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45,733 | Green Earth calls for more composting capacity | The founder of environmental group Green Earth, Edwin Lau, has welcomed the government's plan to have a food waste recycling bin for each and every public housing block within two years but he says there is still room to expand the composting of waste once it is collected. Speaking on RTHK's Hong Kong Today programme, Lau said government data from 2022 pointed to Hong Kong's daily food waste disposal at being over 3,300 metric tonnes but that current composting capacity was less than 20 percent of that."You need to match both the total amount of food waste collected from the housing estates and also, at the back end, all the facilities or the food waste composting system," he saidLau said the Organic Resources Recovery Centre at Siu Ho Wan in North Lantau, known as O-Park 1, was currently up and running and that O-Park 2 at Sha Ling in North District was undergoing trial runs before being operational later this year."These two added together will be 500 tonnes of food waste capacity per day. And, besides these two, there are two sewage co-digestion plants operating, that all together total 100 tonnes per day capacity. So you add up all these four facilities and there is a maximum of 600 tonnes," he said. Lau said he thought the government had most likely done the calculation to match the front-end and the back-end to prevent any kind of bottle-neck from happening.Currently, around 90 percent of public estates share some 700 smart recycling bins, and every estate will have at least one bin by next month. Environment minister Tse Chin-wan told lawmakers on Wednesday that the plan was to match the number of blocks with the same amount of bins within two years. Tse added that more than 400 smart recycling bins for food waste would be put into service at private housing estates in this financial year and that more bins would be added to estates where there was strong demand. | 1,718,248,509 | en |
45,732 | Russian war ships in Cuba on 'routine visit' | A Russian navy frigate and a nuclear-powered submarine churned into Havana harbour on Wednesday, a stopover the US and Cuba said posed no threat but was seen as a Russian show of force.Cuba - a long-time ally of Russia - saluted the ships' arrival with cannon fire, while Russian diplomats waved Russian flags and took selfies as the vessels passed the harbour's historic fortresses.The Admiral Gorshkov frigate, and later the nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, half submerged with its crew on deck, were accompanied by a tugboat and fuel ship that had arrived earlier in the morning.The four Russian vessels sailed to Cuba after conducting "high-precision missile weapons" training in the Atlantic Ocean, according to Russia's defence ministry.The submarine and frigate carry Zircon hypersonic missiles, Kalibr cruise missiles and Onyx anti-ship missiles, the ministry said.Cuba said last week that the visit was standard practice by naval vessels from countries friendly to Havana. The Cuban foreign ministry said the fleet carried no nuclear weapons, something echoed by US officials.The US said it had been monitoring the Russian vessels as they skirted the nearby Florida coast, but said they posed no threat.White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Wednesday such naval exercises were routine."We have seen this kind of thing before and we expect to see this kind of thing again, and I'm not going to read into it any particular motives," Sullivan said. (Reuters) | 1,718,248,394 | en |
45,731 | HK shares begin day with gains | Local stocks began the trading day on Thursday on the front foot as the Hang Seng Index gained 166 points, or 0.93 percent, to open at 18,104 points.Stocks on the mainland also opened higher, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.02 percent to open at 3,038 points while the Shenzhen Component Index opened 0.12 percent higher. (Xinhua) | 1,718,246,191 | en |
45,730 | AI start-up to establish HK research centre: lawmaker | Engineering professor and lawmaker William Wong says one of the reasons The Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC) chose start-up "Smart More" for its inaugural investment was its plan to base future research in the SAR."Apart from the financial return, part of it is the promise to create more positions for researchers. The Smart-More company promised to actually establish an research centre, an AI research centre, in Hong Kong and all these things are actually favourable to Hong Kong developing into an international information technology hub," Wong said on RTHK's Hong Kong Today programme. The government investment vehicle and Smart More signed a cooperation deal on Wednesday. The company is involved in artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing.HKIC's CEO Clara Chan has said there will be different investment themes with AI in June, life sciences in July, and new energy technology in August. Professor Wong, who is the associate dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Chinese University, was also asked for his views on these investment themes and whether they would suit Hong Kong."From this particular case, you can see the government is working very hard step by step... to satisfy the KPIs," he said referring to the investment term 'Key Performance Indicator'.Earlier, the Financial Secretary Paul Chan hailed the partnership between the government-owned investment vehicle and the local tech unicorn, saying it would help boost Hong Kong's innovation and technology industry. | 1,718,243,503 | en |
45,729 | India reach T20 World Cup Super Eight | India qualified for the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup with a seven-wicket win over the United States on Wednesday, with a fifty by Suryakumar Yadav and Arshdeep Singh's four-wicket haul helping them clinch their third win in a row.Put in to bat first, the Americans struggled as Arshdeep [4-9] dismissed Shayan Jahangir [0] and Andries Gous [2] in the first over. But Steven Taylor [24] and Nitish Kumar [27] set the stage for a competitive total of 110-8.India also struggled at the start, with Saurabh Netravalkar sending openers Virat Kohli [0] and Rohit Sharma [3] back early. But Yadav [50 not out] and Shivam Dube [31 not out] steadied the innings and got India over the line with 10 balls to spare.The U.S., second in Group A with four points after suffering their first loss in three matches, will also ensure qualification for the next round if they beat Ireland on Friday. (Reuters) | 1,718,238,907 | en |
45,728 | US Congress holds AG in contempt over Biden tapes | The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for refusing to turn over audio recordings of a special counsel interview with Democratic President Joe Biden.The measure passed 216-207 on a party-line basis with one Republican joining Democrats in voting no.The Department of Justice has already turned over a transcript of the interview, which set off a political firestorm in February when Special Counsel Robert Hur released a report describing Biden, 81, as a "well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory".The White House has asserted that the recordings are covered by executive privilege, and a vote by the House to hold Garland in contempt would put the Justice Department in the awkward position of having to decide whether to prosecute its own leader. It is not required to take up the charges.Garland is the third attorney general to be held in contempt of Congress, following Democratic President Barack Obama's attorney general Eric Holder and Republican President Donald Trump's Bill Barr. The Justice Department did not pursue charges in either case."Transcripts alone are not sufficient evidence of the state of the president's memory," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said as debate opened.Representative Jerrold Nadler, the senior Democrat on the panel, countered that Republicans were on a "single-minded quest to follow every right-wing conspiracy theory in the vain hope that it might lead to some evidence of wrongdoing."Hur, who had investigated Biden after classified documents dating to his time as vice president from 2009-2017 were found improperly stored in his home and office, declined to prosecute the president, saying it was both because he had cooperated with the probe and because he would present a sympathetic face to a jury.Biden's rival in the November 5 election, Trump, has been criminally charged for mishandling classified documents after his 2017-2021 term in the White House, though unlike Biden, Trump refused requests to return the documents.Congressional Democrats have alleged that Republicans want the audio to use in campaign ads for Trump. (Reuters) | 1,718,227,451 | en |
45,727 | Nasdaq and S&P hits records for third straight day | The S&P 500 and Nasdaq posted record closing highs for a third straight day on Wednesday after inflation data came in softer than expected but the indexes ended off the day's highs as the Federal Reserve projected only one interest rate cut this year.The Fed's March projections included three quarter-percentage-point reductions. The US central bank, in a statement at the end of its June 11-12 meeting, also said it left its policy rate unchanged, as expected.Stocks were choppy following the news and press conference with Fed Chair Jerome Powell, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq paring gains late and the Dow finishing near flat.Stocks opened higher after the Labour Department reported that the US Consumer Price Index was unexpectedly unchanged in May due to cheaper gasoline."The CPI number was certainly cooler than estimates and drove optimism to start the day but that was only half of today's menu," said Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles.James said he would have expected the market to end weaker after the Fed's update, noting that "the commentary was hawkish and rate cut (expectations) were trimmed from three to one."Oracle shares jumped 13.3 percent, lifting the market, after the software provider forecast double-digit revenue in fiscal 2025 after the bell on Tuesday.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.09 percent, to 38,712. The S&P 500 rose 0.85 percent, to 5,421 and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.53 percent, to 17,608.Just after the CPI report, traders boosted bets for a Fed rate cut by September and another by December.Apple's shares climbed 2.9 percent, extending Tuesday's strong gains, and the company briefly once again became the world's most valuable, dethroning Microsoft from the top spot. (Reuters) | 1,718,227,169 | en |
45,726 | Fed holds rates, expects one cut this year | The US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday and pushed out the start of rate cuts to perhaps as late as December, with officials projecting only a single quarter-percentage-point reduction for the year amid rising estimates for what it will take to keep inflation in check.The markdown in the outlook for rate cuts, from three quarter-percentage-point reductions seen in the Fed's March projections, was made despite the central bank's acknowledgement in its new policy statement of "modest further progress" towards its 2 percent inflation target – an upgrade from its May 1 statement.It coincided with an increase to 2.8 percent in the estimated long-run, or "neutral," rate of interest, from 2.6 percent, which indicates policymakers have concluded the economy needs more restraint in order to finish the battle against rising prices.Recent progress has been slow, and Fed officials now project a slightly higher end-of-year inflation rate of 2.6 percent versus the 2.4 percent anticipated as of March.While rate cuts are now seen getting a likely later start and a slower pace this year than investors have anticipated, the Fed's policy rate is seen falling fast next year, with reductions of a full percentage point in both 2025 and 2026.The statement and new Summary of Economic Projections show a central bank wrestling over how to respond to data that many read as pointing to slower inflation –consumer prices in fact did not rise at all in May on a month-over-month basis, according to data released on Wednesday – but also to steady growth and job creation. (Reuters) | 1,718,216,071 | en |
45,725 | Zulu-backed IFP set to join South African coalition | South Africa's Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) will join a unity government with the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA), it said on Wednesday, giving a strong indication of who will govern the country.The ANC, which lost its majority in a May 29 election but remains the largest party, has been talking to a broad spectrum of political parties to try to set up a government of national unity.The final composition of the government has not yet been announced, but the comments by IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa gave the most precise picture of how negotiations are shaping up ahead of the newly elected parliament's first sitting on Friday.Many ANC supporters strongly oppose a coalition with the pro-business DA, which is the largest opposition party but has struggled to shed its image as a defender of white privilege.Analysts have speculated that including the IFP, a conservative party with an ethnic Zulu base, could help temper those concerns."We will participate in the government of national unity for the sake of our country and for the sake of our people, who want life to continue with a stable government that will address their challenges," Hlabisa told reporters at a news conference.Spokespersons for the ANC and the DA did not immediately reply to requests for comment.Parties have been rushing to reach agreement before Friday, when the National Assembly will meet to elect its speaker, deputy speaker and the country's president.President Cyril Ramaphosa is highly likely to be reelected since the ANC has the highest number of seats, but key positions such as speaker of parliament and deputy president are the subject of behind-the-scenes negotiations. (Reuters) | 1,718,211,111 | en |
45,724 | Macron urges centre to unite; Republicans ditch leader | French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday urged rival parties to join his electoral alliance against Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally, while the conservative Republicans ditched their party chief for seeking a far-right pact.The fast-moving political developments come after Macron's shock decision to call a snap parliamentary election in a few weeks' time. The vote could hand real power to Le Pen's party after years on the sidelines.In what amounted to a campaign speech, Macron on Wednesday defended his decision to call the snap vote, and urged parties on both sides of the political centre to join him in the battle against the hard right in the June 30 and July 7 elections.Macron, who ruled out quitting if his ruling alliance loses, called on "our compatriots and political leaders who do not recognise themselves in the extremist fever" to "build a new project ... a coalition to govern."In a sign of the political chaos that Macron's decision has unleashed, the Republicans party leadership on Wednesday decided to kick out their party chief Eric Ciotti after he appealed for an electoral alliance between his party's candidates and the RN.Macron described such an accord as a "deal with the devil". It would have ended the decades-long mainstream political consensus to block the far-right from power.Writing on X, Ciotti said the Republicans meeting had not followed protocol: "I am and remain the president of our political party, elected by the members!" he said.Macron called the election on Sunday after the anti-immigration, eurosceptic RN came out on top in a vote for the European Parliament. (Reuters) | 1,718,210,737 | en |
45,723 | Basketball legend Jerry West dies aged 86 | Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry West, a star guard from the 1960s for the Los Angeles Lakers whose profile on the court inspired the design of the NBA logo, died on Wednesday aged 86.West played for the Lakers from 1960 until 1974, winning his only NBA title as a player in 1972 while being named as an All-Star for all 14 seasons in the league.He won eight NBA titles as an executive – six with the Lakers and twice with the Golden State Warriors in the Stephen Curry era.After leaving the Warriors in 2017, he joined the Los Angeles Clippers as an executive, which announced his passing. (Additional reporting by AFP) | 1,718,205,499 | en |
45,722 | Ex-SAR boss Andersen named Yunnan Yukun manager | The former head coach of the SAR football team, Jørn Andersen, was on Wednesday confirmed as the new manager of second-tier mainland side Yunnan Yukun. The Norwegian, 61, quit the Hong Kong, China squad late last month, saying he'd received an offer he "couldn't refuse".He had taken the SAR to its first AFC Cup in more than 50 years, as well as leading the under-23 squad to its first-ever semifinals at the Asian Games.In an announcement on social media, Yunnan Yukun described Andersen as an experienced coach with strong leadership skills, saying he can lead the team to new heights. The mainland club are currently leading the second tier of Chinese football, with nine wins from 13 matches for 30 points. Its former head coach, Li Jinyu, resigned last month. | 1,718,203,138 | en |
45,721 | Power cut hits 2,200 premises in Wong Tai Sin | Parts of Wong Tai Sin plunged into darkness for four hours on Wednesday evening, with CLP saying a faulty cable was to blame for cutting off power to more than 2,200 customers..Photos on social media showed a number of residential buildings and shopping malls were affected by the blackout at around 8pm. Power was eventually restored shortly after midnight. Temple Mall North, Lower Wong Tai Sin Estate and Mei Tung Estate were among the areas affected. In a statement, the government said it was very concerned about the outage. "Residents were trapped in lifts and might have an uncomfortable night under this hot weather," it said. Emergency shelters were set up at Tung Tau Community Centre and Wong Tai Sin Community Centre.According to the Fire Services Department, there were at least four reports of people trapped in lifts.CLP said the power outage was caused by a malfunction in an 11,000-volt cable. The power firm apologised to those affected, adding that urgent repair work was being carried out, with emergency generators taken to the site. | 1,718,202,168 | en |
45,720 | Dozens killed in Kuwait fire | A fire that broke out in a building housing workers in the city of Mangaf in southern Kuwait early on Wednesday has killed at least 41 people, the country's deputy prime minister Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Saud Al-Sabah said during a visit to the site.The deputy PM accused real estate owners of violations and greed, saying those factors contributed towards the incident."Unfortunately, the greed of real estate owners is what leads to these matters," said Sheikh Fahad, who also runs the interior and defense ministries.The fire was reported to authorities at 6am local time, Major General Eid Rashed Hamad said."The building in which the fire occurred was used to house workers, and there was a large number of workers there. Dozens were rescued, but unfortunately there were many deaths as a result of inhaling smoke from the fire," another senior police commander told state TV."We always alert and warn against" cramming too many workers into housing accommodation, he said, without providing details on the workers' type of employment or place of origin.The fire was contained and authorities were investigating its cause, officials said. (Reuters) | 1,718,198,823 | en |
