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Think twice, watchdog tells shuttered gym members | The Consumer Council on Friday urged customers of a shuttered gym chain not to rush into signing documents so they can utilise services of a branch which reopened under a different name. There was a glimmer of hope for customers of Physical Fitness, after its Wan Chai branch opened its doors on Thursday claiming to provide services for previous members free of charge. But there's a catch - the gym now operates under the name "HEALTHY", and users are required to sign a consent form authorising the company to collect their personal information. The consumer watchdog suggested customers may want to wait for a bit before signing the form, as the terms and conditions were "unclear". "The name of the company operating HEALTHY [is missing]. Hence consumers are unable to ascertain the background information, qualifications and status of the operator," it said. The council also noted the form stated that HEALTHY has "no obligation" to provide users the services owed by Physical, meaning they may not receive the same product they initially paid for. Last week, Physical abruptly shut down its 14 branches, but insisted the closure was "temporary" as talks with a new investor were ongoing. As of 6pm Friday, the council had received 3,666 complaints related to unfulfilled contracts, involving more than HK$123 million. | 2024-09-13T22:21:00 |
Govt condemns Jimmy Lai's legal team for smearing NSL | The government on Friday strongly disapproved "scandalising" remarks from Jimmy Lai's international legal team and his son, Sebastian, regarding the national security law and Hong Kong's judicial system. In a statement, the SAR government also opposed their abuse of United Nations mechanisms by soliciting the special rapporteur on torture to interfere in the former media tycoon's national security case. "Any attempt by any country, organisation, or individual to interfere with the judicial proceedings in the HKSAR by means of political power, in order to procure a defendant's evasion of the criminal justice process, is a blatant act undermining the rule of law of Hong Kong and should be condemned," a government spokesman said. He added that the Correctional Services Department is committed to ensuring a safe and humane custodial environment for persons in custody, and has put in place established mechanism to safeguard their rights. "If inmates require further examination and treatment, they will be referred to specialist medical staff or to public hospitals for further follow-up," according to the statement. The spokesman added that the department adopts the same arrangements for every inmate, and any accusation about Lai not receiving appropriate treatment in remand "cannot be further from the truth". | 2024-09-13T23:04:00 |
Russian central bank hikes rate as inflation jumps | Russia's central bank on Friday raised interest rates to 19 percent as it warned inflation was running too high and it needed to cool the economy. Inflation was running at an annual rate of 9.05 percent in August, the country's statistics agency said earlier this week. The hike comes as Russia has faced economic headaches since launching its February 2022 Ukraine offensive. "Current inflationary pressures remain high," Russia's central bank said in a statement. "Further tightening of monetary policy is required to resume the disinflation process, reduce inflation expectations, and ensure the return of inflation to the target in 2025," it added. Russia has faced volatile prices since it sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, triggering a barrage of Western sanctions and strict counter-measures in a bid to stabilise the economy. A splurge in government spending – up almost 50 percent since 2021 – to fund the conflict has seen billions poured into the military and defence sector. That has helped shield the economy from collapse that many predicted, but also pushed prices up fast. "The labour market remains tight. Unemployment has dropped to a new historic low," the central bank said. Inflation was slightly down in August but still well above the government's target level of four percent. The central bank has aggressively raised rates over the last year, taking them back towards the emergency level of 20 percent that was introduced straight after the start of the conflict. It says such hikes are needed to stop the economy "overheating" and stave off the risk of "stagflation" – where growth slows but inflation remains high. But steep borrowing costs have hit some consumers and businesses, many of which rely on short-term debt. (AFP) | 2024-09-13T23:33:00 |
Messi set to return after two-month lay off | Lionel Messi is set to return to action with his club Inter Miami on Saturday after spending over two months out with an ankle injury, Miami coach Gerardo Martino said on Friday. "Yes, he is fine," Martino said before training on Friday. "He trained (Thursday), he is in the plans for the game. After training we will figure out the strategy for him, but he is available," added the Argentine. Inter Miami, who lead the Eastern Conference and are top of the overall standings, host the Philadelphia Union on Saturday. Messi injured his right ankle during the final of the Copa America on July 14 when he helped Argentina to victory over Colombia. He has missed eight MLS games for his club and this month's World Cup qualifiers for his country. "To get back the best player in the world to our team, which was already on a good run, we are all very happy with this situation," said Martino. (AFP) | 2024-09-13T23:37:00 |
Pope defies health fears on historic Asia-Pacific tour | Pope Francis wrapped up an arduous 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific on Friday, defying health concerns to connect with believers from the jungle of Papua New Guinea to the skyscrapers of Singapore. The 87-year-old pontiff took off for Rome, completing his longest trip in duration and distance since he became head of the world's nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics more than 11 years ago. The Argentine pope has relied on a wheelchair since 2022 because of knee pain and sciatica, had a hernia operation in June 2023, and earlier this year battled flu and bronchitis. Occasionally, during his four-nation trip, the pope struggled to keep his eyes open when listening to late-night liturgical readings or to remain engaged during formal military parades. But he was clearly energised by more freewheeling exchanges – cheerfully goading young people to shout out their agreement with his calls to help those in need. In a lively final inter-religious meeting with young Singaporeans, the pope urged them to respect other beliefs, avoid being "slaves" to technology and to get out of their comfort zones. "Don't let your stomach get fat, but let your head get fat," the pope said, raising a laugh from his audience. "I say take risks, go out there," he said. "A young person that is afraid and does not take risks is an old person." The historic tour, initially planned for 2020 but postponed by the Covid-19 pandemic, has included 43 hours of flight time and a distance of 32,000 kilometres. But neither the pace – 16 speeches and up to eight hours of time difference – nor the heat, nor multiple meetings have forced any rescheduling of his international odyssey. On a trip that took him to the outer edges of the Church's world, the pope delivered a sometimes uncomfortable message for leaders not to forget the poor and marginalised. In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority state, he visited the capital Istiqlal Mosque to deliver a joint message against conflict and climate change. In sweltering Papua New Guinea, he donned a Bird of Paradise headdress in a remote, jungle village where he told inhabitants to halt violence and renounce "superstition and magic." Addressing political and business leaders, he insisted that the country's vast natural resources should benefit the "entire community" – a demand likely to resound in a nation where many believe their riches are being stolen or squandered. And in staunchly Roman Catholic East Timor, he addressed nearly half the population, drawing about 600,000 rapturous believers in the tropical heat to a celebration of mass on the island's coast. Francis addressed East Timor's leaders, hailing a new era of "peace" since independence in 2002. But he also called on them to do more to prevent abuse against young people, in a nod to recent Catholic Church child abuse scandals. In the affluent city-state of Singapore, the pope called for "special attention" to be paid to protecting the dignity of migrant workers. "These workers contribute a great deal to society and should be guaranteed a fair wage," he said. There are an estimated 170 million migrant workers around the world. Most live in the Americas, Europe or Central Asia. But the Argentine pope was otherwise full of praise for the "entrepreneurial spirit" and dynamism that built a "mass of ultra-modern skyscrapers that seem to rise from the sea" in his final destination. Sandra Ross, 55, a church administrator in Singapore, said she was still "feeling the warmth and joy" after attending mass led by the pope. "I was deeply touched by Pope Francis' courage and dedication to his mission, despite his health challenges. His spirit and enthusiasm are truly inspiring," she said. "This Asia tour is a beautiful gesture, highlighting the importance of unity and understanding across cultures and faiths." Lise de Rocquigny, 47, a French expat living in Singapore, said during the visit the pope had appeared tired at points but also engaged and "quite fit." "The pope was really able to convey the messages that are close to his heart: inter-religious dialogue, solidarity, charity, listening to the poor, concern for our home Earth." (AFP) | 2024-09-14T00:41:00 |
Zelensky says will present 'victory plan' to Biden | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that he will meet US leader Joe Biden "this month" to present his "victory plan" on how to end two and a half years of war with Russia. The announcement came as Biden is due to discuss whether or not to let Kyiv fire Western-provided long-range missiles into Russia with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "My meeting with President Joe Biden is planned," Zelensky said at an international conference in Kyiv. "I will present him with a victory plan." He gave no specific details on how to end more than 30 months of fighting, saying only that his proposal will involve "a system of interconnected solutions that will give Ukraine enough power – enough to put this war on a course to peace." Kyiv has been pressing the West for a green light to use Western weapons to strike into Russia, saying that it could change the course of the war. Zelensky announced he would meet Biden just over a month into Kyiv's surprise incursion into the Kursk region, which he had said at the time was partly aimed at forcing Russia into "fair" negotiations. Zelensky has said he aims to host another international peace summit outlining his vision to end the war in November, to which Russia will be invited. (AFP) | 2024-09-14T02:20:00 |
Justin Timberlake given community service in DUI case | Pop star Justin Timberlake was handed a sentence of community service on Friday after he changed his plea to guilty following his arrest for drunk driving, US media reported. On June 18, the 43-year-old entertainer was pulled over in the town of Sag Harbor, about 160 kilometres east of New York City, after police observed his BMW go through a stop sign and struggle to stay within road lanes. Sag Harbor Village Justice Court justice Carl Irace handed Timberlake a community service sentence and ordered the star to make a public statement after the singer pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of driving while alcohol impaired, broadcaster NBC reported. The charge is a traffic violation that carries a fine between US$300 to US$500 and a 90-day licence suspension. Timberlake told Irace that he would be willing to perform between 25 and 40 hours of community service to settle the case, NBC reported. "I try to hold myself to a very high standard for myself. This was not that. I found myself in a position where I could have made a different decision," Timberlake said outside the court. "Even if you've had one drink, don't get behind the wheel of a car, there's so many alternatives," added Timberlake, who wore a dark cardigan and a pearl necklace. "I grew up in a small town so I can appreciate and understand the strain, or unique nature, of what this must have been for the people of Sag Harbor... I'm very grateful and I thank them." Sag Harbor is an upmarket community in the exclusive Hamptons, notorious for its decadent parties and a favourite destination for the rich and famous, many of whom have summer houses on Long Island. The officer who pulled over the "Selfish" singer said he was in no fit state to drive, although Timberlake has always insisted he had only one martini at the American Hotel during an evening with friends. "His eyes were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odour of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot, and he performed poorly on all standardised field sobriety tests," the police report said. Timberlake's lawyer, Edward Burke Jr, said that the star was respectful during his encounter with police. "Contrary to what was reported, (Timberlake) wasn't drinking other people's drinks, or warned in advance not to drive, he wasn't rude, he wasn't obnoxious, he wasn't belligerent. In fact he was polite and he was cooperative," he said outside court. "His plea today to a reduced and amended non-criminal charge, which is a traffic violation, is consistent with these facts." (AFP) | 2024-09-14T03:46:00 |
US stocks cap positive week with more gains | Wall Street stocks rose again on Friday, adding to weekly gains following economic data that sets the stage for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. Analysts say fresh jobs and inflation data in recent days has corroborated the Fed's confidence that inflation has significantly moderated. On Friday, futures markets lifted the odds the Fed will cut interest rates by a half percentage-point instead of a quarter point, after markets had favoured the smaller cut earlier in the week. The S&P 500 ended at 5,626, up 0.5 percent for the day and more than four percent for the week. The Dow Jones rose 0.7 percent to 41,393, while the Nasdaq gained 0.7 percent to 17,683. "Whatever you want to call it, 'soft landing,' 'Goldilocks,' the market is fine with it," said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers, who pointed to bullish artificial intelligence commentary from Nvidia CEO Jenson Huang as another positive catalyst this week. Among individual companies, Boeing fell 3.6 percent after Seattle region workers overwhelmingly rejected a four-year contract proposal, launching a strike that will shutter two major factories. Trump Media & Technology Group surged 11.8 percent after Donald Trump said he would not sell his stake in the social media company. (AFP) | 2024-09-14T05:07:00 |
Pope says Trump, Harris "against life" | Pope Francis on Friday accused both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris of being "against life" as he returned to Rome from an epic 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific. The 87-year-old pontiff's comments on the US presidential hopefuls came onboard the papal plane returning from Singapore after his rapturous welcomes in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor. Asked about the looming US elections in November, he noted Trump's anti-immigrant policies and Harris's support for abortion rights. "Both are against life. The one who discards migrants and the one who kills children. Both are against life," he said. Former president Trump has promised to round up illegal immigrants and deport them as he seeks to return to the White House in the looming November election. He also paved the way for a 2022 US Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v Wade, the 1973 ruling that made abortion a national right for women – a right that Harris has pledged to restore. "One has to choose the lesser of two evils. Who is the lesser evil? That lady or that gentleman? I don't know. Everyone have to think and make this decision according to their conscience," Francis said. In Washington, Karine Jean-Pierre, spokeswoman for President Joe Biden – himself a Roman Catholic – said that "obviously the pope speaks for himself, and I don't have any more comments." "I have not spoken to the president about the pope's specific comments on this coming election," she said. During his flight back to Rome, Francis also rejected media speculation by saying he would not travel to Paris in December for the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was partially destroyed by a fire in April 2019. He also deplored a lack of progress in negotiations to end the war in Gaza. "Forgive me for saying so but I don't see any progress being made towards peace," he told reporters. (AFP) | 2024-09-14T09:25:00 |
Myanmar junta seeks foreign aid as floods hit | Myanmar's junta chief made a rare request on Saturday for foreign aid to cope with deadly floods that have displaced hundreds of thousands of people who have endured three years of war. Floods and landslides have killed almost 300 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which dumped a colossal deluge of rain when it hit the region last weekend. In Myanmar more than 235,000 people have been forced from their homes by floods, the junta said on Friday, piling further misery on the country where war has raged since the military seized power in 2021. "Officials from the government need to contact foreign countries to receive rescue and relief aid to be provided to the victims," Min Aung Hlaing said on Friday, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. "It is necessary to manage rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures as quickly as possible," he was quoted as saying. The junta gave a death toll on Friday of 33, while earlier in the day the country's fire department said rescuers had recovered 36 bodies. A military spokesman said it had lost contact with some areas of the country and was investigating reports that dozens had been buried in landslides in a gold-mining area in the central Mandalay region. Myanmar's military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad. Last year it suspended travel authorisations for aid groups trying to reach around a million victims of powerful Cyclone Mocha that hit the west of the country. At the time the United Nations slammed that decision as "unfathomable." (AFP) | 2024-09-14T09:46:00 |
No sign of Physical's new operator on register: union | The head of a union that represents gym workers warned customers of the shuttered Physical Fitness chain on Saturday that a new operator which took over one of its sites does not appear on the official register. The Wan Chai location reopened under the name "Healthy" this week, with Physical members invited to use it if they signed a consent form. Rex Wong, who chairs the Hong Kong Fitness Professionals Association, told RTHK that "Healthy" could not be found in the Companies Registry (CR). "This is a new company. We didn't know they were registering from the CR. I was scared how to provide the service with the customer, and then the person who provided the trainer, because maybe we got some adjustment from Physical," he said. "We are not guaranteed everything for customers." Wong urged the government to enhance regulation over pre-payment arrangements in the fitness and beauty sectors to better ensure consumer rights. Many Physical customers reported signing multi-year contracts. On Friday, the Consumer Council suggested customers may want to wait before signing the consent form, as the terms and conditions were "unclear". "The name of the company operating Healthy [is missing]. Hence consumers are unable to ascertain the background information, qualifications and status of the operator," it said, adding that the form stated that Healthy has "no obligation" to provide users the services owed by Physical. Physical abruptly shut down its 14 branches, but insisted the closure was "temporary" as talks with a new investor were ongoing. As of 6pm Friday, the council had received 3,666 complaints related to unfulfilled contracts, involving more than HK$123 million. | 2024-09-14T10:44:00 |
'Three-tier system to prevent suicide must stay' | Paediatrician and government advisor Lam Ching-choi on Saturday said a school-based system to help prevent young people from taking their own lives is having an effect and should stay in place. Lam, who chairs the advisory committee on mental health and sits on the Executive Council, said about 200 vulnerable pupils had been identified, and about a dozen at high risk had been referred for psychiatric help via the three-tier school-based emergency system. The system was put in place in December and was extended until the end of this year. Speaking after research from the University of Hong Kong's Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention showed a rising number of youth suicides, Lam said the three-tier system should continue, and efforts should be made to improve it. "The mechanism has been effective, but we still need to review it and see whether we can work on more details. We care deeply about every pupil, no matter their stage of development. So, we will need to come up with a better mechanism to support them," he told an RTHK radio programme. The system works to support schools and pupils in three ways. In the first tier, all schools are being given help in identifying students who are at higher risk of suicide or who have mental health needs. The second tier involves an off-campus support network that's intended to provide more external support for schools. Lastly, schoolmasters can refer pupils with severe mental health needs to the Hospital Authority's psychiatric specialist service, and urgent cases will be given priority. Lam also urged parents, schools and communities to build up a stronger network to offer mental health support to pupils. HKU's annual study, released on Tuesday, found that the overall suicide rate dipped to 13.6 per 100,000 people last year from 13.7 in 2022. But the centre noted the suicide rate among teenagers under 15 had increased to 2.9 from 0.9, and the number reached 4.2 when looking at teenage girls. | 2024-09-14T13:06:00 |
