Briefs | Hong Kong: Activist leader attacked in restaurant

The leader of a Hong Kong group that has organized record-breaking marches during the protests was attacked by two unidentified armed and masked men, as the city braces for a 13th straight weekend of demonstrations. Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) convener Jimmy Sham said the attack took place inside a restaurant in the Jordan area of Kowloon around midday yesterday. The men were wielding at least one baseball bat and one long knife, according to Sham. He was not hurt as his friend shielded him from the beating, Sham said in a CHRF WhatsApp media group. Hong Kong police officials confirmed the attack on Sham at an afternoon news briefing. They said that officers arrived on scene shortly after and tried “in vain” to locate the suspects, and that the case would be followed up by a criminal investigations team.

Shenzhen: No casualties after residential building tilts

A six-story residential building in the city of Shenzhen tilted on Wednesday morning, forcing the swift evacuation of residents, reported state media agency Xinhua. No casualties have been reported. Local community staff had noticed strange noises coming from under the building and moved to evacuate the residents before the incident occurred at 11:20 a.m., said a source at the publicity department of the Luohu District Committee of the Communist Party of China. Local residents said the ground floor of the building was a busy vegetable market which was crowded with buyers early Wednesday morning. Witnesses said the tilted building is leaning on a neighboring building and has been cordoned off.

Guangzhou: Int’l comic festival to kick off with animation awards

The China International Comic Festival will be held from September 6 to October 6 in Guangzhou with nearly 100 events, including the 12th China Animation & Comic Competition Golden Dragon Awards, and promotional activities for China’s original animation publishing support program. Chinese animated film “Ne Zha,” which made around 4.5 billion yuan (about $628 million) at the mainland China box office, will compete for the festival’s best animated feature film award, while international award winners “One Small Step” and “Spirits of the Drowning Girls” will vie for best short film. The Golden Dragon Awards are an official competition of the China International Comic Festival and aim to show off the achievements of original Chinese work, discover new talent, reward innovation and develop the comic industry.