The outspoken businessman and critic of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying walked free after a jury acquitted him of deceiving Hong Kong's stock market regulator and potential investors while raising funds for a US$225 million oil field project. Lew went on radio a day after he was cleared of fraud and money-laundering and gave his take on suggestions that the prosecution against him might have been initiated after his ties with Leung soured.

The Japanese prime minister became the country's sixth longest-serving post-war prime minister by serving 1,242 days in the post, surpassing the tenure of his grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi. The longest-serving prime minister in post-war Japan is Eisaku Sato, who logged 2,798 days in office. He is followed by Shigeru Yoshida at 2,616 days, Junichiro Koizumi at 1,980 days, Yasuhiro Nakasone at 1,806 days and Hayato Ikeda at 1,575 days.