CE to deliver Policy Address on October 16 | Chief Executive John Lee announced that he will deliver his Policy Address on October 16, as he wrapped up a visit to Wong Tai Sin to gather views on Saturday. The CE stopped off at a pharmacy, a social services coordination centre, a health centre and a Chinese restaurant. He was accompanied by the health secretary Lo Chung-mau and the home and youth affairs chief, Alice Mak. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Lee said the visit would help him make better choices as he drafts his policy blueprint. "After two years of experience, I believe the focus is on deciding where to allocate resources and prioritise policies in the Policy Address," he said. "Each government bureau has its own beliefs and goals. I'm happy to see that primary healthcare has achieved results, so of course I will be happy to continue to promote this, including by allocating resources. However, I want to learn more about policies in other areas and hear what the public thinks and feels about them." Printing worker Ms Chan was dining at a Chinese restaurant visited by the CE and found him "very nice". She told Lee that she would like to see more support for grassroots workers. "Indeed, the printing industry in Hong Kong is declining. It’s going through a huge transformation. As practitioners for so many years, we really hope this industry can continue to develop," she said. "[Lee’s] response was very positive. He even asked me, 'If there really were suitable training for you, would you participate?' I said I definitely would." Meanwhile, the CE strongly condemned the US House of Representatives for passing a bill that could shut down Hong Kong's economic and trade offices in New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. Lee described it as a political move to suppress the development of the country and the SAR, warning that the US will have to pay a price. "The country has already stated that it will definitely take countermeasures, and these countermeasures will undoubtedly be effective and forceful. I hope the United States will stop using these ways to disrupt normal business activities and trade exchanges," he said. | 2024-09-14T15:08:00 |
Infection deaths spark warning on freshwater fish | Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau on Saturday warned people not to touch freshwater fish with their bare hands, after an outbreak of a deadly infection linked to fish. The Centre for Health Protection said 27 cases of Group B Streptococcus had been reported over the past couple of weeks, two of which proved fatal. It said the strain involved – ST283 – is commonly found in freshwater fish, especially farmed fish in Southeast Asia. Speaking to reporters at an event, Lo said the bacteria is highly invasive and pathogenic. "Our tracking shows that the bacteria may be found in freshwater fish across all 18 districts of Hong Kong. We're not telling people not to eat freshwater fish, but to be careful when handling them, including not touching them with bare hands," he said. "You should only eat cooked freshwater fish. Do not eat uncooked or even raw ones, which can be dangerous." Separately, the health chief said a taskforce has been set up to look into a blunder involving a medical device that failed to produce X-ray images during a procedure at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, leaving a 66-year-old patient fighting for his life. Lo said preliminary investigation found that the X-ray imaging machine might have had problems emitting energy during the procedure, adding that the taskforce will also examine whether there were any issues with the doctors, nurses, and X-ray technicians involved. The patient is in a high dependency unit in a critical condition. | 2024-09-14T17:33:00 |
Uganda holds funeral for murdered Olympian Cheptegei | Ugandans on Saturday paid tributes to Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei, who died after her partner set her on fire in Kenya, ahead of her funeral in her family village. The 33-year-old, who debuted this summer in the women's marathon at the Paris Olympics, succumbed to severe burns last week after being attacked by Kenyan Dickson Ndiema Marangach. The brutal assault shocked the East African region and prompted a global outpouring of tributes, with activists condemning another act of gender-based violence in Kenya. On Saturday morning, residents, officials and relatives waited in the cold morning light to pay their respects in the village of Bukwo, some 380 kilometres northeast of Uganda's capital Kampala. "We are extremely saddened," said her estranged husband Simon Ayeko, with whom she had two daughters. "As a father it has been very difficult," he said, explaining he had not been able to break the news to their children. "Slowly we will tell them the truth." The service to honour Cheptegei, a sergeant in the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF), started around 10:00 am (0700 GMT), with officials and relatives gathering at the local council office. The coffin, swathed in the Ugandan flag, was saluted by officers from the UPDF, who carried her body into the room overlooking the remote rolling hills of her childhood. The athlete was a "heroine," local presidential representative Bessie Modest Ajilong said, describing her as "out of ordinary." "As leaders, we saw Cheptegei as an inspiration." Her body was moved from the local council headquarters to a nearby sports stadium where hundreds gathered to pay their respects. She will then be formally laid to rest at around 3:00 pm. Scores of athletes, among them Kenyan athletes Mary Keitany and Daniel Komen, travelled to the small village to attend the ceremonies. "She greatly contributed to the promotion of athletics until her last days," said coach Alex Malinga, who trained her as a teenager. "Cheptegei was one of those who inspired the talented young that one day they will be like her." Police said Marangach sneaked into her home to hide while she was at church with her children. The couple had argued over ownership of the property where she lived with her sister Dorcas Cherop and daughters, according to her family. "I think at that time, their relationship had become sour," said Cheptegei's brother-in-law, Moses Kipsiro. "I didn't know then something was wrong," said Kipsiro, who previously trained with Cheptegei and also hails from Bukwo. Her attacker later died from injuries sustained in the assault. The vicious assault has thrown yet another spotlight on what activists have called a femicide epidemic. Kenya reported 725 femicide cases in 2022 alone, according to the latest UN figures. A report the following year by Kenya's National Bureau of Statistics found 34 percent of women had experienced physical violence since the age of 15. At least two other athletes, Agnes Tirop and Damaris Mutua, have lost their lives in domestic violence incidents since 2021. (AFP) | 2024-09-14T22:16:00 |
Cash-strapped Maldives says 'no need for IMF bailout' | The Maldives says its financial troubles are "temporary" and the luxury tourist destination has no plans to seek an International Monetary Fund bailout after warnings of a possible sovereign default. Foreign minister Moosa Zameer said the Indian Ocean archipelago, best known for its upscale resorts and celebrity visitors, was pressing ahead with tax hikes to meet its debt servicing obligations. "We have bilateral partners who are very sensitive to our needs and our situation," Zameer told reporters in Colombo. "I seriously don't think it is a time where we will be right now engaging with the IMF... The issue that we have is very temporary because currently we are having a dip in reserves." He said tax reforms, along with the rationalisation of state-owned enterprises, would improve liquidity. Zameer was visiting Sri Lanka along with Finance Minister Mohamed Shafeeq to meet with local central bankers and other officials. China and India are the two largest bilateral lenders to the Maldives, a tiny nation of 1,192 tiny coral islands in the Indian Ocean scattered across the equator. President Mohamed Muizzu came to power a year ago on the back of a campaign to evict a small contingent of Indian troops deployed in the Maldives and pursue closer ties with China. After the removal of the troops, the two nations have mended fences and had "cleared misunderstandings," Zameer said. "At the start of our government, we did have some rough patches, you know," he added. "We have fantastic bilateral relations with both China and India... Both countries continue to support us." China has pledged more funding since last year's victory by Muizzu, who thanked the country for its "selfless assistance" for development funds on a state visit to Beijing shortly after taking power. Official data showed the Maldives' foreign debt at US$3.37 billion in the first quarter of this year, equating to around 45 percent of gross domestic product. China accounted for about 20 percent of the external debt while India owned just under 18 percent. Zameer's visit came days after Moody's Ratings downgraded the Maldives' credit rating by one notch to Caa2, considered a high credit risk. Fellow ratings agency Fitch downgraded the Maldives in June, saying that dwindling foreign currency reserves posed a financial risk. It said the government's debt servicing obligations, amounting to US$409 million this year, would add to severe stress. (AFP) | 2024-09-14T22:54:00 |
Storm Boris wreaks havoc across Europe | Four people have died in Romania in floods triggered by Storm Boris, which has brought torrential rains and widespread disruption to central and eastern Europe, rescue services said on Saturday. Since Thursday, swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have been hit by high winds and unusually fierce rains. "We are again facing the effects of climate change, which are increasingly present on the European continent, with dramatic consequences," said Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. "We must continue to strengthen our capacity to anticipate extreme weather events." In Romania, four bodies were discovered in the worst affected region, Galati in the southeast, where 5,000 homes were damaged. Hundreds of people have been rescued across 19 parts of the country, rescue services said, releasing a video of flooded homes in a village by the Danube river. "This is a catastrophe of epic proportions," said Emil Dragomir, mayor of Slobozia Conachi village in Galati, where he said 700 homes had been flooded. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu was expected to visit the area later, while President Iohannis sent his "condolences to grieving families." Around 100,000 firefighters have been mobilised in the Czech Republic, where nearly 2,900 incidents were recorded on Friday, most of them due to fallen trees and floods. Almost 50,000 homes were without electricity on Saturday, Czech power company CEZ said, and a hospital in the southeastern city of Brno was evacuated on Saturday morning. "The ground is now saturated so all the rainwater is going to stay on the surface," Environment Minister Petr Hladik said on X, formerly Twitter. Residents are being offered free bags of sand to shore up their homes. Neighbouring Slovakia has declared a state of emergency in the capital, Bratislava. Meanwhile in Poland, the government warned the situation would be the most difficult in the southwest going into Saturday afternoon and evening. Authorities have shut the Golkowice border crossing with the Czech Republic after a river flooded its banks, closed several roads and halted trains on the line linking Prudnik to Nysa. Austria registered winds of 146 kilometres an hour in the south. Firefighters have intervened around 150 times in the capital Vienna since Friday to clear roads blocked by storm debris and pump water from cellars, local media reported. Four thousand homes in the Styrie region are without power and the "peak is yet to come," Chancellor Karl Nehammer warned. In mountainous areas of the west, snow halted traffic and rescue services were searching for a man reported missing after an avalanche. Some areas of the Tyrol were blanketed by up to a metre of snow – an exceptional situation for mid-September, which saw temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius last week. (AFP) | 2024-09-15T00:22:00 |
Liverpool stunned by Forest, Haaland bags two for City | Liverpool's perfect start under Arne Slot came to a stunning end as Nottingham Forest won 1-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while Erling Haaland's double sent Manchester City three points clear at the top of the Premier League in a 2-1 win over Brentford. Earlier, Manchester United eased the pressure on Erik ten Hag with a comfortable 3-0 win at Southampton. Forest had not won at Anfield in the top flight for 55 years but the home faithful were stunned when Callum Hudson-Odoi fired in the winner 18 minutes from time. Liverpool had won all three of their opening games under Slot without conceding, including a 3-0 win away at Manchester United two weeks ago. But the Reds were sloppy and sluggish after the international break and made to pay. Luis Diaz hit the post and Diogo Jota wasted a big chance to put Liverpool ahead before half-time. And they were punished when Hudson-Odoi latched onto Anthony Elanga's pass, cut inside and unleashed an accurate strike low beyond Alisson Becker. Victory lifts Forest into fourth with eight points from their opening four games. City took full advantage of Liverpool's defeat to move clear at the top by stretching their 100 percent record to four games despite a disastrous start. John Stones was recalled by Pep Guardiola for his first club start of the season but the England international's poor clearance teed up Yoane Wissa to open the scoring after just 22 seconds at the Etihad. However, Haaland's form at the start of the season remains unstoppable, even if the Norwegian just missed out on a record third consecutive hat-trick in the Premier League. The 24-year-old's powerful deflected effort brought City level before he showed a combination of strength and skill to shrug off Ethan Pinnock and dink the ball over the onrushing Mark Flekken. Only the post denied Haaland another hat-trick after half-time but he now has nine goals in four games this season. United had been left to fester on their humbling by Liverpool for two weeks over the international break, but bounced back after a slow start at Southampton. The Red Devils needed a penalty save from Andre Onana to deny Cameron Archer before two goals in five minutes just before half-time swung the game decisively in the visitors' favour. Matthijs de Ligt nodded in his first United goal before Marcus Rashford ended his six-month drought by finding the bottom corner with a curling effort. Southampton are yet to register a point in four games since their return to the top flight and inflicted more damage on themselves when captain Jack Stephens saw red for a wild lunge on Alejandro Garnacho. The Argentine dusted himself off to then round off the scoring with a thumping finish into the roof of the net in stoppage time. "Once Andre stopped the penalty, straight after, we scored a goal with Matthijs de Ligt, the game was all ours and we dominate the game from that point," said Ten Hag. Third-placed Brighton remain unbeaten but were unable to break down Ipswich in a 0-0 draw at the Amex. Crystal Palace came from 2-0 down to salvage a 2-2 draw against Leicester thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta's double. West Ham also struck late through Danny Ings to snatch a 1-1 draw at Fulham. In the late games, Aston Villa came from 2-nil down to snatch a thrilling 3-2 win at home to Everton, and Christopher Nkunku came off the bench late to score the winner for Chelsea at Bournemouth. (AFP) | 2024-09-15T01:25:00 |
Biden to use rest of term empowering Ukraine | US President Joe Biden will use his remaining months in office to strengthen Ukraine, a senior aide said on Saturday, as Kyiv fights off Russia's offensive for a third year. Biden withdrew from the US elections, which are potentially perilous for Ukraine as they could see Ukraine-sceptic Donald Trump back in the White House. The prospect has raised fears in Kyiv, which relies mainly on the US for support and is preparing for Biden's handover in January. Biden is "determined to use the four months to put Ukraine in the best possible position to prevail," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said. "President Zelensky has said that ultimately this war has to end through negotiations, and we need them to be strong in those negotiations," Sullivan said, adding Ukraine would decide when to enter negotiations with Russia. Sullivan was speaking via video-link at a conference organised by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation. The US President will meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky at the next UN General Assembly in late September, he said. The two leaders will discuss how to best strengthen support to Ukraine, which is battling Russian advances in the east of the country. "Ukraine has taken bold and assertive steps as well in the war. But that area around Pokrovsk is of unique concern," Sullivan said, referring to a logistics hub that Moscow's advancing forces are within 10 kilometres of. Despite a surprise cross-border attack launched by Kyiv on August 6 in Russia's Kursk, Moscow continues to steadily gain ground in the eastern Donetsk region. Sullivan said Washington paid particular attention to the situation in the east, and on helping defend Ukraine from "brazen" attacks on civilian energy infrastructure, potentially threatening nuclear power plants. To fend off the renewed assaults in the east, Ukraine has called for prompt delivery of Western military aid. Kyiv has often criticised delays that have held up the transfer of weapons from the West. "It's not a matter of political will. It's a matter of busting through these difficult and complicated logistics," Sullivan said. Sullivan nevertheless acknowledged that "given what Ukraine is up against, we've got to do more, and we've got to do better." (AFP) | 2024-09-15T03:38:00 |
Sixteen dead in tanker truck explosion in Haiti | Sixteen people were killed in southwestern Haiti on Saturday and about 40 were injured when a tanker truck exploded, said Fidel Nicolas, head of the Civil Protection agency in the Nippes region. The blast occurred as the victims were trying to retrieve fuel that was leaking from the truck, according to witnesses. The injured were transported to Sainte Therese Hospital in the port city of Miragoane, about 100 kilometers west of the capital Port-au-Prince. Interim Prime Minister Garry Conille called an emergency government meeting to deal with the tragedy, said Emmanuel Pierre, national head of the Civil Protection agency. Nineteen victims who suffered serious burns will be transferred to specialised hospitals in Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, thanks to a flight jointly organised by the Ministry of Public Health and the Doctors Without Borders aid group, Pierre said. Haiti has been plagued by instability for years and its capital has virtually been taken over by criminal gangs. Top US diplomat Anthony Blinken made a rare visit on September 5, during which he promised US$45 million in aid and stressed the need for elections, which have not taken place in Haiti since 2016. Blinken also voiced concern about the long-term future of a Kenya-led police force, which arrived two months ago and has been tasked with stabilising Port-au-Prince and beyond. (AFP) | 2024-09-15T06:48:00 |
Four arrested for suspected traffic offences | Police said they arrested four men for alleged traffic offences between Friday and Sunday. A 42-year-old driver was suspected of drink driving. Officers stopped him after noticing his truck was being driven erratically along Choi Hung Road in Wong Tai Sin. Another three drivers, aged 35 to 52, allegedly drove while disqualified and without third party insurance in Ngau Tau Kok and Wong Tai Sin. All four were released on bail and have to report to the police next month. Police also issued verbal warnings to eight other drivers. | 2024-09-15T11:13:00 |