45,719 | Titmus smashes world record in 200m freestyle | Swimming star Ariarne Titmus shattered her fellow Australian Mollie O'Callaghan's world record in the women's 200 metres freestyle, clocking one minute, 52.23 seconds just weeks before the defence of her title at the Paris Olympics.Titmus hit the wall at Australia's Olympic trials in Brisbane ahead of O'Callaghan, who also went under her previous world record of 1:52.85, finishing in 1:52.48 seconds."Looking at the results, it's unbelievable. I'm really happy to finally produce a swim in the 200 that I feel like my training reflects," said Titmus.The Aussie pair will provide Hong Kong's Siobhán Haughey with stiff competition in the race for 200 metres glory in Paris, with O'Callaghan also expected to duel against Haughey in the women's 100 metres freestyle.Titmus has been in top form in Brisbane, swimming the second-fastest 400 metres freestyle of all time on Monday as she also prepares to defend that Olympic title against the likes of Canadian Summer McIntosh and American star Katie Ledecky. (AFP) | 1,718,188,772 | en |
45,718 | Show of force necessary for absconders: Regina Ip | Lawmaker Regina Ip backed the government's move to impose sanctions against six individuals wanted for alleged national security offences, saying it was necessary to demonstrate to the public that there are consequences for breaking the law."I doubt very much whether these absconders will actually come back to Hong Kong to face the law," the former security minister said."But it will demonstrate to any potential absconders that the government takes absconding highly seriously, and there are punitive measures directed against them if they do run away from the law."Another former security chief-turned-lawmaker, Lai Tung-kwok, said the purpose of revoking the fugitives' passports was to limit their mobility.But he admitted they could still visit countries using other travel documents, such as a British National (Overseas) passport which is not recognised in Hong Kong.Meanwhile, barrister and Executive Councillor Ronny Tong warned that anyone who joins paid subscriptions of websites or channels run by the six persons may be seen as providing financial aid to them.Tong said people may still fall foul of the law by simply "following" such pages, as this may indirectly help the wanted persons generate revenue through advertisements. | 1,718,187,286 | en |
45,717 | Hong Kong stocks close lower | Hong Kong shares fell on Wednesday, with the Hang Seng Index closing down 238 points, or 1.3 percent, at 17,937.The Shanghai Composite Index finished 0.3 percent higher at 3,037. The smaller Shenzhen index ended up 0.6 percent. (Reuters) | 1,718,182,071 | en |
45,716 | Beijing rebukes additional EU tariffs on Chinese EVs | The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Wednesday criticised additional European Union tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), saying the move violated market economy principles and international trade rules.MOFA spokesperson Lin Jian said any additional tariffs on Chinese EVs would eventually undermine the EU's own interests, adding Beijing would take all necessary measures to protect its lawful rights.Lin's comments came ahead of an announcement by the European Commission that it would apply additional duties of up to 38.1 percent on imported Chinese electric vehicles from next month.Less than a month after the United States quadrupled duties for Chinese EVs to 100 percent, Brussels said it would set tariffs of 17.4 percent for BYD, 20 percent for Geely and 38.1 percent for SAIC over what it said were excessive subsidies.The EU provisional duties are set to apply by July 4, with an anti-subsidy investigation set to continue until November 2, when definitive duties, typically for five years, could apply.Margaritis Schinas, a European Commission vice president, told a news conference that Chinese-built cars were benefiting from unfair levels of subsidies, threatening EU producers."On this basis the Commission has reached out to Chinese authorities to discuss these findings and explore possible ways for resolving the issues identified," he said.The Commerce Ministry also said China is strongly dissatisfied with the European plan to impose provisional duties on imports of Chinese electric vehicles, saying the move ignored facts and World Trade Organisation rules. The ministry said Beijing will resolutely take all necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights of Chinese companies. (Reuters/Xinhua) | 1,718,180,535 | en |
45,715 | 'HKU taskforce to help with communication' | Education minister Christine Choi on Wednesday said a government taskforce set up to look into a public spat involving top management at the University of Hong Kong will help with internal communication, rather than investigating specific incidents.Vice-chancellor Zhang Xiang and the head of the university's governing council, Priscilla Wong, have been in conflict over senior appointments and management issues. The government on Tuesday announced the formation of the taskforce, comprising of Permanent Secretary for Education Michelle Li and head of the University Grants Council Tim Lui. It said their role will include coordinating cooperation and communication within HKU.Choi said the pair will contact or meet people involved in the matter, to find out more about the issues."The group doesn't have a timetable...we hope to gradually show results to the public in the process," she told reporters."The aim is not just to come up with a written report on the matter, we want to play an actual role." | 1,718,180,342 | en |
45,714 | Tech unicorn deal will benefit securities market: FS | Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Wednesday said a tie-up between a government-owned investment vehicle and a local tech unicorn will add momentum to Hong Kong's securities market. The Hong Kong Investment Corporation has signed a cooperation deal with SmartMore, a technology company specialising in artificial intelligence."The collaboration between Hong Kong Corporation and SmartMore is a good starting point for advancing Hong Kong's innovation and technology industry towards a brighter future," Chan said in a speech at the signing ceremony."In the upcoming months, the Hong Kong Investment Corporation will continue to announce more strategic partnerships and actively pursue direct investments and joint investment projects. These projects will encompass various fields, including life sciences, green technology, and more."The finance minister also said Hong Kong spent HK$30.1 billion on research and development in 2022, up from HK$21.3 billion in 2017. Chan added that there were 4,250 tech startups in Hong Kong last year. | 1,718,178,897 | en |
45,713 | 'Food waste bins to feature at all public housing' | Environment minister Tse Chin-wan on Wednesday said he expects each public housing block to have a food waste recycling bin within two years.Speaking to lawmakers at a Legco meeting, he said about 700 smart recycling bins for food waste were installed at about 90 percent of public estates across the territory.He expects the smart recycling bins would be installed at all public estates in Hong Kong by next month, which was a month ahead of the original schedule.Tse added more bins would be installed at public estates, with the goal of installing a bin at each public housing block within two years.But lawmakers questioned if the process could be shortened."Some old residents told me that there are 11 blocks in their estate, with 380 units, but there are only three food waste smart recycling bins in the whole estate... Can we expedite the process and have one bin in each block within one year?" lawmaker Kitson Yang asked.Tse said discussions would be made with the Housing Authority."We will see which residential buildings have higher usage of food waste smart recycling bins, and we will install more bins at those estates with higher usage. We will also replace the inner bins of the recycling bins more often to enhance its capacity," he said.Tse added that more than 400 smart recycling bins for food waste would be put into service at private housing estates in this financial year. | 1,718,178,468 | en |
45,712 | Segantii insider dealing case moved to District Court | An insider trading case against Asian hedge fund Segantii Capital Management, its British founder Simon Sadler and a former trader has been moved to the District Court.The Eastern Magistrates' Court approved the prosecution’s request to transfer the case to a higher court. The next hearing is scheduled to take place at the District Court on July 2, the court ruled.The maximum prison term a district court judge can impose is seven years, versus two to three years for the magistrate's court.The case marks a turning point for one of Asia's biggest and oldest hedge funds as well as a step toward heightened scrutiny of trading activities in the region.The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) said last month it had started criminal proceedings against Segantii, its founder and chief investment officer Sadler and former trader Daniel La Rocca on suspicion of insider dealing in the shares of a Hong Kong-listed company before a block trade in June 2017.The accusation relates to insider information about Hong Kong-listed fashion chain Esprit Holdings, the court readout revealed, adding Segantii received the information from Tony Psarianos, a person connected to Esprit.Psarianos was an investment banker at Merrill Lynch from 2007 to 2021, according to SFC licence records.Sadler, dubbed Asia's "block trade king", is also the owner of his home-town soccer team, Blackpool Football Club. (Reuters) | 1,718,177,018 | en |
45,711 | Woman loses final appeal over Quarry Bay shootings | A woman jailed for life for shooting dead her aunt and uncle lost her final appeal against her convictions for murder on Wednesday.Former bodyguard Tsim Sum-kit also shot and wounded two other relatives in the attack in Quarry Bay Park in 2018, following a family lunch to discuss dividing up the estate of her late grandmother.At a High Court trial in 2021, the defence failed to the convince the jury that Tsim had suffered from an abnormality of the mind which resulted in an impairment of mental responsibility.In her latest appeal, Tsim argued that the legal requirement for a defendant to prove they suffer from diminished responsibility – if this is to be used as a partial defence to murder – infringes upon the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial.But in a written judgement, a panel of five Court of Final Appeal judges said the question of diminished responsibility does not affect the presumption of innocence as it is not an ingredient of the offence a defendant is charged with, but an extenuating mitigating circumstance.They said diminished responsibility is a factor that only comes into play if and when prosecutors have proven a defendant's guilt. "The partial defence of diminished responsibility does not in any way reduce the burden on the prosecution to prove the elements of the offence of murder," the judges said."It is only when a defendant is prima facie guilty of murder that the plea of diminished responsibility becomes relevant. If the prosecution has not already discharged the onus of proving the actus reus and mens rea of murder, the defendant will be entitled to an outright acquittal on the charge of murder and the plea of diminished responsibility will have no further relevance."Tsim had also asked the court to consider whether the requirement under the Homicide Ordinance for the defence to prove diminished responsibility is proportionate and justified, or whether offering some evidence to support the claim ought to be enough.On this point, the judges said the ordinance has "the legitimate aim of alleviating the prosecution from an unworkable burden arising from the practical difficulties of proving a matter so personal to the accused".They added that a number of factors support this conclusion, including "the fact mental disorders and their effects are not part of ordinary life experience of a jury [and] the fact an accused cannot be compelled to be subject to medical examination by the prosecution." | 1,718,172,718 | en |
45,710 | CUHK unveils novel bladder cancer surgery | The Chinese University’s Faculty of Medicine on Wednesday said it had identified a new surgery technique that was better at preventing bladder cancer from recurring in patients compared with traditional procedures.Three hundred and fifty bladder cancer patients participated in the clinical trial.Half of them underwent a new surgery technique called en bloc resection of bladder tumour (ERBT) and the other half underwent traditional procedures.Dr Jeremy Teoh, who led the research, noted that the one-year cancer recurrence rate for patients who had received traditional surgery was between 30 and 40 percent. In contrast, Teoh said the recurrence rate in those who had received ERBT dropped to about 28 percent.“Essentially during the [new] surgery, we try to preserve the whole tumour, try not to touch it, avoid fragmentation of the tumour, and also the whole specimen can be retrieved in one piece to ensure a complete resection by histology,” he explained.The technique is currently available at 13 hospitals in Hong Kong, including Prince of Wales Hospital, Queen Mary Hospital, and Princess Margaret Hospital. Teoh said all bladder cancer patients with a tumour size of less than three centimetres could consult with their doctors about having the new surgery. | 1,718,171,864 | en |
45,709 | 'Retailers must maintain their competitiveness' | Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Algernon Yau, on Wednesday urged the retail sector to enhance its efforts in maintaining its competitiveness. Delivering his speech at the Hong Kong Retail Summit, organised by the Hong Kong Retail Management Association, Yau said economic activity in the city had returned to normal and tourist numbers were growing. However, Yau said the retail sector still faced various challenges."We must also confront the various new challenges facing the retail industry, as the preferences and behaviour patterns of tourists - and Hongkongers - are changing," he explained."Retailers must keep pace with these changes, continuously innovate, and adjust their operational strategies in order to maintain their competitiveness and advantage in an ever-changing market environment."Speaking to reporters at the summit, the chairwoman of the city’s retail management association, Annie Yau-Tse, said the retail performance in both the tourist and local markets had been disappointing. "We [have been seeing] the trend of [budget travel] since last year. That's why we see that the tourists are actually focusing on enjoying their time in Hong Kong, like taking photos, but not really buying," she said."This trend is actually really affecting our industry, because in the past we have been making a lot of business out of the tourists who are actually coming for shopping. But nowadays, you don't really see too many people carrying their suitcases for shopping."Yau-Tse said retailers in Hong Kong should leverage technologies, such as big data and artificial intelligence, to understand consumer patterns better and create tailored promotion plans to adapt to the changing market dynamics. | 1,718,167,477 | en |
45,708 | 'Political comments from resigned judge inappropriate' | DAB lawmaker and lawyer Holden Chow has accused Lord Jonathan Sumption of "political advocacy" over his comments in an opinion piece earlier this week that commented on Hong Kong's rule of law. Lord Sumption, who recently resigned as a judge on the Court of Final Appeal, wrote an article in the Financial Times newspaper entitled "The rule of law in Hong Kong is in grave danger".Speaking on RTHK's Hong Kong Today programme, Chow said the judge's comments were "grossly inappropriate".Chow said they would put pressure on the courts when they heard cases, and contrasted Sumption's words with the comments from two other departing justices.Earlier, Chief Executive John Lee also spoke out over the comments, saying a judge's professional duty is to interpret and apply the law, and that his or her expertise is not on politics.Lee also said the judge had expressed different views a few years ago. | 1,718,160,128 | en |
45,707 | China inflation remains steady in May | China's consumer inflation held steady in May while producer price declines eased, but the underlying trend suggests Beijing would need to do more to prop up weakened domestic demand and an uneven economic recovery.The consumer price index rose 0.3 percent in May from a year earlier, matching a gain in April, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Wednesday, below a 0.4 percent increase forecast in a Reuters poll.The slide in the producer price index eased to 1.4 percent in May from 2.5 percent in April, compared with a forecast 1.5 percent decline.China's economy has struggled to gain traction despite the end of stringent pandemic curbs in late 2022, mainly due to the ripple effects of a prolonged property sector crisis on investor, business and consumer confidence.Beijing has rolled out several measures to spur demand in the housing sector and launched other schemes to boost consumer sentiment, including offering government-subsidised incentives to spur trade-ins of cars and other consumer goods.It has also vowed to create more jobs linked to major projects, roll out measures to promote domestic demand targeted for youths and has pledged greater fiscal stimulus to shore up growth. (Reuters) | 1,718,159,997 | en |
45,706 | Six national security fugitives stripped of passports | Six people wanted here for alleged national security offences have been stripped of their SAR passports under homegrown national security legislation passed in March.People will also be barred from providing funds and resources to the six, dealing with assets and property owned by the fugitives, or entering into a joint venture with them.Those found in violation of the order against Nathan Law, Mung Siu-tat, Finn Lau, Simon Cheng, Johnny Fok and Tony Choi face seven years in prison.Mung and Choi have also been temporarily removed from their posts as company directors, while authorities also ordered a temporary suspension of qualification to practise for Fok. In a statement, a government spokesman said security secretary Chris Tang issued the order against the six according to the national security law, after they fled to the United Kingdom. "These lawless wanted criminals are hiding in the United Kingdom and continue to blatantly engage in activities that endanger national security. They also make scaremongering remarks to smear and slander the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region," the spokesperson said. "More so, they continue to collude with external forces to protect their evil deeds. We therefore have taken such measure to give them a strong blow."Speaking to reporters, Tang said the cancellation of passports did not violate the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. "The Immigration Department will, according to our law, cancel their passports. And there's a well-established mechanism among different countries regarding how to notify the cancellation of passports," he said."There's absolutely no contravention to the covenant... according to all those covenants, there are exceptions because of national security grounds. This is not just applicable to Hong Kong, but applies to all civilised societies." With some of the six active on fundraising platforms, the security secretary warned that people could breach the order by giving monetary support to them. "It is an offence to provide funds or to handle funds for those specified absconders, no matter what platform it is," he said. Tang said authorities must take action against the six, whom he said Britain was harbouring, adding that officials could issue similar orders in future when necessary. | 1,718,159,049 | en |
