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45,633 | Emmanuel Macron hosts Joe Biden for a state visit | President Joe Biden is being feted by French President Emmanuel Macron with a state visit on Saturday as the two allies aim to show off their partnership on global security issues and move past trade tensions.Biden and Macron attended ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day on Thursday and met separately the following day with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris. The leaders both used those engagements to underscore the urgent need to support Kyiv's fight against Russia.But Macron and Biden have often chafed at the pace of support for Ukraine, especially as the United States, by far the largest contributor to Kyiv's defence, was forced to pause aid shipments for months while congressional Republicans held up an assistance package.The state visit began with a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe, including a wreath-laying at France's tomb of the unknown soldier, and a military parade along the Champs-Élysées leading to the Élysée Palace, where the two held official meetings and were delivering public statements. Later, there is a state dinner at the palace for Biden and his wife, Jill.“Proud to be here," Biden said at the Arc de Triomphe. "A great honour.”Biden hosted Macron in December 2022 at the White House for the first state visit of his presidency as the Covid-19 pandemic receded. (AP) | 1,717,853,018 | en |
45,632 | Israeli army rescues four hostages alive | Israeli forces rescued four hostages alive from two locations in the central Gaza area of al-Nuseirat on Saturday, the military said, eight months after they were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants in a deadly incursion into Israel.The four hostages, three males and one female who were abducted from the Nova music festival in southern Israel on October 7 last year, were taken to hospital for medical checks, the military said, and were in good health.They were identified as Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40.After eight months of devastating war in Gaza triggered by Hamas' October 7 attack, 116 of the approximately 250 hostages abducted by militants are left in the Palestinian enclave, according to Israeli tallies – at least 40 of whom have been declared dead in absentia by authorities.Israel's chief military spokesman said the rescue operation was held under fire in the heart of a residential neighbourhood, where he said Hamas had been concealing hostages among Gaza civilians under the armed guard of militants.In a televised news conference, spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said one Israeli soldier had been badly injured. Israeli forces returned fire, including with airstrikes, he said.The Gaza health ministry said more than 200 Palestinians were killed and about 400 wounded in the Israeli operation. It did not say how many of the fatalities were combatants but said that women and children were among the dead. (Reuters)Last updated: 2024-06-09 HKT 03:29 | 1,717,850,588 | en |
45,631 | Man faces court over assault on Danish prime minister | Danish police said on Saturday a 39-year-old man would appear in front of a judge for preliminary questioning in relation to an assault on the country's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in central Copenhagen late on Friday.Frederiksen, leader of Denmark's Social Democratic Party and prime minister since 2019, was shocked after being beaten by a man at Kultorvet square in Copenhagen on Friday, her office said in a statement on Friday.The prime minister was able to walk away and had no outward signs of harm after the assault, Soren Kjergaard, who works as a barista in central Copenhagen, told Reuters after seeing her being escorted away by security.Police said the man would be brought before the Copenhagen City Court for questioning at around 1 p.m. (1100 GMT), but declined to provide more detail.Neither the police nor the prime minister's office said anything about the man's motive or whether he had carried a weapon.The assault comes two days before Danes head to the polls in the European Union election.A month ago, three German politicians suffered assaults ahead of European Parliament and district council elections and more attacks followed earlier this week.Several EU leaders condemned the incident, which happened just three weeks after Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico was seriously injured in an assassination attempt."The attack on Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is an intolerable act of violence that represents an attack on the heart of democratic values," Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on X.Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president said on X:"I was so shocked at the news of you being assaulted tonight. I condemn this despicable act which goes against everything we believe and fight for in Europe. I wish you strength and courage - I know you have plenty of both." (Reuters) | 1,717,835,416 | en |
45,630 | Police kill suspected Rio crime boss in shoot-out | A suspected organised crime boss in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro was killed on Friday in a shoot-out with police as they tried to arrest him, local authorities said.Rio's civil police said in a statement that Rui Paulo Goncalves Estevao, also known as Pipito, was the alleged head of an organized criminal group accused of extortion and sowing terror in the city."When he was approached, he attacked the agents and a confrontation ensued. The criminal was hit and taken to a local hospital, but died of his wounds," police said.Rio Governor Claudio Castro said police had dealt a "hard blow against criminals who disturb the peace of the population".Castro wrote on social media site X that Pipito earlier "gave the order to burn 35 buses" in western Rio neighbourhoods in retaliation for the death of a relative of another alleged crime boss, who is in prison.Rio's organised crime groups, known as militias, were founded about four decades ago by former law enforcement officers and originally presented as self-defence organizations to fight against violent drug traffickers.In reality, they function as mafias that control various businesses through extortion.The militias have also seized public land to illegally build housing or commercial buildings, with real estate becoming a key source of revenue. (AFP) | 1,717,833,874 | en |
45,629 | Woman arrested for allegedly slashing her husband | Police say they have arrested a 41-year-old woman in Tung Chung for allegedly attacking her husband with a chopper and a fruit knife. The incident took place on Friday at a location on Yat Tung Street.Officers say they received a report at about 10 pm from a 36-year-old man, saying he had been attacked by his wife. Police said the man claimed the pair had been arguing over family matters and that she had also threatened him. The man suffered injuries to his face and arms. Police arrested the woman on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal intimidation. She remains in detention. | 1,717,832,487 | en |
45,628 | Authorities to offer help to Zheng Sheng students | The Secretary for Education Christine Choi on Saturday said authorities will offer assistance to students and staff affected by the closure of Christian Zheng Sheng College, including helping them find new schools or jobs. The school, which helps teenagers fight drug addiction, has announced that it will cease operating in July. Back in January, police arrested four directors of the charity which runs the college, on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud. Three others, including the institution’s head, Alman Chan, were put on the wanted list. The government has issued a statement on Friday, saying it wasn't notified about the closure. It blamed those wanted by the police for the school's financial problems, saying they were trying to avoid responsibility.Speaking on a radio programme, Choi said about 10 students and eight teachers would be affected.“We're working with different departments, and the associated school to help the students. If some students want to keep studying, we'll help them find the right programmes. And since students are at different ages, some might want to start working. We'll talk to them about that too. For the teachers, we'll help them with their pay. We'll work with other departments to make sure everything is taken care of,” she said. She noted the HK$1.8 million that had been earlier allocated to the school through the About Beat Drugs Fund would also be used to help cover the school's daily expenses.Separately, the education minister also said that the bureau is starting discussions with the parties involved in the recent dispute over the appointment of interim vice-presidents at the University of Hong Kong. HKU president Zhang Xiang has accused the university council of bypassing him over the decision. Some former council members of the university also issued a letter to the Chief Executive John Lee, saying they have lost faith in the council's chairperson Priscilla Wong.Choi stressed that it's common for a large organisation like a university to have different opinions, saying it's important for everyone involved to share their thoughts openly. She said she’s confident that a decision will be made soon. | 1,717,825,469 | en |
45,627 | Safeguard national security for a stable HK: CE | Chief Executive John Lee on Saturday said safeguarding national security is fundamental for a strong and stable Hong Kong.Speaking at a national security legal forum in Wan Chai, Lee said national security loopholes were addressed after Basic Law Article 23 legislation took effect in March."From the anti-national education movement in 2012, Occupy Central in 2014, the Mong Kok unrest in 2016, to the 2019 social unrest and the Hong Kong version of a 'colour revolution', they used large-scale riots to create unrest," he said."Thanks to the central government, decisive action was taken to implement the National Security Law in Hong Kong. It addressed the legal vacuum surrounding national security, it improved the electoral system, and implemented the principle of patriots governing Hong Kong. The city has finally returned to normality."The Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said some countries had attempted to ruin Hong Kong's unique role in the nation's development."History tells us that we cannot afford to disregard national security risks. Indeed, security and development have a symbiotic relationship: one cannot exist without the other, and one will benefit the other. This is sheer logic and common sense," Lam said."Our national security law based on the principles of the rule of law provides high-standard security to guarantee and safeguard the better and sustainable development of Hong Kong in the long run."The one-day forum is taking place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. | 1,717,824,964 | en |
45,626 | NSL demonstrates HK's constitutional duty: Zheng | The director of Beijing's liaison office on Saturday said the National Security Law has helped Hong Kong to curb disorder.Speaking at a national security legal forum in Wan Chai, Zheng Yanxiong said a dual legislation and dual enforcement mechanism between the SAR and the mainland was established after the National Security Law was implemented in Hong Kong."It demonstrates the SAR's constitutional duty. It shows that Hong Kong's mechanisms for safeguarding national security and enforcement have improved, while addressing previous shortcomings - and ensuring that the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle is on the right track," he said.Zheng added that 45 out of 47 defendants were convicted in a subversion case after they were involved in an unofficial legislative primary election."Different sectors generally affirmed the ruling, believed that it disseminated correct messages on the rule of law, showed the determination and confidence of the society in safeguarding national security."Nong Rong, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said the National Security Law had been effective in improving governance and creating prosperity."Over the past four years, Hong Kong has made a significant transformation from chaos to governance, returning to the track of development. In March, Hong Kong completed legislation for Article 23 of the Basic Law, further solidifying the legal shield for safeguarding national security," he said."The Hong Kong National Security Law explicitly identifies its purpose as maintaining the prosperity and stability of the Hong Kong SAR, highlighting this original aspiration to protect development."Meanwhile, the head of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the central government Dong Jingwei said the central government has full trust in the SAR government, authorising it to have the responsibility for safeguarding national security.He said the central government would deal with any problems that the SAR government finds difficult to handle. | 1,717,824,956 | en |
45,625 | HK-born US astronaut Anders dies in plane crash | Hong Kong-born retired US astronaut William Anders, who was one of the first three humans to orbit the moon, capturing the famed "Earthrise" photo during Nasa's Apollo 8 mission in 1968, died on Friday in the crash of a small aeroplane in Washington state. He was 90.NASA chief Bill Nelson paid tribute to Anders on social media with a post of the iconic image of Earth rising over the lunar horizon, saying the former Air Force pilot "offered to humanity among the deepest of gifts an astronaut can give."The Heritage Flight Museum near Burlington, Washington, which he co-founded, confirmed that Anders was killed in an aircraft accident.Anders was piloting the plane alone when it went down off the coast of Jones Island, part of the San Juan Islands archipelago north of Seattle, between Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, The Seattle Times reported, citing his son, Greg.According to television station KCPQ-TV, a Fox affiliate in Tacoma, Anders, a resident of San Juan County, was at the controls of a vintage Air Force single-engine T-34 Mentor that he owned.Video footage showed on KCPQ showed a plane plunging from the skies in a steep dive before slamming into the water just offshore.A US Naval Academy graduate and Air Force pilot, Anders joined Nasa in 1963 as a member of the third group of astronauts. He did not go into space until December 21, 1968, when Apollo 8 lifted off on the first crewed mission to leave Earth orbit and travel 240,000 miles (386,000 km) to the moon.Anders was the "rookie" on the crew, alongside Frank Borman, the mission commander, and James Lovell, who had flown with Borman on Gemini 7 in 1965 and later commanded the ill-fated Apollo 13.Apollo 8, originally scheduled for 1969, was pushed forward because of concerns the Russians were accelerating their own plans for a trip around the moon by the end of 1968. That gave the crew only several months to train for the historic but highly risky mission.Carried by a Saturn V rocket never before used on a crewed flight and tested only twice, the spacecraft faced the delicate and daunting task of entering and leaving lunar orbit safely. Failure meant crashing into the moon or being forever stranded in orbit.Recalling the mission 40 years later, Anders acknowledged that although confident of success, he thought "there was a one-third chance" the crew "didn't come back."Trepidation turned to triumph when Apollo 8 reached the moon on Christmas Eve and during its 10 orbits captivated a worldwide television audience of more than a billion people by transmitting the first pictures of the lunar surface just miles below.A key part of the mission was photographing the moon, but "after about the third revolution, the moon was clearly kind of a boring place. There was nothing but holes and holes upon holes," Anders said at a symposium in 2009.The astronauts' focus shifted abruptly when the Earth began rising over the lunar surface. "Me, Lovell and Borman suddenly said at once: 'Look at that' - this gorgeous, colourful, beautiful planet of ours coming up over the ugly lunar horizon," Anders told Forbes magazine in 2015.Using a long lens and colour film, Anders ended up snapping the photograph now known as "Earthrise." The image, vividly capturing both the Earth's beauty and fragility in the vastness of space, is considered one of history's most influential photographs, widely credited with helping inspire the environmental movement."Here we came all the way to the moon to discover Earth," Anders later said.He also played a key role in another indelible episode from that Christmas Eve mission - leading off as the crew read from the Book of Genesis while Apollo 8 transmitted images of the lunar surface to Earth.The three astronauts were greeted as national heroes when they splashed down three days later in the Pacific Ocean and were feted as Time magazine's "Men of the Year." (Reuters) | 1,717,821,205 | en |
45,624 | CS secretary says room for political life in new code | The Secretary for the Civil Service, Ingrid Yeung, on Saturday said the new set of rules that government workers must follow wouldn’t restrict them from having a personal political life. The updated Civil Service Code set out 12 core values public servants must follow, including being professional and staying neutral when it comes to politics. It also asked them to not publicly criticise government policy.Speaking to reporters, Yeung said civil servants can still take part in social activities or public campaigns during their private time, but they need to be careful about being perceived to represent a government standpoint.“We have set out very clearly in the code that civil servants can also have their political life. They can join social activities, except where we have strict rules about not being able to join. But the principle is when they join social activities, they have to ensure that their participation in these social activities will not cause a conflict of interest with their jobs,” she said.“And also their joining would not allow people or attract people to believe that they are representing the government's position, the activities they join have government backing or allow people to think that they are actually representing a larger group of civil servants’ views.”She also noted higher rank civil servants, or those taking leadership roles, should be even more cautious.“It's difficult to draw a solid line below which [rank] you can be very care-free about what you speak and about which you have to be really very cautious. As you move up, I think civil servants will have to really take care,” she said. Separately, Yeung was also asked whether the proposed 3 percent pay rise for all civil servants this year, a move that faced strong opposition from unions, would affect morale. The level of increase is significantly lower than the rises of up to 5.47 percent suggested by a pay trend survey.“I believe that civil servants will be able to understand that there are constraints on what the government can do this year especially given our very tight financial situation and also I think as we progress with our various initiatives to improve livelihood and to improve the economy, there will be recognition of the public on what civil servants have done and this is also something that will be able to boost morale,” she said. Yeung said that the final decision would be made by the Executive Council, but noted that the room for adjustment is limited. | 1,717,817,419 | en |
45,623 | 'Hong Kong youth excited to learn about the country' | Young people have become increasingly enthusiastic in visiting the mainland and experiencing the country's development, according to the home and youth affairs chief.Alice Mak said the number of applications for a cross-border internship programme this year doubled that from the previous year.On RTHK's Your Home Address programme broadcast on Saturday, the secretary for home and youth affairs also said Hong Kong is set to host a youth development summit this summer."We will set up a platform for our young people to exchange views and learn from other young people from other countries and areas. We will invite the participation of guest speakers and youth groups from the mainland and overseas, so that Hong Kong's young people can exchange views and learn from their counterparts in other countries," she said."We expect that there are no fewer than 1,000 participants for the summit."Other initiatives targeting young people that have been introduced include a programme for government-backed hostels and an alliance supporting young Hong Kong entrepreneurs in the Greater Bay Area, the minister said. On the city's community work, Mak said she's grateful for the efforts by more than 450 care teams across the territory."We have now nearly 5,000 volunteers serving in the care teams. They are willing to contribute to the community," she said. "In a year's time, we have already visited 90,000 households in the community, and we have provided several thousand services for the residents. These are the achievements that we have made only in a year's time. And I believe, and I trust that, as time goes by, we will enhance our service and we can achieve even more in the community." The minister said people volunteering in the care teams not only respond to emergencies such as the recent deadly blaze in Jordan, but also provide services to those in need such as the elderly. | 1,717,808,420 | en |
45,622 | HK-trained specialists push for national team success | With the Olympic Games less than two months away, dedicated Hong Kong-trained specialists are working tirelessly to ensure the country's elite athletes stay injury-free and perform at their very best in Paris.For trainer Ivy Lui, a career highlight came when Liu Yang, one of the Chinese gymnasts she worked with, secured the gold medal on rings at last year’s World Championships in Antwerp.“I felt like my dreams from graduation have come true,” she said. “I knew I wanted to help an athlete achieve an honour at the international stage.”The gymnast also won gold in rings at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, so he'll be defending his title in Paris.Lui's journey as a sports therapist began eight years ago when she graduated from the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, a member institution of the Vocational Training Council.After spending time with the Hong Kong Rugby Union, she began working with the gymnastics team in Guangzhou before joining the national gymnastics team.Her days involve giving massages to the gymnasts, to help them relax after training sessions, and treating any injuries.But her work goes beyond physical therapy. “To ensure comprehensive preparation, we also recreate a live atmosphere and simulate actual playing time during our gym training sessions in China before going overseas,” she said. Another dedicated professional Davii Wang, a rugby technician, holds a master's degree in sports science and physical education from the Chinese University.Wang was already working with the national rugby team before he went on to pursue an advanced degree in Hong Kong, so he would have a deeper understanding of the field.“The one-year study made my work more systematic,” he explained.“For example, we use force platforms to test athletes, which can indicate whether there’s discrepancy in their leg strength.“If there is a big discrepancy, we will strengthen the weaker leg to prevent injuries.”One of Wang's key tasks is to make sure China's men and women rugby teams stay in top form, as they try to book a ticket to Paris through a qualification tournament later this month. | 1,717,805,347 | en |