'Comprehensive review of three-tier system needed' | The head of the University of Hong Kong’s Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention on Sunday said a school-based system designed to prevent youth suicide has been effective, but could still be improved. The government-led three-tier school-based emergency system has so far identified about 200 vulnerable pupils while about a dozen high-risk students have been referred for psychiatric help. “I think [the system] has managed to capture some of the students that have the needs. Nevertheless, I think the overall arrangements, I think they still can be further enhanced. I think we will have continuous discussion with the school principals and the other personnel, and then hopefully we will come up with a recommendation by the end of this year,” said Professor Paul Yip after attending a Commercial Radio programme. Under the mechanism, schools are offered assistance in identifying students with mental health needs or high suicide risks in the first-tier. In the second tier, an off-campus support network is formed to enhance external support for schools. Lastly, school principals can refer students with severe mental health needs to the Hospital Authority's psychiatric specialist services. Meanwhile, a secondary school principal has called on the Education Bureau to conduct a comprehensive review of its school curriculum framework to find ways to improve students' well-being. The call from Esther Ho, who is also the chairwoman of the Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters, followed an HKU annual study which revealed that the suicide rate among teenagers under 15 increased to 2.9 per 100,000 people last year from 0.9 in 2022. “It's not a responsive initiative. We have emergency issues, we have problems, so we kick-start a number of ad hoc groups to cater them. It has been nearly 25 years since the previous comprehensive review document was released,” she said. “So looking back retrospectively, in the past two decades, especially the pandemic period, we identify a lot of issues. AI is transforming our education, learning, curriculum. So it's timely to review both the [School Curriculum Framework], Leaning and Teaching Practices, as well as how we could promote a holistic person's development for our next generations.” Ho cited her school on practices it is organising to promote students’ well-being and improve their mental health. “In my school, we have well-being music, welcoming our teachers and students every day. And continuously we engage our students in various activities, a lot of teams, and from last year we have our own student team promoting mental health. So they could derive and actualise their own plan, and this is their voice and the connections with their peers that make things work,” she said. | 2024-09-15T11:48:00 |
Silver bonds to offer attractive returns: FS | Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Sunday said a planned issue of silver bonds would offer investors attractive returns, including interest rates of at least four percent. The bonds, announced this week, will be available to investors born in or before 1965, offering annual returns matching Hong Kong's inflation rate or four percent, whichever is higher. Writing on his blog, Paul Chan said the investment sector was positive towards Hong Kong's development prospects, because of its unique advantages and its flourishing innovation and technology ecosystem. Tech start-ups hoped to use the city as a springboard to mainland and international markets. "Technological innovation can lead to leaps and bounds in economic and industry development, but this force needs capital support and leverage financial power," Chan wrote. "If we could activate the financial services chain, we could allow more funds and capital to support our start-up enterprises better, injecting a large force towards the development of the local innovation and technology industry," he added. Chan noted the bonds would offer elderly citizens a safe and reliable place to park their money. "The bonds provide the elderly with a low-risk and reliable investment choice. Not only could they receive stable interest returns, bondholders can also contribute towards the development of their own community and the city. It is a win-win investment," he wrote. The latest batch of silver bonds will be available to the public from September 30. Money raised will be allocated to the Capital Works Reserve Fund, for use on infrastructure projects._____________________________
Last updated: 2024-09-15 HKT 22:34 | 2024-09-15T12:28:00 |
6 foreigners arrested over alleged plot to kill Maduro | Three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen were arrested on Saturday after Venezuelan officials accused them of coming to the South American country to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro . The arrests were announced on state television by Diosdado Cabello, the nation's interior minister. Cabello said the foreign citizens were part of a CIA-led plot to overthrow the Venezuelan government and kill several members of its leadership. In the television programme, Cabello showed images of rifles that he said were confiscated from some of the plotters of the alleged plan. The arrest of the American citizens included a member of the Navy, who Cabello identified as Wilbert Joseph Castañeda Gomez. Cabello said that Gomez was a navy seal who had served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Colombia. Spain's embassy in Venezuela did not reply to a request for comment on the arrests of its citizens. The US State Department late on Saturday confirmed the detention of a US military member and said it was aware of “unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens detained in Venezuela.” “Any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela,” the statement said. The announcement of the arrests comes just two days after the US Treasury imposed sanctions on 16 allies of Maduro who were accused by Washington of obstructing voting during the disputed July 28 Venezuelan presidential election and carrying out human rights abuses. Earlier this week, Spain's parliament recognised opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the election, angering Maduro allies who called on the Venezuelan government to suspend commercial and diplomatic relations with Spain. (AP) | 2024-09-15T12:37:00 |
Houthis launch missile attack on central Israel | A surface-to-surface missile fired at central Israel from Yemen hit an unpopulated area, causing no injuries, Israel's military said on Sunday. Moments earlier, air raid sirens had sounded in Tel Aviv and across central Israel, sending residents running for shelter. "Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in central Israel, a surface-to-surface missile was identified crossing into central Israel from the east and fell in an open area. No injuries were reported," the military said. Loud booms were also heard in the region, which the military said came from missile interceptors that had been launched. It added that its protective guidelines to Israel's residents were unchanged. In July, Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen fired a long-range drone at Tel Aviv, killing one man and wounding four others. The attack prompted Israel to carry out a major air strike on Houthi military targets near Yemen's Hodeidah port, killing at least three people and wounding 87. (Reuters) | 2024-09-15T12:51:00 |
Philippine vessel withdraws from Xianbin Reef | The China Coast Guard on Sunday said a Philippine vessel withdrew from Xianbin Reef, also known as the Sabina Shoal, on September 14, after being there for nearly five months. According to China Coast Guard spokesperson Liu Dejun, China took measures against Philippine vessel 9701 in accordance with the law, while repeated Philippine attempts to organise replenishment of the vessel had failed. Liu said Manila's actions had "seriously infringed on China's territorial sovereignty...seriously undermining regional peace and stability." "We sternly warn the Philippines to stop inciting propaganda and risking infringements, and to meet China halfway to safeguard the seriousness and validity of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," Liu added. Beijing "will continue to carry out rights protection and law enforcement activities in waters under China's jurisdiction," Liu said. The Philippines maritime council said the vessel was returning to port after a five-month deployment as its mission was accomplished. "After more than five months at sea, where she carried out her sentinel duties against overwhelming odds, BRP Teresa Magbanua is now sailing back to her homeport with her mission accomplished," Lucas Bersamin, executive secretary and chairman of the National Maritime Council said in a statement. Bersamin said Teresa Magbauna's return was necessary due to the medical needs of its crew and to undergo repairs. Council spokesman Alexander Lopez said Manila would "continue to monitor and enforce our rights, exercise our rights, sovereign rights, sovereignty and jurisdiction over the area." The move followed high-level talks between Manila and Beijing last week where the Philippines reaffirmed its position on that body of water and China reiterated its demand that the vessel be withdrawn. The area lies 150 kilometres west of the Philippine province of Palawan. On Saturday, a Chinese defence spokesperson said Beijing would take forceful and effective measures to resolutely counter any actions that stir up trouble in the South China Sea and infringe upon China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights. Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence, made the remarks in response to a media query about recent comments from the Philippines and the United States regarding Philippine operations in that body of water. (Agencies/Xinhua) | 2024-09-15T15:14:00 |
SpaceX Polaris Dawn splashes down in Florida | A billionaire spacewalker returned to Earth with his crew on Sunday, ending a five-day trip that lifted them higher than anyone has travelled since Nasa’s moonwalkers. SpaceX’s capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida's Dry Tortugas, carrying tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, two SpaceX engineers and a former Air Force Thunderbird pilot. They pulled off the first private spacewalk while orbiting nearly 740 kilometres above Earth, higher than the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope. Their spacecraft hit a peak altitude of 1,408 kilometres following Tuesday’s liftoff. Isaacman became only the 264th person to perform a spacewalk, since the former Soviet Union scored the first in 1965, and SpaceX’s Sarah Gillis the 265th. Until now, all spacewalks were done by professional astronauts. During Thursday's commercial spacewalk, the Dragon capsule’s hatch was open barely a half-hour. Isaacman emerged only up to his waist to briefly test SpaceX’s brand new spacesuit followed by Gillis, who was knee high as she flexed her arms and legs for several minutes. Gillis, a classically trained violinist, also held a performance in orbit earlier in the week. The spacewalk lasted less than two hours, considerably shorter than those at the International Space Station. Most of that time was needed to depressurise the entire capsule and then restore the cabin air. Even SpaceX's Anna Menon and Scott “Kidd” Poteet, who remained strapped in, wore spacesuits. SpaceX considers the brief exercise a starting point to test spacesuit technology for future, longer missions to Mars. This was Isaacman’s second chartered flight with SpaceX, with two more still ahead under his personally financed space exploration programme named Polaris after the North Star. He paid an undisclosed sum for his first spaceflight in 2021, taking along contest winners and a pediatric cancer survivor while raising more than US$250 million for a children's hospital. For the just completed so-called Polaris Dawn mission, the founder and CEO of the Shift4 credit card-processing company shared the cost with SpaceX. Isaacman won’t divulge how much he spent. (AP) | 2024-09-15T17:53:00 |
SoCo appeals on labour, housing before Policy Address | The Society for Community Organisation (SoCo) on Sunday called on the government to review and refine its various labour importation schemes, as part of its proposals for the Policy Address next month. The call came after the Development Bureau rejected all 18 applications for the fifth round of the Labour Importation Scheme for the Construction Sector, citing a recovery in local employment. But SoCo’s deputy director Sze Lai-shan said authorities should consider putting an end to the import of workers for sectors where local unemployment has risen. “I think the government should review the policy immediately. Actually some of the other sectors, for example, restaurants, retailing, the [local] unemployment or under-employment increased. So I think [the authorities] should review if these kinds of sectors should stop importing workers,” she said. “And besides, they should review [the schemes] every three months, every half year to see whether they [should] stop or not. And also they should set a quota because some of the sectors don't have a quota.” The society also carried out a recent survey of 713 grassroots people on their expectations for the policy blueprint and found that 60 percent of respondents said their family income declined over the past year while 40 percent said their families were in debt. Sze attributed this primarily to a slump in the economy and raised concerns the feeling of job insecurity could lead to mental health issues and affect family well-being. Meanwhile, the survey also suggested the less privileged groups think the government should focus on housing, with Sze explaining that those waiting to move into a public housing unit have yet to enjoy the relief measures put forward by the government. “Even for the light public housing scheme, [the successful applicants] can only move in next year. So you can see in the past two years, they listen, the government have some good policies, but [the people] haven't enjoyed it. So that's the point,” she said. The chief executive will deliver his third Policy Address on October 16. | 2024-09-15T16:26:00 |
'Ex-Physical Fitness employees will have wages sorted' | The labour and welfare secretary on Sunday said it is only a matter of time until former employees of Physical Fitness get their wages and severance payments after the gym chain closed its doors on September 6. Speaking to reporters after an event, Chris Sun said the Labour Department had received requests for help from about 670 employees. He said they are all eligible to apply to the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund (PWIF) for help with unpaid remuneration. "We are trying our very best, to persuade the employer of Physical Fitness, [to] declare that they are unable to pay. So if this statement can be signed, it will speed up the whole process, so the 600 odd employees, they will get payment under the PWIF in a very speedy manner," Sun said. "In the event that this statement is not available, there is an established procedure: we have to go through the labour tribunal and we have to file a petition to the court, so it takes a bit more time," he added. He reminded former Physical employees who are considering signing a new contract with the "HEALTHY" gym, which now operates at the former Wan Chai branch of Physical Fitness, to pay attention to the contract terms and sort out the arrangements for unpaid wages. Separately, the Consumer Council's chief executive Gilly Wong urged the gym chain's members to wait before signing agreements with "HEALTHY", as the terms and conditions were "unclear". "According to our past experiences, former members might not be able to receive the same service even if a new operator steps in, such as how many stores are available, whether they changed their operating hours," Wong said on a TV programme. She added that consumer complaints towards the fitness industry had declined in the past few years due to changes in their business model, such as opening for 24 hours and allowing members to pay monthly, but the industry could review their own polices and services rather than waiting on government regulations to implement a cooling-off period. The consumer watchdog has received almost 4,000 complaints about Physical Fitness so far, with around 40 of them having signed contracts one to three days before the chain's closure. | 2024-09-15T16:47:00 |
Restaurants expect 10pc drop in Mid-Autumn sales | A leading member of the city's catering sector on Sunday said that restaurants expect business to drop by at least 10 percent during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday compared to a year ago. Simon Wong, President of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, believes sales would drop from HK$280 million to HK$250 million this year, saying many residents may opt to take time off and travel instead of staying in the SAR. "Many people are travelling, not even to GBA (Greater Bay Area) cities, but also to other cities on the mainland, and also travel to other Southeast Asian countries to spend their holiday," he said. "I also see that there are more residents in Hong Kong, they would not dine outside on the streets. The fact is that their spending habits have changed. Most families would stay in their homes and celebrate the festival with their family members and also friends. That is another blow to our business." Wong pointed out that the number of visitors heading to Hong Kong would not be able to compensate for the loss. This is because he foresees the number of residents leaving Hong Kong during the holiday to be two times more than that of incoming travellers, adding the spending power of tourists is 20 percent less than a year ago. For the first time, the Tourism Board will hold a drone show at the Wan Chai harbourfront to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival on Tuesday night. However, Wong doesn't believe it will do much to boost the sector's business, except for places along the harbour where you can watch the display. "We see that [these kind of activities] would attract a lot of people to Tsim Sha Tsui and nearby areas. But the other areas would become... all the people are going there [the harbourfront], so the business has been hurting greatly." With the chief executive set to unveil his third Policy Address next month, Wong hopes the government could roll out more dynamic activities to lure tourists. | 2024-09-15T17:36:00 |
Cyclist dies after being hit by bus on Lantau | A 31-year-old female cyclist died after falling off her bike and being hit by a tourist coach on Keung Shan Road on Lantau Island. Police said the incident happened at around 3pm on Sunday afternoon, when the woman and about 10 other cyclists were riding from Tung Chung to Tai O. The force said she reportedly lost her balance on a bend and fell, before being struck by a coach in the oncoming lane. The woman, who is from the mainland, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police arrested the 59-year-old coach driver on suspicion of dangerous driving causing death and he was being held early on Monday for inquiries. _____________________________
Last updated: 2024-09-16 HKT 01:32 | 2024-09-15T18:09:00 |
Eight die attempting to cross English Channel | At least eight people died during a failed attempt to cross the English Channel from northern France, French maritime authorities said on Sunday. The incident occurred on Saturday just before midnight local time, when authorities spotted a boat, carrying dozens, in distress near a beach in the northern town of Ambleteuse. A French rescue ship was deployed to the area and rescue services offered medical assistance to 53 migrants on the beach, a statement from the French maritime authorities in charge of the Channel and the North Sea said. “Despite the emergency care provided, eight people have died,” the statement said. No people were discovered during the search at sea, it added. Six people were taken to hospital “in relative emergency,” including a 10-month-old baby with hypothermia. Officials said the survivors came from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran. The incident occurred nearly two weeks after a boat carrying migrants ripped apart in the English Channel as they attempted to reach Britain from northern France, plunging dozens into the treacherous waterway and leaving 13 dead. (AP) | 2024-09-15T18:25:00 |
Typhoon Bebinca makes landfall in Shanghai | All flights at Shanghai's two main airports will be cancelled because of a typhoon, state media reported. "Affected by Typhoon Bebinca, the traffic capacity of Shanghai's Pudong and Hongqiao airports has decreased today. From 8pm, all flights at both airports have been cancelled," state broadcaster CCTV reported. Shanghai authorities halted transportation links, recalled ships and shut tourism spots including the Disney Resort on Sunday as it braced for Typhoon Bebinca, the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the financial hub since 1949. The Category 1 typhoon, packing maximum sustained wind speeds near its centre of around 144 kilometres per hour, made landfall along China's eastern coast. CCTV reported that Bebinca's maximum wind speed near the centre was 42 metres per second on landfall. The strongest storm to make landfall in Shanghai in recent decades was Typhoon Gloria in 1949, which tore through the city with gusts of 144 kilometres per hour. Shanghai was last threatened by a direct hit in 2022 by the powerful Typhoon Muifa, which instead landed 300 kilometres away in the city of Zhoushan, in Zhejiang Province. (Agencies)_____________________________
Last updated: 2024-09-16 HKT 09:32 | 2024-09-15T18:51:00 |
