Hello and welcome to News Hour Live from the BBC World Service in London.
I'm Rebecca Kezby.
And we begin in Hong Kong,
where elections are underway today to choose members of the Legislative Council, or LEGCO.
There are 161 candidates fighting for 90 seats,
but all of them have been approved to run based on their loyalty to the government in Beijing.
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, following decades as a British colony.
Well, these elections are over.
the second
since sweeping changes to the electoral system were put into place after pro-democracy protests in 2019.
And today's vote is taking place as many Hong Kongers are still in shock after a devastating fire at a housing complex killed more than 150 people just over a week ago.
It's the worst such fire in the territory for more than 70 years.
Well,
the BBC's Martin Yip is at a polling station in the Taipo district where that fire happened and joins us.
live.
Martin, first let's get a word on the turnout, because I noticed in the last ledge co-vote,
I think that was 2021, it was very far down, the lowest ever, around 30%.
Have we got any idea of what the turnout is today?
Well yes indeed that was what happened in 2021 after the first poll after the shakeup of the system by Beijing and tonight
as I talked to you now is now standing at just over 29%.