Hong Kong's Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles scheme officially implemented

Hong Kong's Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles scheme was officially implemented from midnight on Tuesday.

Under the scheme, approved private car owners from south China's Guangdong Province with confirmed travel bookings may drive into Hong Kong's urban area via the Zhuhai Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

The first phase of the scheme covers the cities of Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Jiangmen, and Zhongshan, and will be expanded to other cities across Guangdong after six months.

Applications for Guangdong private cars to enter Hong Kong's urban area opened at 09:00 local time on Dec 9. With an initial daily quota of 100 vehicles, each Guangdong vehicle may stay in Hong Kong for up to three days per visit. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government initially implemented the Southbound Travel scheme from 0:00 on No 15, when eligible and approved private cars from Guangdong may park at the automated carparks on the artificial island at the Hong Kong Port (port carparks) via the Zhuhai Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, after which the drivers and passengers may transfer to a flight via Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) or enter and visit Hong Kong by taking Hong Kong local transportation.

Iraqi citizens held a peaceful demonstration at Liberation Square in the capital Baghdad Saturday afternoon to protest against the five-week-long joint attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel.

They demanded that the U.S. and Israel immediately cease military strikes against Iran and opposed the United States' long-term military presence in Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries.

Since the U.S. and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28, security force bases in many parts of Iraq including those of the Popular Mobilization Forces, have been frequently targeted by airstrikes.

The Popular Mobilization Forces have issued multiple statements identifying the U.S. and Israel as the perpetrators of these attacks.