Olympic champion Axelsen wins HK Open title | Double Olympic badminton champion Viktor Axelsen cruised to his maiden Hong Kong Open title on Sunday, defeating China's Lei Lanxi 21-9, 21-12. The Dane had not dropped a game all week in his first tournament since winning gold in Paris and took just 44 minutes to dispatch Lei 21-9, 21-12 in front of an adoring capacity crowd at the Hong Kong Coliseum. It was his second Badminton World Federation tour title this year following his win at May's Malaysia Masters and he said he was "a bit surprised but happy", because maintaining his form since the Olympics had been "stressful". "I managed to play very aggressively, but also with a great balance to my game," he said, biting into a traditional mooncake – a gift from fans for this week's Mid-Autumn Festival. World number 22 Lei, in only his second tour level final, made a bright start to both games but the 26-year-old soon found it tough to keep pace with Axelsen, who became the first Dane to lift the men's singles title in Hong Kong since Peter Gade in 1997. In the women's singles, China's Han Yue confirmed her status as a rising star after the 24-year-old outplayed Indonesia's unseeded Putri Kusuma Wardani 21-18, 21-7 The mixed doubles was an all-China clash, with Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin edging Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping 21-17, 21-19. Malaysia's Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, runners-up a year ago, secured the women's doubles title 21-14, 21-14 against China's Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning. Korea's Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae won the men's doubles 21-13, 21-17 against Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani from Indonesia. (AFP) | 2024-09-15T21:12:00 |
Piastri wins in Baku to take McLaren top of standings | Oscar Piastri won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and sent McLaren top of the constructors' standings in a race that finished with a virtual safety car after a penultimate lap collision between Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Red Bull's Sergio Perez. Ferrari's pole-sitter Charles Leclerc, who was overtaken by Piastri on the 20th of 51 laps and then battled nose-to-tail before his tyres faded, came second with George Russell inheriting third for Mercedes after the Sainz-Perez collision. Red Bull's Formula One leader Max Verstappen finished fifth, just behind his closest title rival Lando Norris, who started 15th for McLaren and ended up fourth with a bonus point for fastest lap. Triple champion Verstappen's lead over Norris, who reeled in a 15 second gap and passed the Dutch driver on lap 49 thanks to his fresher tyres, was cut from 62 points to 59. McLaren are now 20 points clear of Red Bull in the standings with seven rounds remaining. "That was probably the most stressful afternoon in my life," said Piastri, after soaking up relentless pressure from Leclerc to take his second career win. "It definitely goes down as one of the better races of my career." The top two had duelled for lap after lap, with the Ferrari driver trying in vain to use the DRS drag reduction to get past Piastri until he faded and fell into the clutches of Perez and Sainz. Fernando Alonso was sixth for Aston Martin with Williams benefiting from the late crash to see Alex Albon finish seventh with Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto following him home in eighth. Perez tried and failed to pass Leclerc for second place on the penultimate lap and then found himself fourth as Sainz seized the opportunity to go past. As the Spaniard and Mexican battled for third at turn two, the cars collided and went into the wall. "What happened there?," exclaimed Sainz, with Perez asking the same thing in more colourful language. (Reuters) | 2024-09-15T22:29:00 |
Death toll rises in Myanmar flooding | Myanmar's death toll from floods rose to at least 113 as of Saturday evening, the country's military government said on Sunday, following heavy rains brought on by Typhoon Yagi that has caused havoc across parts of Southeast Asia. At least 320,000 people have been displaced and 64 were still missing, government spokesman Zaw Min Tun said, according to a late-night bulletin on state-run MRTV. "The government is conducting a rescue and rehabilitation mission," he said. Adverse weather from Typhoon Yagi, the strongest storm to hit Asia this year, has killed hundreds of people in Vietnam and Thailand, and flood waters from swollen rivers have inundated cities in both countries. The flooding in Myanmar began last Monday, with at least 74 people killed by Friday, based on state media reports. Myanmar has been in turmoil since a military coup in February 2021 and violence has engulfed large parts of the country. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the storm's rains mainly affected the capital Naypyitaw, as well as the Mandalay, Magway, and Bago regions, along with eastern and southern Shan state, Mon, Kayah and Kayin states. "Central Myanmar is currently the hardest hit, with numerous rivers and creeks flowing down from Shan hills," the OCHA said. Reports of more deaths and landslides have emerged, but gathering information has been challenging due to damaged infrastructure and downed phone and internet lines. State media also reported that five dams, four pagodas, and more than 65,000 houses were destroyed by the flooding. About a third of Myanmar's 55 million people require humanitarian assistance but many aid agencies, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, cannot operate in many areas because of access restrictions and security risks. (Reuters) | 2024-09-15T22:39:00 |
Police highlight cyber, deepfakes in youth guide | Police Commissioner Raymond Siu has said that the force is stepping up efforts to keep young people informed about the rising threat of cybercrime, including the use of deepfake technology. The force on Monday published the third edition of its youth crime prevention booklet, which included topics like cyber risks involving so-called deepfakes, a term for sophisticated AI-generated images depicting real people, as well as online fraud and sex related crimes. At a media briefing ahead of the launch, Siu said there's a need to increase public awareness of cybercrime, as it is not only an issue for Hong Kong. "In fact, this is a global trend... In particular, technology crime, we mentioned about deepfakes. Because with the advancement of technology nowadays, I'm sure that the trend will continue," he said. "We have to include all these, not just for young guys, but all ages. And we have been doing a lot on this in order to do more publicity with a view to prevent this sort of trend to continue to deteriorate." Senior superintendent Wong Ping-ping said the booklet presents real-life examples to help educators understand more about crime. "We rely on teachers to help us do preventive measures by educating the youngsters on the latest trend of crime. They will help us educate students, youngsters to be more alert and not to be lured into committing crime or being a victim of the crimes," she said. Officers said about 1,500 teenagers, aged between 10 and 20, were arrested for criminal offences in the first half of this year, which was a five percent drop when compared with the average number in the past decade. The force said 50,000 booklets would be delivered to primary and secondary schools, youth service groups and public libraries. | 2024-09-16T00:55:00 |
'I hate Taylor Swift': Trump lashes out at singer | Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump on Sunday levelled an attack against Taylor Swift, declaring his "hate" for her just days after the pop mega-star endorsed his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris. In an all-caps posting on his Truth Social media account, Trump wrote: "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!" Immediately following last week's Trump-Harris debate, Swift informed her 284 million Instagram followers that she planned to vote for Harris, currently the US vice president, "because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them." Trump initially dismissed Swift's endorsement of Harris by simply saying he was "not a Taylor fan." But since then, with public opinion polls showing Harris gaining significant ground on Trump in what is expected to be a close November 5 presidential election, the former president has ratcheted up his rhetoric against one of the most successful recording artists in history. Swift's backing of Harris has drawn over 9 million "likes" to her Instagram post, fuelling speculation that it could boost the Democrat's chances of winning the presidential election. (Reuters) | 2024-09-16T01:47:00 |
Police shoot knife-wielding man dead in North Point | A police officer on Sunday fatally shot a man who charged at them with weapons in both hands after a report of domestic violence at a North Point flat. The force said officers were called to the scene at Kam Ping Mansion in Kam Ping Street by the 38-year-old man's wife soon after 9pm. She said the man had attacked her and her mother-in-law. At a media briefing, Superintendent Sin Kwok-ming said the officer opened fire after repeated warnings as the suspect ran towards the police team carrying a knife in one hand and scissors in the other. Sin expressed sympathy to the man's family, but said the officer acted properly in a critical situation. He said the suspect was about 1.5 metres away, adding that officers were trained to shoot at the largest part of the body. The man was taken to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai, where he was declared dead a little over an hour later. Sin said the deceased had a history of mental illness. Footage taken by members of the public shows the injured man being placed into the ambulance with his head secured in a neck brace. Paramedics attempted cardiac resuscitation before driving away. The dead man's 69-year-old mother was also treated in hospital for head injuries and a fractured hand. She was said to be in a stable condition. The officer involved is said to have eight years' experience. Police remained on the scene in the early hours of Monday. The case is being investigated by the Hong Kong Island Regional Crime Unit. _____________________________
Last updated: 2024-09-16 HKT 03:55 | 2024-09-16T02:28:00 |
Trump safe after 'assassination attempt' at golf club | US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was safe after what the FBI said appeared to be an assassination attempt on Sunday outside Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. Law enforcement officials told a news conference that they apprehended a suspect who was spotted by US Secret Service agents with an AK-47-style assault rifle outside the Trump National Golf Course. Secret Service agents fired shots, and the suspect fled in a black SUV. "The FBI has responded to West Palm Beach Florida and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump," the agency said in a statement. Trump's campaign had earlier said he was safe following gunshots in his vicinity but gave no details. The Secret Service said it was investigating the incident, which occurred around 1.30pm local time. Trump sent an email to his fundraising list saying there were "gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!" according to an email seen by Reuters. Trump was injured in an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on July 13, raising questions about protection for candidates just months ahead of what looks likely to be highly contested November 5 election in which he will face off against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. The White House said in a statement that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been briefed about the incident and were relieved to know that he is safe. "Violence has no place in America," Harris said in an X social media post. (Reuters)_____________________________
Last updated: 2024-09-16 HKT 05:19 | 2024-09-16T03:37:00 |
Arsenal show strength in derby win at Tottenham | Mikel Arteta saluted Arsenal's hunger as the gritty Gunners ignored the absence of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard to clinch an "ugly" 1-0 win at bitter rivals Tottenham on Sunday. Arteta's side were without skipper Odegaard due to an ankle injury suffered on Norway duty, while fellow midfielder Rice served a suspension for his red card against Brighton. But the Premier League title contenders dug deep with a combative display, benefitting from Tottenham's latest display of wasteful finishing before Gabriel Magalhaes bagged the winner in the second half. The Brazilian defender's first goal since February made it three wins from four league games for unbeaten Arsenal as they chase a first title since 2004 after two successive runners-up finishes. "Super happy obviously," Arteta said. "We know what it means for our club and our people to win a north London derby." "We had moments in the game where we had to suffer," he added. "We had to adapt a little bit because of some of the players we lost." Arsenal have now won on their last three visits to Tottenham, losing just once, in May 2022, in their last eight meetings with their neighbours. "There were no excuses, no crying. The players have thick skin. They love the game," the 42-year-old manager said. "Sometimes to win you have to do the ugly things and they love to do that. I loved it, because day after day the players are hungrier and hungrier." Arsenal have now won on their last three visits to Tottenham, losing just once, in May 2022, in their last eight meetings with their neighbours. The second placed Gunners are two points behind Manchester City as they turn their attention to their Champions League opener at Atalanta on Thursday before travelling to face Pep Guardiola's champions next weekend. (AFP) | 2024-09-16T08:23:00 |
US claims first Solheim Cup victory since 2017 | Second-ranked Lilia Vu captured the deciding half-point and the United States defeated Europe on Sunday to win the Solheim Cup for the first time in seven years. Vu birdied to win the 17th hole and made a tap-in birdie to take 18 and tie Swiss rookie Albane Valenzuela, giving the Americans 14.5 points to clinch victory at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club with final matches still on the course. "This is a dream of mine and so happy that I was able to do that," Vu said after dropping her approach inches from the hole to set up her winning putt. "It meant the world." The Americans, who lead the all-time rivalry 11-7 with one draw, began Sunday's 12 concluding singles matches with a 10-6 advantage, needing only four wins and a draw to reclaim the Cup. Europe failed to match the greatest last-day Solheim comeback, needing to capture eight singles matches on US soil for the first time, and missed the chance to take the trophy for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time. World number one Nelly Korda, a six-time LPGA winner this year, was on her first Solheim Cup winner. "It has been a dream come true," Korda said. "It has been such an amazing week. We all bonded really well." (AFP) | 2024-09-16T08:27:00 |
Rahm wins LIV Golf Chicago | Spain's Jon Rahm fired four birdies – including a 12-footer at the 17th – to win LIV Golf Chicago on Sunday and clinch the Saudi-backed circuit's individual season title worth $18 million. The two-time major winner from Spain, who made the jump to the breakaway league last December, captured his second victory in the past three events, sandwiched around a runner-up finish to Brooks Koepka in a playoff at LIV Golf Greenbrier in August. Rahm, who hasn't finished outside the top 10 in 11 events, arrived at Bolingbrook Golf Course near Chicago this week with Joaquin Niemann – a two-time winner this season – his only rival for the season title. After a six-under-par second round on Saturday, Rahm took a one-shot lead over compatriot Sergio Garcia into the final round, with Niemann three adrift and needing to finish in front of Rahm to bag the individual champion's bonus. Rahm had birdies at the third, sixth and 10th holes, and after letting a couple of birdie chances go begging, he sealed it with his birdie at 17, carding a four-under final round for a 54-hole total of 11-under par. "I woke up really nervous today," Rahm said. "I wanted to do a really good show and get it over the line. Just really happy I played as good as I did." "To go bogey-free on the weekend, one bogey all tournament, it's quite spectacular," he added. "I'm very proud of the putt on 17, which made 18 a lot easier." In addition to his $US18 million champion's bonus, he bagged $US4 million for the tournament win. He finished three shots better than Niemann, whose four-under final gave him an eight-under total that left him tied for second with Garcia. The LIV season concludes next week with the team championship in Dallas. After that, Rahm has his sights set on playing a trio of DP World Tour events to maintain his Ryder Cup eligibility. (AFP) | 2024-09-16T08:33:00 |
HK market opens lower despite rate cut hopes | Hong Kong stocks opened lower on Monday, with investors cautious ahead of a US central bank meeting this week that's expected to result in a rate cut.. The Hang Seng Index was down 136.71 points, or 0.8 percent, at 17,232.38 in early trade. Mainland markets are closed for the Mid-Autumn festival. | 2024-09-16T09:46:00 |
Relive the War of Resistance, in the eyes of veterans | An interactive exhibition featuring precious photographs and artefacts await visitors at the Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence, which recently underwent a facelift to better educate youngsters on the heroics and sacrifices of the patriots during the Japanese invasion of China nearly a century ago.
Formerly known as the Museum of Coastal Defence, the sprawling complex in Shau Kei Wan overlooking the Lei Yue Mun channel was given a new lease of life as part of a Policy Address initiative last year to cultivate a stronger sense of national esteem and patriotism among society. The first thematic exhibition, "Brothers in Arms: War of Resistance Activities of the East River Column in Shenzhen and Hong Kong", was a joint project between the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Shenzhen Municipal Cultural Relics Bureau. Over 3,000 visitors have already passed through the turnstiles since the gallery was unveiled on September 4.
One of the curators was Terence Cheung, the director of the Museum of History, who said their aim was to create an immersive experience. "Many of the veterans were less than 10 years old at the time of the war," he said. "The youngsters of the same age today may not know why they have the bravery to take part in the War of Resistance, so we would like them to come to our museum to learn more about the veterans' experience." The exhibition received rave reviews from visitors so far. One of them was history buff Mr Law, who was delighted with the museum’s new additions. He believes the real artefacts and multimedia content will help students better understand the war. Ms Leung, a community officer who arranged a visit for a group of senior citizens, said the participants were pleased to see young people showing an interest of history. "Some of them may be seeing the content for the first time, but it brought back deep memories," she said. Another visitor, Mr Tsui, said he is grateful that he didn't have to experience the war. "The people who suffered the most were civilians. If you don't make this part of history public, our young people won't know about it and they will assume what they have now is a given," he said.
Top five must-see items
'Farewell Hong Kong' video display Visitors stepping foot into the gallery are immediately greeted by an upbeat soundtrack. Cheung recalled a veteran singing to the tune during her visit. "Many of the rescued civilians belonged to the drama community. To commemorate the rescue operation, they created a play called Farewell Hong Kong in 1943, and the theme song was actually very popular during the War of Resistance," Cheung explained.
Japanese Type 26 Revolver Walking further into the museum, a genuine Japanese Type 26 Revolver is showcased on the wall. Cheung said that guerrilla fighters often survived by salvaging weapons abandoned on the battlefield. “The guerrilla forces used weapons produced in China also, but because of the limited [supply] … they would collect weapons left behind in the battlefield so that they can have more weapons to fight against the Japanese.”
Felt blanket Another highlight is a brown felt blanket that was donated by a private collector. According to Cheung, "It was actually used by members of the East River Column during that time because we can imagine that they would have some campaigns at night time in the countryside so they used the felt blanket to keep them warm."
Interactive video programmeVisitors were also able to hear the personal accounts of six veterans through an interactive display, with videos and recordings documenting their memorable missions.
One of the veterans was Lam Chun, a nurse who saved lives in hospital. In the video, Lam recalled taking care of two soldiers whose eyes were wounded. She said she was saddened upon learning that the pair couldn’t regain their vision even after prolonged treatment. Another veteran making a cameo was Liu Bingan, who collected intelligence in the field.
"The intelligence they collected would be written on a piece of paper, which were sometimes hidden in food items," Cheung said. "When there was a risk of being discovered, they would swallow the piece of paper."
Miscellaneous memories of 100 Days in Dongjiang Also on display are 10 cartoon drawings by artist Ding Cong, a survivor of the war thanks to the large-scale rescue operation by the guerrilla forces in 1942. The original sketches are kept in Shenzhen Art Museum, but visitors wishing to check out the artwork are now spared a trip up north. Cheung said his favourite drawing is of a man casually bathing in the open air during a time of chaos.