45,621 | Danish PM 'hit' by man in Copenhagen | Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was on Friday "hit" by a man on a Copenhagen square, her office said, with EU chiefs quickly condemning the attack.The Danish prime minister's office said in a statement that Frederiksen was "shocked by the incident," but did not provide further details."Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was hit by a man Friday evening on Kultorvet in Copenhagen. The man was subsequently arrested," the statement said.The incident comes on the heels of a spate of attacks on politicians from across the political spectrum at work or on the campaign trail in Germany ahead of this week's EU elections.On May 15, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot four times at close range as he greeted supporters after a government meeting in the central town of Handlova.Fico, who survived the assassination attempt, was taken to a hospital in a nearby city after the shooting, where he underwent two lengthy surgeries.EU chief Charles Michel and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Friday slammed the attack on Frederiksen.Metsola urged the Danish head of government to "keep strong," while adding in a post to X that "violence has no place in politics."Michel in turn said he was "outraged by the assault.""I strongly condemn this cowardly act of aggression," the European Council president said in a separate post to X.Copenhagen police confirmed that an incident involving the prime minister had occurred but did not provide further details."We have one person arrested in the case, which we are now investigating. At this time, we have no further comments or remarks on the case," police said in a statement on X."I must say that it shakes all of us who are close to her," Danish Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke said in a post to social media."Something like this must not happen in our beautiful, safe and free country," he said. (AFP) | 1,717,795,239 | en |
45,620 | US stocks finish lower after choppy session | Wall Street stocks ended slightly lower on Friday in choppy trading after stronger-than-expected US jobs data pointed to a robust economy but prompted worries the Federal Reserve may wait longer to cut interest rates than many investors had hoped.The US economy generated about 272,000 jobs in May, far more than the 185,000 analysts had forecast, according to a Labour Department report. The unemployment rate inched up to 4 percent.The benchmark S&P 500 slipped immediately after the report while US Treasury yields climbed as traders slashed bets on a September rate reduction. The index recovered and briefly hit a fresh intraday record high as investors noted the data pointed to underlying economic health.It finished slightly lower, with the utilities, materials, and communication services stocks among the biggest drag. Financials and technology advanced ahead of others.For the week, the S&P 500 gained 1.32 percent, the Nasdaq rose 2.38 percent, and the Dow added 0.29 percent."This tells you there's certainly not going to a cut in the short term, and with the bond yields going back up it's putting a lot of pressure on the risk-on trade, which is probably small caps," said Sandy Villere, portfolio manager at Villere & Co in New Orleans."It's just a function of interest rates and maybe a little higher for longer, and people have to recalibrate for that type of environment," he added.Traders now see a 56 percent chance of a September rate reduction, according to the CME's FedWatch tool. Investors will eye US inflation data next week and the Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting, which ends on June 12."No one expects the Fed to cut (rates next week), but will they open the door for a cut as soon as September is the big question on everyone's mind," said Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at the Carson Group, adding he still sees a September reduction on the table.The Dow Jones fell 0.22 percent, to 38,798, the S&P 500 lost 0.11 percent, to 5,346 and the Nasdaq lost 0.23 percent, to 17,133.GameStop slumped 39 percent in volatile trading just as stock influencer "Roaring Kitty" kicked off his first livestream in three years. The gaming retailer had announced a potential stock offering and a drop in quarterly sales.Other so-called meme stocks, including AMC Entertainment and Koss Corp, fell 15.1 percent and 17.4 percent, respectively.Nvidia slipped, on track to extend the previous session's losses, with its valuation again dipping below the US$3 trillion mark.Lyft shares rose 0.6 percent, following a forecast of 15 percent annual growth in its gross bookings through 2027 after markets closed on Thursday.Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 2.72-to-1 ratio on the NYSE. On the Nasdaq, 1,177 stocks rose and 3,064 fell as declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 2.6-to-1 ratio.The S&P 500 posted 17 new 52-week highs and 5 new lows while the Nasdaq recorded 34 new highs and 149 new lows.Total volume of shares traded across US exchanges was about 10.75 billion, compared with the 12.7 billion average over the last 20 trading days. (Reuters) | 1,717,793,558 | en |
45,619 | an’s first name from the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd.In the fifth set, with shadows covering more than half the court, Alcaraz moved out front by sliding until he could reach across his body to snap a backhand passing winner for a break point. A forehand winner – one of his 30 in the match – made it 2-0 at the 3½-hour mark, earning a yell of “Vamos!” from his coach, 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero.Soon, it was 3-0, and Alcaraz was on his way.“It was a great match. For sure, the sets he won, he played better in the important points,” Sinner said. “That was the key.”Both players walloped the ball with such force that the ball-off-strings thuds elicited gasps from spectators in the middle of points.Sinner, his rust-colored shirt a few shades darker than the clay, came out ready at the start of the match, barely ever missing, gliding more than grinding along the baseline, stretching his long limbs to get to nearly everything Alcaraz offered. Alcaraz, his right arm covered by a white sleeve, would deliver a powerful shot to a corner, punctuated with a grunt, and Sinner would somehow get to it, flip it back and draw a mistake.Sinner led 4-0 and it took Alcaraz 20 minutes of striving to simply place a “1” beside his name on the scoreboard. The second set began inauspiciously for Alcaraz, who fell behind 2-0.“I told myself,” Alcaraz said, “that it’s going to be a long match.”He did not go quietly. Getting more aggressive and doing what he could to shorten points, Alcaraz turned things around right when he needed to, using a five-game run to take control of that set.After Sinner took the third, Alcaraz pushed the proceedings to a fifth. He closed the fourth with a cross-court backhand winner, then raised his right fist and shook it.Here's how Alcaraz came through: He came up with a 32-23 edge in winners over the last two sets.With his strokes, somehow, gaining zest, and the fans, somehow, getting louder, Alcaraz advanced at a tournament he grew up watching on TV at home in Spain as his countryman Nadal piled up a record 14 titles.Not that it was easy.“It’s one of the toughest matches that I’ve played, for sure,” Alcaraz said. “The toughest matches that I played in my short career have been against Jannik.” (AP) | 2024-06-08 04:41:56 | 1,717,792,916 | en |
45,618 | Alcaraz to face Zverev in his first French Open final | Carlos Alcaraz started poorly and fell behind early in his French Open semi-final against Jannik Sinner. Later, as both dealt with cramps under Friday's afternoon sun, Alcaraz trailed by two sets to one.By the end of the latest instalment in this burgeoning rivalry between two young, talented players, an engaging five-setter that lasted 4 hours, 9 minutes, Alcaraz actually had accumulated fewer total points, 147-145.That, of course, is not the score that matters. And Alcaraz, who says he takes pleasure from challenges, ultimately persevered, pulling out a 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Sinner to get to his first final in Paris. It made the 21-year-old from Spain the youngest man to reach a Grand Slam title match on three surfaces.“You have to find the joy (while) suffering. That’s the key – even more on clay, here at Roland Garros. Long rallies. Four-hour matches. Five sets,” Alcaraz said. “You have to fight. You have to suffer. But as I told my team many, many times, you have to enjoy suffering.”He won championships at the US Open in 2022 on hard courts and at Wimbledon in 2023 on grass.Now the No 3-seeded Alcaraz will face No 4 Alexander Zverev of Germany on the red clay on Sunday. Hours before his 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 semi-final victory over No 7 Casper Ruud of Norway, Zverev’s domestic abuse case in Berlin ended, because he reached an out-of-court settlement with his accuser, a former girlfriend.Ruud started well, but then began to fade, and he was handed some pills by a doctor during a third-set changeover. Ruud looked listless and stopped chasing some shots, a shell of the player who leads the tour in match wins this season and has been the runner-up at majors three times – including in 2022 and 2023 in Paris.Zverev finally broke through at Roland Garros after bowing out in the semi-finals each of the past three years. This will be his second Grand Slam final: He blew a two-set lead and lost in five against Dominic Thiem at the US Open in 2020.This will be the first French Open men’s final without Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer since 2004.Djokovic was the defending champion in Paris, but he withdrew before the quarter-finals after tearing the meniscus in his right knee and had surgery this week. Because he failed to get back to the final, he will drop from atop the ATP rankings, allowing Sinner to rise a spot from No 2, despite his defeat on Friday.“Obviously disappointed how it ended, but it’s part of my growing and the process,” said Sinner, who won the Australian Open in January for his first major trophy. “The winner is happy, and then the loser tries to find a way to beat him the next time.”The 22-year-old Italian showed up in Paris with a lingering hip injury that forced him to sit out the clay-court tournament in Rome last month. Alcaraz missed that event, too, because of a right forearm issue that he said made him afraid to hit his booming forehands at full force.Both men experienced physical problems in the third set. Alcaraz's right hand began to cramp. Sinner had his right forearm and left thigh massaged by a trainer during changeovers.It brought to mind last year’s French Open semifinals, when Alcaraz got off to a terrific start against Djokovic but then dealt with full-body cramps that rendered the remainder of the match anti-climactic.“I learned from last year’s match against Djokovic, when I was in the same position as today,” Alcaraz said. “I know that, in this moment, you have to be calm, you have to keep going, because the cramp is going to go away. You have to stay there, fighting.”He and Sinner are seen as the future of men’s tennis. The present isn’t too shabby, either. Even though this was not necessarily the most aesthetically pleasing of their nine head-to-head meetings – Alcaraz leads 5-4 – and they combined for 102 unforced errors, there were moments of brilliance that generated duelling clap-accompanied chants of each m | 1,717,793,103 | en |
45,617 | US hiring and wage growth picked up last month | America’s employers added a strong 272,000 jobs in May, accelerating from April and a sign that companies are still confident enough in the economy to keep hiring despite persistently high interest rates.Last month’s sizeable job gain suggests that the economy is still growing steadily, propelled by consumer spending on travel, entertainment and other services. US airports, for example, reported near-record traffic over the Memorial Day weekend. A healthy job market typically drives consumer spending, the economy’s principal fuel. Though some recent signs had raised concerns about economic weakness, May’s jobs report should help assuage those fears.Even so, Friday's report from the government included some signs of a potential slowdown. The unemployment rate, for example, edged up for a second straight month, to a still-low 4 percent, from 3.9 percent, ending a 27-month streak of unemployment below 4 percent. That streak had matched the longest such run since the late 1960s.President Joe Biden pointed to Friday's jobs report as a sign of the economy’s robust health under his administration. He also charged that congressional Republicans would worsen inflation by cutting health care subsidies and widening the deficit through tax cuts.The presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, has focused his criticism of Biden’s economic policies on the surge in inflation , which polls show still weighs heavily in voters’ assessment of the economy. At a rally in Phoenix on Thursday, he blamed illegal immigration for contributing to higher prices.Economists say the mixed signals from Friday's report – a surge in jobs alongside a slight rise in unemployment – are likely a sign that the job market is normalising after years of distortions related to the pandemic. After the brutal pandemic recession, when unemployment rocketed to nearly 15 percent, hiring soared in 2022 and 2023 as the economy quickly recovered. Wages, before adjusting for inflation, also jumped as businesses desperately sought to fill jobs.The number of open jobs, while still elevated, has fallen to a three-year low, the government said this week. Fewer workers are quitting their jobs, after quits had soared after the pandemic. Many employers say it's become easier to find workers to fill their open jobs. (AP) | 1,717,780,295 | en |
45,616 | India's Modi elected as leader of coalition | Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday was formally elected as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance coalition, which won the most number of seats in the country's national election after his political party failed to win a majority on its own.The 73-year-old leader, who will be sworn in as prime minister on Sunday for a rare third term, will now form a coalition government.Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP has governed India as part of the NDA coalition over the past decade, but this is the first time under his leadership that the party has needed support from its regional allies to form a government.“This alliance of ours reflects India's spirit in its true sense,” Modi said after the BJP and coalition members backed him as their prime ministerial candidate. “We were neither defeated nor are we defeated ... it was an NDA government in the past, still is and will be,” he added.Full results from India’s six week-long election, which began in mid-April, were released on Wednesday. The BJP won 240 seats, well below the 272 mark needed for a majority in a stunning upset. Together, the parties in the NDA coalition bagged 293 seats in the 543-member lower house of parliament.Meanwhile Modi's political challenger, the INDIA alliance led by the Congress party, put up a stronger-than-expected fight, defying predictions of decline by doubling its strength from the last election to win a total of 232 seats.Before Modi was formally elected as the NDA leader, local media reported that the two key regional allies which can make or break his coalition government – the Telugu Desam Party in southern Andhra Pradesh state and Janata Dal (United) in eastern Bihar state – were eyeing posts in important ministries, some of which the BJP have held so far.On Thursday, the newly emboldened opposition ramped up pressure on Modi and the BJP. In a press conference, the Congress party's main campaigner Rahul Gandhi demanded a parliamentary investigation into what he called the “biggest stock market scam,” alleging that Modi and other top BJP ministers misled retail investors who ended up losing money.India's two main benchmark stock indexes hit new highs on Monday after exit polls predicted a BJP sweep, but dropped sharply on Tuesday to close down more than 5% as early vote figures trickled in.In television interviews last month, Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah said the markets would surge when results were declared on June 4.The BJP denied Gandhi's accusations of a ploy between the party and exit pollsters, and accused the Congress leader of trying to discourage investors. (AP) | 1,717,777,362 | en |
45,615 | Rishi Sunak apologises for skipping a D-Day ceremony | British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologised on Friday for leaving D-Day commemorations in France early to return to the election campaign trail – a decision slammed as disgraceful by his political rivals.Sunak, who is fighting to keep his job in Britain’s July 4 election , said that, “on reflection” the decision was a mistake.Sunak was not alongside leaders including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the major memorial event at Omaha Beach in Normandy on Thursday. Former Prime Minister David Cameron, who is now foreign minister, represented the UK.Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, the current favourite to win the election, attended and was pictured meeting Zelenskyy and other leaders.Sunak had earlier attended a ceremony at the British memorial in Normandy alongside King Charles and surviving World War II veterans. He also attended a commemoration in Portsmouth, England, the day before.Sunak wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion that helped free Europe from the Nazis “should be about those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The last thing I want is for the commemorations to be overshadowed by politics.”He added: “On reflection, it was a mistake not to stay in France longer – and I apologise," he wrote.The prime minister recorded an interview with broadcaster ITV on Thursday after returning from France, though he said that was not the reason he cut short his trip.Sunak insisted he “stuck to the itinerary” that had been laid out for him for D-Day weeks before he called the election.“On reflection it was a mistake not to stay longer and I’ve apologised for that, but I also don’t think it’s right to be political in the midst of D-Day commemorations," he said. "The focus should rightly be on the veterans and their service and sacrifice for our country.”A clip released from the interview by ITV showed Sunak denying opposition allegations that he lied by making inaccurate statements about the opposition Labour Party’s tax plans.Starmer said “Rishi Sunak will have to answer for his choice” to skip the D-Day event."For me there was only one choice. ... There was nowhere else I was going to be," Starmer told broadcasters.Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said it was “a total dereliction of duty” for Sunak to skip the ceremony.Nigel Farage, leader of the populist Reform UK party, said “patriotic people who love their country” should not vote for Sunak. Farage is seeking to siphon off Conservative voters with his populist, anti-immigration positions. He is sure to raise the D-Day episode in a seven-party televised debate later on Friday. All the main parties will be represented, though Sunak and Starmer are not due to take part.Craig Oliver, who was communications director to Cameron’s Conservative government, said “the problem for Rishi Sunak this morning is he’s accused of not getting what it is to be a prime minister and what his duties are as a prime minister.”All 650 seats in the House of Commons are up for grabs on July 4. The leader of the party that can command a majority – either alone or in coalition – will become prime minister. (AP) | 1,717,775,389 | en |
45,614 | Zheng Sheng College to close on July 7 | Christian Zheng Sheng College, a school that helps students quit drugs, announced it's closing down in a month. The college's supervisor, Chui Hong-sheung, said the decision was made on Thursday night during an online board meeting which he didn't take part in. Chui pointed out that the cash-strapped college currently has around ten students, and he believes the authorities will make arrangements for them to be transferred elsewhere. He added that some teachers have already quit the school. "Since there are not many students involved, I think it's highly likely that the authorities can offer them help. But whether or not the students and their parents are willing to be transferred is another matter," he told RTHK.Back in January, police arrested four directors of the charity which runs the college, on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud. Three others, including the institution’s head, Alman Chan, were put on the wanted list.Christian Zheng Sheng earlier told the press that relevant bank accounts had been frozen by officers as part of the probe, and it was facing dire economic difficulties. The government gave the school more than HK$1 million in emergency funding in March, but Chui said the money has since been used up.Meanwhile, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority said Zheng Sheng College has failed to make MPF contributions for around 20 employees between February and April.It said it will take follow up action accordingly. | 1,717,769,475 | en |
