Hong Kong leader pledges $1.3 billion in new relief measures to prop up weakened economy

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong's embattled leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday pledged HK$10 billion (1 billion pounds) in new relief measures to prop up an economy as it grapple with months of anti-government protests that have hurt business confidence in the city. The proposed new spending brings the global financial hub's total stimulus to HK$35 billion since this summer, when protests escalated and have since taken a heavy economic toll, especially in the tourism and retail sectors.