"The guerrilla forces tried to arrange different times of bathing so both men and women could bathe in an open air. I think that's quite interesting," he said. The themed exhibition about the East River Column's heroics runs until July next year. Admission is free of charge, although the museum is closed on Thursdays. | 2024-09-16T12:51:00 |
Businesses expect disappointing Mid-Autumn Festival | Representatives of the catering and hotel industries on Monday said they are bracing for a slow Mid-Autumn Festival, with many expecting a decline in revenue. The three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday on the mainland began on Sunday, with the National Immigration Administration expecting an average of 1.8 million inbound and outbound passenger trips each day. Alan Chan from the Miramar Group said he expects the occupancy rate for the group's two hotels in Hong Kong to reach over 90 percent. But he said they have had to reduce room rates and offer discounts being as many mainlanders have opted to travel elsewhere. “Many countries have implemented visa-free travel for mainland China. There are dozens of countries that have visa-free travel. The mainlanders are not necessarily coming to Hong Kong. The numbers coming to Hong Kong haven't shown that much growth," he said on an RTHK radio programme. Chan added that a strong Hong Kong dollar also makes travelling to the SAR less appealing. On the same programme, Leung Chun-wah, the chairman of the Association for Hong Kong Catering Services Management, said restaurants saw a 10 to 15 percent drop in business over recent weekends, compared to the same period ahead of last year's Mid-Autumn Festival. “The economy isn't doing well, so people are spending less. We haven't really raised prices this year. But the average spending per person was around HK$400 last year, while this year it's only HK$300 to HK$350. That’s how our overall revenue has dropped,” he said. Meanwhile, Hong Kong Disneyland said its three hotels are currently at 80 percent occupancy for the National Day Golden Week holiday next month, which is an improvement on last year. | 2024-09-16T11:29:00 |
CE praises Paralympians for telling good HK story | Chief Executive John Lee on Monday commended the city's Paralympians for overcoming physical limitations, showcasing the spirit of Hong Kong and telling the good story of Hong Kong on the international stage. The Hong Kong, China team won three gold, four silver and a bronze in Paris. At a government welcome home ceremony, Lee praised each Hong Kong athlete for their perseverance and dedication to training, emphasizing that they are world-class athletes and true warriors of life, instilling pride in the community. He said the government has consistently supported the development of sports for people with disabilities, with resources allocated to support athletes continuously increasing to over HK$130 million in the current fiscal year. Lee said the launch of a five-year "Para Athletes Career and Education Programme," aimed at helping athletes acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for transitioning to new careers after retirement, ensures they can pursue a "second career" without concerns. | 2024-09-16T13:22:00 |
'Shogun' and 'Hacks' win top series Emmy Awards | Historical epic "Shogun" smashed all-time records and was named best drama at television's Emmy Awards on Sunday, as "Hacks" and "Baby Reindeer" racked up big wins at the glitzy gala in Los Angeles. "Shogun", the tale of warring dynasties in feudal Japan, ended the night with an astounding 18 statuettes, becoming the first ever non-English-language winner of the highly coveted award for best drama series. The previous record for any season of a television show was 13. "It was an East-meets-West dream project, with respect," said veteran leading man Hiroyuki Sanada, who became the first Japanese actor to win an Emmy. Anna Sawai followed him onto the Emmys stage minutes later with a best actress win, before the cast and producers of "Shogun" returned for the overall best drama award. The series from Disney-owned FX, based on James Clavell's historical fiction, had led the nominations with 25 overall. Shot in Canada, it features a primarily Japanese cast and subtitles. Showrunner Justin Marks thanked producers for commissioning "a very expensive, subtitled, Japanese period piece, whose central climax revolves around a poetry competition." "Shogun is a show about translation – not what is lost, but what is found, when you do safety meetings in two languages, and you learn not to walk on tatami mats with your utility boots," he said. It also won the Emmy for best directing of a drama series, in addition to the 14 won in minor categories at a separate gala last weekend. In the night's biggest surprise, the final award for best comedy series went to "Hacks". The show – starring Jean Smart as a diva comedienne who repeatedly locks horns with her dysfunctional millennial assistant – fended off previous winner and hot favourite "The Bear". "The Bear" still managed a whopping 11 awards, including Jeremy Allen White and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as best lead and supporting actor in the comedy category. Sunday's other big winner was Netflix's word-of-mouth smash "Baby Reindeer," based on a relatively unknown Scottish comedian's harrowing one-man show about sexual abuse. It won best limited series – a prestigious category for shows that end in a single season. (AFP) | 2024-09-16T13:39:00 |
Watchdog gets hundreds of complaints about airlines | The Consumer Council on Monday said it has received more than 1,000 complaints against airlines so far this year, relating to services such as seating and baggage arrangements. In one case, the complainant was said to have paid extra for window seats, but the reserved spots for the return flight were unavailable due to a change in the aircraft model. “The ground staff assured them that although their original seats could not be arranged, the new seats would still be by the window. It was upon boarding that they found out the window next to their seats had been sealed and covered with a magazine rack,” the council said. Two other complaints highlighted by the council involved budget airlines. One passenger paid for priority service but did not receive the treatment, while the other was troubled by a sudden need for her carry-on baggage to go in the hold. Gilly Wong, the council’s chief executive, said flexible pricing options offered by air carriers are good in principle, but companies should better communicate with passengers. “The airlines should design the flexible pricing and also the different add-on services in a more detailed manner. And also, the execution of it has to be with less loopholes. Because if you have loopholes and failed expectations of consumers, that would generate a lot of complaints,” she said. “There are pros and cons…but most importantly, it’s about the communication.” Of the complaints received by the council, 36 percent involved flight rescheduling or cancellations, followed by pricing issues such as baggage fees. | 2024-09-16T14:31:00 |
Watchdog issues warning over gym consent form | The Consumer Council is advising members of the shuttered Physical Fitness chain not to rush into signing up with a new operator that took over one of its sites. As of 9am on Monday, the watchdog had received more than 4,000 complaints about the chain's closure, involving customer losses totalling HK$135 million. The Wan Chai branch reopened under the name "Healthy" last week, with Physical members invited to use it as long as they sign a consent form. But Gilly Wong, the council’s chief executive, said the form is “confusing and unclear”. “It looks like an application form to a new membership, but on the other hand, the new merchant said it is not liable to the service of the existing merchant. And also it can reject the application… It is a little bit contradictory and also quite confusing,” she said. “Since there’s no time limit for the members to sign this application form, we believe it’s much more prudent to wait and see how the situation goes.” With the government seeking to review prepaid services in the fitness sector, Wong said the trade could play its part by introducing a “cooling-off period” for new contracts to be cancelled if the customer wishes. “Without any hesitation and any delay, the industry actually can review their conduct and be disciplined about how to serve the consumers and implement their own voluntary cooling-off period, in order to increase the confidence of their customers,” she said. “It is a meaningful one, not just a cosmetic one. Because in the past, in the fitness industry, we observe that even the customer was entitled to the cooling-off period, but simply by a touch of a button of the [gym] machine that would waive the cooling-off period.” | 2024-09-16T14:46:00 |
Jackson 5 member Tito Jackson dies aged 70 | Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the pop group the Jackson 5, has died at the age of 70. Tito was the third of nine Jackson children, which included global superstars Michael and sister Janet, part of a music-making family whose songs are still beloved today. “It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson is no longer with us. We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being,” his sons TJ, Taj and Taryll said in a statement posted on Instagram late Sunday. The Jackson 5 included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. The family group, which was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, produced several No. 1 hits in the 1970s including "ABC," “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There.” The Jackson 5 became one of the biggest names in music under the guidance of their father, Joe Jackson, a steelworker and guitar player who supported his wife and nine children in Gary, Indiana. As the family’s music careers took off, they relocated to California. Born on October 15, 1953, Toriano Adaryll “Tito” Jackson was the least-heard member of the group as a background singer who played guitar. His brothers launched solo careers, including Michael, who became one of the world's biggest performers known as The King of Pop. Michael Jackson died at age 50 on June 25, 2009. (AP) | 2024-09-16T15:30:00 |
HA to encourage public to take emergency med training | The Hospital Authority (HA) said it would continue to encourage a wider range of people to learn first aid and emergency medicine at its dedicated Accident and Emergency training centre. The HA said the centre in Wan Chai, which was established 30 years ago, puts on compulsory sessions for medical professionals, but also offers courses for the general public. Dr Axel Siu, medical director of the centre, said about 80 percent of the people receiving courses at the centre were medical professionals from public hospitals and he aims to encourage different people from society to take the courses. "We will try to evaluate regularly, such that we will incorporate, for example, the need of the general public and also the community, so that we can maximise the benefits of training," he said. "We find that there is some need in the community, especially for the carers, so that we liaise with our community partners to design this kind of the first aid course, especially related to the domestic accidents. We tailor make this kind of training with our community partners." About 7,800 people took courses at the training centre last year, down from 12,000 people during the 2018-19 time frame. Dr Siu said it may take a few years for the numbers to reach those seen during the pre-pandemic period. "There are some changes in terms of the requirement of infection control, so we cannot just jump back to the initial, to what we did before Covid," he said. "It will take time, but we expect that we can gradually, in a few years... get back to our normal number of courses and participants." The HA said it would incorporate virtual reality technology into courses in the future, to simulate disasters and large-scale incidents, such as aviation accidents, explosions and fires. | 2024-09-16T16:00:00 |
'Northbound driver insurance gives minimum coverage' | The Consumer Council on Monday said there should be more insurance options for motorists driving north, after finding that existing schemes provide the minimum protection but with markedly varying costs. Drivers intending to cross the border from Hong Kong must buy compulsory motor insurance required by the mainland before applying for a temporarily licence, or an equivalent top-up cover under the "unilateral recognition" policy with local insurers. The watchdog looked at a dozen local companies offering such plans and found there's a nearly 40 percent gap in premiums, although they offered the same indemnity limit of 200,000 yuan. Among 11 insurers listing out the charges, the annual premiums for cars with less than six seats ranged from HK$832 to HK$1,159. Prices for vehicles with six to eight seats are between HK$963 and HK$1,342 a year. The watchdog said the insurance industry, relevant regulatory bodies and government departments should actively consider offering more diversified motor insurance products with higher insured amounts. "We are delighted to hear from the Insurance Authority that there are some insurance companies already developing more comprehensive and better products, for example, some insurance companies are increasing the coverage on the medical side, which is very essential, because medical costs could be substantial," said Gilly Wong, the council's chief executive. The council also urged motorists to buy extra third-party liability insurance to enhance their protection, but cautioned that there were differing concepts regarding these types of policies locally and on the mainland. It noted that, unlike in Hong Kong, third-party liability policies on the mainland do not cover passengers on board, but rather others who suffered injuries, death or property loss that was caused by the vehicle. A motorist should purchase another insurance policy for "persons on board liability" to extend coverage for passengers, the council added. | 2024-09-16T16:20:00 |
Hong Kong stocks close higher | Hong Kong shares inched up in holiday-thinned trade on Monday, reversing early losses, with another batch of underwhelming Chinese economic data capping gains. At the close of trade, the Hang Seng Index was up 53 points or 0.3 percent, at 17,422. (Reuters) | 2024-09-16T16:32:00 |
Restaurants urged to come up with new dishes | Catering groups on Monday joined hands to hold a competition to encourage restaurants to introduce innovative dishes, amid disappointing business at the city's eateries. The Golden Chopsticks Creative Culinary Competition invites restaurants to think of new Chinese dishes to attract more diners. Ideas can be submitted until October 31. Lawmaker Tommy Cheung said the competition will not be able to "tackle all ills", but will encourage restaurants to break new ground. "We have had complaints from our customers in the last couple of years, and they probably could not see anything new compared to... if they travel to the Greater Bay Area," he said. "[We want to] stimulate restaurateurs and hoteliers to think of new dishes so that customers from Hong Kong, when they come to our restaurants, they would have something new, and they probably want to come back again." Jonathan Leung from the Association of Restaurant Managers said some local diners prefer to try out restaurants on the mainland, and there's a need to make Hong Kong's eateries more appealing. "We see the economy seems to slow down a little bit... People are going northbound for multiple reasons, but I think we are getting back to our momentum. And with this competition, I hope that will help the development of our industry as well," he said. | 2024-09-16T16:49:00 |
Cleanup begins in Shanghai following Typhoon Bebinca | The strongest typhoon to hit Shanghai since at least 1949 flooded roads and uprooted trees, knocked out power to some homes and injured at least one person as it swept over the financial hub on Monday. More than 414,000 people had been evacuated ahead of the powerful winds and torrential rain. Schools were closed and people were advised to stay indoors. One elderly man was injured by a falling tree on Shanghai's Chongming Island, according to state media. He was taken to hospital for treatment. Typhoon Bebinca made landfall around 7:30am in the Pudong business district with winds of 151 kilometres an hour near its centre. Torrential rains flooded roads in the district, according to images broadcast by state media. Elsewhere in Shanghai, uprooted trees and fallen branches blanketed some roads and sidewalks. As the typhoon eased, responders cleared branches and other objects blown around by the storm. More than 60,000 emergency responders and firefighters were at hand to lend aid in Shanghai. The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Sunday activated the Level IV emergency response for Anhui Province and raised the response in Shanghai and Zhejiang to Level III. Bebinca led to flight cancellations in Shanghai and the suspension of passenger ferries. Shanghai Railway Station also suspended passenger trains on several routes passing through the city from Sunday to Monday. Shanghai Disneyland, Disneytown and Wishing Star Park remained closed on Monday, with the two resort hotels providing services to in-house guests, the Shanghai Disney Resort said in a statement, adding that normal operations were expected to resume from Tuesday. Authorities said winds uprooted or damaged more than 10,000 trees and knocked out power for at least 380 households, damaging four houses. At least 53 hectares of farmland were flooded. The typhoon weakened as it moved inland, dousing parts of Jiangsu, Anhui and Zhejiang provinces. (AP/Xinhua) | 2024-09-16T17:10:00 |
Ex-BBC anchor avoids jail over indecent child images | Former British TV news presenter Huw Edwards, the long-time face of the BBC's flagship news programme, was given a suspended sentence at a London court on Monday after admitting to making indecent images of children. Edwards, 63, pleaded guilty in July to three charges of making indecent images of children, relating to 41 illegal images he was sent via WhatsApp -- including two pornographic videos of a child aged between seven and nine years old. Seven of the illegal images were of the most serious category, prosecutor Ian Hope said, adding that both of those videos were marked as "read" on WhatsApp. In response to the second video, Edwards asked the man sending them: "Any more?" Judge Paul Goldspring sentenced Edwards to six months in prison suspended for two years, meaning Edwards will not go to jail unless he commits another criminal offence in that time. The offence of making indecent images of children relates to the images that were sent to Edwards. Prosecutors did not allege Edwards had literally made the images in question. Edwards' lawyer Philip Evans said: "He wishes the court, through me, to know how profoundly sorry he is. He recognises the repugnant nature of such indecent images and the hurt that is done to those who appear in such images." (Reuters) | 2024-09-16T20:33:00 |
Polish PM announces aid package for storm damage | Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Monday announced millions of dollars in aid for those in Poland hit by Storm Boris, as the death toll in the country climbed to four following torrential rains and flooding. Since Thursday, swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have been hit by high winds and unusually heavy rainfall. "At the moment we have ensured a reserve of one billion zloty (US$260 million) for places and people affected by the flood," Tusk told reporters. "From today, anyone affected by the flood... and here I mean through flooding, collapsed buildings, flooded garages, lost cars, losses linked to the flood... will be able to easily claim funds," he added. Four people died in Poland from the storm, according to an updated toll Monday from police. Fourteen people were reportedly killed as Storm Boris lashed central and eastern Europe with torrential rains and flooding, several more are missing and millions were evacuated from their homes. (AFP) | 2024-09-16T20:50:00 |
Man in court over shooting at Trump golf course | A man suspected of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump appeared in federal court on Monday, where he was charged with two gun-related crimes a day after being spotted with a rifle hiding in the bushes at the former US president's golf course in Florida. More charges appear likely, but the initial counts – possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, according to the US Justice Department – will allow authorities to keep him in custody as the investigation continues. On Sunday, the US Secret Service opened fire after an agent saw a rifle barrel poking out of the bushes at Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach, a few hundred metres away from where the former president was playing. The gunman fled by car, leaving behind two backpacks and his weapon. A suspect, later identified as Ryan Routh, 58, was later arrested. Routh wore dark prison scrubs and his hands and feet were shackled during an appearance on Monday morning in a federal courtroom in West Palm Beach, CNN reported. Trump, the Republican presidential candidate in the November 5 election, was unharmed but the incident raised fresh questions about how an armed suspect was able to get so close to him, just two months after another gunman fired at Trump during a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear with a bullet. The Secret Service, which protects presidential candidates, "needs more help," including possibly more personnel, President Joe Biden told reporters on Monday morning, adding: "Thank God the president's OK." The agency came under intense scrutiny after the earlier attempt on Trump's life, which led to the resignation of Director Kimberly Cheatle. The service bolstered Trump's security detail following the July 13 attack, in which the gunman was shot dead by responding agents. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, who convened a bipartisan task force to investigate after the first assassination attempt, said in a Fox News interview that Congress would also examine the latest incident. "We need accountability," said Johnson who also called for more resources to protect Trump. "We must demand that this job is being done." (Reuters) | 2024-09-17T00:34:00 |
Germany steps up border checks over migration worries | Germany reintroduced temporary border checks including at its frontiers with France and the Netherlands on Monday as part of efforts to combat irregular migration and cross-border crime. The coalition government has toughened its stance on migration following a surge in arrivals, in particular people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, and a rise in support for the opposition far-right and conservatives. The measures have, however, sparked concern among migration experts, who question their long-term effectiveness, suggesting they are more symbolic than substantive. "The signal is deterrence – an attempt to demonstrate the ability to act," said Hans Vorlaender, chairperson of Germany's expert council on integration and migration. While the border controls may be a short-term deterrent, smuggling networks often find new routes, Vorlaender said, adding that a more sustainable solution would be to process migrants asylum applications at the EU's external borders. On Germany's eastern border, at the bridge connecting the town of Frankfurt-Oder with Slubice in Poland, a German police officer stood at control points, managing the flow of traffic and ensuring rigorous border checks. "That's the right thing to do, the right way. It just should have happened much earlier," said passerby, Kerstin Rubelt. But the measure sparked a small protest by pro-asylum activists in the town, with a dozen carrying signs reading: "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Borders". "The question of whether someone comes here illegally or whether someone is a criminal is not the decisive question; the decisive question is racism, which is also promoted and triggered by this," said Rene Pachmann, Catholic university chaplain at European University Viadrina. (Reuters) | 2024-09-17T01:15:00 |
