Talking Points

Nine friends and backers of Julian Assange must hand over a total of £93,500 (HK$1.16 million) in bail money because the WikiLeaks founder jumped bail to claim political asylum from behind the walls of Ecuador's embassy in London rather than face trial in Sweden on sex assault charges. The magistrate showed some sympathy for the sureties, who include a retired army captain and distinguished journalist Phillip Knightley, and cut the debt from £140,000.
 

A criminal court in Istanbul puts three of Israel's military chiefs and an intelligence chief on trial following the deaths of nine Turkish activists on board the ship Mavi Marmara as they headed to deliver aid to Gaza in May 2010. The court will try in absentia former Israeli military chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi, plus the former air force, navy and intelligence chiefs, on charges including attempted murder.
 

Former development minister Mak Chai-kwong, 62, and serving assistant highways director Tsang King-man, 57, go before the District Court accused of conspiracy to defraud the government of HK$700,000 in the 1980s by renting each other's homes and claiming housing allowance - known as cross-leasing. They were arrested 12 days after Mak took office in the new administration of Chief Executive Leung Chun-yin. Mak quit immediately.