45,613 | Wang Yi to attend Brics foreign ministers' meeting | Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Russia next week for a gathering of counterparts from the Brics group of emerging economies.Wang will meet with other foreign ministers for talks "on issues of common concern such as Brics cooperation and current and regional situations", Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday.Mao said that Brics is an important platform for cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries and that members "have always been committed to safeguarding multilateralism".The meeting takes place on Monday and Tuesday in western Russia's Nizhny Novgorod.China is willing to work "to consolidate the Brics strategic relations, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, (and) promote shared development and joint self-reliance in the global South", Mao said.The bloc, its name derived from the initials of founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, announced last year a major expansion in membership, described at the time by President Xi Jinping as "historic". (AFP) | 1,717,753,607 | en |
45,612 | Hong Kong stocks end lower | Hong Kong stocks finished lower on Friday.The Hang Seng Index closed down 109 points, or 0.6 percent, at 18,366.The Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.1 percent at 3,051, while the smaller Shenzhen index also ended 0.1 percent higher. (Reuters) | 1,717,751,210 | en |
45,611 | 'Most public flat tenants have completed declarations' | Director of Housing Rosanna Law said on Friday that most public housing tenants suspected of exceeding income and asset limits have made relevant declarations, and those who haven't done so risk having their homes taken back by the government.A deadline for some 250,000 so-called "rich tenants" to declare their income and assets passed at the end of last month. People with too much money have to leave their public flats.Law said around 88 percent of tenants have made declarations, and officials will send letters to the rest next week. She said those who still don't make declarations could see their tenancy terminated."I will remind you again, that if you wish to continue living in the flat, I will give you a deadline to fill in the declaration form and provide a written reply explaining the late submission," Law said on an RTHK programme.She said those who don't return the form or fail to provide a clear explanation would be considered to have decided not to extend their tenancy, and the flats will be taken back.Discretion will be exercised if tenants report family members have been out of Hong Kong or in hospital.Since the start of the latest round of declarations, officials have taken back more than 1,200 flats, Law said. The units will be reallocated after renovation work.Law said officials are aware of reports that some public flat tenants have been seen driving luxury cars with cross-boundary licence plates. She said in some cases, investigations will be carried out to see whether there has been any wrongdoing in terms of income and asset checks. | 1,717,751,032 | en |
45,610 | PolyU device samples soil from far side of moon | Polytechnic University on Friday said equipment it developed has enabled China’s Chang’e-6 space mission to sample soil from the far side of the moon – the first such feat in history.Professor Yung Kai-leung, director of the university's Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations, said their sampling system, unlike those used by other countries, is fully automated, which means it can prevent contamination and is more efficient.The device consists of two shovel and claw-shaped samplers, two monitoring cameras, as well as a packaging system, Yung said.The automated process involves the cameras selecting an area to sample, before the samplers collect the soil and put it into a container.The academic said it took his team at the university six years to design and manufacture the sampling system, as it is no easy task operating on the far side of the moon.“We still experience communication problems. So we had to modify the method of regolith acquisition so that we can speed up the acquisition, sealing and packing. We had to upgrade our design,” he said.Yung said he believes that more than 1.75 kg of lunar soil was collected during an operation on Monday, and the material will be of scientific significance.“The lunar regolith, especially those on the far side, are subject to a rigorous environment of space radiation, meteorites and things like that. So they contain a lot of useful elements that we may not be able to find on Earth.”He said the samples may also help scientists better understand the formation of the moon.The Chang’e 6-spacecraft is expected to return to Earth on June 25. | 1,717,744,040 | en |
45,609 | Flexible turf used for Kai Tak Sports Park | The youth sports ground at the Kai Tak Sports Park will be the first public venue to use "lay and pay" technology for the pitch, with officials saying it should provide more stability and flexibility when organising events.The venue will be available for events including football and rugby matches, as well as school sports days.Managers of the sports park say about 650 rolls of turf, each measuring 1.2 metres by 10 metres, were harvested in Zhuhai and transported to Hong Kong for installation.The hybrid turf consists of 95 percent natural grass and five percent artificial grass fibres.Malcolm Caddies, a general manager at sports venue management company ASM Global, said the turf can minimise the chances of matches being called off due to unstable conditions."Hybrid surface is way more stable, way more secure. You're not going to get soggy fields like you traditionally do in wet conditions, so it will certainly allow for more matches in inclement weather," he said.Caddies added that a rain harvesting system, which can drain about 1,000 millimetres of rain per hour, has been installed underneath the sports ground to deal with extreme weather. | 1,717,733,370 | en |
45,608 | China's May exports pick up pace | China's exports grew more quickly and for a second month in May, suggesting factory owners are managing to find buyers overseas and providing some relief to the economy.Outbound shipments from the world's second-largest economy grew 7.6 percent year-on-year last month, customs data showed on Friday, beating a forecast 6 percent increase in a Reuters poll of economists and a 1.5 percent rise seen in April.Imports increased 1.8 percent in May, slowing from an 8.4 percent jump in the previous month.Over recent months, a flurry of data has shown different parts of the US$18.6 trillion economy recovering at varying speeds.While first quarter growth blew past forecasts and strong March export and output data suggested improving global demand might aid officials' efforts to get the economy back on a more even keel, recent indicators have reflected domestic consumption had softened.A protracted property sector crisis remains the biggest drag on China's economy, with low investor and consumer confidence hurting domestic consumption and undermining business activity.However, Friday's trade data should give authorities some breathing space as they continue their efforts to foster a broad-based economic recovery.The International Monetary Fund last month upgraded its China growth forecast for 2024 in line with Beijing's growth target of "around" five percent, but warned of risks to the economy from the property troubles. (Reuters) | 1,717,732,112 | en |
45,607 | Flavoured cigarette ban will deter visitors: lawmaker | The government's plan to ban flavoured cigarettes will deter some tourists and businesspeople from coming to Hong Kong, a lawmaker warned on Friday.The move is among 10 new measures aimed at reducing the number of smokers in the city, with others including a blanket ban on e-cigarettes and making it illegal for people to light up if they're in a queue.Retail sector lawmaker Peter Shiu told RTHK he was worried some people would think twice about coming to Hong Kong when they hear about the flavoured cigarette ban.“Fruit-flavoured cigarettes are sold in all parts of the world. Assuming people are not allowed to purchase these cigarettes, it would mean that their freedom of choice is being restricted,” he said.“If some of these people are used to smoking fruit-flavoured cigarettes in their own countries, and they visit Hong Kong where such products are prohibited, they would then think twice before travelling to the SAR for tourism or business.”However, Henry Tong, who chairs the Council on Smoking and Health, said he was in favour of the plan."We really welcome the government's new measure... banning flavoured tobacco products would make cigarette smoking much less attractive to young people and female smokers," he said on RTHK's Hong Kong Today programme. Deputy Secretary for Health, Eddie Lee, meanwhile, said the government is adopting a "gradual and systemic" approach to making smoking culturally unacceptable in Hong Kong. | 1,717,731,809 | en |
45,606 | Hang Seng Index makes modest gains at opening | Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 85.68 points, or 0.46 percent, to open at 18,562.48 on Friday. On the mainland, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.17 percent percent to open at 3,053.92 points, while the Shenzhen Component Index opened 0.04 percent higher at 9,348.8 points. (Xinhua) | 1,717,731,193 | en |
45,605 | China women's hockey team hopeful for an Olympic medal | China's women's hockey team has set their sights on a podium spot at this year's Olympics, even though they have a tough road ahead to clinch a medal.Preparations have been underway for the Paris Games, with the team recently spending almost two months in the Australian city of Perth for a training programme.Zhong Jiaqi, who's playing in her second Olympics, said the squad is more prepared this time than during the Tokyo Games in 2021. “I think we are more confident, and the whole team is in a very good condition,” Zhong said. “It could be because our result in the last Olympics was not satisfactory, so we want this year's Games to be good.” Fellow teammate and defender Zheng Jiali, who is representing China for the first time at the Olympics, said the team is aiming for gold. “We have strengthened techniques and strategies, as well as our fitness. There are overall changes and adjustments,” she added. The national team achieved its best Olympic result on home soil during the 2008 Beijing Games, where they took silver. One of their coaches, Huang Yongsheng, said the team's success does not stop there.“Whether it's 2008 or after 2008, the goal of the women's hockey team has never changed. We strive to do our best and always work to achieve the best results,” Huang said. “I feel like [the achievement in] 2008 is not our endpoint, it is just a starting point.” Two years ago, Australia’s two-time Olympic gold medalist Alyson Annan took charge of the Chinese squad, and coach Huang said it has helped the team grow. "She brought some pioneering concepts from the West, merging them with what we already had in China, in the hope of better techniques and tactics that fit China more," Huang said. The national team faces an uphill battle in Paris, having been placed in the same group as reigning Olympic champions the Netherlands. Other teams in the same group include Belgium, Germany, Japan and hosts France.Team manager Guo Hong said he is certain the team will give their all. “Everyone has an Olympic dream. But I think we should be realistic and do things gradually,” Guo said. | 1,717,730,398 | en |
45,604 | Porzingis' return fuels Boston Game-1 win | Kristaps Porzingis returned from a 10-game absence to record 20 points off the bench and the Boston Celtics snuffed a second-half rally to beat the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.Porzingis hadn't played since Game 4 of Boston's first-round series against the Miami Heat due to a right calf strain. He seemed unfazed by the long layoff, though, shooting 8-for-13 from the field while collecting six rebounds and three blocks.After trailing by as many as 29 late in the first half, Dallas got back into the game thanks to a third-quarter outburst headlined by Luka Doncic.The star guard accounted for 10 points during the Mavericks' 22-9 surge to open the frame, with his 3-pointer cutting Dallas' deficit to 72-64 with 4:28 to go.The Celtics responded emphatically, rattling off the next 14 points to take a 22-point lead.Daniel Gafford closed the third with a pair of free throws to get Dallas within 20, but the Mavericks trailed by at least 17 for the entirety of the fourth.Game 2 is set for Sunday in Boston.Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 22 points and added six boards, three steals and three blocks. Jayson Tatum chipped in 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Derrick White netted 15 points.Doncic recorded 30 points and 10 rebounds for Dallas, which got outshot 47.6 percent to 41.7 percent overall. P.J. Washington went for 14 points, Jaden Hardy scored 13, and Kyrie Irving, showered with boos all night, had 12.Although Porzingis didn't draw the start, he wasted no time setting the tone after checking in with 7:17 left in the first quarter.The big man tortured his former team, scoring 11 points and blocking a pair of shots in the period to lift the Celtics to a 37-20 advantage after 12 minutes of action. No team has ever built a larger lead in the first quarter of Game 1 in Finals history.Boston kept pouring it on, using a 14-2 run to go up 58-29 with 4:11 remaining in the second quarter. However, Doncic proceeded to erupt for nine points over the final four minutes of the first half, helping the Mavericks pull within 63-42 by the break. (Reuters) | 1,717,730,297 | en |
45,603 | 'Judge resignations won't affect judicial functions’ | The Bar Association on Friday expressed regret over the resignations of two top court judges, and said their departure would not affect the court's judicial functions.Its remarks came after two non-permanent judges of the Court of Final Appeal – Lord Collins of Mapesbury and Lord Sumption, both from the UK – tendered their resignations."The Bar respects their personal decision and is also grateful for their contributions to the development of our jurisprudence and the rule of law in Hong Kong," the association wrote in a statement."The Bar strongly believes that their resignations will not affect the ability of our apex court in discharging its judicial functions and has every confidence in the independence of our judicial system." Meanwhile, the Law Society said it is grateful to all current and past non-permanent judges for their "faithful and fearless discharge of their important role in the administration of justice".Its president Chan Chak-ming said the society supports keeping overseas non-permanent judges in Hong Kong, as stated in the Basic Law. | 1,717,728,713 | en |
45,602 | Tobacco control experts welcome new anti-smoking moves | An expert in tobacco control has hailed the government's latest moves to bring down the smoking rate, but she says that more measures will be needed going forward especially when it comes to stopping young people from smoking. In an interview with RTHK, the director of the Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control, Judith Mackay, said the short-term measures, including banning flavoured cigarettes, were spot on."I think it is really important that the government has done this," she said. "I mean we still have 600,000 smokers in Hong Kong and we know that 400,000 of them will die from tobacco."Mackay also said governments needed to think of new ways to tackle smoking going forward and this included banning the sale of cigarettes to people born after a certain date."I think you can divide tobacco control into two areas. One is existing measures and extending them," she said. "But then we also have to think of new measures and to try to be innovative, particularly in terms of young people."Mackay said the idea of having a smoke-free generation had been considered in New Zealand and the UK but had been stymied by changes in government. She said it didn't surprise her that the SAR government hadn't included a ban on sales of tobacco to people born before a certain date in its latest measures but that it was still on the books.On Thursday, the government proposed a blanket ban on E-cigarettes, flavoured cigarettes and lighting up while in a queue, as part of moves designed to bring about a "cultural change". Other planned measures include removing branding from cigarette packaging and heightening health warnings. Mackay also said she had never met a smoker who wanted to keep smoking. She said parents who smoked also didn't want their children to smoke as it was dangerous and expensive.Meanwhile, Henry Tong - who chairs the Council on Smoking and Health - said vapes and flavoured cigarettes have been shown to be particularly attractive to young smokers and female smokers."The survey yesterday that the government released shows that about 70 percent of female smokers and young smokers smoke flavoured tobacco products," he said while appearing on RTHK's Hong Kong Today programme. "And vapes, e-cigarettes, these are trendy products. They are attractive to young people."Tong said banning the possession of e-cigarettes was the second half of the government's action against the product, after it banned their importation, manufacture and sale two years ago. He said he really welcomed the government's measure.The Health Secretary, Lo Chung-mau, has said the government plans to reduce the smoking prevalence rate to to 7.8 [ercent next year from the current 9.1 percent. | 1,717,723,618 | en |
45,601 | Starliner docks at ISS in spite of glitches | Boeing's two-member Starliner crew received a warm welcome aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday after successfully docking, a key test of the new spacecraft's flight-worthiness.The rendezvous was achieved despite an earlier loss of several guidance-control jet thrusters, some of them due to a helium propulsion leak, which Nasa and Boeing said had been partially fixed and should not compromise the mission.The CST-100 Starliner, with veteran astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams aboard, arrived at the orbiting platform after a flight of nearly 27 hours following its launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.A live Nasa video feed showed the smiling new arrivals, wearing their blue flight suits, weightlessly floating headfirst through the padded passageway, one after the other, into the station. Williams was first."We're just as happy as can be to be up in space," she said during a brief welcoming ceremony a short time later.The Starliner autonomously docked with the ISS while both were orbiting some 250 miles over the southern Indian Ocean at 1.34 p.m. EDT, as the two vehicles soared around the globe in tandem at about 17,500 miles per hour.Getting Starliner to this point has been a fraught process for Boeing under its US$4.2 billion, fixed-priced contract with NASA, which wants the redundancy of two different US rides to the ISS. | 1,717,721,713 | en |
45,600 | US stun Pakistan in T20 World Cup Super Over | The United States beat Pakistan in a Super Over in Dallas on Thursday to achieve one of the biggest upsets in Twenty20 World Cup history and secure their second win of the tournament.Pakistan, the 2009 champions, recovered from a poor start to score 159-7 but the U.S. plundered 14 runs from their final over to finish on 159-3 and send the match to a Super Over.The tournament co-hosts made 18-1, helped by two wides from Pakistan, before restricting their opponents to 13-1 to seal a famous victory."It's a big achievement beating Pakistan and playing for the first time," U.S. captain and player of the match Monank Patel said."The way we played today I'm really proud of the boys and it was a complete team effort from ball one to the last ball."Pakistan captain Babar Azam bemoaned his side's batting performance."We didn't capitalise with the bat and they took a lot of momentum. We lost back-to-back wickets in the middle overs. As a batting unit you need to step up, you need to create partnerships and we didn't do that," Babar said."Credit to USA, they performed so well today. They were better than us in all aspects of the game." (Reuters) | 1,717,719,511 | en |
45,599 | Italy's Paolini to play Swiatek in French Open final | Jasmine Paolini will play Iga Swiatek in the French Open final after the Italian 12th seed ended the run of 17-year-old Russian sensation Mirra Andreeva in the last four on Thursday, winning 6-3, 6-1.Paolini is through to her first Grand Slam final at the age of 28. She had never gone beyond the second round of a major before the start of this year.The world number 15 had won a total of four matches in 16 Grand Slam appearances before advancing to the fourth round of the Australian Open in January.Now she is one win away from an improbable title at Roland Garros as she tries to emulate compatriot Francesca Schiavone, who won the 2010 French Open. Paolini is also guaranteed to break into the top 10 for the first time."I learned I think a little bit later than other players, to dream is the most important thing in sport and in life," said Paolini."I'm happy I could dream this moment. I don't know what to say, I'm so emotional."Andreeva had become the youngest Grand Slam semi-finalist in 27 years with a shock victory over second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the last eight.But her bid to be crowned the youngest major champion since Martina Hingis at the 1997 US Open was cut short as Andreeva was unable to reproduce the level that saw her put out an ailing Sabalenka.Paolini snatched the only break of a tight opening set in the fourth game, saving five break chances across her next two service games to keep Andreeva at arm's length.The errors continued to pile up for Andreeva and Paolini seized her opportunity once more when it arose at 1-1 in the second set, before breaking for a second time to stride towards the finish line.With Andreeva looking increasingly disconsolate and fighting back tears, Paolini applied the coup de grace with one last break to complete a resounding victory. (AFP) | 1,717,718,961 | en |