Amazon tells workers to get back to the office | Amazon.com will require employees to return to working at company offices five days per week beginning next year, toughening a prior three-day mandate. The change is necessary to "invent, collaborate and be connected" wrote CEO Andy Jassy in a letter to employees on Monday posted to its website. He said the experience of a three-day mandate "strengthened our conviction about the benefits" of in-office work. Companies have been allowing many employees to work from home since the pandemic, leaving downtown offices nearly empty in a number of cities such as San Francisco and Seattle. However, some tech firms are beginning to mandate employees to return to their offices two or three days per week. Amazon has taken a tougher stance than many of its rivals as Covid-19 has become less of a daily threat. Employees have described how Amazon has required them to report to, in some cases, distant offices or move to Seattle to keep their jobs. And some employees who were consistently out of compliance with the existing three-day mandate were told they were "voluntarily resigning," and were locked out of Amazon's systems. A spokesperson for Amazon did not immediately respond to say whether the new mandate will be as stringent, nor did an employee Q&A shared on Monday make it clear. The mandate has been deeply unpopular among a vocal group of employees who have said working from home is both effective and spares time and money for commuting. In May last year, workers at Amazon's Seattle headquarters staged a walkout protesting changes to the e-commerce giant's climate policy, layoffs and a return-to-office mandate. As part of an organisational restructuring, Amazon is looking to increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers by at least 15 percent by the end of the first quarter of 2025. In the Q&A, Amazon said some "some organisations may identify roles that are no longer required" without giving additional details. Amazon also is eliminating a prior program that allowed workers the option to work from anywhere for four months per year, according to the Q&A. (Reuters) | 2024-09-17T03:40:00 |
Wall Street mixed on Apple woes, Fed hopes | The S&P 500 eked out a slight gain in a subdued session while the Nasdaq fell on Monday, weighed down by a drop in technology stocks as investors assessed the likelihood of an upsized rate cut from the US Federal Reserve this week. Apple dropped 2.78 percent as the biggest drag to both the benchmark S&P index and Nasdaq Composite, after an analyst at TF International Securities said demand for its latest iPhone 16 models was lower than expected. The demand concerns also weighed on chipmakers, with Nvidia, the best performer on the S&P 500 this year, down 1.95 percent, Broadcom off 2.19 percent and Micron Tech 4.43 percent lower. "If people want to raise a lot of money quickly, how do they do it? They go sell the names that they can sell really quickly without necessarily destroying it. So you can sell Apple, you can sell Nvidia, you can sell Amazon, you can sell Microsoft very quickly and raise a lot of cash," said Ken Polcari, chief market strategist at SlateStone Wealth in Jupiter, Florida. "They want to do it in front of the Fed in case they're getting nervous or they want to raise cash to just have cash available to put to work." The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.55 percent, to 41,622, the S&P 500 gained 7 points, or 0.13 percent, to 5,633 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.52 percent, to 17,592. Markets have rallied since the start of this year on expectations the Fed would begin loosening its monetary policy, while data has suggested the economy could avoid entering a recession. The Dow closed at a record high on Monday and the S&P 500 is less than 1 percent from its closing record set in July. Market expectations on the size of the rate cut the Federal Reserve will announce on Wednesday have been volatile in recent days and are currently pricing in a 59 percent chance for a 50-basis-point cut, according to CME's FedWatch Tool. Intel Corp jumped 6.36 percent after a report showed it qualified for as much as US$3.5 billion in federal grants to make semiconductors for the US Department of Defence. Boeing declined 0.78 percent after the planemaker said it was freezing hiring and weighing temporary furloughs in the coming weeks as its workers' strike stretched to its fourth day. (Reuters) | 2024-09-17T04:56:00 |
Coe among candidates to succeed Bach as IOC president | World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe is the highest profile of the seven candidates to have declared on Monday their bid to succeed International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach. Coe will face stiff opposition from, amongst others, Kirsty Coventry, bidding to become the first woman and African to head the IOC, and cycling boss David Lappartient. The charismatic Briton, a two-time Olympic 1500 metres champion, also has challenges due to the rules laid down last week by the IOC Ethics Commission. Coe turns 68 on September 29 – and although there is room for manoeuvre to raise the retirement age of IOC members and presidents to 74, he will be older than that come the end of an eight-year mandate. The election will be at the IOC Session in Athens, which runs from March 18 to 21 next year. Bach, 70, is standing down after serving 12 years. The German announced at the end of the Paris Games that he would not be seeking another term. The other four candidates include two from Asia – another continent never to have had an IOC president – Jordan's Prince Faisal al-Hussein and gymnastics chief Morinari Watanabe. Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior, whose father of the same name was IOC president from 1980-2001 and transformed it into a commercial powerhouse, and a surprise entrant, ski federation president Johan Eliasch, round up the candidates. (AFP) | 2024-09-17T08:20:00 |
TikTok seeks injunction against US ban | A lawyer for TikTok and Chinese parent company ByteDance sought on Monday to convince a federal appeals court to block a US law that would ban the short video app used by 170 million Americans as soon as January 19, arguing that it violates free speech protections, but faced tough questions from the judges. A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia heard two hours of arguments in the lawsuit filed by TikTok and ByteDance in May seeking an injunction to prevent the law from taking effect. Justice Department lawyer Daniel Tenny pressed the US government's stance that TikTok, under Chinese ownership, poses a national security threat because of its access to vast amounts of personal data on Americans, asserting that China can covertly manipulate information that Americans consume via the popular app. Andrew Pincus, the lawyer arguing for TikTok and ByteDance, told Judges Sri Srinivasan, Neomi Rao and Douglas Ginsburg that the US government had not demonstrated that TikTok actually poses national security risks. Pincus also argued that the law violates the US Constitution on a number of grounds including running afoul of the First Amendment protections against government abridgment of speech. The law gives ByteDance until January 19 to sell or divest TikTok's US assets or face a ban in the United States. Driven by worries that China could access data on Americans or spy on them with the app, the US Congress passed the measure with overwhelming support and President Joe Biden signed it into law in April. The lawsuit claimed that if the statute is upheld, it would show that Congress can circumvent the First Amendment "by invoking national security and ordering the publisher of any individual newspaper or website to sell to avoid being shut down." TikTok and the Justice Department have asked for a ruling by December 6, which could allow the US Supreme Court to consider any appeal before a ban takes effect. The White House has said it wants to see Chinese-based ownership ended on national security grounds, but not a ban on TikTok. Trump, who unsuccessfully tried to ban TikTok in 2020, has said if elected in November he would not allow TikTok to be barred. (Reuters) | 2024-09-17T09:15:00 |
HK stocks open slightly lower ahead of US rate cut | The Hang Seng Index fell 35.37 points, or 0.2 percent, to open at 17,386.75 points on Tuesday. Overnight in the US, the Dow finished at an all-time record while the Nasdaq retreated as markets weighed competing potential outcomes for an upcoming decision on US interest rates. Officials from the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, have widely signalled a rate cut for Wednesday, the first since the Covid recession four years ago. But debate remains over whether it will be 25 or 50 basis points. (With additional reporting by Xinhua and Reuters) | 2024-09-17T10:10:00 |
Discounts galore as HK marks 75th anniversary of PRC | Moviegoers can enjoy half-price tickets on National Day, as part of Hong Kong's celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the country's founding on October 1. Trams and cross-harbour ferries will be free, train passengers can get a 25 percent discount for trips on most MTR lines, while children can also enjoy free bus rides on most routes. The MTR Corporation, meanwhile, said the discounts also apply to trips to Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau on the East Rail Line, except for first class. Journeys on the Airport Express and the Express Rail are also excluded from the discounted fares. Speaking before the weekly Executive Council meeting, Chief Executive John Lee said the measures are part of hundreds of celebratory events in the SAR. "The 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China is a big day when the whole country rejoices. I encourage the public to eagerly take part in different activities, so as to celebrate enthusiastically the country's 75th anniversary," he told reporters. Lee said some 3,000 eateries will offer discounts, as will many shopping malls, tourist spots and more than 10,000 shops at local wet markets. There will be free admission at all government-run museums, many public sports facilities, as well as the Wetland Park The CE also said 75 teams of civil servants will take part in volunteer work, while 750 elderly citizens will be able to enjoy free dental checks and 7,500 people will enjoy subsidised local tours. Lee said Chief Secretary Eric Chan and other senior officials would provide more details about the offers later on Tuesday. | 2024-09-17T11:15:00 |
Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrested in New York | Sean “Diddy" Combs was arrested late on Monday in New York, where he faces a sealed criminal indictment, prosecutors said. Details of the charges weren't immediately announced by prosecutors, but the hip-hop mogul has faced a stream of allegations by women in recent months who accused him of sexual assault. The US attorney in Manhattan, Damian Williams, said in a statement that federal agents arrested Combs. “We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time.” Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said “We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the US Attorney’s Office.” He added that Combs had gone to New York last week in anticipation of the charges being brought. Criminal charges would be a major but not unexpected takedown of one of the most prominent producers and most famous names in the history of hip-hop. The federal investigation of the 58-year-old Combs was revealed when federal agents served simultaneous search warrants and raided Combs' mansions in Los Angeles and Miami on March 25. Combs, then known as Puff Daddy, was at the centre of the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop battles of the 1990s as the partner and producer of the Notorious B.I.G., who was shot and killed in 1997. But like many of those who survived the era, his public image had softened with age into a genteel host of parties in Hollywood and the Hamptons, a fashion-forward businessman, and a doting father who spoiled his kids. But a different image began emerging last year in November, when his former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, became the first of several people to sue him for sexual abuse with stories of a steady stream of sex workers in drug-fuelled settings where some of those involved were coerced or cajoled into sex. In her lawsuit, Cassie alleged years of abuse, including beatings and rape. Her suit also alleged Combs engaged in sex trafficking by “requiring her to engage in forced sexual acts in multiple jurisdictions” and by engaging in “harbouring and transportation of Plaintiff for purposes of sex induced by force, fraud, or coercion.” It also said he compelled her to help him traffic male sex workers Combs would force Cassie to have sex with while he filmed. The suit was settled settled the following day, but its reverberations would last far longer. Combs lost lingering allies, supporters and those reserving judgement when CNN in May aired a leaked video of him punching Cassie, kicking her and throwing her on the floor in a hotel hallway. In February, a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them. Another of Combs’ accusers was a woman who said the rap producer raped her two decades ago when she was 17. Another woman who filed a lawsuit, April Lampos, said she was a college student in 1994 when she met Combs and a series of “terrifying sexual encounters” with Combs and those around him began that lasted for years. Combs and his attorneys denied nearly all of the lawsuits’ allegations. As the founder of Bad Boy Records, Combs became one of the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades, along with the Notorious B.I.G., he worked with a slew of top-tier artists including Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112. Combs’ roles in his businesses beyond music — including lucrative private-label spirits, a media company and the Sean John Fashion line — took major hits when the allegations arose. (AP) | 2024-09-17T11:02:00 |
John Lee condemns US over trade office legislation | Chief Executive John Lee has hit out at the United States for pressing ahead with legislation to close Hong Kong's trade offices in the country, saying US businesses will bear the brunt of such a move. Last week, the US House of Representatives approved a bill that could shut down Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC. Speaking to reporters before the weekly Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, Lee called the bill a "shameless and ugly political tactic" aimed at attacking the SAR and China. “These are political tactics to suppress the development of China and also Hong Kong. These are shameless and ugly political tactics… and [the US] is using [them] to attack its competitors, particularly when it fails to compete well,” he said. "If the US is determined to go its way, then our country has already indicated that we will retaliate, and will retaliate with strong and resolute measures." The chief executive also accused US politicians of pursuing their own political gains at the expense of a mutually beneficial trade relationship. “The figures for the past 10 years indicate that the US has been making a big profit out of trade with Hong Kong... This trade surplus works to their advantage, and any acts to damage trade relations, I think those who suffer will be the US business sector,” he said. | 2024-09-17T11:55:00 |
Midea shares soar on first day of HK trading | Chinese home appliances maker Midea Group rose by up to 9.5 percent on its trading debut in Hong Kong on Tuesday after raising nearly US$4 billion in the city's largest share offering in almost four years, bolstering hopes for a revival in large issuances from China's leading companies. Midea, also listed in Shenzhen, priced its shares at HK$54.80 each in its Hong Kong float. It rose as high as HK$60 per share, 9.5 percent above the offer price, with 34.6 million shares worth HK$2.04 billion changing hands. Midea is the most actively traded stock by turnover on the Hong Kong market so far on Tuesday, exchange data showed. Midea sold 565.9 million shares in the deal which bankers are hoping could revive Hong Kong's faltering capital markets where share sales have dived to the lowest point in more than a decade. The final price set was about a 20 percent discount to Midea's Shenzhen listed share price. Mainland Chinese shares typically trade at a premium compared to Hong Kong listed stocks. Midea increased the number of shares on sale at the end of the transaction after receiving strong demand from investors during the bookbuilding process. The institutional tranche was oversubscribed by eight times and the Hong Kong retail offering portion was 5.31 times covered, according to Midea's regulatory filings. The oversubscription rates, while higher than recent Hong Kong deals, remain well below the city's capital markets' boom in 2021 when transactions were hundreds of times covered. Trade tensions between the US and China and high interest rates globally have dampened foreign investors appetite to buy into greater China equity capital markets deals, according to bankers and advisers. Midea's deal means there have been US$6.5 billion worth of initial public offerings and listings in Hong Kong so far in 2024, according to Dealogic data, compared to US$2.7 billion at the same time last year. At the same time in 2021, when Hong Kong's markets were at a record high, there had been US$35.7 billion, the data showed. (Reuters) | 2024-09-17T11:39:00 |
CE hopes public can meet panda cubs in early 2025 | Hongkongers on Tuesday were told to wait until the end of this year to meet the giant pandas that were gifted to the city by the central authorities, as the pair are still under quarantine on the mainland. Ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, Chief Executive John Lee said the target was to arrange for the two adult pandas, aged between five and eight, to come to Hong Kong by the end of this month to go through another round of quarantine. “We have in principle reached an agreement with the mainland authorities. We need to iron out the details, say for example, when the pandas will set off for Hong Kong. They are now under quarantine. If everything goes smoothly, we will arrange for them to come to Hong Kong as soon as possible. The target is for them to arrive at the end of the month,” he said. Lee said as much as he wants the pandas to meet the public as soon as possible, it all comes down to their condition and how well they adjust to a new living environment. As for the twin pandas born in Ocean Park last month, Lee said the cubs were getting healthier and acting “more like pandas”, adding he hoped the public would be able to meet the cubs in the first quarter of next year. On its Facebook page, Ocean Park said the cubs were getting stronger every day and would be ready to do away with the incubators in about two weeks. | 2024-09-17T12:13:00 |
Tech giant Meta bans Russian state media | Facebook owner Meta said late on Monday it was banning RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian state media networks from its platforms, claiming the outlets had used deceptive tactics to carry out covert influence operations online. The ban marks a sharp escalation in actions by the world's biggest social media company against Russian state media, after it spent years taking more limited steps such as blocking the outlets from running ads and reducing the reach of their posts. "After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets. Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other related entities are now banned from our apps globally for foreign interference activity," the social media company said in a written statement. Enforcement of the ban would roll out over the coming days, it said. In addition to Facebook, Meta's apps include Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads. Meta's move came after the United States filed money-laundering charges earlier this month against two RT employees for what officials said was a scheme to hire an American company to produce online content to influence the 2024 election. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last Friday that countries should treat the activities of Russian state broadcaster RT as they do covert intelligence operations. RT has mocked American actions and accused the United States of trying to prevent the broadcaster from operating as a journalistic organisation. (Reuters) | 2024-09-17T11:54:00 |
Rights of all workers in HK are protected: CE | Chief Executive John Lee says the government will protect all workers employed in Hong Kong and punish any violators of labour laws stringently, following complaints that some imported workers have been exploited. Earlier this month, unions reported that some mainland workers have been made to work extra shifts for no pay, while others have been denied some of their salaries or had their ATM cards confiscated. Lee noted that an inter-departmental investigative team has been formed on the matter, involving the police and other law enforcement agencies, as well as labour and development officials. "In fact, we can see that many of the cases involve, for example, agents, agencies or intermediaries. We will handle them seriously according to the law if they violate the system or even the law," the CE said before the weekly Executive Council meeting on Tuesday. "Under suitable circumstances, we will inform the mainland authorities so that we can ensure the operations comply with our requirements." Lee said while workers from elsewhere are needed, the employment of locals remains a priority, noting that the latest batch of construction industry applications was rejected. "We have to balance between the protection of local [labour] and ensuring that we have enough workers to support our economic development as well as the running of businesses," he said. "We will approve [import applications] very stringently and carefully. For example, in the last exercise when the construction employers tried to apply, no approval was given because it was assessed that some of the construction sites actually won't start yet." Lee also reiterated that the city's special labour import schemes have built-in safeguards for local workers. These include imported workers getting paid no less than the industry's median wage, and that imported labour can only be sought when attempts to recruit local workers have failed. | 2024-09-17T12:26:00 |