45,705 | HK market opens lower ahead of Fed announcement | Hong Kong stocks opened lower on Wednesday.Traders said investors are focused on the upcoming release of US inflation data and the Federal Reserve's policy announcement overnight on Wednesday.The Hang Seng Index fell 0.8 percent to 18,032 in the opening minutes. (Xinhua, Reuters) | 1,718,157,061 | en |
45,704 | Ten Hag set to stay on as Man Utd manager | Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will remain in the job for next season and has entered into talks with the Old Trafford club over a contract extension despite the team's lowest ever Premier League finish of eighth, British media reported.The decision comes after an end-of-season review by the club's board for the 2023-24 campaign, which finished on a high with a shock FA Cup final win over favourites Manchester City.Ten Hag's contract runs until the end of next season, with the club having the option of extending it a further 12 months.Former Ajax Amsterdam coach Ten Hag had come under increasing pressure after 20-times English champions United suffered their worst start to a season since 1962-63 with eight defeats in their first 15 matches in all competitions.They ended up eighth after 14 defeats in their 38 league games and bowed out of the Champions League in the group phase.Ten Hag's job security had been the subject of speculation all season and many pundits believed the FA Cup final would be the Dutchman's last game with the team, win or lose.But moments after their thrilling triumph, the 54-year-old insisted he had no doubt he would be back and said he had received the backing of the club's owners all season."I'm in a project and we are exactly where we want to be. We're constructing a team. When I took over it was a mess at United, and we are on our way to construct a team for the future," he told reporters at Wembley.Ten Hag pointed to United's revolving door of injuries last term, the most of any Premier League team and concentrated in key positions such as central defence.He also spoke about the breakout seasons of young players such as midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who is part of England's Euro 2024 squad in Germany, and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho.In Ten Hag's two seasons in charge, United have played in three Wembley finals and lifted two trophies, having also won last season's League Cup.Media reports said that all eventualities were considered in the club's post-season review and the clear preference was for Ten Hag to remain in charge at Old Trafford. (Reuters) | 1,718,155,393 | en |
45,703 | Apple pushes S&P, Nasdaq to record highs | The S&P 500 and Nasdaq registered record closing highs for a second straight day on Tuesday, helped by a gain of more than 7 percent in Apple shares, while investors also awaited consumer prices data and a policy announcement from the Federal Reserve.Apple shares jumped 7.3 percent to a record-high close and gave the S&P 500 and Nasdaq their biggest boosts after the stock declined in the previous session.At its annual developer event that kicked off on Monday, Apple unveiled new artificial-intelligence features meant to increase the appeal of its devices, including an improved Siri virtual assistant that can answer a wider range of queries and accomplish more complicated tasks than earlier.The S&P 500 technology index climbed 1.7 percent and also posted a record closing high.The Consumer Price Index report will be released before the bell on Wednesday, and the US central bank's policy announcement is due later the same day.The central bank is likely to leave interest rates unchanged but will release its updated economic projections and "dot plot," which shows where policymakers expect interest rates to stand this year and longer-term."Everybody is feeling uneasy, but the data and actions consumers are taking continue to point toward resiliency, and that tends to be overall fairly bullish," said Oliver Pursche, senior vice president and adviser for Wealthspire Advisors in Westport, Connecticut.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.31 percent, to 38,747, the S&P 500 gained 0.27 percent, to 5,375 and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.88 percent, to 17,344.General Motors gained 1.35 percent after the carmaker announced a US$6 billion share buyback plan. GM also cut its annual EV production forecast.After the closing bell, Oracle shares rose 8 percent following the release of quarterly results. The stock ended the regular session down 0.5 percent. (Reuters) | 1,718,139,285 | en |
45,702 | Hamas accepts UN-backed truce, wants more talks | Hamas accepts a UN resolution backing a plan to end the war with Israel in Gaza and is ready to negotiate details, a senior official of the Palestinian militant group said on Tuesday.Qatari and Egyptian mediators said they had received a formal reply from Hamas to the UN-backed truce proposal, and Hamas and its ally Palestinian Islamic Jihad expressed "readiness to positively" reach a deal to end the war in Gaza in a joint statement on Tuesday.However both Israel and Hamas have suggested the plan meets their clashing goals, raising doubts over whether any genuine headway towards a deal can be made."The Hamas response reaffirmed the group's stance any agreement must end the Zionist aggression on our people, get the Israeli forces out, reconstruct Gaza and achieve a serious prisoners swap deal," a Hamas official said.Discussions also touching on post-war plans for Gaza will continue over the next couple of days, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Tel Aviv after talks with Israeli leaders.Blinken met Israeli officials on Tuesday in a push to end the eight-month-old Israeli air and ground war against Hamas that has devastated Gaza, a day after President Joe Biden's proposal for a truce was approved by the UN Security Council.Palestinian residents said Israeli forces operating in the southern city of Rafah blew up a cluster of homes on Tuesday and and an Israeli air strike in a main street in Gaza City killed four people, medics said.Biden's proposal envisages a ceasefire and phased release of hostages in exchange for Palestinians jailed in Israel, ultimately leading to a permanent end to the war.On Tuesday, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri, who is based outside Gaza, said it accepted the ceasefire resolution and was ready to negotiate over the specifics.This required a formula stipulating the total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and a swap of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinians jailed in Israel, he said."The US administration is facing a real test to carry out its commitments in compelling the occupation to immediately end the war in an implementation of the UN Security Council resolution," Abu Zuhri said.Blinken said earlier the Hamas statement was "a hopeful sign" but definitive word was still needed from the Hamas leadership inside Israeli-besieged Gaza. (Reuters) | 1,718,134,548 | en |
45,701 | HK held in Turkmenistan as China progress | Hong Kong ended up bottom of Group E as their World Cup qualifying campaign came to a close on Tuesday with a 0-0 draw away in Turkmenistan.The SAR's side ended the competition with two points, the same as Turkmenistan, but with a weaker goal difference.Meanwhile China squeezed into the third round of Asia's preliminaries for the 2026 World Cup by the narrowest of margins despite slipping to a 1-0 loss at the hands of South Korea in Seoul.Indonesia and North Korea also confirmed their progress to the next round with the national team qualifying as runners-up in Group C behind the South Koreans after Thailand could only register a 3-1 victory over Singapore.Needing to win by three clear goals, or to score at least four with a two-goal victory margin, to climb above the Chinese in the standings, Masatada Ishii's side fell agonisingly short of a spot in the draw for the next round on June 27.Suphanat Mueanta put Thailand in front eight minutes before the break but Thailand-based forward Ikhsan Fandi levelled 12 minutes after the restart for the Singaporeans.A frantic Thailand pushed forward as time ticked down with Poramet Arjvirai and Jaroensak Wonggorn scoring in the last 11 minutes to take their side closer to their target, but ultimately the War Elephants fell short.China had earlier lost in Seoul World Cup Stadium when Paris St Germain winger Lee Kang-in scored from close range in the 61st minute to leave Branko Ivankovic and his players sweating on the outcome of the game in Bangkok.Indonesia, meanwhile, confirmed their progress to the third round for the first time with a comfortable 2-0 win in Group F over the Philippines at a buoyant Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.Japan cruised to a 5-0 win over Syria in Hiroshima that fatally damaged the hopes of Hector Cuper's side, who were overtaken in second place in Group B by North Korea as a result of their 4-1 win over Myanmar in Vientiane.Australia, who had already confirmed their place in the next round, notched up a 5-0 win over Palestine in Perth to finish Group I with a perfect record. (RTHK/Reuters) | 1,718,131,411 | en |
45,700 | Iceland renews whaling permits despite protests | Iceland has issued a new licence to its sole remaining whaling company, enabling it to continue hunting this season, the government said on Tuesday, drawing a sharp response from campaigners seeking to protect the animals.Hvalur hf will be permitted to hunt 99 fin whales in the Greenland and West Iceland region and another 29 in the East Iceland and Faroe Islands region this year, the fisheries ministry said in a statement.Whaling in Iceland has sparked protests for years from animal welfare campaigners and Hollywood celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio."The decision is based on a precautionary approach and reflects the government's increased emphasis on the sustainable use of resources," the ministry said in a statement.The whaling season in Iceland lasts from mid-June to late September, with the majority of the whale meat sold to Japan."It's ridiculous that in 2024 we're talking about target lists for the second-largest animal on Earth, for products that nobody needs," International Fund for Animal Welfare director Patrick Ramage said.Last year, the Icelandic government temporarily suspended hunting for two months after the country's Food and Veterinary Authority reported that the whales' killing time exceeded the limit set by local animal welfare laws.Only Iceland, Norway and Japan have conducted commercial whaling in recent years, according to the International Whaling Commission's catch list. Despite an international moratorium implemented in 1986 to protect the species from extinction, Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993 and Iceland in 2006.Japan withdrew from the international body in 2019 and resumed commercial whaling in its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.The moratorium allows indigenous peoples in certain parts of the world, like Greenland and Alaska, to hunt whales as whale products play a vital role in their nutritional and cultural life. (Reuters) | 1,718,127,967 | en |
45,699 | Visitors evacuated as fire hits Versailles Palace | A fire broke out at the Palace of Versailles on Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of visitors from one of France's busiest tourist sites before it was brought under control, a spokesperson said.The Palace, built in the 17th century for King Louis XIV, was the main royal residence until the French Revolution and the overthrow of the monarchy in 1789."Firefighters came. There is no more smoke, no more flames and there is no damage to the collection," the spokesperson added.The fire broke out in an area of roofing where renovation works were being done, the spokesperson said.More than seven million people visit the palace each year. Later this summer it will host the Olympic Games' equestrian events.In 2019, a fire consumed the roof of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. The blaze engulfed the spire and almost toppled the main bell towers. Around the world, TV viewers watched with horror as the medieval building burned. (Reuters) | 1,718,123,683 | en |
45,698 | Hunter Biden found guilty in gun case | President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden was convicted by a jury on Tuesday of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun.A 12-member jury in Wilmington, Delaware, federal court found him guilty on all three counts against him, making Hunter Biden the first child of a sitting US president to be convicted of a crime.Hunter Biden, 54, lightly nodded his head after the verdict was read but otherwise showed little reaction. He then patted his lawyer Abbe Lowell on the back and hugged another member of his legal team.The judge set no date for sentencing, but added the timeline is usually within 120 days. That would place it no later than a month before the November 5 US presidential election.Sentencing guidelines for the gun charges are 15 to 21 months, but legal experts say defendants in similar cases often get shorter sentences and are less likely to be incarcerated if they abide by the terms of their pretrial release.The trial followed the May 30 criminal conviction of Donald Trump, the first former US president to be found guilty of a felony and the Republican challenger to Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the November 5 election.Trump, convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal, accuses Democrats of pursuing that case and three other criminal prosecutions to prevent him from regaining power in his rematch with Joe Biden.Congressional Democrats have pointed to cases including the Hunter Biden prosecution as evidence that Joe Biden is not using the justice system for political or personal ends, having said last week he would not pardon his son if convicted.The Hunter Biden case was brought by US Department of Justice Special Counsel David Weiss, a Trump appointee.Weiss has also charged Hunter Biden with three felony and six misdemeanour tax offences in California, alleging he failed to pay US$1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019 while spending millions on drugs, escorts, exotic cars and other high-ticket items.Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to those charges. A trial is scheduled for September 5 in Los Angeles. (Reuters) | 1,718,120,313 | en |
45,697 | HKT cable damaged, causing service disruption | Hong Kong Telecom (HKT) on Tuesday said a fibre cable near Jordan and Tsim Sha Tsui was damaged, causing a disruption to its services. In a Facebook post, HKT said some customers may encounter temporary issues in accessing their broadband, mobile, and Now TV services. HKT added that a third party had damaged the fibre cable.The company apologised for the incident and assured customers that it was carrying out repairs to the damaged cable. | 1,718,101,751 | en |
45,696 | Hong Kong stocks close lower | Hong Kong stocks closed at a more than one-week low on Tuesday, weighed down by surprisingly robust US jobs data that sparked a dramatic paring of bets for Federal Reserve rate cuts this year.The Hang Seng Index ended down 190 points, or 1 percent, at 18,176.The Shanghai Composite Index was down 0.8 percent at 3,028, while the smaller Shenzhen index ended up 0.3 percent. (Reuters) | 1,718,095,887 | en |
45,695 | Premier to embark on three-nation tour this week | Premier Li Qiang will kick off an overseas visit this week that takes him to New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia.The Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the trip will take place from June 13 to 20.Li’s visit to Australia will extend from Saturday to Tuesday and will be the first by a Chinese premier to the country since 2017, in a further indication that strained bilateral relations are improving.The trip comes after China lifted most of the trade barriers it had imposed on Australian exports, including coal, timber, barley and wine.Li and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will hold an annual leaders’ meeting in Canberra during the visit. The premier is expected to visit Adelaide and Perth as well."Premier Li Qiang's visit to Australia is an important opportunity to engage directly on key issues for both our nations," Albanese said."China is Australia's largest trading partner and our economic relationship continues to bring substantial benefits to both our countries."Albanese will also raise the case of writer Yang Hengjun who was given a suspended death sentence in China on espionage charges in February, as well as an incident last month where a Chinese military jet dropped flares near an Australian defence helicopter, which the Australian leader said "was dangerous and should never had happened"."Welcoming the Chinese premier to our shores is an opportunity for Australia to advance our interests by demonstrating our national values, our people's qualities and our economy's strengths," Albanese said."Australia continues to pursue a stable and direct relationship with China, with dialogue at its core."New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday that Li would visit the country this week, adding that the trip would be a valuable opportunity for exchanges on areas of bilateral cooperation. (Agencies) | 1,718,094,405 | en |
45,694 | HKU unveils novel cancer treatment | Hong Kong University's faculty of medicine on Tuesday said it had developed a new technique which would make it faster to identify the precise treatment for liver cancer patients.Using three-dimensional bio-printing, researchers produced cube-shaped models which mimicked tumours or cancerous cells.Different drugs would then be administered to see which was most effective, saving the need for patients to go through clinical trials, as well as precious time."This will be very important in developing new treatments, or screen new drugs for the cancer patients, especially in new therapy," said Professor Man Kwan, who led the study.To produce a "liver-in-cube", researchers must first collect tissue samples from the patient. The samples are then processed into "bio-ink", the essential ingredient for bio-printing.Up to half a dozen cubes can be produced to speed up drug screening, as well as learn about the tumour's reaction to different treatments.Man believed the technique could be applied to other types of cancer too."This technology can be applied on different cancers - not only for liver cancer, [but also] lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer as well," the surgeon said.The technique is undergoing pre-clinical studies to affirm its safety and efficacy. Man would not disclose the cost for patients, citing confidentiality agreements with potential partners. | 1,718,093,669 | en |
