HONG KONG: The Hong Kong government says it has barred a young pro-democracy activist from an upcoming election because her party’s political platform violates electoral laws, in the latest move by the semiautonomous Chinese city to squelch dissent.
An official statement Saturday says a female candidate’s nomination was ruled invalid.
She was not identified but 21-year-old Agnes Chow, a member of democracy activist Joshua Wong’s Demosisto party, confirmed it was her.
Chow is the latest to fall victim to the Beijing-backed government’s tightening restrictions on opposition candidates.
She was planning to stand in a March by-election but the government said the returning officer decided she couldn’t be a candidate because of Demosisto’s platform, which advocates “self-determination” or independence for Hong Kong.
Chow told reporters the disqualification was “political screening.”
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Hong Kong bans young pro-democracy hopeful from election
Hong Kong bans young pro-democracy hopeful from election
Avalanche in the highest Slovak mountain range kills 2 Hungarian climbers
- The victims were located under the avalanche by witnesses
BRATISLAVA: An avalanche in Slovakia’s High Tatras mountain range killed two Hungarians, the country’s mountain rescue service said Friday.
It said the two were male climbers age 38 and 37.
The service said bad weather prevented them from using a helicopter and they had to reach a valley under the Tupa peak, where the avalanche took place, on foot.
The victims were located under the avalanche by witnesses but they did not survive.
On Friday, there was only a slight danger of avalanches in Slovakia’s highest mountain range.
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