Last glow in the dark for a favourite Mid-Autumn toy | Hongkongers will bid farewell to a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival device, the glow stick, with some expressing regret that a beloved item from their childhood would soon be a memory. The six-month grace period for the new regulation on disposable plastic products will end next month, and that includes the ban on selling glow sticks in Hong Kong. Shops in Sham Shui Po were still seen selling glow sticks. Some owners said they did not order new batches of glow sticks this year, as they were worried they might have to throw them away if not all of them could be sold this year. A primary five student, Nicole, said glow sticks are irreplaceable as she had the most fun playing with them. “I’m really unhappy because I can’t play with them next year. Glow sticks are prettier than lanterns. I normally stick them on my body and turn off all the lights, and pretend to be a matchstick figure,” she told RTHK. A man, shopping for glow sticks, said he was disappointed the tradition wouldn’t be passed on to the next generation. “These are memories. All children in different eras had played with glow sticks. I hope we can still play with them. With glow sticks, the festive atmosphere is better,” he said. Another man said he might go elsewhere to buy glow sticks. “I may go to the mainland to buy them, or elsewhere, or buy more glow sticks this year. My kids do play with lanterns, but they are different with glow sticks,” he said. A stationery shopkeeper surnamed Li was still selling glow sticks. "I only ordered a few to refill stock. The sales for glow sticks aren't high for most of the time. For this year, we are only planning to sell a small amount of glow sticks, therefore we didn't order too many," she said. "If we ordered too many and don't manage to sell all of them, we are not allowed to put them on sale anymore." Her shop in Causeway Bay has nine packs of glow sticks on sale, with each pack containing 50 glow sticks. But Li expects only a quarter of them would remain unsold after the festival. At a stationery store in Wan Chai, a woman surnamed Yip pointed out her shop hadn't sold any glow sticks during the festival this year, saying it might be due to the poor economy. "We don't have much stock left, as we didn't dare to order too many," she said. Yip would dispose of any unsold glow sticks after the ban, adding there was nothing they could do even though it would be a waste. | 2024-09-17T13:48:00 |
HKU to implement new round of tourist flow controls | The University of Hong Kong on Tuesday said it will implement a new round of tourist flow controls to manage an anticipated surge in visitors to its campus during the National Day Golden Week holiday. The new rules will take effect on September 28 and will be in place until October 10. Under the new arrangement, tourists visiting the campus between 8am and 8.30pm from Monday to Saturday will be required to make reservations in advance via the university's online registration platform. In a statement, HKU said it would continue to monitor the effectiveness of its tourist flow management measures and would make adjustments if necessary. | 2024-09-17T14:59:00 |
HK Electric plans ahead for extreme weather | One of Hong Kong’s two electricity providers on Tuesday said its main power plant on Lamma Island would be able to withstand record storms, after a string of measures were introduced to mitigate the risk of extreme weather events. Hongkong Electric, which serves more than half a million customers, hopes to shield its critical infrastructure from weather damage until 2100, when the city’s water levels are expected to rise by half a metre. Under revised design guidelines, two generator units under construction at the Lamma plant will sit at seven metres above principal datum. That’s well above the 5.45-metre water level recorded during Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018. Principal datum, or PD, is a unit used by the government to measure heights and levels on land. According to the Lands Department, the SAR’s mean sea level is about 1.3 metres above PD. The company is also making its substations more resilient to extreme weather. They include those within 100 metres of the northern Hong Kong Island coastline, and others sitting at a PD of 4.854 metres or below. Apart from installing physical barriers such as flood walls, there’ll also be flood warning systems and sump pumps. The works are expected to be completed by 2026. General manager Chow Fo-shing said staff would also receive training to deal with emergencies. “During typhoons, when we can no longer operate ferries, staff can no longer reach the Lamma power plant, so we will deploy extra manpower to be stationed on site whenever a storm is approaching,” he said. But fellow general manager Tony Yeung insisted most of the company’s power network was built underground, and therefore shielded from adverse weather. | 2024-09-17T17:12:00 |
Hong Kong stocks close higher | Hong Kong's stock market ended higher on Tuesday with the benchmark Hang Seng Index up 1.4 percent at 17,660. (Xinhua) | 2024-09-17T16:54:00 |
Mid-Autumn Festival the hottest on record | Hong Kong is experiencing the hottest Mid-Autumn Festival ever recorded, with the temperature at the observatory hitting 35.7 degrees on Tuesday. It was also the hottest day of the year so far, with the mercury topping 37 degrees in some places, including Lau Fau Shan and Yuen Long Park. There was also bad news for moon gazers, with the forecaster warning of clouds, showers and isolated thunderstorms. Some people at Hong Kong Park told RTHK they prefer staying in when it's so hot. "Because outside is too hot. I would just stay indoors to play video games. I would just drink some cold water or cold drinks or go swimming," said a primary school pupil. Another student said he will watch the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance on TV because he has to catch up on some studies. "I would just probably just have a dinner with my grandparents and just reunite with each other. I would probably stay indoors too because the weather is just so hot, [and] because I have to revise my dictation," he said. But another primary school pupil said the heat wouldn't stop him from heading to the park to look at the moon. | 2024-09-17T17:20:00 |
Drone show and extra Mark Six part of PRC founding joy | The government announced on Tuesday that a drone show, a youth singing performance, a bazaar and extra Mark Six lotteries would all be part of local celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Besides the regular fireworks display at Victoria Harbour on October 1, there will be a performance at the West Kowloon Cultural District the night before, where 1,000 young people will sing patriotic songs and stage dance and percussion performances. In late October, the government will host a five-day bazaar with 75 stores with different clansmen associations. Students will also be able to go on mainland exchange tours to learn more about the country first hand. Chief Secretary Eric Chan said patriotic education and stimulating the economy were among the key themes of the celebrations. He said officials didn't have a breakdown as to how much public money was being spent, but for such a big day, he believed it was well worth the money. "I would say all the activities and events, some major ones, actually they are sponsored by the commercial sector. And some organisations, they just give us donations. They are not government money," Chan said at a press conference. "For some departments, some bureaus, if they need to use money, this will be absorbed in their own expenses." He added that more than 185,000 celebratory items, such as national and SAR flags as well as decorations involving the Great Wall, would be placed at thousands of locations around town. Tourism and cultural minister Kevin Yeung, for his part, said the drone show would feature many items that include the number "75". For example, there will be 2,099 drones, which is the year 2024 plus 75. "We [also] have 75 stars, and there are some symbols displaying the figures '75'," he said. While the government was offering half-price tickets on National Day for moviegoers, Yeung said ticket buyers would also be given scratch cards, with 10 grand prizes being 75 free movie tickets. Meanwhile, besides 750 free dental checks for elderly people, Chinese medical practitioners would also provide 750 free consultations for seniors, while Ocean Park would give out 750 free tickets to grassroots families. Home affairs chief Alice Mak, meanwhile, said the Jockey Club has agreed that there would be two Mark Six lotteries early next month, with each top prize expected to exceed HK$75 million. Officials said there would be a dedicated website later with the details of the celebratory events. | 2024-09-17T17:44:00 |
Mooncakes, fire dragons dazzle Victoria Harbour | A thousand drones resembling rabbits, lanterns and mooncakes illuminated the night sky over Victoria Harbour to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival on Tuesday. Thousands gathered at the Wan Chai Harbourfront to watch the 10-minute aerial display organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Chris, a tourist from Switzerland, said he was particularly impressed by a fire dragon soaring across the sky. “[My favourite] was the dragon part. I liked how the dragon was hunting the ball. Looked amazing. I think a lot of work went into it to make that happen,” he said. Oskar, an exchange student from Norway, also enjoyed the dragon display the most. "I also thought the rabbit and the panda were quite cute. I really liked them. But the dragon was definitely the coolest," he said. "I thought it was really awesome. I've never seen a drone show before, and it was really cute... It was a special occasion and it was really nice being here. There were a lot of people." Victoria from Germany said she's never seen anything like this in her home country. "We don't have these kinds of celebrations. This is totally new for us probably because we don't celebrate this. So it's funny to see how things are going here," she said. Despite the intense heat, many spectators said the show was remarkable and well worth the wait. | 2024-09-17T22:09:00 |
Combs charged with sex trafficking, racketeering | Sean "Diddy" Combs was charged with racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking in an indictment unsealed on Tuesday that accuses the superstar rapper of engaging in decades of sexual abuse of women. Combs, 54, was arrested by federal agents in New York on Monday and is to make a first appearance in a Manhattan courtroom later on Tuesday. Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said prosecutors will ask a judge to detain the music mogul ahead of his trial. Williams also said that although Combs is the only person indicted for the moment the investigation is ongoing. Combs's lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, told reporters his client would plead not guilty. "He's going to fight this with all of his energy and all of his might," he added. Combs is also charged with one count of transporting victims across state lines to engage in prostitution. The indictment alleges that -- for decades -- he "abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct." It accused him of running a "criminal enterprise" that carried out "sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice." Combs allegedly engaged in a "persistent and pervasive pattern" of verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of women, the indictment said. "On numerous occasions from at least in or about 2009 and continuing for years, Combs assaulted women by, among other things, striking, punching, dragging, throwing objects at, and kicking them," it said. Williams said female victims were forced to engage in extended sexual performances with male commercial sex workers called "Freak Offs," which were planned and controlled by Combs and often videotaped. "The Freak Offs sometimes lasted days at a time... and often involved a variety of narcotics such as ketamine, ecstasy and GHB," he said. "The indictment alleges that Combs threatened and coerced victims to get them to participate in the Freak Offs." The powerful music industry figure, who has gone by various monikers including Puff Daddy and P Diddy, was credited as being key to hip hop's journey from the streets to luxury clubs. (AFP) | 2024-09-18T01:40:00 |
Taylor Swift helps UMG hit high notes | Universal Music Group said on Tuesday it expects annual core profit growth of more than 10 percent through 2028 on higher subscription revenue, expanded partnerships, and boosted by the superfans of its artists such as Taylor Swift, BTS and Drake. At its first Capital Markets Day, held at London's Abbey Road Studios, the world's biggest music label spelled out its plans to revive slowing subscriber and streaming growth. CEO Lucien Grainge said streaming was entering a new era that would rely on monetising superfandom, focusing not only on subscriber growth, but also on average revenue per user (ARPU). "Valuable as streaming is, it has also levelled the playing field... the deeply passionate listener pays the same price for the same access as the casual one," Grainge told investors. He said the company was targeting superfans through physical collectibles, premium merchandise as well as live and digital experiences. Grainge added that subscription penetration was still under 50 percent in the group's most established markets, while high potential markets such as India and China were still in early stages of subscription adoption. The Amsterdam-listed group, which announced its financial targets through 2028 ahead of the event, also said it expects compound annual revenue growth of 7 percent in the period. The forecast was better than the consensus outlook for 6.1 percent annual revenue growth and 8.8 percent annual adjusted EBITDA growth, according to ING. UMG's second-quarter results had triggered a 30 percent slump in its stock in late July, after subscription revenue growth slowed to 6.9 percent from 12.5 percent in the same quarter a year earlier, missing the 11.1 percent estimate in a company-compiled consensus cited by Barclays. "We expect periods of acceleration and deceleration", said finance chief Boyd Muir at the Capital Markets Day, urging investors "not to overreact to modest period-to-period fluctuations", as the group implements its multi-year strategy. In Tuesday's outlook, UMG said it sees annual subscription revenue growth of 8-10 percent through 2028, higher than the consensus of 6.6 percent, as quoted by ING. (Reuters) | 2024-09-18T02:33:00 |
WHO warns on growing shortage of antivenoms | The problem of snake bites, which kill tens of thousands of people each year, is being exacerbated by climate-induced flooding in a number of countries with little access to antivenoms, the WHO warned on Tuesday. Each year, as many as 2.7 million people are bitten by poisonous snakes, with up to an estimated 138,000 deaths. "One person dies from snake bite every four to six minutes," David Williams, a World Health Organization snakebit expert, told reporters in Geneva. Far more people -- around 240,000 each year -- are left with permanent disabilities, he said. Snake venom can cause paralysis that stops breathing, bleeding disorders that can lead to fatal haemorrhage, irreversible kidney failure and tissue damage that can cause permanent disability and limb loss. Most snake bite victims live in the world's tropical and poorest regions, and children are worse affected due to their smaller body size. Williams stressed that disabilities caused by snake bites can drive not only the victims but their entire family into poverty due in part to the high cost of treatment, but also loss of income when the family breadwinner is the victim. A major problem, he warned, was that "some regions of the world simply don't have enough safe and effective treatments available to them". Sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, has access to just around 2.5 percent of the treatments it is estimated to need. The UN health agency explained in 2019 that production of life-saving antivenoms had been abandoned by a number of companies since the 1980s, sparking a grave shortage in Africa and some Asian countries. India is the worst affected country in the world, with around 58,000 people dying there due to snake bites every year, while its neighbours Bangladesh and Pakistan are also hard-hit, Williams said. The impacts of climate change are meanwhile worsening the situation in some places, he said, pointing in particular to how flooding can often increase the number of snakebites. He pointed to Nigeria, which is currently "going through a critical shortage of snake antivenom due to an influx of additional cases of snakebite that have been brought about by the flooding". "And this is a problem that occurs in many areas of the world where these sorts of disasters occur on a regular basis," he said. Major flooding events in Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, South Sudan and other countries had also been followed by a rise in snakebites. WHO also warned that climate change risked shifting the distribution and abundance of venomous snakes, possibly exposing previously unaffected countries to the dangers. (AFP) | 2024-09-18T03:23:00 |
Nine dead, thousands wounded in Lebanon pager blasts | Hundreds of pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded across Lebanon on Tuesday, killing at least nine people and wounding some 2,800 in blasts which the Iran-backed militant group blamed on Israel. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the wave of explosions, which came just hours after Israel announced it was broadening the aims of the war sparked by Hamas's October 7 attacks to include its fight against Hezbollah along its border with Lebanon. The sons of Hezbollah lawmakers Ali Ammar and Hassan Fadlallah were among the dead, a source close to the group told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. The blasts "killed nine people, including a girl", Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said in a casualty update. He added that some "2,800 people were injured, about 200 of them critically" with injuries mostly reported to the face, hands and stomach. The 10-year-old daughter of a Hezbollah member was killed in east Lebanon's Bekaa Valley when his pager exploded, the family and a source close to the group said. Tehran's ambassador to Beirut was also wounded in a pager explosion but his injuries were not serious, Iranian state media reported. In neighbouring Syria, 14 people were wounded "after pagers used by Hezbollah exploded", said a Britain-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Hezbollah blamed Israel for the blasts and warned it would be punished. "We hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression," the group said in a statement, adding that Israel "will certainly receive its just punishment for this sinful aggression". The United States, Israel's top arms provider and close ally, was "not involved" and "not aware of this incident in advance", said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. The afternoon blasts hit Hezbollah strongholds across Lebanon and dealt a heavy blow to the militant group, which already had concerns about the security of its communications after losing several key commanders to targeted air strikes in recent months. Hezbollah had instructed its members to avoid mobile phones after the Gaza war began and to rely instead on the group's own telecommunications system to prevent Israeli breaches. "Hundreds of Hezbollah members were injured by the simultaneous explosion of their pagers" in the group's strongholds in Beirut's southern suburbs, in south Lebanon and in the eastern Bekaa Valley, a Hezbollah source said, requesting anonymity. AFP journalists saw dozens of wounded being taken to hospital in Beirut and in the south, where dozens of ambulances rushed between the cities of Tyre and Sidon in both directions. Education Minister Abbas Halabi announced the closure of schools and universities on Wednesday "in condemnation of the criminal act committed by the Israeli enemy". - Israel expands war aims - Earlier Tuesday, Israel announced it was broadening the aims of the war sparked by the Hamas attacks to include its fight against Hezbollah along its border with Lebanon. To date, Israel's objectives have been to crush Hamas and bring home the hostages seized by Palestinian militants during the October 7 attacks that sparked the war. "The political-security cabinet updated the goals of the war this evening, so that they include the following section: the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement. (AFP) | 2024-09-18T04:06:00 |
Death toll from Storm Boris hits 22 | The death toll in the extreme weather and flooding let loose by Storm Boris in central Europe has risen to 22, authorities said on Tuesday, after three more victims were reported in Poland and one in Austria. High winds and unusually heavy rainfall have hit swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia since last week. Although the weather seemed to be stabilising in several places, the ground remained saturated and rivers were overflowing, with authorities asking people to remain cautious. Two big cities in Poland -- Opole in the south and Wroclaw in the west -- were still awaiting the flood wave and there were concerns that the dykes there could break. Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Tuesday announced additional government aid for those in Poland hit by the storm, bringing the total sum to two billion zloty ($520 million). Polish police on Tuesday reported that three more people had died as a result of Storm Boris, raising the toll in the country to seven. Police chief Marek Boron announced the updated figure of seven dead at a televised crisis meeting. At least two of the new victims were discovered in the southwestern district of Klodzko. "The body of an 82-year-old man was discovered in a car," district police spokeswoman Wioletta Martuszewska told AFP. "A couple of hours later, mountain rescue services said the body of a man had been found near a riverbed," she added. There were unofficial reports of additional victims elsewhere, but police cautioned against publishing unverified information. "We ask everyone not to report false information about the number of flood victims in the media," the police said on X, formerly Twitter. A new victim was also reported on Tuesday in Austria. An 81-year-old woman was Austria's fifth victim of the floods, a police spokesman told AFP. The fire brigade found the woman's body on Tuesday in her flooded home in Lower Austria, the worst-impacted province in the Alpine nation. Storm Boris has caused the deaths of seven people in Romania and three in the Czech Republic, according to the latest tallies. In Austria, on Tuesday, 26 communities were cut off and with the weather improving, "we are discovering the scale of the disaster", Lower Austrian governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner told reporters. In the Czech Republic, more than 60,000 homes were still without electricity, mainly in the country's northeast, and 500 people were evacuated on Monday evening, including children. The largest Czech retention basin, the Rozmberk pond in the country's south, has been overflowing its banks. Experts say climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions generated by human activities is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as torrential rains and floods. Andreas von Weissenberg of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said studies to determine whether climate change is linked to these events are expected in the coming months. Von Weissenberg said local Red Cross teams were helping the rescue and evacuation efforts, including attending to people's "emotional and mental health". He said the floods have been "branded as historic", but warned that "climate change has a way of moving the goalposts". (AFP) | 2024-09-18T04:20:00 |
US markets drift to a close ahead of Fed decision | US equity markets finished barely changed on Tuesday, digesting a better than expected retail sales report with investors largely sidelined ahead of a Federal Reserve decision. Overall retail sales rose unexpectedly by 0.1 percent from July to August at US$710.8 billion, defying analysts' anticipation of a 0.2 percent decline, according to US data. However, analysts said the data showed consumers tilting away from discretionary items towards essential needs, reflecting greater stress among consumers. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to lower interest rates on Wednesday, but markets are unsure of the size of the cut. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended down less than 0.1 percent at 41,606.18, retreating from Monday's record close. The S&P 500 rose less than 0.1 percent to 5,634.58, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.2 percent to 17,628.06. Futures markets currently view a 50 basis point interest rate cut as more likely than the 25 basis point reduction. Analysts say the Fed could go either way and that a key question will what the central ban signals about monetary policy in the coming months. Among individual companies, Microsoft climbed 0.8 percent after announcing a 10 percent dividend increase and an authorization of up to US$60 billion in share repurchases. Intel gained 2.3 percent after unveiling a plan with Amazon to produce AI fabric chip for Amazon Web Services, describing the initiative as an expansion of a long-term strategic collaboration. Amazon rose 1.1 percent. Hawaiian Holdings, parent of Hawaiian Airlines, rose 3.9 percent after US officials approved its acquisition by Alaska Airlines. Alaska's parent, Alaska Air Group, dipped 1.1 percent. (AFP) | 2024-09-18T04:20:00 |