45,598 | Cyril Ramaphosa says ANC wants national unity govt | South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday that his African National Congress (ANC) would seek to form a government of national unity with a broad group of opposition parties."The purpose of the government of national unity must be, first and foremost, to tackle the pressing issues that South Africans want to be addressed," Ramaphosa said after a marathon ANC meeting."These issues include job creation and the growth of our economy that will be inclusive, the high cost of living, service delivery, crime and corruption," he said.In last week's general election, the ANC won just over 40 percent of the vote and 158 seats in South Africa's National Assembly, falling short of an outright majority for the first time.As Ramaphosa acknowledged after ten hours of intense talks with his party's senior members at a Johannesburg conference centre, the governing party now needs partners to form a government.There had been speculation the party might seek to form a minority government or a coalition with one or two major parties, but in the end Ramaphosa invited all his rivals to talks."Such a national dialogue will enhance the pressing task of rebuilding social cohesion in a fractured society, following a particularly toxic and divisive election campaign," he said.Ramaphosa said ANC negotiators had already held talks with five parties: The leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA), the National Freedom Party (NFP) and the anti-immigrant Patriotic Alliance (PA)."All parties must commit to shared nation building and social cohesion," he said. "These values include respect for the constitution of the Republic of South Africa and the rule of law, social justice and equity, human dignity, non-racialism and non-sexism." (AFP) | 1,717,712,224 | en |
45,597 | US stocks tread water as markets await jobs data | Wall Street stocks were little changed on Thursday after hitting records a day earlier, as traders awaited data on the labour market.The Dow Jones inched up 0.2 percent to 38,886, while the S&P 500 ended flat at 5,352.The Nasdaq dipped 0.1 percent to 17,173.On Wednesday, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both reached new highs."It's not uncommon. It seems like every time the market makes a new high, there is not a lot of follow through," said Karl Haeling of LBBW.The market movements also came after the European Central Bank lowered interest rates for the first time since 2019.Haeling noted that although the ECB cut was anticipated, its tone was "less dovish than expected."All attention is now on the Federal Reserve's policy meeting next week, as traders look for signs that the US central bank may soon follow suit in reducing interest rates.For now, traders are looking ahead to the latest US employment report due out on Friday indicating the health of the labour market.While hiring has proven more resilient than anticipated in the face of high interest rates, cooling job growth could prompt the Fed to lower rates sooner rather than later.Among individual companies, Lululemon Athletica shares ended 4.8 percent up after unveiling results that beat expectations. (AFP) | 1,717,705,426 | en |
45,596 | US trade gap widens to largest in 18 months | The US trade deficit expanded slightly less than analysts expected in April, to the widest since late 2022, as imports rose more quickly than exports, according to government data released on Thursday.The overall gap was US$74.6 billion, growing from March's revised US$68.6 billion figure, said the US Commerce Department.This was the largest deficit since October 2022, according to official data.US consumption has been more resilient than anticipated even as the central bank rapidly hiked interest rates to dampen demand – and this has helped to support imports.But with weaker global demand, there have been concerns that export growth would not be able to keep up.Investors are also watching the Federal Reserve for the outcome of its policy meeting next week, looking for hints on when it might start cutting interest rates."The early data are pointing to a drag from trade in the second quarter," said Rubeela Farooqi, chief US economist at High Frequency Economics.In April, imports grew by 2.4 percent to US$338.2 billion, while exports rose by 0.8 percent to US$263.7 billion, said the Commerce Department.The jump in imports was largely due to an increase in goods such as automotive vehicles, the report added.Goods exports, meanwhile, also picked up but by a smaller degree, with a rise seen in products like pharmaceutical preparations and electric apparatus, data showed."Imports have been supported by strong domestic demand and lean inventories," said Matthew Martin, US economist at Oxford Economics."Exports have contended with a weaker global backdrop and a strong US dollar which makes domestic goods relatively more expensive abroad," he added.The goods deficit with China dropped by US$2.5 billion to US$22.1 billion in April. This was mainly due to a decrease in imports. (AFP) | 1,717,702,854 | en |
45,595 | Three arrested for allegedly insulting national anthem | Police said they had arrested three people who allegedly insulted the national anthem ahead of a World Cup qualifying match.Hong Kong, China were playing against Iran at the Hong Kong Stadium on Thursday in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match.Officers said three people, aged between 18 and 31, turned their backs towards the pitch when the national anthem was played.They were arrested on suspicion of insulting the national anthem, and are being detained for further investigation.The National Anthem Ordinance came into effect in 2020, stating that people must stand solemnly and must not behave in a disrespectful way when the national anthem is played. | 1,717,695,339 | en |
45,594 | 2 overseas non-permanent CFA judges resign | The Judiciary said two non-permanent judges of the Court of Final Appeal – Lord Collins of Mapesbury and Lord Sumption, both from the UK – have tendered their resignations.In a statement, Chief Justice Andrew Cheung of the Court of Final Appeal “notes with regret” the resignations. He said overseas non-permanent judges, including Lords Collins and Sumption, have made valuable contributions to the top court over the years, and that the Judiciary is committed to upholding the rule of law and judicial independence in Hong Kong.The Chief Executive, John Lee, also expressed regret at the resignations. Lee noted that Lord Collins had stated that he continued to "have the fullest confidence in the Court and the total independence of its members."Meanwhile, the Secretary for Justice, Paul Lam, said the Department of Justice expresses regret at the judges' resignations, but was grateful for their past contributions.Lord Collins has been a non-permanent judge of Hong Kong’s highest court since 2011, Lord Sumption since 2019.With the pair’s resignations, there are four Hong Kong non-permanent judges and eight non-permanent judges from other common law jurisdictions at the Court of Final Appeal, with Justice Allsop from Australia the most recent appointee earlier this year.The maximum number of non-permanent judges is 30. | 1,717,692,827 | en |
45,593 | Premier League clubs vote to continue using VAR | Premier League clubs voted on Thursday to continue using VAR next season after being asked to consider scrapping the technology.At the league's annual general meeting, the 20 teams decided against ending the use of video assistant referees for key onfield decisions, despite a series of controversies last season.Clubs, however, voted to make improvements “for the benefit of the game and supporters.”The league said it wants to reduce delays to games while decisions are being made, with the introduction of semi-automated offside technology key to that.“The technology will provide quicker and consistent placement of the virtual offside line, based on optical player tracking,” it said in a statement.The league also said it wanted to maintain a high threshold for VAR intervention and “more robust VAR training to improve consistency, including an emphasis on speed of process while preserving accuracy.”In-stadium announcements will be introduced to improve fan experience, as well as big screen replays, where possible.Wolverhampton Wanderers submitted a resolution to trigger a vote on the use of VAR last month.It said VAR “led to numerous unintended negative consequences that are damaging the relationship between fans and football, and undermining the value of the Premier League brand.”VAR has been used in the Premier League since the 2019-20 season. According to the league, the number of correct decisions made in games has risen from 82 percent prior to its introduction to 96 percent last season.But there have been high-profile errors.The most notable of those last season came in a game between Tottenham and Liverpool in September when a miscommunication meant Luis Diaz's goal was ruled out despite replays clearly showing the forward was onside.Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp later called for the game to be replayed after his team’s 2-1 loss.The league said in April that semi-automated offside technology would be introduced in the autumn of 2024.The league said it would continue to lobby the International Football Association Board, which oversees the laws of football, for greater flexibility to "allow live video and audio broadcast during VAR reviews.” (AP) | 1,717,690,952 | en |
45,592 | Boeing's space capsule springs more helium leaks | Boeing’s space capsule developed more leaks during its first test flight with astronauts as it closed in on the International Space Station on Thursday.The Starliner capsule already had one small helium leak when it rocketed into orbit on Wednesday. Boeing and Nasa managers were confident they could manage the propulsion system despite the problem and that more leaks were unlikely. But just hours into the flight, two more leaks cropped up. There was no immediate word on the size of these new leaks.The leaks pose no safety issues for Nasa test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams or the mission, Boeing spokesman Jim May said.Mission managers pressed ahead for a midday docking with the space station while continuing to monitor the issue.May said the capsule holds plenty of helium reserves to make up for what's lost. The propulsion system will be disabled once the capsule is docked at the space station since the thrusters will not be needed then, he said.Helium is used to pressurise the fuel lines of Starliner’s thrusters, which are essential for manoeuvering. Before liftoff, engineers devised a plan to work around any additional leaks in the system. A faulty rubber seal, no bigger than a shirt button, is believed responsible for the original leak.After the space shuttles retired, Nasa hired Boeing and SpaceX to ferry astronauts to and from the space station. SpaceX’s taxi service began in 2020. Boeing was supposed to start around the same time, but was held up for years by safety concerns and other troubles.Boeing plans to keep Starliner at the space station for at least eight days before guiding it to a landing in the western US. (AP) | 1,717,685,097 | en |
45,591 | Starship rocket splashes down in Indian Ocean | SpaceX's giant Starship rocket survived reentry through Earth's atmosphere on Thursday and splashed down in the Indian Ocean as planned during its fourth test mission after launching from south Texas.The two-stage spacecraft, consisting of the Starship cruise vessel mounted atop its towering Super Heavy rocket booster, broke apart during its last attempt in March to survive a blazingly hot reentry through Earth's atmosphere.But the craft survived its reentry on Thursday, a SpaceX livestream showed."Despite loss of many tiles and a damaged flap, Starship made it all the way to a soft landing in the ocean!" SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted on social media after the splashdown.Starship, stacked atop its Super Heavy booster, blasted off on Thursday morning from the company's Starbase launch site near Boca Chica Village on the Gulf Coast of Texas. It is the latest trial mission in the test-to-failure rocket development campaign of Elon Musk's company.The rocket system's first stage, called Super Heavy, detached from the Starship upper stage three minutes into flight dozens of kilometres above ground, sending the Starship on its way toward space.Super Heavy headed back toward land and appeared to achieve a soft landing in the Gulf of Mexico. Starship, meanwhile, blasted its own engines to begin its trek around the globe toward the Indian Ocean, a roughly 70-minute trip.There, it began its free-fall back to Earth where it endured the intense heat of atmospheric reentry – the crucial point at which it failed in March.Designed to be cheaper and more powerful than SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, Starship – standing nearly 122 metres tall – represents the future of the company's dominant satellite launch and astronaut business. It is due to be used by Nasa in the next few years to land the first astronauts on the moon since 1972.Each Starship rocket has made it farther in its testing objectives than previous tests before failing, either by blowing up or disintegrating in the atmosphere.The rocket's first launch in April 2023 exploded minutes after liftoff some 40 kilometres above ground. During the next attempt in November, Starship reached space for the first time but exploded soon after.In its most recent flight in March, Starship made it much farther and broke apart in Earth's atmosphere as it attempted to return from space halfway around the globe.The rocket's flight on Thursday was a repeat of its previous test but with the aim to get farther.The rocket is covered with hundreds of small black tiles designed to protect against the extreme heat encountered while diving through Earth's atmosphere at hypersonic speeds."The main goal of this mission is to get much deeper into the atmosphere during reentry, ideally through max heating," Musk, CEO of SpaceX, wrote on social media on Saturday.Much is riding on SpaceX's development of Starship, relied upon by Nasa as it aims to return astronauts to the moon in 2026.Despite Starship's development appearing quicker than other rocket programmes, it has been slower than Musk originally envisioned. A Japanese billionaire who initially paid to fly Starship around the moon cancelled his flight last week, citing schedule uncertainties. (Reuters) | 1,717,684,731 | en |
45,590 | Iran overcome HK in World Cup qualifier | A hat-trick from Mehdi Taremi sank Hong Kong, China's hopes of a win on home turf against Iran in Thursday's 2026 World Cup qualifying match.The FC Porto forward scored two penalties in addition to a goal from open play to help seal a 4-2 win against the SAR.Ma Hei-wai and Anthony Francis Pinto scored for the home team to help them keep pace with the Iranians.The result leaves Hong Kong, China at the bottom of Group E with one point, having lost four games and drawn one.Iran, meanwhile, top the group with four wins and a draw.The top two teams from the group move on to the third round of World Cup qualifiers in Asia while the bottom two head to the third round of Asian Cup qualifiers. | 1,717,683,507 | en |
45,589 | HK hits back at US over NSL resolution | The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government on Thursday said it strongly disapproved of and opposed the House of Representatives of the United States Congress for introducing a resolution which it said “smeared and slandered” the Hong Kong National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance as well as law enforcement actions taken by HKSAR law enforcement.A spokesman for the SAR administration said, "The US House of Representatives grossly interfered in Hong Kong affairs which are internal affairs of China, violating international law and the basic norms governing international relations.""The HKSAR will not be intimidated and will continue to resolutely safeguard national security in accordance with the law," the spokesman added.The spokesman also said the US was "in no position to point its finger" at the SAR for legitimately passing legislation to safeguard national security.He added the SAR's legal framework in safeguarding national security was in line with international human rights standards, and the extraterritorial effect for the offences endangering national security also fully aligns with the principles of international law. | 1,717,682,934 | en |
45,588 | Govt plans to invite red minibuses to go green by July | The Transport Department on Thursday said it planned to invite eligible red minibus operators to switch to green routes next month.It said the government consulted the sector last month and received positive feedback.It planned to invite red minibus route operators, who had already joined the HK$2 fare scheme, to switch to green routes, to further ensure the quality of minibus services.The department said about 70 red minibus routes had joined the fare scheme.Authorities said criteria would be set for those who wished to go green, such as requiring minibus routes to operate for at least five years, have only one fixed route and offer whole-day services, and the route must be run by only one operator.It is expected to invite eligible red minibus operators to switch to green routes within the month of July, and the department said it would ensure all routes meet the conditions for operating public light buses.Currently, red minibuses are allowed to operate across the territory, and their routes, frequency and fares are not subject to any restrictions. | 1,717,681,187 | en |
45,587 | CE urged to step in to end HKU appointment conflict | Former council members and alumni of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have called on Chief Executive John Lee to put an end to the infighting at the institution, saying they had lost faith in the council's chairperson Priscilla Wong.They wrote a letter to Lee, who is also the university's chancellor, saying the council had appointed several interim vice-presidents without consulting HKU president and vice-chancellor Zhang Xiang.They said the council is tasked with giving advice and monitoring HKU's management, but does not directly deal with administrative affairs, adding the body's move had sparked conflicts in HKU and affected its normal operation.They urged Lee to step in promptly, or people would have the impression the government had appointed the council chairperson to control HKU and sideline the president, which would harm Hong Kong's international image.One of the letter's signatories, former executive councillor Fanny Law, told RTHK she "doesn't have an opinion on who should be the vice-presidents," but she cared about the procedures, HKU's reputation and the city's image.New People's Party legislator Regina Ip, who sits on HKU's court, an overseeing and legislative body comprising university and lay members, said she hopes the conflict can be settled soon."Personally I think vice-presidents are part of the president's team. No matter who has the power to appoint them, they should consult the president thoroughly. It's better if the president gets along with the vice-presidents and they can work together," she said.In response, the Chief Executive's Office said Lee had asked the Education Bureau to comprehend the situation before reporting to him, adding that people would expect HKU, a successful university, to have good governance.Zhang had earlier criticised the council's action in an email to HKU teaching staff and students, saying it violated established procedures and severely undermined the institution's "century-old academic autonomy". | 1,717,678,384 | en |
45,586 | World leaders mark D-Day 80th anniversary | World leaders on Thursday gathered in Normandy to remember those who fought and died on the beaches of northern France 80 years ago, when Allied forces launched "D-Day" to liberate Western Europe from Nazi occupation.Moving letters from veterans were read as ceremonies kicked off to mark the 80th anniversary of the June 6, 1944 D-Day landings, when more than 150,000 Allied soldiers invaded France by sea and air.US leader Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain's King Charles III and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, representing the Allied powers, paid tribute to the tens of thousands of troops who fought on the beaches.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived to attend the ceremonies and hold talks with the leaders -- a stark reminder of the conflict between his country and Russia. The biggest guests of honour were some 200 surviving veterans in their late 90s or even over 100, some in wheelchairs, huddled in blankets as they gazed over the shores. (Agencies) | 1,717,677,156 | en |
45,585 | Language and culture classes to help EMs integrate | A group advocating for racial equality on Thursday called on the government to offer language and cultural courses to Nepalese parents and youths to help them integrate into Hong Kong society and prepare them with skills for better employment opportunities. A survey by Hong Kong Unison found that one in five Nepalese youths had been sent back to Nepal by their parents for reasons including family problems, forced marriage and drug abuse. John Tse, executive director of the organisation, said authorities need to boost education measures to help local Nepalese youths."They should really put their top priority in the field of education, particularly in the learning of Chinese so that if Nepalese students are doing well in school, hopefully they would be successful in their academic career and then have some sort of social mobility," he said."Currently, unfortunately, because of the language barrier and the lack of education, many of them can't finish secondary school. Even if they can finish secondary school, they would end up finding a really low-level kind of job which is not really good for them in the long run."A total of 268 adolescents and young adults were interviewed, with almost half saying their biggest concern was the language barrier and the lack of educational support.Limbu Eliza, a Nepalese youth who was born and raised in Hong Kong, said she personally struggled with discrimination and learning Cantonese growing up, which made schooling and finding a job very difficult. "Most companies don't hire our ethnic minority (EM) people. Whenever they see you are EM people, [they] don't want to hire you. They will just reject you immediately. No need for interview, you can just go, which is I think unfair for us," she said."Some of them, even though they know Cantonese, but [companies] judge us by our colour, our face, our culture, and that is why they will always reject us. I think that is the most difficult thing [about] finding a job in Hong Kong."The organisation also recommended special programmes tailored to Nepalese individuals to combat drug abuse, after the survey noted 70 percent of youth found drug abuse to be a significant problem. | 1,717,667,805 | en |
