China approves sweeping changes to Hong Kong elections

The Chinese government on Tuesday approved sweeping changes to Hong Kong elections that would ensure only "patriots," or those loyal to Beijing, can govern the territory in a significant rollback of democracy.The National People's Congress Standing Committee, the core decision-making body of China's parliament, unanimously approved amending methods of electing Hong Kong's leader and legislators.The overhaul mainly involves expanding the power and membership of the Election Committee tasked with picking Hong Kong's chief executive.Committee membership will be expanded from 1,200 members to 1…READ FULL ARTICLE