'918 shows need to improve Chinese history teaching' | With the Mid-Autumn Festival public holiday falling on September 18 this year, it's perhaps no surprise that the average Hong Kong kid would be more consumed by thoughts of lanterns and mooncakes rather than the historical significance of the date -- which in 1931 marked the start of Japan's invasion of China. A few students RTHK spoke to said they knew about the 918 Incident, but were unclear of the details. "I wouldn't say [I know] much but we know the main things. Our school talked about the events and educated us about them," a secondary three student said. "I know about the incident on the online platform, and sometimes my school will also talk about it. I [want to] know why people were killed on the day, and if there was war, why [it started] and we [can] learn how to ... avoid it," said another. "Not too much - I just learnt about it on YouTube," a third student confessed. "But it is our Chinese history and I am sure that every Chinese citizen [should] know more about that." On September 18, 1931, Japanese soldiers staged a false-flag attack -- blowing up a section of railway under their control near Shenyang and blaming it on Chinese troops to use as a pretext to invade China. This pivotal event, which marked the start of China's 14-year war of resistance against Japan, is covered in the curriculum for junior secondary students. According to the Education Bureau's website, teachers can dedicate up to seven Chinese history periods on the anti-Japanese war, as well as the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. But some history teachers we spoke to say teenagers these days don't have an in-depth understanding of the subject, and their lack of detailed knowledge about the 918 Incident isn't surprising. Professor Cheung Sui-wai, who heads the history department at Chinese University, says part of the problem is that many teachers simply aren't equipped to teach Chinese history in an accurate and compelling way. In particular, he took issue with schools who ask Chinese and language and literature teachers to double up as Chinese history teachers. These are two very different fields, he said, arguing that true Chinese history scholars have been trained how to "place China in the world" and won't simply cover the syllabus. The focus on STEM - short for science, technology, engineering and mathematics - in schools also led to a decline in teaching quality, Cheung added. "I saw some science teachers teaching Chinese history, and they make a lot of unbelievable conclusions," he noted. "It is fake history they are transferring to students." On whether Chinese history should be made a compulsory subject for senior secondary students, Cheung said even if that happens, it's important to make sure students actively learn the material, rather than treating it as merely another chore. "If every student needs to study Chinese history, but it is just merely a pass or fail, I think it is useless [as] you are only talking about the enrolment numbers," he said. | 2024-09-18T08:24:00 |
North Korea test fires short-range ballistic missiles | North Korea fired a salvo of short-range ballistic missiles early on Wednesday, Seoul's military said, Pyongyang's second such weapons test in a week. Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it had "detected and (was) analysing several short-range ballistic missiles launched to the northeast around 06:50 (2150 GMT)". "In preparation for additional launches, our military has strengthened monitoring and vigilance, while closely sharing information," with allies Tokyo and Washington, it added. Japan also confirmed the launch, with the country's coastguard saying one missile had splashed down already. "Vessels please pay attention to information coming ahead and if you spot fallen objects please don't approach closer but report it to the coastguard," it said in a statement. Last Thursday, North Korea fired what Seoul described as multiple short range ballistic missiles into waters east of the Korean peninsula, the nuclear-armed country's first major weapons test since early July. North Korean state media later claimed that this had been a test of a "new-type 600mm multiple rocket launcher". (AFP) | 2024-09-18T08:52:00 |
918 Incident remembered in China | Activities were held in various mainland cities on Wednesday in commemoration of the September 18 Incident, which marked the start of Japan's invasion of China leading up to the Second World War. At the 9.18 Historical Museum in Shenyang, a huge bell tolled on the 93rd anniversary of a false-flag attack staged by Japanese soldiers on the capital of Liaoning province. The bell rang 14 times, representing the 14 years during which the Chinese people fought the invasion. Scores of people attended the ceremony to commemorate the September 18 Incident and the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Sirens also howled and vehicles blew their horns elsewhere in the city. Similar events were held in other cities in Liaoning, as well as in nearby Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces. People were urged to remember history and treasure peace. On September 18, 1931, Japanese soldiers blew up a section of railway under their control near Shenyang and blamed it on Chinese troops as a pretext to invade China. | 2024-09-18T11:30:00 |
'Oct 1 could bring more long-haul tourists to HK' | A tourism representative on Wednesday said he believes a series of local celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China will attract more travellers to the city. A drone show, free trams and ferries, as well as half-price movie tickets, are among the items on offer. Timothy Chui, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, said the celebratory events will bring more long-haul tourists to the city. "The hotel bookings for October 1 are looking good," he said on an RTHK programme. "Prices for some budget and mid-range hotels have gone up a bit. They're about 10 to 15 percent higher than usual. Despite this, reservations for these hotels are quite popular." A catering representative also hopes things will look up for National Day. Simon Wong, who heads the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said he hopes discounts offered by some 3,000 eateries on October 1 will attract Hongkongers to spend locally. That's after a 10 to 15 percent drop in business during the Mid-Autumn Festival because of the growing trend of Hongkongers heading north to spend. "The most important thing is to attract local customers. Looking at the business breakdown of our catering industry in the past, local consumption made up around 90 percent, while tourists accounted for only 10 to 12 percent," Wong said. | 2024-09-18T11:59:00 |
Suspect linked to messaging app 'used by criminals' | Australian police on Wednesday charged a man with creating and managing a messaging app used by global organised crime networks, in the first case of its kind in the country. The 32-year-old man was arrested by federal police in western Sydney on Tuesday. He appeared in court on Wednesday charged with five offences relating to running the Ghost messaging platform which police alleged was used by several gangs and organised crime syndicates in the Middle East, Australia and South Korea to import drugs and order killings. "Taking down dedicated encrypted communication devices takes significant skill," said Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney. "But the holy grail is always penetrating criminal platforms to access evidence." It was the first time for a person based in Australia to be accused of creating and running a global criminal platform, the police said. Police conducted raids over two days in four Australian states and territories this month, with related searches also taking place in Ireland, Italy, Sweden and Canada. Up to 50 alleged Australian offenders accused of using Ghost are also facing charges, including significant prison sentences, with more arrests in Australia and overseas likely in the next few days, police said. Police said they had been able to prevent the death or serious injury of 50 individuals in Australia as a result of cracking Ghost's encryption. (Reuters) | 2024-09-18T13:10:00 |
Japanese school pupil, 10, attacked in Shenzhen | A Foreign Ministry spokesman on Wednesday said China will continue to take effective measures to protect the safety of foreign nationals, after a student at a Japanese school in Shenzhen was stabbed earlier in the day. At a regular news conference in Beijing, Lin Jian said a male suspect was immediately detained and the pupil had been sent to hospital. An investigation was underway. The victim is a primary pupil, 10, who was on his way to school when he came under attack. There was no word on a possible motive. According to Japanese media, the Consulate-General of Japan in Guangzhou requested local authorities to share information about the case, and to take steps to prevent similar incidents from happening again. (Additional reporting by Reuters) | 2024-09-18T16:28:00 |
Local activists rally over 918 Incident | A group of local activists protested outside Japan's Consulate-General in Central on Wednesday on the 93rd anniversary of the 918 Incident. Members of the Action Committee for Defending the Diaoyu Islands staged the rally outside Exchange Square that houses the consulate. They carried a banner that read "Don't Forget the 918 Incident" and chanted slogans denouncing Japanese militarism. Police were there to maintain order. The group later dispersed peacefully. | 2024-09-18T16:17:00 |
Drone show, special light show to celebrate Oct 1 | A drone show, a National Day edition of the Symphony of Light and Temple Street night market discounts are some of the measures rolled out by the Tourism Board to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. In a press release published on Wednesday, the board said the "Galloping Horses" drone show will take place at the Wan Chai waterfront on September 28 to showcase Hong Kong's local elements, alongside famous works by Chinese painter Xu Beihong. Throughout October, Victoria Harbour will be illuminated by a special edition of the Symphony of Light, featuring festive animations and celebratory messages to celebrate the country's founding. Visitors can also enjoy discounts at Temple Street night market food stalls from October 1 to 7. The board will also partner with mainland app Amap and hand out HK$10 million in credits to visitors using ride-hailing services. | 2024-09-18T17:17:00 |
US military firms sanctioned over Taiwan arms sales | China on Wednesday imposed sanctions on nine US defence firms, describing the measures as retaliation for arms sales to Taiwan. "Weapons sales by the United States to China's Taiwan region have seriously violated the one-China principle... seriously infringed upon China's sovereignty and security interests, (and) damaged China-US relations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news conference. "China strongly condemns and firmly opposes this and has lodged solemn representations with the United States." Lin said Beijing was "taking resolute countermeasures" by imposing sanctions on nine US defence firms. The steps taken against the firms, including Sierra Nevada Corporation and Stick Rudder Enterprises LLC, became effective on Wednesday. Their assets in China would be frozen, and organisations and individuals within China are prohibited from engaging in transactions with the firms. The countermeasures also applied to Cubic Corporation, S3 Aerospace, TCOM Ltd Partnership, TextOre, Planate Management Group, ACT1 Federal and Exovera. (Agencies) | 2024-09-18T17:59:00 |
US govt sues over collapsed Baltimore bridge | The US Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking more than US$100 million from the Singapore owner and operator of a cargo ship that destroyed a Baltimore bridge. The 300-metre M/V Dali collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, killing six road workers and blocking the busy shipping channel. The civil suit against Grace Ocean Private and Synergy Marine Private was filed in the US District Court for the District of Maryland. "The Justice Department is committed to ensuring accountability for those responsible for the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. "With this civil claim, the Justice Department is working to ensure that the costs of clearing the channel and reopening the Port of Baltimore are borne by the companies that caused the crash, not by the American taxpayer." The Justice Department said the suit is aimed at recovering more than US$100 million in costs incurred in responding to the disaster and for removing tons of bridge debris. The Dali lost power while leaving the port of Baltimore for Sri Lanka and struck the bridge. Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer said the owner and operator of the Dali were "well aware of vibration issues on the vessel that could cause a power outage. "But instead of taking necessary precautions, they did the opposite. "Out of negligence, mismanagement, and, at times, a desire to cut costs, they configured the ship's electrical and mechanical systems in a way that prevented those systems from being able to quickly restore propulsion and steering after a power outage," Mizer said. "As a result, when the Dali lost power, a cascading set of failures led to disaster." The Justice Department suit comes after Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine filed a legal action of their own earlier this year seeking to limit their liability to US$44 million. The Justice Department lawsuit does not seek damages for the eventual costs of rebuilding the bridge. That is expected to be the subject of a separate claim from the state of Maryland. The families of the six road workers who lost their lives are also pursuing legal claims of their own. The Fort McHenry channel leading to the port of Baltimore, a key hub for the auto industry, reopened to commercial navigation on June 10. (AFP) | 2024-09-19T01:08:00 |
Fed cuts key rate by half percentage point | The US Federal Reserve cut its key lending rate by half a percentage-point on Wednesday in its first reduction since the pandemic, sharply lowering borrowing costs just before November's presidential election. The Fed's decision will affect the rates at which commercial banks lend to consumers and businesses, bringing down the cost of borrowing on everything from mortgages to credit cards. The news will likely be well-received by Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who has looked to highlight President Joe Biden's economic record in her race against Republican Donald Trump. Policymakers voted 11-to-1 in favor of lowering the central bank's benchmark rate to between 4.75 percent and 5.00 percent, the Fed announced in a statement. The key holdout was Fed governor Michelle Bowman, who supported a more conventional quarter-point cut. "It is time to recalibrate our policy to something that is more appropriate given the progress on inflation, and on employment moving to a more sustainable level," Fed Chair Powell told reporters after the decision was announced. "This is the beginning of that process," he added. The Fed said its rate-setting committee "has gained greater confidence" that inflation was moving toward its long-term two percent target. It added that "the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals are roughly in balance." The bank has a dual mandate from Congress to act independently to tackle both inflation and employment. Analysts were expecting the Fed to cut rates on Wednesday, as inflation eases, and the labor market continues to cool in the surprisingly resilient post-Covid economy. But they were highly uncertain about the size of the move, with some anticipating a quarter of a percentage point, and others predicting the more significant half-point cut, which carries a greater risk of reigniting inflation. In updated forecasts published alongside the Fed's rate decision, policymakers' median forecasts pointed to an unemployment rate of 4.4 percent, on average, in the fourth quarter of this year, up from 4.0 percent in the last update in June. They also penciled in an annual headline inflation rate of 2.3 percent, slightly lower than in June. The decision to cut more sharply to begin with caught some analysts by surprise. "In our base case the Fed cuts 25bp (basis points) but signals 100bp of cuts this year with the median 2024 'dot'", economists at Citi wrote in an investor note published ahead of the rate decision. The Fed's mandate gives it the independence to set monetary policy solely on the basis of economic data. But its decision will have political ramifications, given the importance of inflation and the cost of living to US consumers. Americans have consistently said both are top concerns ahead of the election. Trump has repeatedly criticized Powell, who he first appointed to run the Fed, and has suggested that its decisions are political -- accusations the US central bank has strongly rejected. (AFP)_____________________________
Last updated: 2024-09-19 HKT 03:22 | 2024-09-19T02:23:00 |
US markets edge lower after Fed rate cut | US stock markets ended modestly lower on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve announced an interest rate cut of half a percentage point, ending days of speculation about the size of the move. Major US stock indices moved in and out of positive territory after the Fed decision, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average finishing down 0.3 percent at 41,503.10. The S&P 500 also shed 0.3 percent to 5,618.26, along with the Nasdaq Composite Index, which stood at 17,573.30 after the market closed. The Fed went with the bigger rate cut, surprising some analysts who had tapped the quarter of a percentage point as the more likely decision. However, some market watchers had said stocks were primed for a pullback no matter the outcome after pushing higher in recent weeks. "The US economy is in good shape," said Fed Chair Jerome Powell at a news conference, noting lower inflation and solid growth. "The labour market is in a strong pace. We want to keep it there." Powell said the decision to go bigger was based on myriad economic data points that led policy makers to conclude that monetary decisions had been "appropriately restrictive," but that it was time for policy that is "more neutral." Wednesday's Fed decision will be met "with both elation and criticism," said Briefing.com. "The larger rate cut should placate participants who think the Fed is behind the curve already in trying to forestall a hard landing." "Conversely, it will elicit criticism from participants who think the larger rate cut wasn't warranted given broader economic trends," Briefing.com said. "The worry will be that the more aggressive rate cut risks igniting inflation again." (AFP) | 2024-09-19T04:24:00 |
Man City held to goalless draw in Champions League | Manchester City's quest to reconquer the Uefa Champions League began with a whimper on Wednesday as Inter Milan held out for a 0-0 draw at the Etihad Stadium. One of the selling points of the new expanded Champions League format was to bring together the continent's elite teams more often before the knockout stage. A repeat of the 2023 final, won 1-0 by City, did little to set the pulses racing, but Inter will feel they should have inflicted a first home defeat in Europe in six years for Pep Guardiola's men. Henrikh Mkhitaryan blazed over the best chance of the match 15 minutes from time. City have started the defence of their Premier League title in relentless fashion with four consecutive wins but failed to hit their stride as Inter comfortably held out. Rodri, who scored the winning goal when the sides met in Istanbul 15 months ago, was restored to the City starting line-up for the first time this season after his exertions in helping Spain to win Euro 2024. Despite his presence, Inter were composed in possession as they often pierced the City press but were lacking in composure in the final third to take advantage. At the other end, Erling Haaland was finding Inter a far harder nut to crack than he has faced in scoring nine times in four Premier League games this season. The Norwegian came closest to breaking the deadlock before half-time with a low effort that flew inches past the post with Yann Sommer stranded. City next face Arsenal in a top-of-the-table Premier League clash on Sunday. (AFP) | 2024-09-19T08:15:00 |
PSG snatch late goal to beat debutants Girona | Paris Saint-Germain were grateful to a last-minute howler from goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga as they snatched a 1-0 win over European debutants Girona in their opening game of the new-look Uefa Champions League on Wednesday. PSG had over 60 percent possession and 24 attempts on goal but looked set to be left frustrated by their opponents at the Parc des Princes until a low Nuno Mendes cross squirmed under Gazzaniga and into the net in the 90th minute. It was a harsh ending to their Champions League bow for Girona, who qualified for Europe for the first time in their history after a historic third-place finish in La Liga last season. PSG missed chance after chance in the second half and looked set to draw another continental blank, just like in their semi-final defeat by Borussia Dortmund last season when they somehow failed to score in either leg. However, the late goal allowed PSG manager Luis Enrique's team to continue their perfect start to the campaign as they aim to go further than last season's run to the semis and win European football's biggest prize for the first time. "Girona defended very well and showed why last season they led La Liga for so long. They are a better team than many in the second or third pot of seeds, even in the first pot," said Enrique. "We were much better in the second half," he added. "We got a bit of luck with the goal but I think we deserved the victory." The Champions League has been radically changed by Uefa, with all clubs in the new league phase now playing eight matches against eight different opponents. The top eight will advance to the last 16, with clubs finishing from ninth to 24th in the standings going into a play-off round to decide the remaining last-16 spots. PSG's next game will be away to Arsenal on October 2. (AFP) | 2024-09-19T08:22:00 |
WNBA announces expansion team in Portland | The WNBA, enjoying a record-shattering season of growth, announced Wednesday it will add an expansion club in Portland, Oregon, for the 2026 season. The women's basketball league, boosted by star rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese in its 28th season, has had record attendance and television viewership this year as well as a record media rights deal. The Portland club will be owned by RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, also the owners of The National Women's Soccer League's Portland Thorns. Portland, which had a WNBA team called the Fire from 2000 to 2002, is the third expansion host city for the league. The Golden State Valkyries are set launch in San Francisco in 2025, with a Toronto team to start with Portland in 2026. "As the WNBA builds on a season of unprecedented growth, bringing a team back to Portland is another important step forward," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. The team will play in the Moda Center, the same arena used by the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. (AFP) | 2024-09-19T08:40:00 |