Anti-government protests have escalated in Columbia as Bogota's mayor imposes a curfew. Over 300,000 people are protesting against the privatization of state companies, rising violence, and rampant corruption. On Friday, three police officers were killed and 11 injured in a bomb blast at a police station that occurred in a notorious drug trafficking town. As looting and violence escalated in the country's capital, a 9:00 pm curfew was established.
Australia's domestic spy agency is investigating allegations that a Chinese spy was running for parliament last May. Sources report that Chinese nationals approached a Chinese-Australian man and offered him $680,000 dollars to fund his campaign, after reporting this information to the authorities, the man was found dead in his hotel room. This information comes as a man (allegedly a Chinese spy himself) seeks asylum in Australia and claims to have information on China's political reach in Australia.
4.1 million Hong Kong residents headed to the polls on Sunday, as protests continue for the sixth month. Over 400 councillors and local lawmakers are up for election this year, but they usually have very limited power and don't play a key roll in the semi-autonomous region's politics. This time could be different, since 117 of the 400 council members get to choose who the chief executive is (current one is not a supporter of the protest movement). Pro-democracy protestors hope the newly elected council members will decide on a new leader that stands against Beijing.