45,584 | Hong Kong shares close higher | Hong Kong shares closed up on Thursday, tracking Asian markets higher on growing expectations that the US Federal Reserve will likely cut interest rates in September.At the close of trade, the Hang Seng Index was up 51 points or 0.3 percent at 18,476.The Shanghai Composite Index ended down 0.5 percent at 3,048, while the smaller Shenzhen index ended down 1.7 percent. (Reuters) | 1,717,667,415 | en |
45,583 | 'King of JRs' arrested for fraud: sources | RTHK understands that a man known for challenging government policies in court has been arrested on suspicion of scamming the authorities out of different kinds of social benefits. Police said they arrested a man surnamed Kwok, 85, in Cheung Chau on Thursday. Sources said he's Kwok Cheuk-kin, often known as the king of judicial reviews.Officers said the man is suspected of making false statements over his income and assets, for the alleged purpose of deceiving the government to receive subsidies such as public housing, fruit money, social security and legal aid.They said the alleged deception took place between 2013 and 2022, and the arrest was made after thorough investigation by the Kowloon East regional crime unit.Police said the suspect was released on bail and stressed that fraud carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail. | 1,717,664,499 | en |
45,582 | E-cigarettes, smoking in a queue to be banned | E-cigarettes, flavoured cigarettes and lighting up while in a queue are set to be banned in Hong Kong, as part of measures designed to bring about a "cultural change" when it comes to smoking. A ban on selling or importing alternative smoking products (ASP) came into force more than two years ago, but it is still legal to possess them. Deputy Secretary for Health Eddie Lee on Thursday said the government plans to outlaw e-cigarettes and similar products completely. "One should not be able to have any legal means to purchase or to get hold of such ASP. So anyone who is still using ASP currently... presumably they are using the stocks that they purchased before April 2022," he said. "So a reasonable assumption is that by a certain time... if they possessed any ASP, should have already consumed all of the remaining leftover."Other planned measures aimed at cutting the number of smokers in the SAR include removing branding from cigarette packaging and a ban on smoking while in queues for public transport, theme parks or medical facilities. Smoke-free areas will also be extended to the entrances and exits of all childcare centres, schools and homes for the elderly. The fine for smoking in smoke-free areas will be doubled to HK$3,000. Existing laws banning the sale of cigarettes to under-18s will be extended to cover those who offer them to minors."The key principle is that we want to protect our youngsters, our next generation. So what we are doing now is actually an education process, a cultural change, a behavioural change," Lee said. "I think another important aspect is that through education and promotion, we will educate our young people that they should not receive tobacco products. At the same time, we send a very clear message to the adults that one should not sell, nor should one provide such tobacco products to our young people."Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau said the harm of smoking should not be sugar-coated, so flavoured cigarettes will also be banned. "These flavoured cigarettes with additives are actually like an advertisement trying to hide the irritating taste of the smoke and at the same time hiding the harmful effect of all these tobacco products to make it like a sugar coating on a toxic product," he said. To combat illicit cigarettes, the government will introduce a duty-paid cigarette labelling system and double the fine for smuggling illicit cigarettes to HK$2 million, while increasing the jail term from two to seven years. In addition, the government will continue to increase tobacco duty to discourage smoking.Lo said the government aims to table the legislative amendments required before the end of this year. He said the government aims to reduce the smoking prevalence rate from the current 9.1 percent to 7.8 percent next year.Michael, a cigarette smoker, told RTHK that more people will use conventional tobacco products when electronic cigarettes are completely banned."If that would be illegal, then more people would be returning to buying cigarettes. Because most of them, they try to quit smoking with the electronic cigarettes such as vape," he said."But then now, if they're going to ban it, then I think it'll be much more difficult for people to quit smoking."A non-smoker surnamed Chan said she welcomes the government's plans."Because I don't smoke, I support it. I don't really want to inhale second-hand smoke. In the past, for example, when queuing or taking the elevator, there would often be someone next to me smoking. I would just walk away. I wouldn't hang around," she said. | 1,717,664,451 | en |
45,581 | Privacy watchdog clears exams body over charges | The privacy watchdog on Thursday dismissed complaints the local exams regulator had violated privacy laws by overcharging public exam candidates for their marking records and exam script checks. The law stipulates that organisations cannot charge a fee higher than the lowest possibly imposed for people seeking a copy of their personal data.Last year, the Examinations and Assessment Authority turned electronic and stopped providing hard copies for those seeking their records.It lowered the fee for checking the first subject by HK$20 to HK$380, and kept the fee for each additional subject unchanged at HK$104.Four candidates who sat last year's DSE exams then filed complaints to the Privacy Commissioner, saying they were charged too much.After an investigation, privacy commissioner Ada Chung said the fees charged were already lower than the directly related necessary costs, such as those for payroll and computer operating time."The commissioner found that the fees imposed by the [authority] for complying with the data access requests were not excessive and it had not contravened [the ordinance]," she said in a statement.One complainant also argued the exams body had been overcharging for a decade starting from 2012, saying it actually retained scanned copies of the records but only gave people hard copies.But Chung also said this was unsubstantiated, saying the authority was only providing the data in one form and therefore didn't violate the law. | 1,717,662,617 | en |
45,580 | Dozens killed in Israeli strike on central Gaza | Palestinian officials on Thursday said an Israeli strike on a United Nations school sheltering displaced Palestinians in central Gaza killed up to 40 people, including 23 women and children. The Israeli military said Hamas militants were operating from within the school.Ismail Al-Thawabta, the director of the Hamas-run government media office, rejected Israel's claims that the UN school in Nuseirat had a hidden Hamas command post."The occupation uses lying to the public opinion through false fabricated stories to justify the brutal crime it conducted against dozens of displaced people," Thawabta told reporters.Israel's military said that before the strike by Israeli fighter jets, the military took steps to reduce the risk of harm to civilians.The attack happened after Israel announced a new military campaign in central Gaza as it battles a group of fighters relying on hit-and-run insurgency tactics. Israel has said there will be no halt to fighting during ceasefire talks. (Agencies) | 1,717,658,010 | en |
45,579 | HK, Macau and Guangdong to beef up cultural exchanges | There will be more cooperation between the creative industries in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, Culture Secretary Kevin Yeung said on Thursday at an annual meeting on cultural exchanges.“This year's meeting has been very successful, with many collaborative projects showing positive development. It's very encouraging,” he said at the 22nd Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Cooperation Meeting.“I hope that this conference framework will guide cultural exchange and cooperation between the three regions, and elevate the depth and breadth of our collaboration to a new level.”Yeung said that over the next five years, the SAR government will allocate HK$135 million to support local art groups and artists in exchange programmes within the Greater Bay Area.There are also plans to bring more local cultural events, including the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival, to the bay area, he added. Guangdong’s culture and tourism director general, Li Bin, said creating a well-known cultural tourism brand in the region is a collective effort.He added that promotions for art performances and exhibitions will be more closely connected, with more interactions among official accounts on WeChat, Douyin and Xiaohongshu.Meanwhile, Macau’s cultural affairs minister, Leong Wai-man, said the city hosted over 2,000 large-scale performances and more than 10,000 cultural events last year. She said Macau could play the role as a major entertainment hub in the bay area. | 1,717,655,468 | en |
45,578 | Cathay to resume flights to Riyadh from Oct 28 | Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific on Thursday announced that it will resume direct passenger flights between Hong Kong and the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, from October 28. The airline has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Air Connectivity Program, which comes under Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism.Speaking at the signing ceremony, Cathay Pacific’s CEO Ronald Lam said the new flights will help business and tourism prosper in both places.“Riyadh is a very vibrant city. It is the capital and financial centre of Saudi Arabia. By having direct flights between Hong Kong and Riyadh, we will be contributing to the prosperity of business, trade and tourism between China and Saudi Arabia,” he added.The programme's CEO, Majid Khan, said the launch of the direct flights will bring more tourists to both places.“Hong Kong is one of the key markets in terms of tourism and trade from both sides. So we believe Cathay, we're going to grow the point-to-point traffic from both sides between Hong Kong and Riyadh and vice versa, but also the traffic to domestic Saudi Arabia and to the network beyond Hong Kong, where Cathay has a vast network,” he said.Cathay axed a previous service to Riyadh in 2017. | 1,717,650,476 | en |
45,577 | China's rugby sevens teams fight for final Paris berth | Both the men's and women's national rugby sevens teams are preparing to contend for the final berth at the Olympics next month. They will have to win the repechage tournament in Monaco at the end of the month for the trip to Paris and are among 12 entries battling for the last spots.The men's team are in the same pool with Canada, Great Britain and Uganda, while the women's squad face Poland, Czech Republic and Mexico in pool play.The men's assistant coach, Zhu Jing, said the most important thing is for the team to fight as one on the field.He said even though other countries are traditionally considered stronger in rugby sevens, Asians, like Chinese, also have their own advantages."In terms of potential, actually Chinese people have quite an advantage. Because we have speed and agility. When we play we are actually better in these attributes compared to players from Europe or the Americas," Zhu told Hong Kong reporters.The coach said he's looking forward to seeing good performances from a couple of players. He said Shan Changshun and the captain, Li Haitao, have good physique and awareness on the pitch.Li, for his part, said the team was focusing on improving their fitness ahead of the do-or-die tournament, as well as working on tactical adjustments. "Making the Olympics for sure is every athlete's ultimate dream. We'll do our best yeah, do our best to get that ticket to Paris," he said."We're all in good shape, training with great enthusiasm. Also, in everyday life we're all very united as a team."Li said the players were having extra sessions in the weight room, and the sports science team has helped their performance.He added he thinks the team's biggest foes are themselves, and all they need to do is to give it their best shot. | 1,717,646,762 | en |
45,576 | Hong Kong and mainland stocks rise in early trading | Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 152.62 points, or 0.83 percent, to open at 18,577.58 on Thursday. On the mainland, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.13 percent to open at 3,069.44 points, while the Shenzhen Component Index opened 0.26 percent higher at 9,417.93 points. (Xinhua) | 1,717,639,519 | en |
45,575 | Police arrest man in Sheung Shui drugs bust | Police have arrested a 30-year-old man on suspicion of drug trafficking, following a raid in Sheung Shui on Wednesday. During the operation, officers seized over 1,300 bottles of CBD oil and more than 2.8 kilogrammes of suspected cannabis buds, with a street value of nearly HK$1.9 million. Officers said they also found packaging bags, sealing machines and electronic scales at the scene. | 1,717,636,220 | en |
45,574 | At least four dead in Czech rail accident | Four people died and more than 20 were injured when a passenger train collided with a freight train in the Czech city of Pardubice late on Wednesday, emergency and government officials said.At least 20 people suffered light injuries and another three were more seriously hurt in the crash which occurred after 11 p.m. (2100 GMT) in Pardubice, along the country's main rail corridor from Prague to the east, Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said.The passenger train, operated by RegioJet, was travelling overnight from Prague to Kosice in eastern Slovakia, according to the Railway Administration.Fire Rescue Services said more than 300 passengers were on board. Dozens of police, fire and emergency service units responded to the accident, helping evacuate carriages.Footage after the crash on news website idnes.cz showed at least one carriage off the track, while police showed on their X social media account a line of emergency service vehicles and a helicopter.Czech Television cited a fire brigade spokesperson saying the freight train was carrying calcium carbide, although the first two wagons were empty, so no leak occurred.Transport Minister Martin Kupka, who travelled with the interior minister to the crash site, told a televised briefing an investigation into the accident was beginning and it was too early to speculate on its cause. (Reuters) | 1,717,634,560 | en |
45,573 | Boeing finally launches rival to SpaceX | Boeing's new Starliner astronaut capsule was launched from Florida on Wednesday in a much-delayed first test flight carrying a crew, a milestone in the aerospace giant's ambitions to step up its competition with Elon Musk's SpaceX.The CST-100 Starliner, with two astronauts aboard, lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, strapped to an Atlas V rocket furnished and flown by the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance (ULA).The gumdrop-shaped capsule and its crew headed for a rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS), following years of technical problems, delays and a 2022 test mission to the orbital laboratory without astronauts aboard.On Wednesday, the Atlas V's engines thundered to life as the spacecraft roared off its launch pad from Florida's Atlantic Coast.The rocket's upper stage separated from its lower section about four minutes into flight, followed by Starliner's separation from the second stage. Now on its own, the spacecraft fired its onboard thrusters to start pushing itself into orbit, mission managers said, a process that will kick off its 24-hour catch-up journey with the ISS, the orbiting research outpost some 400 kilometres above Earth.Starliner will need to execute precise manoeuvres to dock with the ISS as planned on Thursday, demonstrate it can stay docked for about eight days, then safely return the two astronauts - Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams - to Earth.Boeing wants the Starliner to compete with SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, which since 2020 has been NASA's only vehicle for sending ISS crew members to orbit from US soil.Boeing wrote on social media that Starliner "has reached a safe, stable orbit on its Crew Flight Test" and is headed to the space station."Starliner ascends to the heavens," NASA chief Bill Nelson wrote on social media, congratulating Boeing, ULA and the US space agency.Nelson called the launch "a milestone achievement for the future of spaceflight. Butch and Suni - safe travels through the stars. See you back home."Last-minute issues had nixed the Starliner's first two crewed launch attempts. A May 6 countdown was halted two hours before liftoff over three issues that required weeks of extra scrutiny. Another try last Saturday was halted less than four minutes before liftoff because of a glitch with a launchpad computer.The inaugural crew for the seven-seat Starliner includes two veteran NASA astronauts: Wilmore, 61, a retired US Navy captain and fighter pilot, and Williams, 58, a former Navy helicopter test pilot with experience flying more than 30 different aircraft.They have spent a combined 500 days in space over the course of two ISS missions each. Wilmore is the designated commander for the flight, with Williams in the pilot seat. They are due to spend about a week at the ISS before returning to Earth. (Reuters) | 1,717,622,449 | en |
45,572 | Tech stocks help push US markets to new records | The S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes closed at record highs on Wednesday, powered mainly by technology stocks as markets digested economic data that could support a much-expected start to the Federal Reserve's policy easing cycle.The S&P 500 gained 1.2 percent to end at 5,354, the Nasdaq Composite gained just under two percent to 17,187. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3 percent to 38,807.The May private payrolls report on Wednesday became the latest data to suggest an easing in labour market tightness that could propel the Fed to begin cutting rates this year. A report on Tuesday showed job openings fell in April to the fewest in more than three years."We're seeing the economic data starting to ease up a little bit and the repercussions for that is that you're seeing the pressure on rates come off the boil a little bit mixed in with the potential for weaker economic data, which is a pretty good recipe for the bond market," said Jack Janasiewicz, a portfolio manager at Natixis Investment Managers Solutions in Boston.Traders now see a nearly 69 percent chance of a September rate reduction, according to the CME's FedWatch tool. Expectations had hovered around 50 percent last week.US 10-year Treasury yields fell to a two-month low on Wednesday after a report pointed to weaker-than-expected job growth ahead of Friday's highly anticipated government employment report for May.Chip stocks leapt, buoyed by gains to Nvidia and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, which both touched record highs.Hewlett Packard Enterprise rose after forecasting third-quarter revenue above Street expectations, helped by upbeat demand for its AI servers.Intel gained after buyout firm Apollo Global Management agreed to purchase 49 percent for US$11 billion in a joint venture related to the chipmaker's Ireland manufacturing unit. (Reuters) | 1,717,619,457 | en |
45,571 | Modi to be sworn in as Indian PM on Saturday | The Hindu-nationalist party of Narendra Modi agreed with allies on Wednesday to form a government after a general election in which it failed to secure an outright majority for the first time in a decade.The 15-member National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition -- led by Modi's right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- has 293 seats in parliament, giving it control of the legislature."We all unanimously choose respected NDA leader Narendra Modi as our leader," a BJP-issued alliance statement said.It said the NDA government would "preserve India's heritage" and work for the "all-round development of the country".Election results released on Tuesday upended conventional wisdom throughout the six-week election that Modi's Hindu nationalist agenda would power him to a landslide win.Analysts said Modi's reliance on coalition partners means he faces the prospect of a far tougher-than-expected third term."It will force Modi to take the point of view of others -- we shall see more democracy and a healthy parliament," said Nilanajan Mukhopadhyay, who has written a biography of Modi."He will have to be a leader that he has never been; we will have to see a new Modi."Indian media reports said Modi would be sworn in as prime minister on Saturday.China congratulated Modi earlier on Wednesday and said it was "ready to work" with its neighbour, while Japan also applauded the win.Modi, 73, insisted on Tuesday night that the election results were a victory that ensured he would continue his agenda."Our third term will be one of big decisions and the country will write a new chapter of development," Modi told a crowd of cheering supporters in the capital New Delhi after his win. "This is Modi's guarantee." (AFP) | 1,717,618,936 | en |
