Hong Kong's global banks brace for 'cold war' to escalate
CNN
Banks in Hong Kong are increasingly being squeezed by a series of changes forcing them to fall in line with Beijing's agenda.
Financial institutions have been grappling with rising geopolitical risks, which have put pressure on how they operate in Hong Kong. The latest blow: orders to block access to retirement funds for Hong Kongers looking to leave the city on special British passports issued largely during colonial rule. This month, politicians also floated a new anti-sanctions bill that would bar foreign entities and individuals in Hong Kong and Macao from complying with sanctions against China, which now controls the former British colony. Experts say this could create headaches for financial institutions in the city, due to the global nature of their work.Venezuelan authorities are investigating opposition leader Maria Corina Machado for alleged treason after she expressed support for a US bipartisan bill that seeks to block Washington from doing business with any entity that has commercial ties with the government of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.
Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the intelligence community, was briefly placed on a Transportation Security Administration list that prompts additional security screening before flights after her overseas travel patterns and foreign connections triggered a government algorithm earlier this year, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN.