### Clue: Ritual of American artist in Hong Kong in front of flag (pointless!) (4-4)
### Answer: HARA-KIRI 
 ### Explanation: Definition: Ritual
 { [ A(abbrev. for "American") + RA(member of the Royal Academy of Arts) ] **contained in**(in) HK(abbrev. for Hong Kong) } **placed before**(in front of, in an across clue) "iris"(a flag) **minus** "s"(abbrev. for "south", the compass point) (pointless).
Answer: Ceremonial suicide by disembowelment with a dagger, the term being a literal translation from Japanese.  A somewhat gruesome image of one committing it in front of the Hong Kong flag -as it says, pointless!