45,570 | Russian teen Andreeva stuns below-par Sabalenka | Russia's Mirra Andreeva became the youngest Grand Slam semi-finalist since 1997 with a shock victory over second seed Aryna Sabalenka, who was struggling with an apparent illness, at the French Open on Wednesday.The 17-year-old fought back from a set down against her ailing opponent to win 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-4 after two hours and 29 minutes and set up a last-four meeting with Italy's Jasmine Paolini.Andreeva, aged 17 and 29 days, is the youngest woman to make the semis at a major event since Martina Hingis at the US Open 27 years ago and also the youngest at Roland Garros since Hingis in 1997."Honestly I was really nervous before the match, I knew she'd have an advantage," said Andreeva, who had lost both her previous meetings with Sabalenka in straight sets."I see the game, I play whenever I want, I don't really have a plan. When I see an open space on the court I try to play, I try to play behind her back or something like this."Me and my coach, we had a plan today but again I didn't remember anything. I just try to play as I feel."She will fancy her chances of going all the way to the final when she faces Paolini -- who had never got past the second round at a Grand Slam before this year -- on Thursday.Sabalenka called for multiple medical time-outs as she complained of not feeling well and Andreeva, playing in her maiden Slam quarter-final, eventually took advantage with a composed display.Two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka had powered through the first four rounds but was clearly having difficulties, breathing heavily between points.Andreeva, currently ranked 38th, had already secured a breakthrough into the world's top 30 with her run to the last eight, but is now poised to rise further.Tournament favourite Iga Swiatek plays US Open champion Coco Gauff in the other semi-final.Sabalenka had been targeting a seventh straight Slam semi-final and had won 11 consecutive matches at the majors following her second Melbourne title earlier this year.It was immediately clear that Sabalenka was not at her best, as she made four double-faults across her opening two service games.But Andreeva suffered from nerves in key moments, failing to serve out the first set when leading 5-4, before Sabalenka rallied to take a tie-break.It appeared as though Sabalenka would race away from her young rival -- the youngest woman to make the quarter-finals since 2005 -- when she broke in the first game of the second set.But Andreeva hit straight back, with Sabalenka continuing to shake her head and crouch down between points in apparent pain.The pair traded breaks once more before Sabalenka again called for the trainer, saying she needed "something to make me feel better".Andreeva was starting to get on top and levelled the match on her second set point as Sabalenka dumped a tired backhand into the bottom of the net.Sabalenka was still grimacing and complaining towards her box early in the third set, but suddenly found her groove to break to love for a 3-2 advantage.She could not back it up with a hold, though, as Andreeva quickly drew level and then moved 5-4 ahead.Sabalenka failed to extend the contest behind her own serve as Andreeva sealed a famous victory in fine style, with a magnificent lob from way behind the baseline. (AFP) | 1,717,616,640 | en |
45,569 | World's temperatures likely to breach 1.5 degrees: UN | Humanity now faces an 80 percent chance that Earth's temperatures will at least temporarily exceed the key 1.5-degree Celsius mark during the next five years, the UN predicted on Wednesday.The 2015 Paris climate accords, which set the ambitious target of limiting the world to a temperature increase of 1.5 C over pre-industrial levels, meant to refer "to long-term temperature increases over decades, not over one to five years", the UN's World Meteorological Organization said.The report came alongside another by the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service announcing that last month was the hottest May on record, pointing to human-induced climate change -- and spurring UN chief Antonio Guterres to compare humanity's impact on the world to "the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs".The chance of temporarily exceeding the limit in the next five years ahead has been rising steadily since 2015, when such a chance was estimated to be close to zero, the UN's weather and climate agency noted."There is an 80 percent likelihood that the annual average global temperature will temporarily exceed 1.5C above pre-industrial levels for at least one of the next five years," WMO said.In 2023, the risk of temporarily breaching the limit within five years was estimated at 66 percent.Already, dramatic climate shifts have begun taking a heavy toll worldwide, fuelling extreme weather events, flooding and drought, while glaciers are rapidly melting away and sea levels are rising."We are on a record-breaking warming path," WMO deputy chief Ko Barrett told reporters in Geneva."WMO is sounding the alarm that we will be exceeding the 1.5 C level on a temporary basis with increasing frequency."She added that "we have already temporarily surpassed this level for individual months".Barrett noted though that temporary breaches "do not mean that the 1.5 C goal is permanently lost because this refers to long-term warming over decades"."But the trend is alarming and cannot be denied."Temperature levels are rising, with 2023 by far the hottest year on record, amid warnings that 2024 could be even hotter.Currently, the WMO predicts that the mean near-surface temperature for each year between 2024 and 2028 will be 1.1-1.9 C above the pre-industrial levels recorded between 1850 and 1900.Pointing to repeated monthly temperature records over the past year, the WMO highlighted that already the past 12 months, from June 2023 to May 2024, were "the highest on record".And it said there was now an 86-percent chance that one of the years between 2024 and 2028 would unseat 2023 as the annual record-holder.It also said there was a 90-percent likelihood that the mean temperature for 2024-2028 would be higher than that over the past five-year period."We are way off track to meet the goals set in the Paris Agreement," Barrett said. (AFP) | 1,717,614,393 | en |
45,568 | Govt highlights HK and China's strengths | The government on Wednesday hit back at criticism by "some individuals" of the city's economic and financial development, which it said had "clearly overlooked the existing advantages and the current positive development momentum of Hong Kong". It said in a statement that it intended to set the record straight, saying China's real economic growth rates in the first quarter and for all of 2023 were both above five percent, "ranking it among the fastest-growing major economies in the world".It quoted an International Monetary Fund study which had concluded that the Mainland economy contributed to more than 30 per cent of global economic growth. The government said the SAR was also growing steadily, increasing by 3.3 per cent in 2023, and notching up year-on-year real gross domestic product growth of 2.7 percent. It said it was estimated to grow by 2.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent for 2024.The government also defended the city's status as a financial hub, saying Hong Kong stocks market capitalisaion exceeds HK$33 trillion, which is 10 times higher than at the time of the handover in 1997, while Stock Connect had also brought about a cumulative northbound and southbound capital flows of more than 1.8 trillion yuan and HK$3.1 trillion respectively. "These figures demonstrate that Hong Kong, as an international financial centre, has fully utilised its ability to mobilise both Mainland and foreign capital, and will continue to play a key role in helping to 'bring in' international enterprises and investors, as well as assisting mainland enterprises to 'go out'," It also singled out other highlights in the stock market, including the average daily transaction volume of Exchange Traded Funds on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange exceeding HK$13 billion in the first quarter of this year. The government said the China Securities Regulatory Commission had also recently announced five new measures to support the development of Hong Kong's financial sector. It said the one country, two systems principle was the cornerstone of the city's prosperity, and the Basic Law protected freedom of speech and freedom of the press. It said its successful implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law and Safeguarding National Security Ordinance had "brought about a safe and stable environment conducive to investment and financial development". "Early this year, a survey conducted by a major foreign chamber of commerce reflected that nearly 80 per cent of its members interviewed had confidence in the rule of law in Hong Kong, and nearly 70 per cent of them also indicated that the operation of their enterprises had not been affected by the National Security Law," the statement said.It underlined Hong Kong's status in the Greater Bay Area. "Various data and facts not only reflect the performance of Hong Kong's economic and financial development, but more importantly, highlight Hong Kong's unique advantages and strategic position under the 'one country, two systems' principle, as well as its resilience and flexibility, in the face of global instability," it said. "Despite the fact that external environment will remain complicated, the Mainland and Hong Kong's economic growth is steadily improving, and even in a faster pace than some developed economies." | 1,717,610,774 | en |
45,567 | Lawsuit says Google parent abused its position | Google parent Alphabet must face a lawsuit worth up to 13.6 billion pounds for allegedly abusing its dominance in the online advertising market, London's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruled on Wednesday.The lawsuit, which seeks damages on behalf of publishers of websites and apps based in the United Kingdom, is the latest case to focus on the search giant's business practices.Ad Tech Collective Action is bringing the claim on behalf of publishers who say they have suffered losses due to Google's allegedly anti-competitive behaviour.Google last month urged the CAT to block the case, which it argued was incoherent. The company "strongly rejects the underlying allegations", its lawyers said in court documents.The CAT said in a written ruling that it would certify the case to proceed towards a trial, which is unlikely to take place before the end of 2025.The tribunal also emphasised the test for certifying a case under the UK's collective proceedings regime – which is roughly equivalent to the United States' class action regime – is relatively low."Google works constructively with publishers across the UK and Europe," Google legal director Oliver Bethell said in a statement.Bethell added: "This lawsuit is speculative and opportunistic. We'll oppose it vigorously and on the facts."Claudio Pollack, a partner of Ad Tech Collection Action, said: "This is a decision of major importance to the victims of Google's anti-competitive conduct in ad tech. Google will now have to answer for its practices in a full trial."Ad Tech Collective Action's case comes amid ongoing probes by regulators into Google's adtech business, including by Britain's Competition and Markets Authority and the European Commission.Google is also fighting two lawsuits in the United States, one brought by the Department of Justice and another by Texas and other states, accusing the company of anti-competitive conduct.Google's lawyers said in documents for the CAT case that the company's "impact in the ad tech industry has been hugely pro-competitive".Wednesday's decision is the latest against a tech giant to be given the green light by the CAT, which already this year has certified a US$3.8 billion case against Facebook parent Meta and a nearly US$1 billion case against Apple. (Reuters) | 1,717,607,187 | en |
45,566 | Australia admits defeat in battle against X | Australia's online watchdog on Wednesday dropped a legal effort to force Elon Musk's X to remove posts depicting the violent stabbing of a Sydney priest."I have decided to discontinue the proceedings in the Federal Court against X Corp," eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said in a statement.The watchdog had ordered Musk's company to globally remove about 65 video and audio clips of the April 15 non-fatal attack in a church.But X challenged the commission's right to make a global takedown order, arguing that geoblocking users in Australia was enough.The watchdog had argued X's measures were easily dodged with the use of popular location-masking services like VPN.Inman Grant -- a former Twitter employee -- defended the decision to take legal action: "I stand by my investigators and the decisions eSafety made.""Our sole goal and focus in issuing our removal notice was to prevent this extremely violent footage from going viral, potentially inciting further violence and inflicting more harm on the Australian community," she said.The disputed posts showed Assyrian orthodox Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel being stabbed about six times during a live-streamed sermon.Video of the attack, which spread widely on social media and sparked a riot by followers of the church in western Sydney, has been blamed by Australian authorities for feeding tensions in the community.A 16-year-old has been charged with "committing a terrorist act" in relation to the attack, which is said to have been religiously motivated.The eSafety Commissioner said most Australians accepted that such graphic material should not be broadcast on television.This "begs an obvious question of why it should be allowed to be distributed freely and accessible online 24/7 to anyone, including children," she said.Inman Grant said X routinely took down content globally, citing its removal of a compilation video of a knifeman's rampage in a Sydney shopping mall in April.Other major platforms had complied with the watchdog's requests and removal notices related to the church attack, she said, including Meta, Microsoft, Google, Snap, TikTok, Reddit and Telegram."This is because the video violated their terms of service and their standards of decency."Inman Grant said she now "welcomed the opportunity" for a merits-based review of her decision by the country's Administrative Appeals Tribunal.Her decision to drop the case followed a setback last month when the Federal Court refused to extend the order for a global ban while the court case was being fought. (AFP) | 1,717,605,388 | en |
45,565 | HKU head says wasn't told about new appointments | The president and vice-chancellor of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), Zhang Xiang, on Wednesday confirmed he wasn't told about new senior staff appointments by the HKU council, saying it severely undermined the institution's "century-old academic autonomy". In an email to HKU teaching staff and students, Zhang said the council's move to appoint several interim vice-presidents without consulting him violated established procedures and disregarded the fundamentals of good governance.According to the University of Hong Kong Ordinance and Statutes, the president was granted the authority to appoint temporary senior management officers, he added. "Neither were the nominations for these interim vice-presidents recommended by me, nor was I consulted about them. The university management did not have prior knowledge of these appointments at all," he wrote. "The stability and development of our University, as well as the reputation of Hong Kong, are now at risk, not to mention the negative impact on our efforts to attract global talent."The changes reportedly include a demotion for Richard Wong, Zhang’s right-hand man and deputy vice-chancellor, who had served as the university’s interim provost since 2019.It is understood that Wong had been appointed as a vice-president and would oversee institutional advancement, while his original post would be taken up by Vivian Yam, a professor at the science faculty. Separately, Zhang said he was thrilled that HKU had ranked higher than ever before in the new QS World University Rankings, adding he was dedicated to leading the institution to new heights and positioning it alongside the world's leading universities.HKU climbed up nine places to 17 on QS’s list of the world’s top universities. | 1,717,597,425 | en |
45,564 | Over 16k pupils get top three primary school choices | More than 16,000 pupils - or 84 percent of the intake - were accepted into their top three schools in this year's central allocation of Primary One places on Wednesday.The Education Bureau earlier announced that a total of 19,204 children took part in the central allocation exercise, and the overall satisfaction rate was 92.2 percent. The bureau reminded parents to register their child with the school allocated from next Tuesday to Thursday. Some parents were happy with the outcome, while others went to their targeted schools for interviews as a last resort to compete for the remaining few places. One parent lined up outside a primary school in Yau Ma Tei from 9am for "door knocking" and tried his luck."We live nearby and the school is famous. [My kid] has prepared by earning some certificates and participated in competitions. But I'm not very optimistic, because the school is quite popular," he said. Separately, the Confucian Tai Shing Primary School in Wong Tai Sin said it was unfair that it was only allowed to operate one Primary One class instead of two, saying it had admitted at least 31 pupils this year.In response, the bureau said the decision was based on established mechanisms because the total number of students admitted was less than 41. | 1,717,595,505 | en |
45,563 | UK commemorates D-Day ahead of 80th anniversary | Britain on Wednesday paid tribute to those who took part in D-Day, promising to "always remember" the sacrifices made by the Allied soldiers who invaded France by sea and air to drive out the forces of Nazi Germany in the World War II operation.With guests waving British flags, appearances from veterans, recollections and readings - and some tears in Queen Camilla's eyes - the British ceremony took place in Portsmouth, the main departure point for the 5,000 ships that headed to Normandy on June 6, 1944."Today we come together to honour those nearly 160,000 British, Commonwealth and Allied troops who, on 5th June 1944, assembled here and along these shores to embark on the mission which would strike that blow for freedom and be recorded as the greatest amphibious operation in history," King Charles said."So, as we give thanks for all those who gave so much to win the victory, whose fruits we still enjoy to this day, let us, once again, commit ourselves always to remember, cherish and honour those who served that day and to live up to the freedom they died for."About 4,400 Allied troops died on D-Day. (Reuters) | 1,717,594,856 | en |
45,562 | New teaching kit to help autistic teens make friends | Two social welfare groups on Wednesday introduced a new teaching kit to help teenagers with autism make friends, saying they often find it hard to fit in. The Family Planning Association and Wai Ji Christian Service worked together to design games and story cards that teach autistic teens to interact with others in different social scenarios.Maggie Fung, a clinical psychologist with the Christian group, said autistic children struggle to read other people’s emotions.“Their main difficulty is they don't really recognise the facial expression or the reaction from others. Therefore, they might have a lot of difficulties recognising their reaction and coming up with an appropriate response to them,” she saidChau Wai-wai, an education officer from the association, said the teaching kit helps them understand what's expected in social situations. “With these stories shown to them, they can actually say, 'Oh, this is what people expected, this is what's going wrong.' So they can learn from seeing. They can learn from understanding,” she said.A report published by the Census and Statistics Department showed that 22,400 people are living with autism in Hong Kong as of 2020, making up 0.3 percent of the total population. | 1,717,579,546 | en |
45,561 | Subpar taxi fleets could be banned: authorities | New taxi fleets set to hit the streets of Hong Kong could be suspended from doing business if their service quality isn't up to scratch, the government said on Wednesday.The Transport Department is currently vetting 15 applications for taxi fleet licences, with up to five successful bidders expected to be announced in July.Responding to questions from lawmaker Edward Leung, Acting Transport Secretary Liu Chun-san said taxi fleet operators will need to take part in a mid-term appraisal and their performance would be taken into account should they wish to renew their licences.The transport commissioner would be able to initiate an inquiry should a fleet fail to meet the required standards and a number of sanctions would be available, such as a licence suspension or withdrawing certain taxis from the fleet, Liu said in a written reply.Last year saw a 75 percent surge in complaints against taxi drivers.More than one-third of the 1,006 cases filed to the authorities were related to drivers refusing hire, while another 340 cabbies were accused of overcharging.But authorities cautioned that the jump in complaints came against a low base of comparison in 2022, when Hong Kong was still curtailed by Covid restrictions. | 1,717,577,855 | en |
45,560 | Hong Kong stocks finish lower | Hong Kong stocks closed in negative territory on Wednesday as US data showing a bigger-than-expected drop in job openings was offset by growing worries about the outlook for the world's top economy.The Hang Seng Index slipped 0.1 percent, or 19 points, to 18,424.The Shanghai Composite Index shed 0.8 percent, or 25 points, to 3,065, while the Shenzhen Composite Index lost 1.2 percent, or 20 points, to 1,706. (AFP) | 1,717,576,932 | en |
45,559 | Five arrested over suspected fake drugs, cosmetics | Customs officials on Wednesday said they had arrested five people on suspicion of selling counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs and cosmetic products in Mong Kok worth around HK$620,000. The arrestees were suspected to have violated the Trade Descriptions Ordinance. Those arrested were three men and two women aged between 28 and 90. An investigator from the Customs and Excise Department, Kenny Chan, said that salespersons, working for a supplier, brought the goods to retailers to sell at low prices.He said the suspected counterfeit items were found in an operation on Tuesday, when officers searched three retail outlets in Mong Kok and a warehouse in Fo Tan. The officer said it was difficult for customers to tell the difference between genuine and counterfeit goods.But he noted that while the packaging and bottles of the suspected counterfeits looked real enough, some of the anti-counterfeiting features were not done in a detailed manner."When you compare the real goods to the counterfeit ones, the pattern at the bottom of the bottles is different. It's smooth for the genuine goods and relatively rough for the fakes," Chan said at a press briefing."We can also see that the trademarks printed on the genuine goods are clear whereas for the counterfeits they are not."Chan believed that some of the counterfeit goods had already been sold on the market, but officers had not received any complaints from the public so far, such as the products causing skin rashes or other more serious issues.He said samples of the goods would be sent to the government laboratory for tests. | 1,717,574,874 | en |
