Hong Kong national security police raided two independent bookshops on Wednesday, arresting five people and seizing publications that authorities said incited hatred against the territory’s government, judiciary and law enforcement agencies. The operation targeted Have A Nice Stay in Prince Edward and Greenfield Book Store in Mong Kok, both of which focus on humanities and social sciences. According to a government statement, the suspects—two men aged 37 and 57, and three women aged between 30 and 59—are being held on suspicion of “acting with seditious intent” under the national security legislation, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. Have A Nice Stay, founded by former journalists, had announced its closure a day earlier, citing financial losses and what it described as an unclear “red line” over which titles are deemed problematic.

Viewed from London, Amnesty International described the raids as indicative of “the chilling reality of what the city has become: a place where you can be criminalised simply for what’s on your bookshelf.” The group said uncertainty over so-called red lines had left booksellers and writers guessing which titles could trigger investigation, resulting in self-censorship. The two bookshops are not participating in the annual Hong Kong Book Fair, which opened the same day. The arrests follow two similar operations earlier in 2026: two workers were detained at the Hunter store in June, and four at Book Punch in March.

In Vietnam, Hanoi police announced on Wednesday the arrest of three senior figures from the Vietnam Writers’ Association Publishing House—its director, editor-in-chief and head of the editorial board—on charges of “producing, possessing, distributing or disseminating information, documents or items aimed at opposing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.” The detentions are linked to the publication of Stories with Thanh – A New Account of Light, a book recounting Ho Chi Minh’s years abroad. Authorities stated the work “distorts the history of the revolutions, the policies and guidelines of the party and state.” The author, former telecoms executive Nguyen Thanh Nam, and a social media influencer who promoted the book were arrested on similar charges earlier in July.

Separately, Queensland police have charged eight people in total following an investigation into two shooting incidents in Mackay earlier this month. Four new arrests were made after shots were fired at an unoccupied vehicle outside a licensed venue in Andergrove on 8 July, and at a home in Shoal Point half an hour later; no one was physically injured. A 23-year-old Bucasia man faces charges of possessing and discharging a firearm, while a 31-year-old East Mackay man and a 31-year-old North Mackay man have been charged with unlawful weapons trafficking. The remaining suspects face drug and weapons possession offences. Seven firearms, including three pistols and four rifles, were seized during a search of a Beaconsfield property on 9 July. The alleged offenders are expected to appear in Mackay Magistrates Court in the coming months.