Hong Kong issues arrest warrants for 19 overseas activists, offers bounties for 15
HONG KONG (Reuters) -Hong Kong's national security police announced arrest warrants for 19 activists based overseas, accusing them of subversion under a stringent national security law, marking the largest such tally yet.
They are accused of organizing or participating in the "Hong Kong Parliament", a group authorities in the Asian financial hub say aimed to subvert state power, under the law Beijing imposed in 2020 following months of pro-democracy protests in 2019.
The activists are accused of having launched a referendum or run as candidates in the unofficial "Hong Kong Parliament" group, which authorities say aims at achieving self-determination and drafting a "Hong Kong constitution".
Police, who said the organisation sought to overthrow the governments of China and Hong Kong by unlawful means, said they are still investigating and further arrests may follow.
Among those named are businessman Elmer Yuen, commentator Victor Ho, and activists Johnny Fok and Tony Choi. Four of them are subject to previous arrest warrants, each carrying a bounty of HK$1 million ($127,000).
Among the remaining 15, for each of whom police are offering a bounty of HK$200,000 ($25,480), are those said to have organised or run in the election and sworn in as its councillors.
None of the accused could be reached for comment.
The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of a high degree of autonomy, including freedom of speech, under a "one country, two systems" formula.
Critics of the national security law say authorities are using it to stifle dissent.
Chinese and Hong Kong officials have repeatedly said the law was vital to restore stability after the city was rocked for months by sometimes violent anti-government and anti-China protests in 2019.
Police reiterated that national security offenses were serious crimes with extraterritorial reach and urged the wanted individuals to return to Hong Kong and surrender.
"If offenders voluntarily give up continuing to violate the crime, turn themselves in, truthfully confess their crimes, or provide key information that helps solve other cases, they may be eligible for reduced punishment," they said in a statement.
Police also warned that aiding, abetting, or funding others to participate in the "Hong Kong Parliament" could be a criminal offense.
($1=7.8488 Hong Kong dollars)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
GB News reporter 'hit with placard' during demonstrations at Cresta Court hotel protest
A television reporter was 'struck by a placard' whilst trying to interview counter-protesters during an anti-migrant demonstration. Sophie Reaper was reporting live for GB News on Friday, August 8, as she approached people gathered for a Stand Up To Racism demonstration near the Cresta Court Hotel in Altrincham– which has seen protests over its use to house asylum seekers. In the footage, Ms Reaper can be seen amid the protesters before the crowd moves and she appears to be struck by a placard. READ MORE: Tragedy as man dies at Manchester Airport READ MORE: 'We've been stuck in a hotel room living off Pot Noodles for weeks, it's a nightmare' Police officers can be seen nearby in the footage, while a security guard moves to shield the reporter as she tries to walk away. Shortly afterwards, she told GB News she was okay, but had a 'killer headache'. Ms Reaper said she had given a statement to Greater Manchester Police (GMP). Speaking live on GB News, she said: 'I think it came as a bit of a surprise. I was definitely a bit shaken up after it happened. 'I have got a bit of a killer headache because what people might not have realised is from the front it was a placard but from the back, the gentleman hit me with the metal pole that was attached to his flag so I think I'll be left with quite a lump tomorrow.' She added: 'I have spoken to GMP because I don't feel it is appropriate for violence to ever be used… against anyone who's just trying to do their job.' Ms Reaper said she had to leave the area to find safety following the incident. A spokesman for GB News confirmed Ms Reaper was fine and that she had reported the matter to police. --- Day in day out, our reporters in the Manchester Evening News newsroom bring you remarkable stories from all aspects of Mancunian life. However, with the pace of life these days, the frenetic news agenda and social media algorithms, you might not be getting a chance to read it. That's why every week our Features and Perspectives editor Rob Williams brings you Unmissable, highlighting the best of what we do - bringing it to you directly from us. Make sure you don't miss out, and see what else we have to offer, by clicking here and signing up for MEN Daily News. And be sure to join our politics writer Jo Timan every Sunday for his essential commentary on what matters most to you in Greater Manchester each week in our newsletter Due North. You can also sign up for that here. You can also get all your favourite content from the Manchester Evening News on WhatsApp. Click here to see everything we offer, including everything from breaking news to Coronation Street. If you prefer reading our stories on your phone, consider downloading the Manchester Evening News app here, and our news desk will make sure every time an essential story breaks, you'll be the first to hear about it. And finally, if there is a story you think our journalists should be looking into, we want to hear from you. Email us on newsdesk@ or give us a ring on 0161 211 2920.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Netflix Has A New Political Thriller On The Way For Fans Of The Diplomat
Heads up for anyone who's been craving more of the particular brand of political maneuvering and high-stakes drama that Netflix series like "The Diplomat" have built some can't-miss storytelling around: The streaming giant has a brand new series coming in August that definitely belongs on your watchlist if you're a fan of shows like Keri Russell's acclaimed thriller. It's "Hostage," premiering on August 21, and it's all about the impossible choices that confront world leaders who find themselves forced to juggle politics with their own behind-the-scenes messes. The new show follows a British prime minister (played by Suranne Jones) whose husband is kidnapped during a state visit. Her rival, the visiting French president, is also blackmailed, twin calamities that force the two leaders to work together as their futures and lives are both at risk. The series comes from Matt Charman, the writer of "Bridge of Spies" and creator of "Treason." And for all of those reasons, including the fantastic cast that includes Julie Delpy as the French leader, it seems to me that "Hostage" is already looking like the kind of series that will have political thriller fans like me glued to the screen. "I've been dying to find the right story to tell with Suranne, and I honestly believe what she's done with this character is going to blow the Netflix audience away," Charman said in an interview with Netflix's Tudum. "An embattled British PM in the middle of a fight for her country and her family — she's fierce, ruthless, and you can't take your eyes off of her." A Showdown At The Highest Level Of Power "Hostage" opens with the French president's visit to London, a bit of diplomatic pageantry that gets derailed when the British prime minister's husband is abducted. The blackmailing of the French head of state soon forces both leaders into a shaky alliance, one wherein every decision they make not only has political but personal, life-and-death ramifications. Jones commands the screen as a leader forced to balance duty with her personal desperation, while Delpy, Corey Mylchreest, and an impressive supporting cast bring their own depth to the burgeoning international crisis. There's an especially chilling moment in the trailer when one of the hostages asks a masked terrorist to have mercy on them because they have families. To which the terrorist coldly replies: "So did I." Adds Jones, in her own Tudum interview about the British leader in "Hostage": "She is put in such extreme circumstances, and we see that when push comes to shove she puts her country over her family. The original, working title for the series was 'The Choice,' and that's why." Read the original article on BGR. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Intel's new CEO had 3 major problems to tackle. This week Trump added a new one.
