Year: 2026

Two Hong Kong democracy activists, John and Edward, have been denied UK visas due to riot convictions linked to anti-government protests. Their applications, submitted under the British National Overseas (BNO) visa scheme, were rejected, raising concerns that the UK is disregarding political persecution when assessing criminality from Hong Kong.

Germany’s final state elections have significantly altered the political landscape, with the Left party securing 25.7% of the vote in Berlin, while the AfD leads in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with 38.2%. The CDU faced heavy losses, and SPD’s Manuela Schwesig could remain in office despite the AfD’s success.