45,693 | Legal bodies confident towards judicial independence | Both the Bar Association and the Law Society on Tuesday expressed confidence towards Hong Kong's judicial independence, following an opinion piece by a former non-permanent judge of the city's top court.Lord Jonathan Sumption, who has resigned as a judge of the Court of Final Appeal, penned an article in the Financial Times which mentioned Hong Kong's rule of law and a recent ruling in a landmark subversion trial. The Bar Association said the city has faced numerous challenges over the past few years and the judiciary's role has "never been more important". "The [association] has every confidence in the independence of our judiciary and we urge the public to support the work of our judges and every effort to safeguard judicial independence and to uphold the rule of law in Hong Kong," it said. "It is also important to appreciate that our judges can only decide cases on the basis of the legal arguments advanced and the evidence before them."The association added that it would not comment on specific cases, particularly those which are currently under judicial consideration. On the retirement of Madam Justice Beverley McLachlin from the top court, the legal body expressed its gratitude towards the former Canadian top judge. "We are grateful for her contributions to the rule of law and administration of justice in Hong Kong since she was first appointed to the [Court of Final Appeal] in 2018. We echo the sentiment in her statement regarding her confidence in the members of the court, their independence and their determination to uphold the rule of law in Hong Kong," it said.The Law Society also expressed confidence in the judiciary, with its new president, Roden Tong, highlighting its independence and the city's robust legal system. When asked about Lord Sumption's opinion piece, Tong said legal professionals should refrain from making political comments."I think as a legal professional, one should always remember that our duty to discharging our duties has to be apolitical – commenting simply from a legal perspective and not from any political lens," he said. | 1,718,093,516 | en |
45,692 | 'Cathay cadet training to resume if conditions met' | Cathay Pacific on Tuesday said solo flight training for its cadets would resume once they follow the flying school's requirements. AeroGuard Flight Training Centre, a pilot training school in the United States, reportedly suspended all solo flights for Cathay cadets, after some failed to report incidents while out flying. The airline's general manager flying Tim Burns said training for cadets would continue."There's many different areas which need to be trained. Solo flying is just one small proportion. So the students will continue on the rest of their training," he said."Some will have some of their solo flying delayed, while AeroGuard ensures that the cadets are aware of how to report any incidents and that everyone does follow the requirements of the flying school, and once that's satisfied, then they will resume the solo flying."Meanwhile, Cathay said the last of its aircraft, that was stored during the pandemic, is back in Hong Kong - marking a milestone for the airline. The SAR’s flag carrier said 85 of its passenger aircraft were parked outside of Hong Kong due to the impact of the pandemic. One of these locations was Alice Springs in Australia.Alex McGowan, the airline's chief operations and service delivery officer, said bringing the fleet back was a remarkable achievement for the company, with Cathay expecting its passenger flights to return to pre-pandemic level by the first quarter of next year."In order to rebuild, everything in the ecosystem needs to be working in harmony, so our aircraft coming back into service is one aspect. Ensuring that our pilots and our cabin crew are recruited and trained to the right standards after a long period of not flying or not flying regularly is important as well," he said. | 1,718,092,245 | en |
45,691 | Exco approves 3 percent pay rise for civil servants | Civil servants are set to receive an across-the-board pay rise of three percent, backdated to the beginning of April this year. The Chief Executive in Council on Tuesday approved the move, with the proposal to be tabled to Legco as soon as possible. The Executive Council said it thoroughly considered the response to the pay rise from government staff, and balanced a number of factors under the adjustment mechanism. These include the state of Hong Kong's economy, the government's fiscal position, inflation, pay trend indicators and civil service morale.The Civil Service Bureau said the authorities had to be prudent with the adjustment, given the government's current deficit."In the meantime, the vacancy level in the civil service has climbed to 10 percent under a tight labour market. Civil servants of all ranks have shouldered additional responsibilities," a spokesperson said in a statement."The economy has recorded actual growth with inflation over the past year. There were also pay rises in private organisations." | 1,718,090,326 | en |
45,690 | Courts handle appeals with integrity: CJ | Chief Justice Andrew Cheung said on Tuesday that the judiciary is firmly committed to protecting people's fundamental rights and safeguarding national security, adding that he is confident the courts handle appeals with integrity and professionalism.Cheung's statement came in response to an opinion piece by Lord Jonathan Sumption, who resigned as a non-permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal last week.Lord Sumption had said in an article published in the Financial Times that the rule of law in Hong Kong was "profoundly compromised in any area about which the government feels strongly". In a statement, Cheung said that finding the right balance between protecting people's rights and ensuring national security can be challenging and controversial. "As in other jurisdictions, a tension often exists between protection of fundamental rights and safeguarding national security, both of which the Hong Kong Judiciary is firmly committed to doing," he said."Striking the right balance in individual cases can be difficult and outcomes controversial at times. It is one thing to disagree with a court's decision, but it is quite another to suggest that fundamental rights have been compromised because of political concerns."Cheung also said that while everyone has the right to express their views, public opinions potentially put pressure on or interfere with the courts' administration of justice, and should therefore be expressed with caution. He said that all judges are obliged to make impartial and independent decisions based on the law and evidence, as stated in their judicial oath. "Any suggestion that their decisions have been or may be influenced by extraneous considerations, political or otherwise, is a serious allegation that must be duly substantiated and should not be lightly made," he said. | 1,718,090,029 | en |
45,689 | Privacy watchdog issues AI adoption guidelines | The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data on Tuesday issued a set of guidelines for organisations to protect data when using artificial intelligence systems.The privacy watchdog said local institutions are becoming aware of the privacy risks that AI poses, as more and more of them start making use of such technology.Almost half of all organisations in Hong Kong are expected to use AI this year – up from 30 percent in 2023, according to the Productivity Council.Privacy Commissioner Ada Chung said a lot of information needs to be collected to train or operate AI systems and people's privacy will be infringed if these details are leaked.She said the new Model Personal Data Protection Framework details steps organisations should take when procuring and using any AI system that makes use of personal details.For example, institutions are advised to minimise the collection of personal data, conduct rigorous testing of their system, ensure data security and devise an incident response plan.Chung said organisations should also let workers retain control when high-risk AI applications are used to help make decisions."If the use of the AI system involves the collection of biometric data, of course that would be a high-risk scenario. And if the AI system is to provide recommendations on the granting of credit to individuals or institutions, that would also be a high-risk scenario," she said."On the other hand, if the AI system is only used to provide basic information relating to the services or products of the organisation, such as information provided by an AI chatbot, the risk would be lower."Chung added that organisations should also offer their customers adequate information on their AI systems and allow them to access, correct or delete their data. | 1,718,088,141 | en |
45,688 | UN Security Council adopts Gaza ceasefire resolution | The UN Security Council on Monday overwhelmingly approved its first resolution endorsing a cease-fire plan aimed at ending the eight-month war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.The US-sponsored resolution welcomed a cease-fire proposal announced by President Joe Biden that the United States said Israel had accepted. It called on the militant Palestinian group Hamas to accept the three-phase plan.The resolution — which was approved with 14 of the 15 Security Council members voting in favour and Russia abstaining — called on Israel and Hamas “to fully implement its terms without delay and without condition.”Whether Israel and Hamas agree to go forward with the plan remains in question, but the resolution’s strong support in the UN’s most powerful body puts added pressure on both parties to approve the proposal.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel on Monday, where he urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the plan for postwar Gaza as he pushed for more international pressure on Hamas to agree to the cease-fire proposal. Netanyahu has been sceptical of the deal, saying that Israel was still committed to destroying Hamas.Hamas said it welcomed the adoption of the resolution and was ready to work with mediators in indirect negotiations with Israel to implement it. The statement was among the strongest from Hamas to date, but it stressed the group would continue its struggle against Israeli occupation and work on setting up a “fully sovereign” Palestinian state. (AP) | 1,718,084,154 | en |
45,687 | Freebies, discounts among celebrations to mark July 1 | Hongkongers are set to travel and visit exhibitions at no cost while enjoying a raft of discounts on July 1, as part of celebrations to mark the 27th anniversary of the city's return to the motherland. Revealing the celebration plans at a press briefing ahead of this week's Executive Council meeting, Chief Executive John Lee said all tram and light rail journeys will be free, as well as some bus services in the New Territories.A number of MTR routes will be free for children aged between three and 11, while residents will be welcome to use various indoor and outdoor facilities run by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department free of charge.Those who are interested in arts and history can get free access to the regular and standard exhibitions at the Hong Kong Science Museum, Hong Kong Space Museum and M+ Museum, as well as special exhibitions at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Meanwhile, all exhibitions at the Hong Kong Palace Museum will be free, and there will be no charge to get into the Hong Kong Wetland Park.Visitors to Ocean Park will get 30 percent off their tickets between June 29 and July 1, and children as well as the elderly will get discounted tickets when they take the Peak Tram on July 1.Over a thousand restaurants will roll out discounts on July 1.Lee added that more details will be revealed by various government departments and organisations at a later date. | 1,718,083,650 | en |
45,686 | No limits for visually-impaired dragon boat race team | Dragonboat teams throughout Hong Kong had spent months preparing for Monday's Tuen Ng Festival races. One of those teams was Hong Kong's only dragonboat crew made up primarily of the visually impaired – the Darkness Fighters. Their mantra is to "challenge the impossible", and their goal: to create a blind-friendly sports environment.Our reporter Anne Chan attended the Fighters' training sessions to see how members of the team were able to conquer their limitations by rowing together. | 1,718,081,433 | en |
45,685 | HK resident selected for national space programme | The Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday said the successful selection of a Hong Kong astronaut in the national space programme marked a “glorious chapter” in the city’s history.His remarks came after state broadcaster CCTV, quoting the China Manned Space Agency, reported that the 10 people were selected as the fourth batch of national preparatory astronauts, among whom eight were space pilots, and two were payload specialists from Hong Kong and Macau.Speaking ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lee said he felt very excited and encouraged by the selection of a Hong Kong candidate, as he thanked the central government for providing the opportunity for Hongkongers to participate."It's only under the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle that the SAR is eligible for selection in the national space programme, as the programme is a national task.”“Secondly, [the selection] indicates that the nation attaches great importance to the SAR's technological and innovation development. The SAR government will continue to promote measures to nurture more innovation and technology talent and support the city in becoming an international tech and innovation hub,” Lee said.Echoing Lee, the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Sun Dong, also expressed his congratulations, as he pledged the SAR government would do everything possible to assist the candidate successfully complete their training on the mainland.“I know the public is looking forward to knowing about who is selected, but as we know there are many considerations from the nation when selecting preparatory astronauts, and in its usual practice, the nation will only publish the number of the candidates for the time being, and will not reveal the identities of the candidates.”“The SAR government will continue to maintain communications with mainland authorities, and publish details in due course,” Sun said.The technology chief also noted the candidate was among 120 people who were originally signed up for the recruitment drive in Hong Kong. “In addition to the basic physical and educational requirements, there’s also quite diverse professional requirements in areas including natural science, engineering, biomedics,” Sun said.While both Lee and Sun did not disclose the Hong Kong astronaut’s identity and other details, sources told RTHK the person selected was Lai Ka-ying, a chief inspector with the Hong Kong Police Force.She has a doctoral degree and has three children. She will travel to the mainland for subsequent training.The recruitment of astronauts from Hong Kong and Macau was launched in October 2022, marking the first time the nation’s space programme considered selecting astronauts from the two SARs.Three selection rounds have been held since the recruitment drive was launched, and Lee noted the recruitment process was very strict. | 1,718,080,914 | en |
45,684 | Panthers maul Oilers to lead Stanley Cup Final | Evan Rodrigues had two goals in the third period, Niko Mikkola and Aaron Ekblad also scored as the Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final.Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 18 shots for Florida, which was 1-8 all-time in Cup final games before this series started — and now is two wins away from capturing its first championship.But the win came with a price for Florida as the Panthers lost captain Aleksander Barkov when Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl launched toward him midway through the third period and hit him in the head. Barkov remained down for some time, needed help getting to the bench and went down the tunnel for the Florida locker room for further evaluation.Mattias Ekholm scored and Stuart Skinner stopped 24 shots for the Oilers.The series resumes with Game 3 in Edmonton on Thursday night. (AP) | 1,718,079,015 | en |
45,683 | Judges should focus on legal matters, not politics: CE | Chief Executive John Lee said on Tuesday a judge's professional duty is to interpret and apply the law, and that his or her expertise is not on politics.Lee also said a departing non-permanent judge, Lord Jonathan Sumption, had contradicted his earlier comments with an opinion piece in the Financial Times.Lord Sumption, who recently resigned as a judge on the Court of Final Appeal, wrote an article in the British newspaper titled "The rule of law in Hong Kong is in grave danger". Ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lee said the overseas judge had expressed different views a few years ago. "In 2021, Lord Sumption refused to take part in a political boycott orchestrated in the UK. And he said then that people should not confuse the rule of law with democracy," he said. "His latest statement indicates that he doesn't like the political situation in Hong Kong. But this is exactly the area he has told us in 2021 that should not be confused with the rule of law. His recent statement looks to me to be contradictory to his previous stance in this regard."The chief executive said judges should focus on handling legal matters. "Judges' professional expertise is on law, based on his legal knowledge and experience. Judges' professional expertise is not on politics," he said. "A judge is entitled to his personal political preferences, but that is not a judge's area of professional expertise. "A judge can like a particular system or dislike it. He may also like a particular law or not. But his professional duty is to interpret and apply that particular piece of law in accordance with legal principles and evidence." Lee also hit out at overseas efforts to attack the rule of law, saying that non-interference in the judicial process is "the DNA of Hong Kong's rule of law". | 1,718,078,191 | en |
45,682 | Four reportedly stabbed in Jilin province | Four American educators from a small university in the state of Iowa were reportedly stabbed in a public park in Jilin province over the weekend, according to US media and US government officials.The educators from Cornell College were visiting a partner university in the northeastern province when the attack occurred.According to a Cornell College spokesperson, the stabbing occurred in Jilin City and the partner school was Beihua University.Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds wrote on the social media platform X that she was in touch with the US State Department about the attack.The State Department said it was aware of reports of a stabbing and was monitoring the situation. Later on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the incident was a random attack and would "not affect normal people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States". (Reuters) | 1,718,077,051 | en |