45,558 | AR tourism project expanded to Lei Yue Mun | A tourism project involving the use of augmented reality (AR) technology has been expanded to Lei Yue Mun, allowing people to learn more about the cultural and historical development of the area famous for its seafood. Visitors can use a mobile app to scan AR markers at six locations along the harbourfront to see a panorama mixing photos from the past and drawings of what the surroundings looked like from the 1920s to the 1970s. Narrative texts describe the changes to iconic landmarks, such the Tin Hau Temple, Sam Ka Tsuen and the past quarry zone.The "City in Time" project was launched by the Tourism Commission in 2021, with the initial phase featuring popular tourist spots like Central, The Peak and Tsim Sha Tsui. Project manager Yip Tsz-lam said the programme has now been extended to other communities rich in culture or history, such as Lei Yue Mun. “Most people know Lei Yue Mun as a seafood paradise, but through our research, we discovered that there are many other interesting historical values in Lei Yue Mun, like the quarrying history, the Hakka culture and also the Tin Hau Temple,” she said. “It’s not just about the panoramic artwork. Visitors can also gain in-depth understanding through the historical narratives and also the old photos.” Yip said it took the research team half a year to gather about 300 old photos to recreate a realistic scene.“There are not many old photos available from universities or any other sources. We rely on the descriptions from villagers and they also provided us with a lot of photos from their family albums,” she said. “For example, we're very grateful that a restaurant owner provided us with a photo of him and his father in the 1970s. We provided that photo to the artist and the artist drew them.” Yip added that the programme will later be expanded to Tai Hang and Kowloon City. | 1,717,573,487 | en |
45,557 | Courtesy ambassadors to improve taxi relations | The Hong Kong Taxi Council on Wednesday said that courtesy ambassadors would be stationed at some of the SAR's busiest taxi stands, including at checkpoints and the airport, from June 6 to August 27, to distribute leaflets and souvenirs to passengers and drivers to encourage better service. The exercise is part of this year's annual taxi courtesy campaign in conjunction with the Tourism Board's hospitality campaign.Speaking at the launch ceremony, the Taxi Council's chairman Ryan Wong said he hopes this new measure could improve the image of taxi drivers, and also improve communication between drivers and passengers."We have hired university students to be our courtesy ambassadors. Our council has provided them with some training so that they understand the purpose of our campaign and also the services they will provide," he said. "Of course, in addition to our courtesy ambassadors, members of the council will also be on site. If there are questions that the students cannot answer, like industry-related questions, our members can help can help out."Transport sector lawmaker Frankie Yick added that service would also be enhanced with more taxis incorporating electronic payments."I understand that there are several systems that are available and [are being] installed in the taxi fleets now," he said. "By the introduction of the taxi fleet management scheme by the government, they are required to put this electronic payment system in there, so I'm sure that the situation will start to improve."People who RTHK spoke to said that taxi services have improved over the years, but there are other aspects that could make journeys more enjoyable. Daria, who takes a taxi two to three times a week, said a lot of old taxis have been replaced with more comfortable and newer vehicles, but said it is difficult to hail a cab, especially during peak hours."Maybe have a better app, but right now, it doesn't work properly so for me, I cannot really order a taxi. The taxi drivers never pick up my order, so if they can [provide] more digital [options] to find taxis faster, it would be great," she said."In general, I've never experienced any rude behaviour to be honest, but also I know on the news, there are a few accidents involved where taxi drivers are quite old. I think authorities should limit the age as well because it might be dangerous for both the passenger and for the taxi driver."Krauchi, who takes a taxi to work every day, said it would be better if cabs accepted electronic payments, especially with rival Uber being cashless. | 1,717,571,387 | en |
45,556 | Tickets for overnight trains to mainland go on sale | Tickets for new overnight high-speed trains to the mainland went on sale on Wednesday, with the first service to Beijing selling out.Trains to the capital and Shanghai will run Friday-Monday from June 15.Queues for tickets formed at West Kowloon Station, while mainland app 12306 showed no places left for the first train to Beijing, although people could join a wait list."We were really happy when we saw the news [regarding the new services], so we immediately decided to travel to Shanghai," a woman told RTHK at West Kowloon. "The journey time was 19 hours before, and it's only 11 hours now. The duration is eight hours shorter," she said.Another woman said she arrived at the station 90 minutes before tickets went on sale, to book a spot on a train to Shanghai."For the price, it's a bit expensive. Our tickets cost one thousand dollars each. But it's not convenient for us to travel by plane. We're old people," she said.A man said he normally drives to the mainland, but wants to try the overnight train instead. "Basically, I have to go to Beijing once a year and I like trying new things," he said. | 1,717,566,736 | en |
45,555 | 'Wealth connect scheme could be widened further' | Hong Kong Monetary Authority chief executive Eddie Yue on Wednesday said authorities are looking into the feasibility of further widening a wealth connect scheme to attract large sums of capital from the Greater Bay Area to the SAR.Speaking at a wealth summit, Yue noted that the city’s de facto central bank upgraded the “Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect Scheme” to a 2.0 version in February, to cover a greater variety of investment products and enabling more mainland investors to trade.Yue said the authorities are now studying whether the scheme can be upgraded to a 3.0 version, so the city can better cater to private banking customers.“It’s still in the early days, [but] we are talking to the industry very closely about what's needed. Is it the quota? Or is it the scope of products? Or is it the selling process?” he said.“For example, the quota. Currently, the individual quota is up to three million renminbi, but that's actually not quite enough for private bank clients. Is there a way to have a separate channel to capture the private bank clients?” “The selling process has been a lot easier and smoother than before. But can it be further streamlined? Or can the marketing be made more active? Can the education be done better? I think there are still areas that we can look into in terms of improvements,” he said.Yue added that a significant increase in capital inflows from the north to the SAR was observed following the previous upgrade, and indicated that a further expansion could potentially attract more middle-class investors in the development zone who have the greatest need to diversify their assets.The scheme, launched in September 2021, was Beijing’s first tailor-made plan to boost sales and capital flows between Hong Kong, Macau and the nine other cities in the Greater Bay Area. | 1,717,564,541 | en |
45,554 | Deficit stops us giving bigger pay rises, says govt | Civil Service Secretary Ingrid Yeung on Wednesday said the government's financial situation doesn't allow it to give staff pay rises as high as levels indicated by the latest pay trend survey.On Tuesday, the Executive Council approved a proposed 3 percent increase for all civil servants, after the survey pointed to rises of between 4.01 and 5.47 percent. Yeung said on RTHK that the decision to give an across-the-board rise wasn't made out of convenience, and many factors were considered, including a budget deficit."Under such a situation, we hope the pay rise can be a form of recognition of the work of civil servants, regardless of which grade they belong to," she said."We also hope to maintain everyone's morale, or go even further and boost morale. We think this is the appropriate level."On the same programme, the chairman of the Civil Servants General Union, Fung Chuen-chung, said people who think civil service pay should be frozen because of the deficit are missing the point."I think there's an important point that society at large has overlooked. For quite some time, there's been a high turnover rate for civil servants. It's also very hard to hire new people," he said."So [the proposed 3 percent rise] hasn't taken these important factors into account."Fung said lower-ranking civil servants are particularly disappointed, because the survey pointed to a 5.47 percent increase for them.Yeung said she understands that such workers had hoped for more, but said in 18 of the past 31 years, lower-ranking workers received the same increases as middle-ranking staff, even when the survey indicated smaller rises.An honorary chairman of the Senior Government Officers Association, Lee Fong-chung, also expressed disappointment that the proposed rise doesn't match the pay trend survey levels, but said at least it will help staff cope with inflation. | 1,717,560,892 | en |
45,553 | Long jumper eyes leap to Paris | Rising Chinese long jump star Zhang Mingkun said he is determined not to let the pressure get to him as he seeks qualification for the upcoming Paris Olympics.The 23-year-old said he is going to keep his mind at ease.“During a jump, your mind really goes blank. All you do is to enjoy it,” Zhang said. The long jumper, who has a personal record of 8.13m, has been striving to reach the 8.27m entry standard for the Paris Games.He'll find out in about a month's time on whether his dream would come true.As for the rest of the track and field team, the sprinters have been training with a new foreign coach ahead of the Games, and they see the benefits.“Here, our training is relatively traditional... but it’s more scientific overseas,” said runner Wang Shuang from Jiangsu.Female sprinter Huang Ziting knows that the odds are against them, but reaching the Olympic stage remains the ultimate goal.“I’m certain every athlete would want to stand on the Olympic podium, but it feels like it would be more difficult for Asians [to achieve that],” she said.Another sprinter, Chen Jinfeng, said getting to Paris requires not only strong performances but a bit of luck as well. | 1,717,555,645 | en |
45,552 | Farage hit by soft drink after saying he'll stand | Nigel Farage, new leader of Britain's right-wing Reform Party and thorn in the side of the governing Conservatives, was doused with a soft drink on Tuesday in his first full day of campaigning for a seat in parliament in the July 4 election.On Monday, Farage produced the biggest shock of the campaign by announcing he would head Reform and run in the election, a major blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose Conservative Party trails Labour badly in surveys.Farage is best known for helping to lead a successful campaign in 2016 for Britain to leave the European Union, and his popularity has put pressure on a succession of Conservative leaders to be tougher on immigration.Shortly after he launched his campaign in the seat of Clacton-on-Sea, southeast England, a woman threw a large cup of soft drink over him as he left a pub, footage posted on social media showed.He appeared unharmed as he was led away by security and later posed smiling in a video posted on X holding a McDonald's cup and joking: "My milkshake brings all the people to the rally."Richard Tice, chairman of Reform, called the attacker a "juvenile moron", saying his party would not be intimidated and the incident would help it win hundreds of thousands more votes.Police said they had arrested a 25-year-old woman on suspicion of assault.Interior minister James Cleverly condemned the incident as unacceptable.A former commodities trader who is often pictured with a cigarette and pint of beer in hand, Farage has for three decades been the figurehead of euroscepticism in Britain, and is no stranger to controversy.Charismatic and divisive, he has in the past made comments that his opponents have called racist. During the Brexit campaign, Farage appeared in front of a poster showing lines of migrants under the slogan "Breaking Point"; last month he said Muslims did not share British values.He was doused in milkshake in 2019 while campaigning for the Brexit Party, Reform's predecessor, in Newcastle before a European Parliament election.Then, his attacker was ordered to pay for his suit to be cleaned after pleading guilty to common assault and criminal damage. (Reuters) | 1,717,546,696 | en |
45,551 | Sunak, Starmer clash in first UK poll debate | Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour challenger Keir Starmer went head-to-head on Tuesday over how to boost Britain's economy, with the PM accusing the opposition party of wanting to increase taxes if it wins power at a July 4 election.Both Sunak, a Conservative, and Starmer stuck to their campaign lines in their first debate just weeks before a general election opinion polls suggest Labour is set to win, with Sunak saying only he had a plan to spur Britain's paltry economic growth and Starmer portraying the Conservatives as presiding over 14 years of economic chaos.In a heated debate – a recent feature in Britain and one which sees more voters tune into politics – the two leaders battled over how to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, growing waiting lists in the public health service and reducing immigration.Most of the questions illustrated what many voters are contending with: a cost-of-living crisis when some struggle to pay their household bills, long waits for the health service and lower standards in the education system.Little new was gleaned from their answers, but an opinion poll taken immediately after the debate suggested Sunak had won the contest."Keir Starmer is asking you to hand him a blank cheque when he hasn't said what he'll buy with it or how much it's going to cost you," Sunak said in his closing comments. "In uncertain times we simply cannot afford an uncertain prime minister."Starmer responded saying he would never offer "the gimmicks or unfunded promises that Rishi Sunak does"."Imagine how you would feel waking up on July 5 to five more years of the Conservatives, five more years of decline and division, the arsonists handed back the matches," he said."Now imagine turning the page with a Labour government that rolls up its sleeves and gets on with the job... The choice at this election is clear: more chaos with the Conservatives or the chance to rebuild Britain with a changed Labour Party." (Reuters) | 1,717,537,873 | en |
45,550 | Wall Street up as jobs data boosts rates hope | US stocks ended a shade higher on Tuesday following softer-than-expected labor market data that reaffirmed expectations of an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve.Data on Tuesday showed that US job openings fell to their lowest level in more than three years in April, signaling an easing in labour market tightness that supported a Fed rate cut this year. The US Treasury yields slipped following the report.Wall Street's main indexes gained ground after paring earlier loses. Equities in real estate and consumer staples sectors advanced ahead of others, while materials and energy stocks were the biggest losers.The labour market data was the latest in a string of recent reports that pointed to cooling US economic growth. Data on Monday showed that US manufacturing activity had slowed for the second straight month in May."What we've seen in the data so far this week is that it's been relatively weak, starting with manufacturing PMI and job openings today," said James St. Aubin, chief investment officer at Sierra Mutual Funds in Santa Monica, California."That has had a total effect of helping the rally in the bond market; but for the stock market, it's a double-edged sword because they're looking for a rate cut announcement, which has a rising probability with weaker data," St. Aubin added.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.36 percent, to 38,711, the S&P 500 gained 0.15 percent, to 5,291 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.17 percent, to 16,857.Megacap technology stocks, including Amazon.com, Alphabet, Nvidia and Microsoft, ended higher after losing ground early in the session. Oil giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron fell 1.6 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively, as demand concerns weighed on crude prices.Bath & Body Works slumped 12.8 percent after a lower revision to its quarterly profit forecast. Axos Financial dropped after Hindenburg Research disclosed a short position in the lender. (Reuters) | 1,717,534,508 | en |
45,549 | Three HK universities ranked in world's top 50 | Hong Kong once again has three universities in the world's top 50, with two more narrowly missing the cut, organisers of the QS World University Rankings revealed on Wednesday.Both the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University ranked higher than ever before, while the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology returned to the top 50.HKU was up nine places at seventeenth overall while CUHK climbed eleven places to 36th in the world. Meanwhile UST rose 13 places, ranking 47th.The ranking is based on a study of 1,500 universities around the world. Evaluators consider nine indicators, including academic reputation, what employers think of an institution, the ratio of students to faculty and whether the university has many international students, staff and global networks.CUHK saw its scores improve in most areas, most notably sustainability, where it finished 132 places higher than last year. The university said in a statement that it is highly regarded for its environmental concepts and leadership in creating and applying sustainable development solutions.CUHK also earned a perfect score for its ratio of international faculty and a high score for academic citations.Its president, Rocky Tuan, said the results demonstrate CUHK's commitment to academic excellence and ability to compete with world-class universities.Meanwhile, HKUST said that despite being a newer institution, its embraces innovative teaching methods and resources that adapt to evolving societal need.It said it was making the most of new technologies like artificial intelligence to enhance student learning and promote the SAR's goal of becoming an international innovation and technology centre.The Hong Kong Polytechnic University ranked 57th, continuing a climb in recent years, while City University was 62nd. Two other local universities were also ranked: Baptist University was placed joint 252nd while Lingnan University was in the 711-720 band.The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was first overall, ahead of Imperial College London and Oxford University. The National University of Singapore ranked best in Asia and eighth overall. Peking University was China's best, finishing 14th in the world. | 1,717,533,135 | en |
45,548 | No deal without permanent ceasefire: Hamas | Hamas cannot agree to any deal unless Israel makes a "clear" commitment to a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, a senior official from the Palestinian militant group said on Tuesday.Qatar, which alongside the United States and Egypt has been mediating talks between Hamas and Israel, has also urged Israel to provide a clear position that has the backing of its entire government to reach a deal."We cannot agree to an agreement that doesn't secure, guarantee, and ensure a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and completing a real serious swap deal accordingly," Osama Hamdan, a Hamas official, told a televised press conference.A three-phase proposal presented by US President Joe Biden on Friday involved in its first phase a six-week ceasefire when Israeli forces would withdraw from "all populated areas" of Gaza and some hostages – including the elderly and women – would be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.Under that plan, Hamas and Israel would negotiate in the same phase a permanent ceasefire that Biden said would last "as long as Hamas lives up to its commitments."In the second phase, Biden said there would be an exchange for all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza and the permanent ceasefire would begin.Hamdan said: "Israel only wants one phase where it takes all its hostages, then it resumes its aggression and war on our people.""We ask mediators to get a clear position from the Israeli occupation to commit to a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal," he added.Hamas has previously said it viewed the contents of the proposal positively.The United States said on Sunday that if Hamas accepted the proposed plan it expected Israel to follow suit.The third phase in the proposal would include a major reconstruction plan for the enclave, which has been devastated by eight months of war, and the return of the remains of dead hostages to their families. (Reuters) | 1,717,527,363 | en |
45,547 | Translator admits stealing US$17mn from Ohtani | Japanese baseball great Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter pleaded guilty on Tuesday to stealing nearly US$17 million from the athlete's bank account to pay off his own gambling debts, according to US prosecutors.Ippei Mizuhara, the onetime translator and de facto manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers' power-hitting pitcher, pleaded guilty in a deal that had been announced last month, a US Attorney spokesperson said. Sentencing will be on October 25.A 33-page record of the deal, in which Mizuhara, 39, agreed to plead guilty to one count of felony bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return, was previously filed in US District Court in Los Angeles.A federal bank fraud conviction carries a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, with the tax offence punishable by up to three years behind bars.Mizuhara was accused of embezzling nearly US$17 million from a bank account of Ohtani's that Mizuhara had helped open in Phoenix in 2018, and transferring the funds without the ballplayer's knowledge to an illegal bookmaking operation to cover Mizuhara's gambling debts.The former interpreter's lawyer declined to comment.Ohtani, 29, whose talents as a slugger and a pitcher have earned him comparisons to Babe Ruth, has said he was an unwitting victim of theft and has never bet on baseball or knowingly paid a bookmaker.According to prosecutors, Mizuhara began gambling with an illegal sports book in late 2021 and lost substantial sums.To cover his debts, Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani over the phone on more than two dozen occasions to deceive bank employees into authorizing wire transfers from Ohtani's account, prosecutors said. (Reuters) | 1,717,526,841 | en |
