Pandemic, politics lead to closure of storied Hong Kong bar
Hong Kong: Nearly 15 years ago, Grace Ma decided to name her bar Club 71, in commemoration of a July 1, 2003 rally where hundreds of thousands of Hong Kongers protested a proposed national security law for the semi-autonomous Chinese city.
I took the name Club 71, because somehow it is more hopeful, with half a million Hong Kong people having a demonstration, a rally, to stand for themselves, not to ignore what’s going on in Hong Kong, said Ma.
For years, the storied bar has served as a watering hole for the city’s pro-democracy activists and intellectuals, who could freely engage in discussions over a round of beer or two.
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit and, in a blow to the city’s Western-style freedoms, the central government in Beijing in June imposed sweeping national security legislation targeting political expression in response to massive anti-government protests last year. For Ma, the troubles meant it was time to shutter the business for good.
Months of government-mandated bar closures as part of coronavirus restrictions had pushed Club 71’s finances deeper into the red, and operating the bar no longer made financial sense, she said. The bar will close at the end of October.
We have closed for three months, out of the past six months, said Ma, who is in her 60s. For our business, it’s impossible. Social distancing restrictions have also halved the capacity of the city’s bars and restaurants, making it more difficult for them to turn a profit. (AP)
Chicago named ‘rattiest’ city in US
Chicago: Chicago has been named as the ‘rattiest’ city in the US for the sixth consecutive year due to an increased visibility of rodents all across the ‘Windy City’.
The development on Saturday was announced by Orkin, an Atlanta-based pest control service, ranks US cities based on the number of new rodent treatments from September 1 to August 31 of each year.
This ranking includes both residential and commercial treatments.”Rats have taken to the streets of Chicago… And for the sixth consecutive time, the Windy City takes the top spot,” Xinhua news agency quoted a statement posted on orkin’s website.
“New to the Top 10 this year is Baltimore, taking the eighth spot, and moving into the Top 20 is San Diego, rising 13 spots to secure the #19 ranking,” it added.
In an unprecedented year, the visibility of rodents has increased, creating concern for homeowners and business owners alike.
As reported in the spring, the coronavirus pandemic-driven closure of restaurants forced rodents to find new food sources, said the statement.
“Without food waste to consume, these pests were seen scavenging new areas and exhibiting unusual or aggressive behavior,” it said. (IANS)