45,681 | HKU heads must put interests of university first: CE | Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday said he stressed the importance of communication and cooperation when he met University of Hong Kong officials involved in a spat over senior appointments.Vice-chancellor Zhang Xiang recently complained that he was left in the dark about appointments made by Priscilla Wong, chairwoman of the university's governing council.Lee said he has met both Zhang and Wong and reminded them to put the interests of the university first. "[HKU] doesn't belong to the vice-chancellor. It doesn't belong to any individual of the council. HKU belongs to all Hong Kong people," the CE said before attending this week's Executive Council meeting."In all matters, we must take the interest of HKU as the overriding principle. Universities need to seek continuous improvement."Lee said there are certain requirements universities have to conform to when they are given billions of dollars in public money, including on governance, administration and finances.Procedures need to be clarified if they are unclear, he added. On Tuesday afternoon, the government announced the formation of a taskforce to investigate the controversy at the university. "As the [Education Bureau] has gathered from relevant parties, there is inconsistency in the information provided by different parties and a need to clarify the facts and study how to deal with the matter," a government spokesman said in a statement. The taskforce will carry out fact-finding, coordinate internal communication and cooperation within HKU, and make recommendations on improvement measures to ensure that public money is well spent and that the university operates within regulations on public grants. Permanent Secretary for Education Michelle Li, and Tim Lui who chairs the University Grants Committee, will be on the taskforce and officials say they will start their work as soon as possible. | 1,718,076,156 | en |
45,680 | HK market opens lower after holiday weekend | Hong Kong stocks opened lower on Tuesday as investors returned from a long weekend break to play catch-up with a sell-off across Asia the day before, with eyes on the Federal Reserve's upcoming policy meeting.The Hang Seng Index fell 1.1 percent to 18,163.The Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.3 percent to 3,042, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China's second exchange shed 0.5 percent to 1,670. (AFP) | 1,718,070,340 | en |
45,679 | Govt strongly disagrees with former CFA judge | A government statement has expressed "strong disagreements" over remarks made by a departing non-permanent judge of the top appeals court, Lord Jonathan Sumption, who wrote an opinion piece entitled "The rule of law in Hong Kong is in grave danger".The overseas judge wrote in the Financial Times that his local counterparts were caught "in an impossible political environment created by China", and that the rule of law was "profoundly compromised in any area about which the government feels strongly". He also mentioned a recent ruling on a landmark subversion trial, saying it was "symptomatic of a growing malaise in the Hong Kong judiciary".A government spokesperson said there was "absolutely no truth" that Hong Kong's courts were "under any political pressure from the central authorities in the adjudication of national security cases, or that there is any decline in the rule of law in the SAR".The spokesperson said anyone who suggested otherwise would be "utterly wrong, totally baseless, and must be righteously refuted", regardless of their reasoning or motives. The statement went on to quote Chief Executive John Lee, who said the Hong Kong government "has never, and also will not allow anyone to interfere with the prosecutions of the Department of Justice and trials by the court". "This is how it was in the past, how it is at present, and how it will be in future. The rule of law in Hong Kong is strong and will not change," Lee said. | 1,718,059,289 | en |
45,678 | Non-permanent judge Beverley McLachlin stepping down | The Judiciary has confirmed that non-permanent judge Beverley McLachlin, who sits on the city’s top court, will not stay on when her term expires at the end of July this year. Madam McLachlin, who once served as the Chief Justice of Canada, has been a non-permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal since 2018. In July 2021, the former Canadian top judge had her term extended for three more years. Canadian media cited Madam McLachlin as saying that she had turned 80 years old and would end her term as scheduled in late July, adding that she had confidence in the court's judicial independence and determination to maintain the rule of law. The SAR government thanked the judge for her contribution to Hong Kong's judicial system, as well as her objective appraisal of the rule of law in the territory. It said in a statement that Madam McLachlin had reiterated "her confidence in the members of the court, their independence, and their determination to uphold the rule of law". | 1,718,058,892 | en |
45,677 | S&P 500, Nasdaq edge up to fresh records | The S&P 500 and Nasdaq on Monday eked out record closing highs, although investors were cautious ahead of this week's consumer prices report, a Federal Reserve policy announcement and Apple's developer conference.Providing some support to the Nasdaq and S&P 500, Nvidia shares ended up 0.7 percent, the session after a 10-for-one stock split. Some investors now believe the chip-maker might be included in the blue-chip Dow.The Consumer Price Index report for May is due on Wednesday, along with the conclusion of the Fed's two-day policy meeting.The central bank, which will release updated economic and policy projections, is expected to hold interest rates steady. Investors will look for clues on when the US central bank may begin to cut interest rates.The Dow Jones rose 0.18 percent to 38,868, the S&P 500 gained 0.26 percent to 5,360, and the Nasdaq added 0.35 percent to 17,192. (Reuters) | 1,718,055,336 | en |
45,676 | Frost discovered on top of giant Mars volcanoes | Early morning frost has been detected on the peaks of massive volcanoes on Mars, an unexpected discovery about the dispersal of water on Mars that could one day prove essential for human exploration, scientists said.The early morning frost was spotted in images taken by the European Space Agency's Trace Gas Orbiter, according to a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience on Monday.The immense volcanoes are in the Tharsis plateau, an elevated region nearly 5,000 kilometres wide near the Martian equator.The volcanoes have been extinct for millions of years. Among them is the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, which is almost three times taller than Mount Everest.The discovery came by chance – no one expected to find frost in this region."We thought it was impossible for frost to form around Mars's equator," lead study author Adomas Valantinas said in a statement.Plenty of sunshine and a thin atmosphere mean the temperature is relatively warm up there, "unlike what we see on Earth, where you might expect to see frosty peaks," the researcher at Brown University in the United States said in a statement.There is also little water in the atmosphere near the Martian equator, making condensation less likely."Other space probes have observed frost but in wetter regions – notably the northern plains," study co-author Frederic Schmidt of France's Paris-Saclay University said.The Trace Gas Orbiter, which has been orbiting Mars since 2018, was able to take images when the first rays of the Sun crossed over the tops of the volcanoes."We saw a shiny, blue deposit there, a particular texture that we only see in the early morning and during the cold seasons," Schmidt said.The layer of the ice is only the thickness of a hair – and it does not last long.But there is about 150,000 tonnes of water – equivalent to 60 Olympic swimming pools – in the daily frost at the summits of volcanoes Olympus Mons, Arsia Mons, Ascraeus Mons and Ceraunius Tholus, the ESA said.The researchers suggested the frost is caused by a micro-climate that forms inside the calderas of the huge volcanoes.As wind whips up the sides of the volcanoes, it brings "relatively moist air from near the surface up to higher altitudes, where it condenses and settles as frost," study co-author Nicolas Thomas explained."We actually see this happening on Earth and other parts of Mars," said Thomas, who works on the Trace Gas Orbiter's imaging system.Modelling how these frosts form "could allow scientists to reveal more of Mars's remaining secrets, including where water exists and how it moves between reservoirs," the ESA said.This may prove crucial for planned missions that could see humans set foot on Martian soil."We could recover water from the frost for human consumption, or launch rockets from Mars by separating the oxygen and hydrogen molecules," Schmidt said.Mapping the location of water on Mars – which only exists as ice or vapour – could also be key in the search for signs of extra-terrestrial life.Liquid water is considered one of the essential ingredients for life on other planets. (AFP) | 1,718,048,311 | en |
45,675 | Plane carrying Malawi's vice president goes missing | A military plane carrying Malawi's vice president and nine others went missing on Monday and a search was underway, the president's office said.The plane carrying 51-year-old Vice President Saulos Chilima left the capital, Lilongwe, but failed to make its scheduled landing at Mzuzu International Airport about 370 kilometres to the north around 45 minutes later.Aviation authorities lost contact with the plane when it “went off radar,” the statement from Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera's office said. Chakwera ordered a search operation and cancelled a trip to the Bahamas, his office said."All efforts to make contact with the aircraft since it went off radar have failed thus far," the statement said.Chakwera was informed of the missing plane by General Valentino Phiri, the head of the Malawian armed forces. The president had ordered national and local authorities to “conduct an immediate search and rescue operation to locate the whereabouts of the aircraft,” his office said. (AP) | 1,718,041,330 | en |
45,674 | Euro knocked by European vote uncertainty | The euro recoiled on Monday after a far-right surge in weekend EU polls sparked a general election in France, although analysts believe the single currency will remain resilient.The shared eurozone unit was down 0.3 percent at US$1.0736 around 1415 GMT, while the Paris CAC 40 stocks index slumped 1.9 percent in shock over President Emmanuel Macron's election call.Investors fretted over the region's political "shift to the Far Right," as well as the "surprise factor" of a snap general election in France, according to XTB analyst Kathleen Brooks.Macron announced on Sunday that he was dissolving the National Assembly, or French Parliament's lower house, after news that far-right parties including National Rally (NR) took almost 40 percent of the French vote.NR is led by 28-year-old leader Jordan Bardella, whose mentor is Marine Le Pen – runner-up in the last two presidential elections.France will vote for a new National Assembly on June 30 with a second round scheduled on July 7, two years after Macron failed to clinch an absolute majority.The euro took a hit as investors fretted that political turmoil could hurt Macron's agenda in in France, which was a key founding member of the eurozone."The prospect of a parliament controlled by Le Pen and Bardella with Macron as president, could thwart Macron's plans for much-needed economic reforms in France that could have eased concerns about... debt," said Brooks. Those concerns were brought into sharp focus after Standard and Poor's recently downgraded France's long-term sovereign debt rating.Added to the mix, the July election could deliver a far-right prime minister."The likelihood (is) that parliamentary elections in France will result in a PM from another party," said Rabobank analyst Jane Foley."This would change the direction of French politics including the agenda with respect to fiscal policy and potentially for issues such as EU enlargement."The increasing popularity of far-right parties has also stoked concerns over rising euroscepticism in the continent.Going forward, commentators warn that could further weigh on the euro, which was created in 1999 as a key means of bringing the continent closer together. (AFP) | 1,718,039,912 | en |
45,673 | Real, Ancelotti backtrack over Club World Cup comments | Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said his comments to an Italian daily that Real Madrid would decline Fifa's invitation to participate in the Club World Cup had not been interpreted the way he intended, as the La Liga side reiterated its desire to play in the tournament.Ancelotti had been quoted by Il Giornale in an interview on Monday as saying that Fifa had undervalued the compensation the 15-times Champions League winners should receive in the revamped tournament with 32 teams."Fifa can forget it, footballers and clubs will not participate in that tournament," Ancelotti was quoted as saying.However, the Italian distanced himself from those comments in a social media post on Monday."Nothing could be further from my interest than to reject the possibility of playing in a tournament that I consider to be a great opportunity to continue fighting for major titles with Real Madrid," he said.Real Madrid said their participation in the tournament was never in question."Our club will take part, as planned, in this official competition which we face with pride and with the utmost enthusiasm to once again make our millions of fans all over the world dream of a new title," they said in a statement.Ancelotti, one of the most successful football managers in Europe, has won the Club World Cup three times and the Champions League five times."A single Real Madrid match is worth 20 million and Fifa wants to give us that amount for the whole cup. Negative. Like us, other clubs will refuse the invitation," he had been quoted as saying in the interview.Ancelotti, who led Real to a Champions League and La Liga double last season, also said there had been a lot of pressure on managers lately but he had managed to stay passionate about his job."I see nothing particularly new, this has always been our job but the case of (former Liverpool manager Juergen) Klopp is significant. The pressure continues, the burden of responsibility becomes too heavy, obsession takes over," he said."I keep my passion, that's how I live the match, the game, my job; I've always carried this balance with me. I've overcome moments that weren't always positive; after my experience with Everton I was off the radar, they thought I was finished, I was old."With all three European club competitions expanded to 36 teams from next season, the Club World Cup has come under scrutiny for saturating the football calendar.In May, Fifa said they would not consider rescheduling their 32-team Club World Cup after global players' union FIFPRO and the World Leagues Association (WLA) threatened legal action if they did not review their plans. (Reuters) | 1,718,035,824 | en |
45,672 | Last functioning hospital in Sudan's al-Fashir closed | The main hospital in Sudan's al-Fashir city has been attacked and put out of service, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which supports the facility, said on Sunday, while local volunteers blamed the incident on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).The city, in the Darfur region of northwestern Sudan, is home to more than 1.8 million residents and displaced people, and is the latest front in a war between the Sudanese army and the RSF which began in April 2023.The RSF, which has taken over the capital Khartoum and most of western Sudan, is also seeking to advance further within the centre, as United Nations agencies say the people of Sudan are at "imminent risk of famine."Some 130,000 people have fled their homes in al-Fashir as a result of the fighting in April and May, the United Nations has said.The RSF did not respond to a request for comment.MSF did not say who had attacked the hospital, the only hospital in al-Fashir capable of handling what it describes as daily mass casualty events.From May 10 to June 6, some 1,315 wounded arrived at the facility and 208 people have died there, but many people are not able to reach the hospital due to the fighting, MSF said.Michel-Olivier Lacharite, head of MSF emergency operations, said the hospital had previously started evacuating patients after being impacted by fighting three times since May 25.The al-Fashir Emergency Response Room, a volunteer group, said on Sunday that RSF fighters raided the hospital on Saturday, killing and injuring several people and looting medicine and an ambulance and forcing the hospital to shut.An eyewitness said he saw people evacuating the hospital, and other eyewitnesses said the RSF had launched missiles at the hospital and its vicinity.A separate attack on Saturday on the Abu Shouk camp to the north of the city impacted another medical centre, injured more than 30, and killed at least two, the camp committee and a volunteer said.A report last week from The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab said some 40 settlements outside the city have been struck with arson attacks since March.Local residents have blamed the RSF for the attacks.Leaving the city has proven dangerous, as residents say those fleeing have been attacked and even killed on the main RSF-controlled road out of the city.Most of those leaving have taken routes either south to Zamzam camp, or west to the Tawila and Jebel Mara areas, which are controlled by armed groups, including the faction of the Sudan Liberation Army headed by Abdelwahid Mohamed Nour, an aid worker and residents said. (Reuters) | 1,718,033,629 | en |
45,671 | Valencia fans who insulted Vinícius jailed for racism | Three Valencia fans have been handed eight-month prison sentences after pleading guilty to racially insulting Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior in the first conviction for racism-related cases in professional football in Spain.The fans won't be allowed to enter football stadiums for two years and will have to pay for all the court proceedings.The fans were detained after a Spanish league match between Real Madrid and Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium in May 2023. The match was briefly stopped after Vinícius was insulted.Valencia had already banned the fans from the Mestalla. (AP) | 1,718,026,584 | en |
