Late Night Live — Full program podcast Meet the new Liberal Party leaders, what future for Hong Kong, and making music from stars
Feb 16, 2026
Conny Aerts, asteroseismology pioneer who turns stellar vibrations into sound to study star interiors. Anthony Dapiran, Hong Kong analyst and author tracking political crackdowns and Jimmy Lai’s sentencing. Anna Henderson, political correspondent parsing the Liberal Party’s leadership struggle and shifting policy priorities. They discuss leadership strategy, Hong Kong’s shrinking freedoms, and how stars are sonified to reveal inner physics.
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Leaked Immigration Plan Sparks Division
- A leaked Susan Ley immigration draft proposed banning migrants from 13 countries for up to three years, alarming community advocates.
- Paul Scarr publicly distanced himself, showing internal party fractures over radical policy moves.
Be Cautious Releasing Party Review Reports
- Avoid releasing internal reviews that expose individuals unless legal risks are mitigated.
- Consider that incendiary findings invite legal action and politically damaging leaks.
Free Speech Recast As Security Threat
- Jimmy Lai's activities (publishing, advocacy, foreign meetings) are treated as national security crimes in Hong Kong.
- What would be seen as free speech elsewhere became a prosecutable threat under tightened Beijing policy.