45,546 | US sets new rules for migrants at Mexican border | Migrants caught illegally crossing the US-Mexico border could be denied the chance to claim asylum and quickly deported or turned back to Mexico under new restrictions announced on Tuesday, part of a sweeping enforcement effort by US President Joe Biden.The new measures will take effect immediately and will have exceptions for unaccompanied children, people who face serious medical or safety threats and victims of trafficking, a senior official said on a call with reporters.Biden, a Democrat, has toughened his approach to border security as immigration has emerged as a top issue for Americans in the run-up to November 5 elections where he will face/ Republican Donald Trump in a rematch of the 2020 contest.The new asylum restrictions are not permanent, the US official told reporters. They are activated when the daily average of border arrests tops 2,500 over a week and will be paused when arrests drop below 1,500 per day, the official said.The deterrent measures "will significantly increase consequences for those who cross the southern border unlawfully," the official said, requesting anonymity as a condition of the call.Key operational questions about how the new measures will be implemented remained unclear, however, including how the administration would quickly deport migrants from far-away and uncooperative countries and how many non-Mexican migrants Mexico would accept under the new enforcement regime. (Reuters) | 1,717,519,420 | en |
45,545 | Injured Djokovic pulls out of French Open | Novak Djokovic's disappointing season continued on Tuesday when the defending French Open champion was forced to pull out of the Grand Slam before his quarter-final due to a knee issue.The injury, sustained in his fourth-round win over Francisco Cerundolo, ended the Serb's quest for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam trophy and will result in him losing the world number one ranking to Jannik Sinner later this month."Due to a torn medial meniscus in his right knee (discovered during an MRI scan), Djokovic, who was supposed to play Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals tomorrow, has been forced to withdraw from the Roland Garros tournament," organisers said.Last year's runner-up and seventh seed Ruud will now advance to the semi-finals, where he could face fourth seed Alexander Zverev or 11th seed Alex de Minaur.Monday's marathon match was the second straight clash in which Djokovic was taken to five sets after his epic against Lorenzo Musetti and he has spent over nine hours on court in the last two rounds at the year's second major.The Serb said he had been carrying an injury for a couple of weeks and that the problem had flared up when he slipped during his match against Cerundolo. The injury could also cast doubts over his fitness for next month's Wimbledon.It has been a season to forget for Djokovic after his bid for a record-extending 11th Australian Open title was ended by eventual champion Sinner in the semi-finals, before he lost to lucky loser Luca Nardi early at Indian Wells.Having been stunned by Ruud in the Monte Carlo semi-finals, Djokovic was thrashed 6-2 6-3 by Alejandro Tabilo in the third round in Rome last month, two days after being hit on the head by a fan's water bottle while signing autographs.Djokovic is still without a trophy this season after one of the most dominant seasons of his career in 2023 during which he claimed three of the four Grand Slam titles.Meanwhile Sinner stepped up his bid for a second Grand Slam title by securing a 6-2 6-4 7-6(3) victory over Grigor Dimitrov, minutes after it was confirmed he would be the new world number one. A trickier test could await, however, as he faces a potential clash against fellow young gun Carlos Alcaraz who meets Stefanos Tsitsipas later. (Reuters) | 1,717,516,421 | en |
45,544 | Four arrests as police step up patrols in Causeway Bay | Police said on Tuesday that they’d made four arrests around Causeway Bay in connection with offences including breaches of national security legislation.Officers said a 68-year-old woman was arrested for alleged offences relating to seditious intention under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance after shouting slogans on Yee Wo Street in the afternoon. Police also said a 24-year-old man and a 69-year-old woman were arrested on the same street. The man is suspected of assaulting two police officers while the woman was held for disorderly conduct.Meanwhile a 23-year-old man was arrested at Hing Fat Street on suspicion of assaulting two park security guards.Police had increased their patrols in Causeway Bay and Victoria Park, with officers taking aside a number of people throughout the day.In the afternoon, an officer warned a man – who was holding up a large poster near Sogo department store – that he was disrupting public order, and demanded that he stop. The man was then brought to a police vehicle.At night, officers patrolled East Point Road and also brought a number of people to police vehicles.Meanwhile, police presence was also stepped up at Victoria Park, where they set up a tent. Officers requested some people in the park to enter the tent. They were released after being searched.Responding to queries, the force said it would make appropriate operational deployments in light of threats to public safety, public order and national security.The police said three men and two women, aged between 27 and 88, were taken back to the station on suspicion of breaching public peace. All were later allowed to leave. | 1,717,512,496 | en |
45,543 | India PM Modi's key allies say they stand by him | Two key regional allies in Narendra Modi's coalition have endorsed him as India's next prime minister, their spokespeople said on Tuesday, after trends showed Modi's party was falling short of a majority in a general election.The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) said their pre-poll alliance with Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)was intact and they would form the next government.Their comments came after media speculation that the opposition alliance, which is doing much better than expected, was also in touch with them.The BJP is leading in 244 of the 543 seats in the directly elected lower house of parliament, according to evening vote count trends, unexpectedly falling short of a majority and raising its reliance on allies to be able to form the next government.N Chandrababu Naidu's TDP, based in the southern coastal state of Andhra Pradesh, is currently the second-biggest party in Modi's National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after the BJP. Naidu, who allied with the opposition the last time, has in the past spoken about loan waivers for farmers and privatisation of air and sea ports."TDP has a pre-poll alliance with NDA and it will continue, no doubt about that," said party lawmaker K. Ravindra Kumar. "PM Modi and Naidu have congratulated each other."Party spokesperson Jyothsna Tirunagari said: "TDP has always shared a vision with PM Modi and he remains our PM face."JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of the poor state of Bihar, has often switched sides and returned to Modi's alliance in January, having earlier helped form an opposition alliance of more than two dozen parties for the general election."We are formally with this NDA alliance and will participate in making the government," JD(U) spokesperson Abhishek Jha said. On being asked if the party would support Modi as NDA's prime minister, he said: "Definitely."The party focuses on issues of Bihar, especially for financial aid and investment to create jobs for its millions of young people."These two allies ... need stability at the centre to run their own states, but they will take their own pound of flesh," said Yashwant Deshmukh, founder of polling agency CVoter. (Reuters) | 1,717,507,881 | en |
45,542 | President Xi congratulates Sheinbaum on election win | President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to Mexican President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum.Xi was the latest in a string of world leaders who have congratulated Sheinbaum for the election win and becoming Mexico's first female leader.Preliminary results showed that she won with between 58.3 percent and 60.7 percent of the votes.Opposition candidate Xochitl Galvez garnered between 26.6 percent and 28.6 percent of the votes, and conceded defeat on Monday. (Reuters/Xinhua) | 1,717,498,278 | en |
45,541 | Hong Kong stocks gain ground | Hong Kong stocks edged higher on Tuesday as global investors awaited India's official election results.After opening in negative territory, the Hang Seng Index gained 41 points or 0.22 percent to finish the day at 18,444.Turnover was HK$116.2 billion. The Hang Seng China Enterprises index rose 0.34 percent to 6,554. (Agencies) | 1,717,497,214 | en |
45,540 | Overnight XRL tickets on sale from noon on Wed | The MTR said tickets for overnight high-speed trains between Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong would be available for sale from Wednesday noon.The overnight trains would operate between Shanghai, Beijing and West Kowloon Station from June 15 from Fridays to Mondays.The MTR said tickets would be available from Wednesday noon on the mainland's 12306 ticketing website or mobile app, and at ticket counters.Fares for one-way trips between Hong Kong and Beijing would be approximately between HK$937 and HK$1,448, while those between Hong Kong and Shanghai would be approximately between HK$682 and HK$2,128.Transport minister Lam Sai-hung welcomed the new arrangements which enhanced the services provided by the Hong Kong section of the express rail link."The new sleeper trains...tailored to meet the passenger needs and provide them with a more convenient, comfortable and high-quality cross-boundary rail service, enhancing the travel experience for both business and leisure passengers," he wrote in a statement.A Beijing resident said the new arrangement further encouraged him to visit Hong Kong one day."I don't like to travel by plane, so if high-speed trains have sleeping coaches, I won't feel tired even it's a long trip," he told RTHK.A tourist, who's visiting Hong Kong, said she could manage time better if she travelled by high-speed trains."Due to weather conditions these days, the situation of flight delays is very serious. My flight was delayed for almost eight hours, so travelling by high-speed trains may be more convenient," she said. | 1,717,493,965 | en |
45,539 | Mainland tourism delegation wowed by HK | The Tourism Board on Tuesday said an ongoing visit from a mainland trade delegation will provide more opportunities for the tourism industry and boost Hong Kong's economy. Representatives from eight mainland cities recently added to the Individual Visit Scheme are visiting the SAR to familiarise themselves with the city, to help them promote it as a destination.Delegation member Huang Ning, deputy general manager of a Harbin travel agency, said the group's visit will bring new momentum to the tourism market and foster economic and cultural exchanges."The flight time from Harbin to Hong Kong is five hours. In the past, most of us would usually spend a night in Shenzhen before arriving in Hong Kong, but direct flights make it more convenient for passengers and more attractive to go straight to Hong Kong," she said. "People can go whenever they want. The launch [of Harbin's inclusion in the scheme] plus direct flights have really facilitated the desire for Harbin people to visit Hong Kong."Liu Xiaochun, general manager of Gansu Legend Travel Co. Ltd, said the shopping experience in Hong Kong is incredible, adding that she hopes the duty-free allowance for visitors can be increased from the current 5,000 yuan."Everyone is very friendly. This time we really felt that they were very hospitable. I really hope that the cap for the allowance can be increased. Our time here yesterday was too short. We felt that we didn't have enough time to go shopping," she said. "The shopping experience is very pleasant here. We bought so many sports brand products here and also a lot of Hong Kong delicacies and snacks. The snacks here are very good."Zhang Tenghong, executive director of Tibet Tourism Investment and Tourism Service Co. Ltd, said he was impressed by the attractions the delegation visited, including Central Market and Tai Kwun, adding that the SAR offers great food and scenery. | 1,717,493,806 | en |
45,538 | Legco supports expanded sex offender checks | Lawmakers on Tuesday expressed support towards the government's plans to expand checks on sex offender records to gradually cover the self-employed, volunteers and existing workers. The current system allows voluntary checks on prospective employees seeking jobs related to children and the mentally incapable, meaning the employer needs the consent of the job-seeker to perform the check.Officials now want the scheme expanded in the fourth quarter of this year, first covering self-employed persons such as sports coaches, music teachers and tutors. By the end of next year, the scope would expand to cover volunteers, and eventually at an unspecified date, all existing employees.At a Legco security panel meeting, legislators said they supported the plan, saying it was necessary to better protect children and the mentally challenged.Legal sector lawmaker Ambrose Lam asked whether the SAR would follow the UK system, known as the Sarah's Law, under which parents can seek records on a person who can come into contact with their children.He noted that in Hong Kong, parents sometimes ask a friend to help pick up their children from school, and the SAR should be forward-thinking in preventing potential abuse.However, security chief Chris Tang dismissed the idea, saying the two places are different."In Hong Kong this is too broad a scope. At the moment, friends would not be included under this [expanded] scope," he said.Others expressed concern the expanded scheme would add more work for the police force, and that people who sought the checks would have to wait for a long time at police stations.A number of lawmakers, including New People's Party's Dominic Lee, asked if officials could handle the applications electronically, such as using the government's iAM Smart mobile app.However, Tang said the app cannot replace the stringent checks on the conviction records required, because it involves fingerprints of all fingers and thumbs.The minister added that officials would conduct loading tests before the new system is up and running, which is capable of handling more than 210,000 new applications a year. Last year, there were around 83,000 ongoing requests.He said six police stations planned to set up designated kiosks, allowing people to have their fingerprints collected throughout the day to help speed up the process. | 1,717,489,828 | en |
45,537 | S Korea to resume military activities along DMZ | South Korea's military on Tuesday said it would resume all military activities along the demarcation line separating the two countries and the North West Islands after suspending an inter-Korean military agreement.The suspension of the military agreement with the North, which South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol approved earlier on Tuesday, was in response to North Korea's decision to send hundreds of balloons carrying trash over the border."The South Korean military makes it clear that it will take all necessary measures to protect the lives and safety of its people in response to North Korea's provocations," a defence ministry official said in an emergency briefing.The large-scale spraying of filth balloons has "seriously threatened the safety of our people and caused property damage," the official added.Pyongyang on Sunday said it had sent up 15 tonnes of wastepaper using 3,500 balloons, while Seoul vowed "unendurable" measures against the North in response, which could include blaring propaganda from loudspeakers directed at the North.Under the military pact, both countries agreed to "completely cease all hostile acts against each other" that are the source of military tension and conflict, through measures such as the two sides ending military drills near the border.It was the most substantive deal to come out of months of historic summit meetings between the two Koreas in 2018, but had been all but scrapped when Pyongyang declared last year it was no longer bound by it. (Reuters) | 1,717,487,930 | en |
45,536 | Modi eyes triumph as India counts votes | Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's alliance raced to a majority in early vote counting trends in the general election on Tuesday, but the numbers were well short of the landslide predicted in exit polls, TV channels showed.The early see-saw trends spooked markets with stocks falling steeply and the rupee also fell sharply against the dollar and benchmark bond yields were up.The markets had soared on Monday after exit polls on June 1 projected Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would register a big victory, with its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) seen getting a two-thirds majority and more.TV channels showed the NDA was ahead in nearly 300 of the 543 elective seats in parliament, where 272 is a simple majority, in early counting at 2pm Hong Kong time. The opposition INDIA alliance led by Rahul Gandhi's centrist Congress party was leading in over 220 seats, higher than expected.TV channels showed BJP accounted for nearly 250 of the seats in which the NDA was leading, short of a majority on its own, compared to the 303 it won in 2019.A third Modi term with a slim majority for BJP – or having to depend on NDA allies for a majority – could introduce some uncertainty into governance as Modi has ruled with an authoritative hold over the government in the last decade.However, politicians and analysts said it was too early to get a firm idea of the voting trends since a majority of ballots were yet to be counted."It's a fair assessment to say 400 at the moment certainly looks distant," BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli told the India Today TV channel, referring to some projections that gave 400 seats to the NDA."But we need to wait...to have a final picture of the seats because the exit polls speak of a massive sweep, [and] the counting trends currently don't seem to match that," he said."The BJP-NDA will form the government, that trend is very clear from the start," he added. (Reuters) | 1,717,487,355 | en |
45,535 | Exco backs three percent pay rises for civil servants | The Executive Council on Tuesday approved a Civil Service Bureau proposal to give staff of all ranks a 3 percent pay rise this year.The increases would be lower than the rises of up to 5.47 percent indicated by the recent Pay Trend Survey.Civil Service Secretary Ingrid Yeung said Exco considered various factors when agreeing to the proposal."The Executive Council has, in accordance with the mechanism governing the adjustment of civil service pay, considered six factors, namely the state of Hong Kong's economy, changes in the cost of living, the net pay trend indicators, the government's fiscal position, the pay claims of the staff side, as well as the civil service morale," she said."We believe that this is a balanced decision, taking into account all those six factors."Yeung added that while one in 10 civil service positions are vacant, salary is not the sole factor when it comes to retaining or attracting workers.She said the pay rise proposal will be discussed with staff representatives on Wednesday before a final decision is reached.Last year, senior civil servants received a salary increase of 2.87 percent, while mid-ranking and junior staff had rises of 4.65 percent. | 1,717,485,097 | en |
45,534 | Pair launch first civil action against JPEX | Two victims of alleged fraud cases involving the cryptocurrency trading company JPEX have lodged claims at the District Court to recover funds, in the first civil action against the platform.The writ of summons, filed by plaintiffs Chan Wing-yan and Herbert Lee on Monday, listed JPEX Crypto Asset Platform as the first defendant, and locally-registered Web 3.0 Technical Support as the second. Three others, who appear as "holder of wallet address" for the three accounts on the trading platform, were also named as defendants. Felix Chiu, a general manager of the over-the-counter cryptocurrency exchange Coingaroo, is listed as the sixth defendant. The pair are also suing "any persons who carried out or assisted in the scheme". One of the plaintiffs, Chan, said she invested with JPEX after being led to believe that the platform was a licensed cryptocurrency exchange upon attending seminars and reading posts from social media influencer Lam Chok, according to the legal document. She also claimed that she paid and transferred a total of HK$1.85 million to Chiu, intending to purchase USDT, also known as Tether, between July and August in 2023. The pair found assets of more than 247,400 USDT were transferred away "within five minutes after each of the deposits was being made" without authorisation, and subsequently moved to "many other wallets of unknown holders" before they looked into their accounts on September 14.The plaintiffs are seeking to recover the lost funds and are asking the court to grant an injunction to bar the defendants to deal with the assets. Joshua Chu, a lawyer handling the pair's claims, pointed to the far-reaching impacts of the civil action. "While the criminal investigation into the perpetrators continues, victims should also pursue civil proceedings to recover their lost assets. This dual-track approach is crucial, as the police are unable to return any seized funds without a court order from the civil case," he said in a statement to RTHK. "Notably, the findings from the civil proceedings may potentially bolster the parallel criminal investigation against the suspects, underscoring the importance of this multifaceted legal strategy for the victims."Lawmaker Johnny Ng, for his part, described the case as a "milestone", and that he understood that more victims have considered taking civil action. "On my end, around 10 people have plans to make claims. Of course, I believe there might also be people who have yet to contact us [wanting to take action]," Ng said. | 1,717,481,127 | en |
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