45,670 | Blinken arrives in Cairo at start of Mideast tour | US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Egypt on Monday at the start of another regional tour to push for a much awaited Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.Blinken is expected to hold closed-door talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo before heading to Jerusalem later on Monday to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Egypt, the first Arab state to recognise Israel and sign a peace treaty with it in 1979, has long mediated between Israeli and Palestinian officials.Sisi and Blinken are expected to discuss plans to reopen the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, a key conduit for aid into the besieged territory which has been closed for a month since Israeli troops seized its Palestinian side.The top US diplomat's eighth visit to the region since war broke out in early October is intended to gather support for a proposal announced on May 31 by US President Joe Biden.Key mediators the US, Egypt and Qatar have been engaged in months of negotiations for a ceasefire.A one-week truce in November – the only one so far in the Israel-Hamas war – saw some 100 hostages freed, most of them in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.Under the latest proposal, Israel would withdraw from Gaza population centres and Hamas would free hostages as fighting halts for an initial six weeks, with the truce extended as negotiators seek a permanent end to hostilities.Hamas has not formally responded to the plan, which Biden had described as Israeli, while fears have mounted that domestic Israeli politics could hamper negotiations.While in Israel, Blinken is also expected to meet Benny Gantz, a centrist politician who on Sunday resigned from the war cabinet over Netanyahu's handling of the war.Blinken will then head to Jordan and Qatar for further talks.The war broke out after the October 7 attack on southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,194 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on Israeli official figures.Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 37,124 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the territory's health ministry. (AFP) | 1,718,025,523 | en |
45,669 | Man arrested after victim found outside hospital | Police investigating the death of a man, who was dumped outside of North District Hospital with serious injuries early on Saturday, said they had made an arrest. Detectives said the 32-year-old suspect was picked up in Tin Shui Wai and was believed to be linked to the car used to drop off the victim in Sheung Shui. Acting senior superintendent Basil Tang, from the New Territories North Crime Regional Headquarters, said officers received a report from a passer-by at around 5.45am on Saturday that the 23-year-old man was lying unconscious near a pedestrian crossing on Po Kin Road, where the hospital is located.He said the victim was then brought inside the hospital where he was pronounced dead an hour later. Tang also said that the deceased had multiple injuries that are thought to have been caused by blunt objects, punches and kicks, adding that his cause of death was still under investigation. Police were called to a suspicious vehicle in Wong Chuk Yuen in Pat Heung on Sunday evening."The police arrived at the scene to conduct an investigation and believed that this vehicle was involved in the incident. At the time of the incident, someone put on a fake license plate and abandoned the deceased outside of the mentioned hospital," Tang said. "The police and laboratory personnel later searched the car and found blood stains and a stun gun."Police were treating the case as murder, saying they believe others were involved and remained at large. | 1,718,014,093 | en |
45,668 | 'Catering revenue down by 30pc over Tuen Ng Festival' | A catering sector representative on Monday said the holiday weekend had brought little cheer to the industry, with revenues down by about 30 percent compared with last year's Tuen Ng Festival. The slump came despite Immigration Department figures suggesting that fewer Hongkongers travelled to the mainland than those who headed out over Easter.According to official figures, some 840,000 Hongkongers headed north over Saturday and Sunday, 10 percent less compared with the number seen in the first two days of the Easter holiday period when over one million residents travelled to the mainland.“[But]I don't see any positive signs on our revenues,” said Simon Wong, the head of the Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, in an interview with RTHK.His remarks came as official data also showed that more mainland visitors, or some 250,000 people, visited the SAR over Saturday and Sunday, over 40 percent more compared with the 170,000 recorded during the first two days of the Easter holiday.“We do have some activities going on in these couple of days, [especially] some activities in the Tsim Sha Tsui area that would attract more people, including tourists from the mainland and also local residents,” Wong said.“But in other districts in Hong Kong, it became quieter - in a way that too many people went over to the harbour area,” he added.Separately, the catering veteran noted that sales of “zongzi”, the traditional holiday sticky rice dumplings, were not ideal either, down by about 20 percent compared with previous years.“People are more concerned about [their] health now. In the past, a lot of retail outlets produced their own ‘zongzi’, but in the festival this year, some restaurants did not offer this kind of product. Most of the new [zongzi] products [did not generate] good sales either,” Wong explained, adding that some residents also bought "zongzi" on the mainland instead of Hong Kong due to the cheaper prices.Pointing to the increasing challenges faced by local restaurants, as more mainland brands expand into the SAR to test the market before going abroad, Wong said that the local catering industry could learn from their mainland peers, including using technology, to ease their difficulties including manpower issues. | 1,718,012,073 | en |
45,667 | Fire leaves about 40 cats dead | Firefighters on Monday said they found about 40 suspected cat corpses, after extinguishing a fire in Yuen Long. Officers said the fire broke out in a tin-sheet house on Kam Shui South Road in Pat Heung at around 11am. The firefighters said no one was injured and suspect that an electrical short circuit caused the fire. Officers said they believe stray cats and dogs were being looked after in the premises, and they have notified the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to follow up the case. | 1,718,009,177 | en |
45,666 | N Korea warns Seoul of retaliation over its 'psy ops' | The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Monday warned of further responses if the South kept up its "psychological warfare".In recent weeks, North Korea has sent hundreds of balloons into the South, carrying trash like cigarette butts and toilet paper, in what it calls retaliation for balloons laden with anti-Pyongyang propaganda floated northwards by activists in the South, which Seoul legally cannot stop.The South Korean government this month fully suspended a 2018 tension-reducing military deal and restarted loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts along the border in response to Pyongyang's balloons, infuriating the North which warned Seoul was creating "a new crisis".Kim's influential sister and key government spokeswoman Kim Yo-jong said in a statement released Monday that South Korea would "suffer a bitter embarrassment of picking up waste paper without rest and it will be its daily work".In the statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, she slammed the activists' leaflets as "psychological warfare" and warned that unless Seoul stopped them and called off the loudspeaker broadcasts, the North would hit back. (AFP) | 1,718,007,983 | en |
45,665 | HK dragon boats make waves in Tuen Ng Festival | The sound of cheering crowds and the rhythmic pounding of drums filled the air at venues across Hong Kong on Monday, as dragon boat races took place to celebrate Tuen Ng Festival. Thousands of paddlers enjoyed the fruits of months of back-breaking training as they took to the waters of Stanley, Sha Tin, Tai Po, Sai Kung, Tuen Mun, Aberdeen, and Tai O. In Sha Tin, the Marine Dragon Boat Team celebrated victory in one of 28 races."The atmosphere here is very, very exciting. The weather is good too! We’ve dedicated two months to practice. Regardless of whether it's day or night, we all strive together in our practices," said one team paddler."It feels refreshing to see everyone putting in such effort and working together towards the same goal. It feels great. The atmosphere is exceptional. Everyone is happy, cheering for them together. I will come back to see it again next year," said Sabrina Wang, a tourist watching the races for the very first time.Meanwhile, some 190 teams competed off Stanley Main Beach in the morning. Chris from City University said his team had practised for 10 months. "We heard that rain had poured every year here, but the weather is fine today. Synchronisation is the most important factor. Individual strength matters less. The overall strength of a team is the essence," he said.Bonnie Chan, CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, said the HKEX team was full of confidence going into their competition."We practised even when the Typhoon Signal No. 3 was issued, during an Amber Rainstorm Warning, and even a Red Rainstorm Warning. Today, we were finally able to get into the water. We are thrilled," she said. | 1,718,000,881 | en |
45,664 | Far-right make gains in European elections | Far-right parties made big strides in elections for the European Parliament, results that rattled the continent's traditional powers and made French President Emanuel Macron call snap legislative elections.Millions voted for candidates to serve five-year terms in a new European Parliament, the legislative branch of the 27-member trade bloc made up of 720 seats. Macron’s party suffered a heavy defeat from the far-right National Rally party, while in Germany support for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats sank to a projected 14 percent, behind the extreme-right Alternative for Germany, which surged into second place.Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni saw her position strengthened by her arch-conservative Brothers of Italy group winning the most votes, exit polls showed.Despite the gains on the right, exit polls showed a coalition of centre-left and centre-right would remain the majority in parliament, albeit smaller than before.The exit poll projected that pro-European centre-right, centre-left, liberal and Green parties would retain a majority of 456 seats, but one which is significantly slimmed down compared to their 488 in the outgoing chamber.A rightwards shift inside the European Parliament may make it tougher to pass new legislation that might be needed to respond to security challenges, the impact of climate change or industrial competition from China and the United States. (Agencies) | 1,717,998,721 | en |
45,663 | Two held for alleged drug possession at music festival | A man and a woman were arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs and equipment for smoking drugs at a music festival in Central over the weekend. Police said the 33-year-old male and 34-year-old female were acting suspiciously during the two-day S20 Songkran Festival. Officers said they seized small amounts of suspected heroin and cocaine, as well as drug paraphernalia. The drugs had an estimated market value of HK$2,400. The suspects are being held for questioning. | 1,717,997,593 | en |
45,662 | Govt urged to speed up dental care plan in GBA | The head of a civil service union on Monday welcomed the administration's plan to facilitate dental services in Greater Bay Area cities so government workers can get faster treatment. This came after the Secretary for the Civil Service, Ingrid Yeung, floated the idea last week, noting a lack of dentists in public clinics in the SAR, while acknowledging authorities need to offer more benefits to retain staff.Speaking on an RTHK programme, Li Kwai-yin, president of the Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants’ Association, said she welcomed the government’s plan, but noted officials should move fast to ramp up dental services as the dentist manpower crunch was rather “severe”."For example, regarding the dental cleaning service, in the past we had it about once every 12 to 18 months, but now it takes 40 months to receive the next appointment notice to do dental cleaning, and the waiting time for dental treatment services is even longer - it's taking years to receive treatments.”“For some newly joined civil servants, they didn't even get a chance to do a dental check after waiting for three to four years,” she told RTHK.Li also noted that Grade 3A general hospitals in Shenzhen, or the University of Hong Kong–Shenzhen Hospital, could be prioritised to save on travelling time under the plan, and that the scope of the treatments could not only cover dental cleaning, but also other simple treatments, such as tooth filling and tooth extraction procedures.Private institutions with quality services could be considered as well, Li added.She also hopes authorities could further study the feasibility of sharing medical and health records between hospitals in the SAR and the mainland to ease the city's tight dental care services.The government last July rolled out a pilot scheme on dental scaling for eligible civil servants to reduce the burden on public healthcare. Speaking on a TV programme on Sunday, civil service minister Yeung said there were some technical difficulties with tracking health records and determining the scope of treatments that could be done outside Hong Kong, but noted that authorities need to provide more benefits to maintain the competitiveness of civil service jobs in the face of a broader manpower shortage issue. | 1,717,997,453 | en |
45,661 | 'Ban flavoured shisha to reduce smokers in HK' | A tobacco control advocate on Monday said the government should ban flavoured shisha, as part of an overhaul of smoking controls. Henry Tong, chairman of the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health, made the comment after the administration announced 10 measures last week to quickly reduce smoking, including a ban on flavoured cigarettes. Speaking on an RTHK programme, he noted that shisha, or tobacco smoked through a waterpipe, remains legal, but said it should face similar regulations."Shisha is very attractive to young people and women, mainly because there are many flavours and fruity flavours. The law should be clear when it comes to banning flavoured cigarettes. There shouldn't be flavouring agents allowed in shisha," he said. "The implementation of new policies is a step-by-step process, and it is necessary to understand the public's acceptance level. Banning sales and purchases is the first step. I think we can continue to study how to prohibit possession and hopefully that can be implemented soon."Tong also said that banning smoking in queues was a good start given that regulations were easy to define, but a measure to stop "smoking while walking" should be implemented as soon as possible.Meanwhile, Tsui Yuen, a member of the Long-Term Tobacco Policy Concern Group, said he agreed with the extension of smoke-free areas, but suggested the addition of smoking areas as a means of compromise. "Non-smoking areas can suppress the problem of second-hand smoking and reduce conflicts between smokers and non-smokers. In addition to adding non-smoking areas, we can also follow Japan and Europe and add some smoking areas or smoking rooms for public use. This can reduce the problem of second-hand smoking, limit littering and help the environment," he said. | 1,717,993,582 | en |
45,660 | Celtics in control after Game 2 of NBA Finals | Jrue Holiday had 26 points and 11 rebounds, and Jayson Tatum made up for a rough shooting night with 12 assists and nine rebounds as the Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 105-98 on Sunday night to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.Luka Doncic, who was listed as questionable to play less than two hours before the opening tipoff, scored 32 points with 11 rebounds and 11 assists — the first NBA Finals triple-double in Mavericks franchise history. But he missed a one-footed, running floater from 3-point range with 28 seconds left, ending Dallas' last chance at a comeback.Game 3 is Wednesday night in Dallas. The Mavericks need a win then or in Game 4 on Friday to avoid a sweep and earn a trip back to the Boston Garden, where the local fans are already making space in the rafters for what would be an unprecedented 18th NBA championship banner. (AP) | 1,717,992,656 | en |
45,659 | Trump goes on attack in first post-conviction rally | Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told a rally in Las Vegas on Sunday that he would seek to end taxation of income from tips, a direct appeal to service workers in the swing state of Nevada, which polls suggest is leaning his way ahead of the November 5 election.Trump also once again talked up his supporters convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, calling them "warriors" and suggesting a possible counter-investigation into the event if he were re-elected.The pledge on tips, revealed at a sweltering outdoor rally in Las Vegas where temperatures reached 37 degrees Celsius, adds one more detail to a Trump tax plan that has included vague pledges of tax relief to middle-income workers and small businesses."So this is the first time I've said this, and for those hotel workers and people that get tips you're going to be very happy because when I get to office, we are going to not charge taxes on tips people (are) making," Trump told a crowd of several thousand people.Trump said he would "do that right away, first thing in office," and noted in prepared remarks that he would seek legislation in Congress to make the change. "You do a great job of service, you take care of people and I think it's going to be something that really is deserved."Trump has previously pledged to make permanent the Republican-passed individual tax cuts that he signed into law in 2017 but which expire at the end of 2025. Tax experts estimate that doing so would raise US deficits by some US$4 trillion over a decade compared to current forecasts.As current law requires, tipped employees must report their tips as income. Eliminating this would add further to deficits without new revenues elsewhere.Trump's Democratic opponent, President Joe Biden, has pledged to maintain Trump's tax cuts for households earning under US$400,000 a year, but wants to substantially raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans and on large corporations.The Las Vegas speech was Trump's first large-scale rally since a New York jury found him guilty on May 30 of falsifying documents to cover up a payment to a porn star on the eve of the 2016 election, making him the first former US president convicted of a crime. (Reuters) | 1,717,985,779 | en |
45,658 | Verstappen wins third Canadian Grand Prix on the trot | Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen completed a Canadian Grand Prix hat-trick of victories on a wet, wild and tricky Sunday at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.Verstappen, who started on the front row alongside Mercedes pole sitter George Russell, stayed clear of trouble on a day of changing conditions, snatching the lead from McLaren's Lando Norris on the final pit stops.The Dutchman then grimly hung on to claim his sixth victory from nine races this season and the 60th of his Formula One career.It was another brilliant drive from the 26-year-old who dealt with constantly changing weather, pit stop battles and challenges from McLaren and Mercedes while wrestling with his Red Bull's suspension.After Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Williams's Alex Albon came together, bringing out the safety car for a second time, Verstappen pulled away on the restart and finished 3.879 seconds ahead of Norris while Russell won a nail-biting last-laps duel with team mate Lewis Hamilton to complete the podium. (Reuters) | 1,717,968,155 | en |
