  Hong Kong

The pro-democracy Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily has been discontinued. Pressure from the Chinese authorities had increased in recent months: the paper's editor-in-chief and publisher were arrested and the company's assets frozen. China's authorities accuse the paper of "conspiring to collude with foreign forces". Publisher Next Digital has now announced that Thursday's edition would be the last. Europe's press is dismayed.

The British government on Wednesday offered three million Hong Kong citizens the right to settle in the UK, with the option to obtain citizenship later on. Prime Minister Boris Johnson had threatened to take this step a month ago if China went ahead and introduced its new security law. Commentators doubt that the UK is doing itself any favours.

During the protests against the security law in Hong Kong on Wednesday police reportedly arrested more than 180 people. On Tuesday China had passed the controversial law which gives the authorities sweeping powers to take action against the opposition in the territory. The media in Europe analyse the consequences of China's repressive policy and demand action.

China's leadership plans to pass a new security law for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Thursday. Among other things the law prohibits secession, foreign influence and insurgent activities. Protests have already taken place in Hong Kong. Must Europe rethink its relations with China? And is the US support for the protests counterproductive?

The results of district elections have given the protest movement in Hong Kong a boost. Roughly 90 percent of the seats in Hong Kong's district councils went to the pro-democratic opposition on Sunday. Voter turnout rose from 47 to 71 percent. Commentators discuss the potential consequences of this election victory.

The protests in Hong Kong have further escalated after activists who had barricaded themselves inside a university used incendiary devices to fend off police surrounding the building. Early on Tuesday morning several hundred left the building, many of whom were arrested. Commentators debate what strategy Beijing will adopt in the long term.

After months of protest Hong Kong's government has withdrawn the controversial extradition law which had been put on hold since mid-June. Commentators see the move as a tactic rather than a change of heart, and doubt it will put an end to the conflict.

Despite Beijing's menacing posture and torrential rain, hundreds of thousands of protesters once again took to the streets in Hong Kong on the weekend. Organisers talked of 1.7 million participants. According to media reports the Chinese central government stationed troops on the border with Hong Kong in advance of the demonstrations. Europe's press looks on enthusiastically.

Hundreds of thousands of people once again demonstrated in Hong Kong on the weekend. Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Saturday suspended the planned extradition law and apologised to the people. But the demonstrators are still calling for her to step down and for the controversial bill, which would allow alleged criminals to be extradited to mainland China, to be scrapped.

Three years after the Umbrella Revolution for more democratic co-determination, three Hong Kong activists have been sentenced to several months in prison. The Chinese leadership accuses the students of calling for illegal protests. Thousands of people have demonstrated against the senctences, which commentators also condemn.