Intel (INTC) CEO Lip-Bu Tan came aboard the troubled chipmaker in March with multiple harrowing tasks: deciding the fate of the company's cash-bleeding manufacturing division, stemming losses in its legacy computer chip business, and catching up in the AI race. Now he has another, arguably more daunting problem: President Trump. Trump called for Tan's resignation in a post early Thursday on his social media platform, Truth Social, writing, "The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately." The post came minutes after Fox Business covered recent criticism of the CEO from Republican Sen. Tom Cotton over his ties with China. In April, a Reuters report detailed Tan's wide-ranging investments in Chinese companies made through his VC firm, Walden International. The outlet found that the firm "remains invested in 20 funds and companies alongside Chinese government funds or state-owned enterprises, according to Chinese corporate databases." Cotton wrote a letter to Intel chairman Frank Yeary on Wednesday, saying he felt "concern about the security and integrity of Intel's operations and its potential impact on U.S. national security," given those ties. Tan responded in a memo to employees posted on Intel's website late Thursday, saying there was "a lot of misinformation circulating about my past roles." He went on to express his love for the United States, where he's lived for more than 40 years. "We are engaging with the Administration to address the matters that have been raised and ensure they have the facts," he wrote. "I fully share the President's commitment to advancing U.S. national and economic security, I appreciate his leadership to advance these priorities, and I'm proud to lead a company that is so central to these goals." Intel is the only remaining large-scale US-based advanced chip manufacturer and has contracts with the Department of Defense. Most of the world's advanced chips are made by Taiwanese contract chip manufacturer TSMC ( which is expanding its US footprint with a $165 billion investment to build factories in Arizona. 'No AI story' While Tan contends with a newfound adversary in Trump, he's still on the hook to solve massive issues at Intel that he inherited from his predecessor, Pat Gelsinger. For one, Intel's legacy business making CPUs, or central processing units, is losing its dominance, forfeiting market share to Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Arm (ARM). Intel's revenue share of the market for CPUs in desktops, for example, fell to around 66% in the first quarter of 2025 from 81% the prior year, according to Mercury Research data obtained by investing firm Bernstein. At the same time, Intel's attempts to debut AI data center chips to compete with Nvidia have fallen flat. Its Gaudi 3 AI chip was supposed to produce $500 million in revenue in 2024 — a projection far below the billions of dollars in sales seen by Nvidia (NVDA) and AMD that the company laid out last April. Intel said later that year it would not meet that target. The company canceled its latest AI chip called Falcon Shores but has said in earnings calls that it's developing another chip called Jaguar Shores. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Tan had been exploring the acquisition of an AI business. Intel's board took its time deliberating the deal, however, and another company is now poised to buy it instead. Intel declined to comment on the alleged acquisition attempt. "They've got no AI story," Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon told Yahoo Finance Friday. Tan said in a July earnings call that "Intel has traditionally been weak or entirely absent" in the AI space but intends "to incubate and grow" under his leadership. He said he will share more about the company's AI strategy "in the coming months." At the same time, Intel is struggling to revive its manufacturing business. Intel both designs and produces its own chips. In 2021, under Gelsinger, the company opened up its manufacturing division to outside customers. But Intel has struggled to secure clients, and its roadmap to introduce new manufacturing technology to produce more advanced semiconductors has been repeatedly pushed back. Its latest 18A tech was initially supposed to roll out in the first half of 2025 and is now slated to debut in 2026. Tan left the fate of 14A — a manufacturing process technology that was set to come after 18A — unclear in the company's latest earnings call, which helped send the stock spiraling. Still, analysts say Tan is Intel's best hope of succeeding in a turnaround, if it can at all. Tan has served on boards and in various executive roles at 14 firms in the semiconductor space, most notably including his tenure as CEO of Cadence Design Systems, a chip design software company. Prior to becoming Intel's CEO, he was a member of the company's board but left due to disagreements with Gelsinger, according to a Reuters report last year. Publicly, Tan said his departure was a "personal decision based on a need to reprioritize various commitments." Investors cheered Tan's appointment in March, with the stock rising as much as 15% on the news. "Lip-Bu is a legend in the semi industry, and his ties to many companies, both in and out of China, are well known," Bernstein's Rasgon wrote in a note to investors Thursday following Trump's Truth Social post. Stifel analyst Ruben Roy told Yahoo Finance in an email Friday, "I believe that LBT [Lip-Bu Tan] is one of probably a very small group of people [in] the world that I think can help put INTC on the right path. That view is unchanged." Of his company Walden International's investments in China, Roy wrote, "I think he is an absolute visionary and of course he will have made investments in strong tech companies globally through his VC firm." Laura Bratton is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Bluesky @ Email her at Sign in to access your portfolio
