- Trump slams early voting, even while urging Pennsylvanians to do so
- Singapore ex-minister pleads guilty to bribery in rare graft trial
- Major Hurricane John hits Mexico's Pacific coast
- IMF says ready for talks with Sri Lanka's new leftist government
- Phillies clinch division title, eye top seed
- Bills trample Jaguars, Commanders claw Bengals
- China unveils fresh stimulus to boost ailing economy
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally on China stimulus on mixed day for markets
- Back to death row? Retrial verdict due in Japan murder saga
- Rare corruption trial of Singapore ex-minister begins
- Ghana a long way off from gender equality despite new law
- China unveils fresh stimulus to boost economy
- Hamas weakened, not crushed a year into war with Israel
- Israeli economy struggles under weight of Gaza war
- Israelis united in trauma, divided by war after October 7
- New York Liberty riding WNBA boom into playoffs
- Union says new Boeing pay offer 'missed the mark'
- Environmental groups urge EU 'high risk' label for Sarawak
- Argentina seeks Maduro's arrest for crimes against humanity
- Morales issues Bolivian president 24-hour ultimatum to shake up cabinet
- Armenia and Azerbaijan see progress, but peace treaty seems distant
- World leaders gather at UN as Mideast tensions explode
- Biden's UN goodbye aims to 'Trump-proof' legacy
- Singapore ex-minister set for high-profile corruption trial
- Man Utd, Spurs eye respite from domestic woes in Europa League
- Guatemala picks Supreme Court judges with focus on anti-graft fight
- Jill Biden announces $500 million for women's health research
- Injured All Blacks centre Jordie Barrett out of Australia Test
- 'Lead the future': youth challenge world leaders at UN
- Goosebumps and stars as Paris Fashion Week kicks off
- Boeing boosts pay offer in effort to end strike
- Global markets inch higher on hopes of further rate cuts
- Amazon forest loses area the size of Germany and France, fueling fires
- 'Curious' Dupont eyes position change after claiming Top 14 award
- Man Utd stadium regeneration could add £7.3bn to British economy
- At COP16, Colombia seeks to lead by example on biodiversity
- Dupont caps off Olympic gold season with Top 14 player award
- Leeds to expand Elland Road to 53,000 capacity
- Mysterious 18th century diamond necklace set for auction
- World's oceans near critical acidification level: report
- California sues oil giant Exxon over plastic recycling 'myth'
- As wars rage, UN's critics say global body is failing its mission
- Amazon forest has lost an area the size of Germany and France
- Nadal, Alcaraz and Sinner in Davis Cup finals teams
- Telegram's Durov announces new crackdown on illegal content
- African players in Europe: Ice-cool Jackson strikes twice
- Man City's Rodri 'out for season' after ACL injury: reports
- Venezuelan court issues arrest warrant for Argentina's Milei
- Arsenal not yet a match for Man City-Liverpool rivalry, says Silva
- Iran's new president calls Israel warmonger as he seeks talks with West
Hong Kong leadership candidate says one-horse race 'not easy'
Hong Kong's former security chief said it was "not easy" to run as the only candidate to become the city's next leader, as he announced on Wednesday that he had secured enough nominations to enter the poll.
John Lee, 64, is expected to be anointed the business hub's new chief executive by a committee of 1,500 Beijing loyalists next month.
Hong Kong media have widely reported that Lee will, at Beijing's request, face no rivals in the election.
Lee officially registered his candidacy with the city's election watchdog on Wednesday with 786 nominations from the committee.
That number surpasses the legal threshold needed for him to win the May 8 poll.
Asked by a reporter whether he faced an easier journey without rivals, Lee replied: "It is not easy because I have been working very hard to explain to various members what my election platform will be like."
Lee has yet to publicly release a manifesto or any concrete policies, although he said one was on the way.
"It has just been a few days since I announced to stand for the election. Writing the platform needs time," Lee said.
The nomination period closes on Saturday.
When announcing his bid last week, Lee gave three broad priorities for his government: being "results-orientated", enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness and consolidating the city's further development.
He has since shuttled between various pro-government groups and held five online conferences with the Election Committee members to gather support.
"I think members agree with these three directions that is why they have given me the nomination but it is a hard effort," Lee said.
Chan King-cheung, former chief editor of the Hong Kong Economic Journal, wrote in a newspaper column on Wednesday that Lee should still explain to the public what his policies are, even though ordinary residents do not get to vote.
"To say 'result-oriented' without defining the result is so vague and empty that the 'voters' can't tell what promises he has actually made," Chan wrote.
W.Lapointe--BTB