 23 , is a domestic piece of legislation defining and penalising crimes related to national security.