Top Hong Kong activist barred from election

HONG KONG: Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong was barred on Tuesday from standing in upcoming local elections after months of huge and frequently violent protests in the city.

Wong, one of the most prominent figures in the otherwise leaderless movement, accused the government of “political screening” after an election officer ruled invalid his nomination for the November poll.

The 22-year-old was sent to prison earlier this year over the democracy protests he helped lead in 2014.

He immediately joined the historic anti-government protests rocking the city upon his release in June.

Wong was the only candidate barred from standing in an election for district councils, which tackle regional issues. The election is the first to be held since the current mass protests started.

He accused the government on Tuesday of censorship in disqualifying him.

“The decision to ban me from running for office was clearly politically driven,” he told a press conference on Tuesday.

“The true reason is my identity, Joshua Wong, is the crime in their minds.” He also accused the election officer of misinterpreting his political ideology.

Wong and his party, Demosisto, have denied supporting independence for the city. AFP

Nepalese mountaineer and former British Marine Nirmal Purja on Tuesday beat the earlier record which was just under eight years to climb all peaks higher than 8,000m

Dhaulagiri

Annapurna

Everest

Kanchenjunga

Apr 23 May 12 May 15

Lhotse

May 22

Nanga Parbat

Makalu

May 24

Gasherbrum I

Jul 3

Gasherbrum II

Jul 15

Jul 18

K2

Broad Peak

Jul 24

Manaslu

Cho Oyu

Shishapangma

Jul 26 Sep 23 Sep 27 Oct 29