Hong Kong Protests: What's The Deal

Happy Wednesday,

Another round of packed news, we list the 5 top stories and highlight the one we think you will
find the most interesting. Whenever there is an option, we provided videos related to the subject
for those that prefer videos over text.
Enjoy!

The Hong Kong protests explained in 100 and 500 words

Hong Kong‘s protests started in June against proposals to allow extradition to mainland China.

Critics feared this could undermine the city’s judicial independence and endanger dissidents.

A former British colony, Hong Kong has some autonomy and more rights than the mainland under a “one country, two systems” deal.

City leader Carrie Lam agreed to suspend the bill, but demonstrations continued and developed to include demands for full democracy and an inquiry into police actions. The bill was finally withdrawn in September.

Clashes between police and activists have been becoming increasingly violent, with police using tear gas and activists storming parliament.

What do the protesters want?

The protesters’ demands have changed over the weeks. They also include:

Withdrawal of the “riot” description used about the protests
Amnesty for all arrested protesters
An independent inquiry into alleged police brutality
Universal suffrage for the elections of the chief executive and Legislative Council, Hong Kong’s parliament.

Some also want the resignation of Carrie Lam, whom they view as Beijing’s puppet. It’s not clear if scrapping the bill will end the protests – some opponents see the move as too little, too late.

After initially staying quiet on the unrest, China has condemned the Hong Kong protests as “behaviour that is close to terrorism” – a sign its approach is hardening. Full Story

Dow rises more than 150 points as Hong Kong tensions ease

Stocks rose on Wednesday as tensions in Hong Kong between the government and protesters eased after the withdrawal of a controversial bill.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded 157 points higher, or 0.6%. The S&P 500 gained 0.6% while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.8%.

Caterpillar shares gained 1.6% while Micron Technology advanced nearly 5%. Intel was the best-performing stock in the Dow, rising nearly 3%. Full Story

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Russia’s Far Eastern city of Vladivostok today, gave a joint statement at the 20th Annual Summit between the two countries, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin by side. Full Story

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Hong Kong Protests: What’s The Deal