45,657 | Macron shocks France by calling snap elections | French President Emmanuel Macron set off a political earthquake on Sunday when he called shock legislative elections for later this month after he was trounced in the European Union vote by Marine Le Pen's far-right party.Macron's surprise decision represents a major roll of the dice on his political future, three years before his presidency ends. If Le Pen's National Rally (RN) party wins a parliamentary majority, Macron would be left without a say in domestic affairs.Macron said the EU results were grim for his government, and one he could not pretend to ignore. In an address to the nation, less than two months before Paris hosts the Olympics, he said lower house elections would be called for June 30, with a second-round vote on July 7."This is an essential time for clarification," Macron said. "I have heard your message, your concerns and I will not leave them unanswered ... France needs a clear majority to act in serenity and harmony."Led by telegenic 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, the RN won about 32 percent of the vote in Sunday's vote, more than double the Macron ticket's 15 percent, according to the first exit polls. The Socialists came within a whisker of Macron, with 14 percent.Le Pen, the frontrunner for the 2027 election in which Macron is unable to stand, welcomed the president's decision."We are ready to take over power if the French give us their trust in the upcoming national elections," she said at a rally.Macron's advisers said the president made his decision after this week's 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, when he met people out and about who said they were tired of endless political infighting in parliament.Le Pen and Bardella sought to frame the EU election as a mid-term referendum on Macron's mandate, tapping into discontent with immigration, crime and a two-year inflation crisis. (Reuters) | 1,717,967,649 | en |
45,656 | Centrist Benny Gantz quits Israel's war Cabinet | Benny Gantz , a centrist member of Israel’s three-man war Cabinet, announced his resignation on Sunday.The move does not immediately pose a threat to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who still controls a majority coalition in parliament. But the Israeli leader becomes more heavily reliant on his far-right allies.Gantz said that Netanyahu is making “total victory impossible” and that the government needs to put the return of the hostages seized October 7 by Hamas "above political survival.”The popular former military chief joined Netanyahu’s government shortly after the Hamas attack in a show of unity. His presence also boosted Israel’s credibility with its international partners. Gantz has good working relations with US officials.Gantz had previously said he would leave the government by June 8 if Netanyahu did not formulate a new plan for post-war Gaza.He scrapped a planned news conference on Saturday night after four Israeli hostages were dramatically rescued from Gaza earlier in the day in Israel’s largest such operation since the eight-month war began. At least 274 Palestinians, including children, were killed in the assault, Gaza health officials said. (Reuters) | 1,717,957,369 | en |
45,655 | Alcaraz beats Zverev in French Open for third Slam | Spain's Carlos Alcaraz was made to sweat but clinched his first French Open title by beating Germany's Alexander Zverev 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2 in Sunday's final.The world number three has now won three Grand Slams, after his Wimbledon title last year and his US Open triumph in 2022, and he has a perfect record in major finals.The 21-year-old also became the seventh man and the youngest to capture Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces.Alcaraz shrugged off an early break and blazed through the first set, which he finished with a big forehand winner, but he allowed Zverev to turn the tide and level the match as his unforced errors crept up.Having steadied himself, Alcaraz was serving for the third set at 5-3 before another dip allowed Zverev to take the lead in the contest, but the Spaniard raced through the next set despite a thigh issue and raised his game to prevail in the decider. (Reuters) | 1,717,955,851 | en |
45,654 | Liverpool legend Alan Hansen seriously ill in hospital | Liverpool on Sunday said former captain Alan Hansen is seriously ill in hospital.The Premier League club is providing support to the family of the 68-year-old former Scotland international, who retired in 1991 to start a successful career as a television pundit.“The thoughts and support of everyone at Liverpool FC are with our legendary former captain Alan Hansen, who is currently seriously ill in hospital,” Liverpool said in a statement on Sunday.“The club is currently in contact with Alan’s family to provide our support at this difficult time, and our thoughts, wishes and hopes are with Alan and all of the Hansen family.“We will provide any further updates as we receive them in due course, and we request that the Hansen family’s privacy is respected at this time.”Hansen joined Liverpool from Scottish team Partick Thistle in 1977. The defender won three European Cups, eight league titles, two FA Cups and three League Cups in 620 appearances for Liverpool.Hansen’s former “Match of the Day” colleague Gary Lineker wrote on X: “Horrendous news. Thoughts are with Alan, Janet and all the family.” (AP) | 1,717,953,348 | en |
45,653 | Biden visits WWI cemetery in France in rebuke to Trump | US President Joe Biden travelled to a World War I cemetery in France on Sunday in a visit seen as a jab at his predecessor Donald Trump who in 2018 skipped the visit, reportedly calling American war dead "losers."Biden, an 81-year-old Democrat, is set to face Trump, a 77-year-old Republican, later this year in a presidential election that commentators predict will subject US democracy to a severe test.On the last day of his five-day tour, Biden visited the sprawling Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial near the village of Belleau in northern France.The cemetery contains the graves of 2,289 war dead, most of whom fought in the vicinity and in the Marne Valley in 1918.During the visit, Biden saluted military officers standing beside a floral wreath at the bottom of the steps of a cemetery chapel.He then approached the wreath, touched it, stood silently for a few moments and made the sign of the cross.Then-president Trump cancelled his visit to the site in 2018, officially due to poor weather that made helicopter travel risky.But the Atlantic magazine, citing sources, said Trump refused to visit the cemetery because he did not think it was important and because he was also concerned about his hair."Why should I go to that cemetery? It's filled with losers," the magazine quoted Trump as telling his staff members.In a separate conversation, Trump called the marines who perished at Belleau Wood "suckers," the Atlantic reported.The billionaire has denied making those remarks.Biden has repeatedly needled Trump over the report."He said they're 'losers' and 'suckers'," Biden said at a recent fundraiser."Who in the hell does he think he is? This guy does not deserve to be president," he said in comments released by the White House.Biden preferred not to discuss the controversy on Sunday, however.Asked by reporters what message he wanted to send to voters, Biden replied: "Any other question?"Biden has been in France since Wednesday and took part in this week's commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.Those landings in northern France, involving US, British, Canadian and other foreign troops, changed the course of World War II.On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Biden on a state visit overshadowed by Ukraine's fight against Russia.Biden said he had travelled to France many times but "this has been the most remarkable trip that I've ever made." (AFP) | 1,717,949,534 | en |
45,652 | Modi sworn in for an historic third term as India's PM | Narendra Modi was sworn in as India's prime minister on Sunday for a record-equalling third term, but as a restive coalition's head after a shock poll setback that will test his ability to ensure policy certainty in the world's most populous nation.President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Modi at a grand ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the president's palace in New Delhi, attended by thousands of dignitaries, including the leaders of seven regional countries, Bollywood stars and industrialists.Modi, who started as a publicist of the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is only the second person after independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru to serve a third straight term as prime minister.Modi, 73, secured the third term in elections that concluded on June 1 with the support of 14 regional parties in his BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), unlike in the previous two terms when his party won an outright majority.The outcome is seen as a big setback to the popular leader as surveys and exit polls had predicted BJP would secure even more seats than in 2019.Modi delivered world beating growth and lifted India's global standing but appeared to have missed a step at home as a lack of enough jobs, high prices, low incomes and religious faultlines pushed voters to rein him in.When Modi was the chief minister of the western state of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014, BJP enjoyed strong majorities, allowing him to govern decisively.Modi's new term as prime minister, therefore, is likely to be fraught with challenges on building consensus on contentious political and policy issues in the face of different interests of regional parties and a stronger opposition, analysts say.Some analysts worry that the fiscal balance in the world's fastest growing economy could also come under pressure due to demands for higher development funds for states ruled by the NDA's regional partners and a possible push by BJP to spend more on welfare to woo back voters it lost in this year's election.Modi, whose election campaign was marked by religious rhetoric and criticism of the opposition for allegedly favouring India's 200 million minority Muslims, has adopted a more conciliatory tone since the shock result."We have won the majority ... but to run the country it is unanimity that is crucial ... we will strive for unanimity," he said on Friday after the NDA formally named him coalition head. (Reuters) | 1,717,942,600 | en |
45,651 | Iran names six candidates for presidential election | Iran's Guardian Council, which oversees elections and legislation, has approved six candidates to run for president in snap elections to be held later this month after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, Iran's State TV reported on Sunday.On the list are Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran's hardline parliament speaker and former Revolutionary Guards commander, Saeed Jalili, a conservative, who was former chief nuclear negotiator and ran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's office for four years and Tehran's conservative mayor Alireza Zakani, according to State TV.The list, announced on state TV by the Election Office spokesperson, also includes Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist lawmaker, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a hardliner and a former interior minister, and Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi a conservative politician."With the announcement of the final list of candidates, their electoral activities start officially," state TV said.The election is due to take place on June 28.The Council had disqualified hardline former president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad and former parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani, a prominent conservative, state media said. (Reuters) | 1,717,939,663 | en |
45,650 | Police arrest taxi driver over Central crash | Police on Sunday said they have arrested a taxi driver after his vehicle struck a woman, sending her plunging about five metres between streets in Central. Officers said the 28-year-old woman suffered leg injuries after she was hit by the taxi on Lower Albert Road, sending her falling into Ice House Street. The accident happened at around 10am. Police added that the 44-year-old driver is suspected of causing grievous bodily harm by dangerous driving. | 1,717,926,900 | en |
45,649 | Govt urged to limit how much helpers can borrow | The government was on Sunday urged to limit how much domestic helpers are allowed to borrow and to introduce licensing for debt collectors.DAB lawmaker Edward Leung made the call after being approached for help by around 20 employers, who told him that their helpers had fallen victim to loan traps after filling out online forms. He said helpers had to pay back amounts ranging from a few thousand dollars to HK$100,000. "Currently in Hong Kong, [lenders] need to get a licence. However for debt collectors, they do not need to apply for a licence. However, in many places around the world for example in the UK, debt collectors do need a licence," he said."If this kind of situation worsens in Hong Kong, I believe that it will force the government to take further steps to set up certain laws to contain this kind of illegal debt collecting. For example, for debt collectors, they need to apply for a certain licence." Leung said one disturbing trend involved debt collectors threatening to publish AI-generated pornographic deepfake photos of employers who refused to pay their helpers' debts. He also noted a case of a helper borrowing money from a lender outside Hong Kong and being hit with a demand for more than double the sum just two weeks later. | 1,717,925,538 | en |
45,648 | Body found in hunt for missing UK TV health guru | The body of British TV presenter and healthy living advocate Michael Mosley has been found on the Greek island of Symi, a deputy mayor on the island said on Sunday.Mosley had been missing for several days. Earlier, a police spokeswoman said that the body of a person believed to be Mosley had been found in the area of Agia Marina on the island, but identification was at that time still pending.Mosley, 67, who endorsed fasting and offered tips on sleep and diet, was last seen on Wednesday morning.He had disappeared after setting out on a stroll in searing temperatures along a rocky coastal path from Agios Nikolaos beach to the village of Pedi. (Reuters) | 1,717,923,580 | en |
45,647 | Driver arrested over deadly Tai Po crash | Police on Sunday said they had arrested a driver in connection with a two-car crash in which an elderly woman died. Officers said two private cars collided on Tai Po's Sam Mun Tsai Road at around 1pm, killing a woman aged over 70 and injuring at least five people.Police added that the driver is suspected of causing death by dangerous driving. | 1,717,917,796 | en |
45,646 | Govt hits back at Zheng Sheng College over closure | The government has said that top officials of a Christian college set up to help students quit drugs have only themselves to blame for its imminent closure. Directors of the Christian Zheng Sheng College announced on Friday that the school on Lantau Island would close on July 7. It comes after four members of staff were arrested in a conspiracy to defraud case. Three former board members of the association are on the wanted list. The association's new directors said police had frozen HK$4 million in the college's bank accounts, and the government owed HK$3.5 million in project fees. In response to an RTHK enquiry, the government denied owing the cash-strapped college money and said it had provided emergency funding. "In fact, as long as the two fugitive former directors of the Christian Zheng Sheng Association, Jacob Lam and Alman Chan, cooperate and complete the procedures to change bank account signatures, the problem can be solved," the spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that officials are offering assistance to students affected by Zheng Sheng's closure, including helping to transfer five of them who are currently living in a drug rehabilitation under the college. Speaking on a radio programme on Sunday, the college's supervisor Choi Hong-sheung criticised the new directors for being influenced by the two former directors. Choi and three other board members resigned on Friday. | 1,717,917,689 | en |
45,645 | Govt to sign deal with local tech unicorn: Paul Chan | Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Sunday said a government-owned investment vehicle will sign a cooperation deal on Wednesday with a local "tech unicorn" – a start-up company worth more than US$1 billion.Writing on his official blog, Chan did not name the company concerned, but said it operated in the artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing field.He said the tie-up with Hong Kong Investment Corporation will help the business expand research and development investment here, as well as fund training of staff. The finance minister also said the deal would help the company roll out the use of its AI models in the Greater Bay Area and speed up digital transformation in the region.Chan added that the purpose of the corporation is to help promote innovation and technology in Hong Kong by attracting enterprises and professionals with high potential.He noted that the number of tech start-ups in the city exceeded 4,250 last year. | 1,717,907,754 | en |
45,644 | Panthers draw first blood in Stanley Cup opener | Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was unbeatable and so were the Florida Panthers as they claimed Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers Saturday in Sunrise, Florida.Bobrovsky made 32 saves to record his second shutout of the playoffs. Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be on Tuesday morning, Hong Kong time, in Florida before switching venues.Carter Verhaeghe, Evan Rodrigues and Eetu Luostarinen each scored a goal, but the game's biggest story was Bobrovsky.Bobrovsky proved from the drop of the puck he was on top of his game and carried it through to the final buzzer en route to claiming his third career playoff shutout.He made first-period breakaway stops on Adam Henrique and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, denied Mattias Janmark's golden opportunity in the second period and then blocked Connor McDavid's one-timer of a cross-ice feed early in the third period.Florida's other shutout during this year's playoffs was the opener of the Eastern Conference final series against the New York Rangers, a series the Panthers won in six games.Aleksander Barkov collected two assists.Stuart Skinner stopped 15 shots for the Oilers, who were blanked for the first time in this year's playoff run.Despite Edmonton controlling the play, Verhaeghe opened the scoring with his 10th goal of the playoffs at the 3:59 mark of the first period. Sprung on an odd-man rush, Barkov sent a cross-ice pass that Verhaeghe buried with his team's first shot of the affair.Rodrigues doubled the lead at 2:16 of the second period with another quick-strike goal. Sam Bennett sent the puck deep in the offensive zone and chased it down before sending a pass to the slot that Rodrigues converted for his fourth goal of the postseason run.The Oilers continued to push but could not solve Bobrovsky before Luostarinen's empty-net goal with 4.4 seconds remaining sealed the win. It was his second goal of the playoffs. (Reuters) | 1,717,904,070 | en |
45,643 | Flavoured tobacco ban won't put off visitors: minister | Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau on Sunday said there is no reason to believe that people who use flavoured cigarettes legally at home will be put off visiting Hong Kong by a proposed ban on the products.The move is among 10 new measures put forward this week to reduce the number of smokers in the SAR, with others including a blanket ban on e-cigarettes and making it illegal for people to light up if they're in a queue. Speaking to reporters after attending a radio programme, Lo said he believes visitors won't be dissuaded, noting that tourists still visit Singapore despite its stricter anti-smoking measures. "People come to Hong Kong not to smoke; they come to Hong Kong for the business opportunities, for our food, for all the tourist attractions. And they love to have a refreshing, lively, healthy city, rather than a city full of smoke and all those cigarette butts on the floor. So I would categorically say that this is not an issue," he said. The health minister also played down concerns raised by newspaper vendors that their businesses would suffer after the ban on flavoured tobacco, which makes up about half of their cigarette sales. "For those newspaper vendors, I understand that this is part of their business, but they have other areas of their business. If some of these people are talking about the illicit cigarettes, I guess these are illegal activities and these vendors should not be performing such business." On outlawing smoking while in a queue, Lo said the concept of queuing is easy to understand since most Hongkongers have been taught how to line up since kindergarten. He added that the definition of a queue will be made clearer during the law-making process. The health chief also said it's unprecedented that the government raised the tobacco tax for two consecutive years, adding that the authorities will explore whether there is room for a further increase next year. | 1,717,903,314 | en |
45,642 | Right tipped to triumph in European election | Voters in 21 EU countries including France and Germany will conclude a four-day election for the European Parliament on Sunday, which is expected to shift the assembly to the right and boost the numbers of eurosceptic nationalists.The election will shape how the European Union, a bloc of 450 million citizens, confronts challenges including a hostile Russia, increased industrial rivalry, climate change and immigration.The election began on Thursday in the Netherlands and in other countries on Friday and Saturday, but the bulk of EU votes will be cast on Sunday, with France, Germany, Poland and Spain opening the polls and Italy holding a second day of voting.Opinion polls predict the pro-European liberals and Greens will lose seats, reducing the majority of the centre-right and centre-left and complicating efforts to push through new EU laws or increase European integration.Many voters have been hit by the cost of living crisis, have concerns about migration and the cost of the green transition and are disturbed by rising geopolitical tensions, including the war in Ukraine.Hard and far-right parties have seized on this disquiet and offered the electorate an alternative to the mainstream.European Greens, facing a backlash from hard-pressed households, farmers and industry over costly EU policies limiting CO2 emissions, look set to be among the big losers.Forecasts for the liberal group Renew Europe are also grim, given the expectation that Marine Le Pen's far-right Rassemblement National will trounce French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist Renaissance in France.In the Netherlands, exit polls from Thursday already showed nationalist Geert Wilders' anti-immigration party was set to win seven of the 29 Dutch seats in the EU assembly, from zero in 2019, following up on his large win in last year's national election.In Belgium, voters will also get to elect federal and regional chambers and are forecast to back the far-right Flemish separatist party Vlaams Belang in record numbers, although it could still be kept from office by other parties. (Reuters) | 1,717,899,018 | en |
45,641 | North Korea sends more trash-filled balloons south | North Korea has resumed sending balloons carrying trash over the border to South Korea, officials and news reports said on Sunday, a week after it vowed to continue if anti-North Korea leaflets are flown from the South.Dozens of balloons with trash attached have been found in Seoul and in areas near the border overnight and early on Sunday, after the South Korean military said late on Saturday the North was again launching them.South Korea's military said on Sunday it takes the balloons "very seriously" and was on alert to take action in response as necessary. It did not elaborate what actions it would take.South Korea has warned it would take "unendurable" measures against the North for sending the trash balloons, which could include blaring propaganda broadcasts from huge loudspeakers set up at the border directed at the North.The North Korean government has said the balloons were sent in retaliation to anti-North leaflets flown by South Korean activists as part of a propaganda campaign and launched hundreds of them starting late in May carrying trash and manure.On June 2, it said it would temporarily halt sending the balloons because 15 tons of trash it sent was probably enough to get the message across how "unpleasant" it was. However, it vowed to resume if leaflets are again flown from the South by sending hundred times the amount.A group of South Korean activists defied the warning and have since flown more balloons to the North with leaflets criticising its leader Kim Jong Un together with USB sticks containing K-pop videos and dramas, and US dollar notes.North Korea has shown some of the angriest reaction towards the leaflet campaign and the loudspeaker broadcasts, in some cases firing weapons at the balloons and the speakers in the past.Experts have said the reaction was an indication Pyongyang considers the propaganda as a serious threat to controlling its public. (Reuters) | 1,717,897,595 | en |
45,640 | China team gears up for Paris Olympics | China's sports officials say the national team's performance during the coming Olympics will be "worth looking forward to," although they are faced with more challenges than previous games.The General Administration of Sport of China said it expects athletes to compete in around 210 out of the 329 events at the Paris Olympics next month.It said the national team would take part in all events in diving, weightlifting, shooting, gymnastics, table tennis and badminton – sports that the country is traditionally strong at.Tang Lingfeng, who heads the training division of the competitive sports department of the body, said the team was making its final preparations for Paris.But he said the time difference and other factors would not be favourable for the national team."We are perfectly aware that the difficulties and challenges at the Paris Olympics are far greater than those before," he said."The level of our athletic skills in some gold-winning events has dropped as we're transitioning from one generation of athletes to another." Tang noted the United States, which has topped the gold medal table at world tournaments in the past, continues to be one of the main competitors, while other countries are also improving quickly.But the official said the national team has what it takes to achieve "outstanding results" in the French capital after preparing for the games for more than two years.He said they have also been working to instil patriotism into athletes and coaches."We have been educating the national team... to further solidify their confidence and determination to attain good results at the Paris Olympics and bring glory to the country."Tang said doing well at the Olympics is important to turn China into a country that excels at sports. | 1,717,887,640 | en |
45,639 | Russell edges Verstappen for Canadian pole | George Russell put Mercedes on pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix on Saturday after setting exactly the same time as Red Bull's Max Verstappen.Triple Formula One world champion Verstappen missed out on the pole because he set his time of one minute 12.000 seconds after his British rival in a drama-filled qualifying session at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.Mercedes signalled that they were going to be a threat for pole earlier on Saturday when Lewis Hamilton, a seven-times winner in Canada, posted the top time in final practice with Russell close behind in third.Rain, which had disrupted both practices on Friday, returned for the first two phases of qualifying but the skies cleared and the sun began to appear just in time for the last-10 shootout that ended in a dead heat.Russell will start on pole on Sunday for the first time since Brazil 2022, joined on the front row by Verstappen who is chasing a Canadian Grand Prix hat-trick.The second row will be all McLaren with Lando Norris, a winner in Miami, starting third ahead of team mate Oscar Piastri.In one of the tightest qualifying battles ever in Formula One, the top seven cars were split by less than three-tenths of a second.RB's Daniel Ricciardo was a surprise fifth fastest, with Aston Martin's Spanish double world champion Fernando Alonso sixth.Seven-times world champion Hamilton, who claimed the first of his 103 grand prix wins in Montreal in 2007, could not quite match his Mercedes team mate's pace and will start seventh.Neither Ferrari made the top 10, with Charles Leclerc 11th fastest and Carlos Sainz 12th. (Reuters) | 1,717,883,660 | en |
45,638 | Bodies of 11 migrants found off coast of Libya | An aid group said on Saturday it recovered the bodies of 11 migrants off the Libyan coast and transferred them to an Italian coast guard ship off Lampedusa island, where thousands are trying to reach from North Africa.The aid group, Doctors Without Borders, said its Geo Barents rescue ship had recovered the bodies following a search operation that lasted more than nine hours, after being alerted by German humanitarian organisation Sea-Watch, which also rescues migrants at sea.The German group said it was unclear whether the migrants were victims of a previous shipwreck, adding they had tried to contact Libya’s coast guard to recover the bodies but received no reply.During Saturday’s mission, the Sea-Watch crew also discovered another body.“As we cannot determine the reason behind this tragedy, we know that people will continue to take dangerous routes in a desperate attempt to reach safety, and Europe must find safe and legal pathways for them,” Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, wrote in a post on X.The MSF vessel was ordered to transport the other 165 people onboard, who were rescued during its Mediterranean operations, to the northern port of Genoa. The group complained that the decision would significantly delay assistance to migrants.Thousands of migrants leaving from North African countries try to reach Europe using Libya as a departing point, as they brave a dangerous journey across the Mediterranean to escape war and poverty.The central Mediterranean route remains the world’s most dangerous crossing. In 2023, more than 3,000 people went missing on this route, according to the International Organisation for Migration. (AP) | 1,717,878,984 | en |
45,637 | Wigan win Challenge Cup at emotional Wembley | Wigan Warriors beat Warrington Wolves 18-8 to secure a record-extending 21st Challenge Cup on Saturday as rugby league paid tribute to the late Rob Burrow.Former Leeds Rhinos star Burrow, 41, died last week after a battle with motor neurone disease, leading to an outpouring of emotion across Britain.Burrow's shirt number 7 was projected onto giant screens inside and outside Wembley and as a further tribute, the men's final kicked off at 3:07 pm.When the action started, reigning Super League Man of Steel Bevan French set up Zach Eckersley for Wigan's opening try and stretched over for the second himself to ensure his side also became the first team since 2007 to hold all four of the game's major honours at once.Warrington rallied and Matt Dufty's late try gave them a glimmer of hope but they were second best throughout and seldom looked likely to win the trophy for head coach Sam Burgess in his first season in charge.Burrow's name and image adorned a large banner near Wembley and fans laid scarves and flowers at a rugby league statue outside the stadium in tribute to the former Leeds number seven, who won two Challenge Cup finals.The crowd of nearly 65,000 rose for a minute's silence before kick-off and again seven minutes into the match in honour of the shirt Burrow wore.Wigan scored their opening try in the 19th minute when French delivered the ball into the path of Eckersley, who shrugged off Matty Ashton to touch down.Ashton's knock-on three minutes later from Harry Smith's high ball kept Warrington pinned back and led to Wigan's second try, Abbas Miski and Jai Field stretching the opposition defence before French touched down following a scrum.Liam Farrell marked his fifth final by scoring Wigan's third try and Smith's third conversion gave Matt Peet's men an 18-2 advantage.Warrington gave themselves a glimmer of hope with 15 minutes remaining when Dufty arrowed in from the left, Josh Thewlis's conversion reducing the arrears to 10.But Wigan saw out the final moments with the minimum of fuss to take the trophy for the second time in three years and add it to the Grand Final, League Leaders' Shield and World Club Challenge trophies they already own. (AFP) | 1,717,871,959 | en |
45,636 | Rescuers search for British TV doctor for a third day | Rescuers continued searching for British TV presenter Michael Mosley on the mountainous Greek island of Symi on Saturday, the third day of a wide operation launched after he was reported missing by his wife.The 67-year-old doctor and healthy living advocate, who has endorsed fasting and offered tips on sleep and diet, was last seen at 1:30 pm (1030 GMT) on Wednesday.He disappeared after he set out on a stroll in searing temperatures along a rocky coastal path from Agios Nikolaos beach to the village of Pedi. Mosley did not have his mobile phone with him, hampering tracing efforts.Police, the fire brigade, the coast guard and volunteers have been searching on and off the island in the eastern Aegean assisted by a helicopter, drones and rescue dogs.On Saturday, police searches shifted focus to another rocky area, between Pedi and the beach of Agia Marina, after video footage showed Mosley walking through the village of Pedi."The search continues," said spokeswoman Constantina Dimoglidou. "We are investigating on foot another rocky part, the wider area of Agia Marina."Divers were also involved in the operation and vessels sailing nearby were on alert.Images from a security camera in Pedi showed what is believed to be Mosley, strolling by at 1:49 pm on Wednesday, holding a sun umbrella, suggesting he may have made it safely off the coastal path.Symi Mayor Lefteris Papakalodoukas said that the images and video footage from security cameras had helped sketch out what authorities believed was Mosley's possible route, which he described as "unconventional."They indicated that he may have continued further through Pedi into another challenging area around Agia Marina, the mayor said. Mosley has appeared on well-known UK TV programmes including Trust Me, I'm a Doctor, The One Show and This Morning. (Reuters) | 1,717,864,180 | en |
45,635 | CUHK showcases mobile app to diagnose depression | A mobile app developed by the Chinese University has proved to be effective in diagnosing symptoms of depression, and researchers hope the invention can increase people's willingness to seek help at an early stage. Using artificial intelligence, the app evaluates users' mental status by analysing attributes such as facial expression, voice and language.A study was conducted between June 2021 and March 2023 to verify the tool's effectiveness.More than 180 participants who took part regularly used the app to rate their mood state, and record videos of themselves.Researchers noted that compared to healthy individuals, those suffering from depression tended to frown more and smile less. They also paused more often in their speech and used more negative emotion words.Participants also wore devices which measured their rest activity. Data suggested depression patients were less active and suffered from sleep problems.The self-assessment can be performed at home, without the need for face-to-face clinical consultations.Researchers hope this will make the tool more palatable to potential patients. | 1,717,862,939 | en |
45,634 | Swiatek wins third French Open women's title in a row | Iga Swiatek won her third consecutive French Open championship and fourth in five years by defeating Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1 in the final on Saturday.The top-seeded Swiatek trailed 2-1 early in Court Philippe Chatrier before taking the next 10 games to claim the opening set and go up 5-0 in the second. She stretched her winning streak at Roland Garros to 21 matches and her career record at the place is now 35-2.The 23-year-old from Poland is the first woman with three trophies in a row in Paris since Justine Henin from 2005 to 2007.Swiatek also won the French Open in 2020 and the US Open in 2022 and is now 5-0 in major finals.The 12th-seeded Paolini , a 28-year-old from Italy, was appearing in a Slam final for the first time.She had never been past the second round at one of the four most important tennis tournaments until getting to the fourth round at the Australian Open in January. Paolini will play in the French Open women’s doubles final on Sunday with partner Sara Errani against 2023 US Open singles champion Coco Gauff and Katerina Siniakova. (AP) | 1,717,858,318 | en |
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Last Updated: 2024/06/13
RTHK News Dataset
This dataset contains news articles from the RTHK (Radio Television Hong Kong) Telegram channels. The dataset includes articles in both English and Traditional Chinese, split into two subsets: en for English and tc for Traditional Chinese.
Dataset Structure
The dataset is stored in JSON Lines format (.jsonl), with each line representing a single news article. Each article has the following fields:
id: The unique identifier of the article.title: The title of the article.body: The body content of the article.published_at: The publication timestamp of the article.language: The language of the article (enfor English,tcfor Traditional Chinese).
Source of Data
The data is sourced from the following RTHK Telegram channels:
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