Hong Kong ombudsman urges authorities to digitalise after-death services
By Lo Hoi-ying
Hong Kong’s ombudsman has urged authorities to digitalise after-death arrangements and provide a one-stop online platform for the bereaved, as demand for such services in the city is expected to grow with an ageing population.
Ombudsman Jack Chan Jick-chi on Wednesday called on government agencies such as the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Immigration Department, the Department of Health, and the Hospital Authority to collaborate to create a website for grieving residents to make after-death arrangements.
These include digitising and simplifying the death registration processes and applying for mortuary services, cremation, and coffin burial services, he said.
Chan said that the platform could “significantly reduce” the pressure and emotional stress on the bereaved in dealing with the formalities of after-death arrangements.
“The bereaved are already grieving, and the platform will reduce the need for them to personally go down to different government departments to handle the paperwork, which will double their pain during these difficult times,” he said.
The watchdog cited an example of the Immigration Department’s website, which the watchdog said was challenging to navigate for those needing information on how to register deaths.
“Nine application forms relating to births and deaths registration and other services are available when they click on ‘Forms related to deaths registration’,” the ombudsman said in its report.
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By Lo Hoi-ying
Hong Kong’s ombudsman has urged authorities to digitalise after-death arrangements and provide a one-stop online platform for the bereaved, as demand for such services in the city is expected to grow with an ageing population.
Ombudsman Jack Chan Jick-chi on Wednesday called on government agencies such as the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Immigration Department, the Department of Health, and the Hospital Authority to collaborate to create a website for grieving residents to make after-death arrangements.
These include digitising and simplifying the death registration processes and applying for mortuary services, cremation, and coffin burial services, he said.
Chan said that the platform could “significantly reduce” the pressure and emotional stress on the bereaved in dealing with the formalities of after-death arrangements.
“The bereaved are already grieving, and the platform will reduce the need for them to personally go down to different government departments to handle the paperwork, which will double their pain during these difficult times,” he said.
The watchdog cited an example of the Immigration Department’s website, which the watchdog said was challenging to navigate for those needing information on how to register deaths.
“Nine application forms relating to births and deaths registration and other services are available when they click on ‘Forms related to deaths registration’,” the ombudsman said in its report.
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Indonesia’s ‘eternal snow’ on Puncak Jaya may melt away before 2026 due to climate change
By Resty Woro Yuniar
Indonesia’s only tropical glaciers, long revered as the “eternal snow” of Papua’s Jayawijaya Mountains, could face disappearance within two years as climate change accelerates their melting, threatening the unique ecosystem and sacred cultural sites.
The glaciers, perched atop Puncak Jaya – also known as the Carstensz Pyramid, the highest point in Oceania at nearly 4,900 metres above sea level – and the neighbouring Sumantri Peak have already thinned at a pace that scientists say is unprecedented.
Indonesia’s National Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said this month that the ice’s thickness had shrunk to four metres, down from six metres last December and a steep drop from the 32 metres recorded when measuring instruments were first installed in 2010.
“It’s worrying, we’ve predicted this since 2019. With the presence of El Niño, it can accelerate the melting of the ice. At that time we predicted that maybe before 2026 the ice would disappear,” Donaldi Sukma Permana, coordinator of climatology instrument standardisation at the BMKG, told This Week in Asia.
El Niño refers to the warming of the ocean surface that periodically occurs in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. The climate phenomenon can cause extreme weather events such as extreme heat, droughts and flooding.
Donaldi said that the shrinkage showed that climate change “is real and happening in Indonesia”.
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By Resty Woro Yuniar
Indonesia’s only tropical glaciers, long revered as the “eternal snow” of Papua’s Jayawijaya Mountains, could face disappearance within two years as climate change accelerates their melting, threatening the unique ecosystem and sacred cultural sites.
The glaciers, perched atop Puncak Jaya – also known as the Carstensz Pyramid, the highest point in Oceania at nearly 4,900 metres above sea level – and the neighbouring Sumantri Peak have already thinned at a pace that scientists say is unprecedented.
Indonesia’s National Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said this month that the ice’s thickness had shrunk to four metres, down from six metres last December and a steep drop from the 32 metres recorded when measuring instruments were first installed in 2010.
“It’s worrying, we’ve predicted this since 2019. With the presence of El Niño, it can accelerate the melting of the ice. At that time we predicted that maybe before 2026 the ice would disappear,” Donaldi Sukma Permana, coordinator of climatology instrument standardisation at the BMKG, told This Week in Asia.
El Niño refers to the warming of the ocean surface that periodically occurs in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. The climate phenomenon can cause extreme weather events such as extreme heat, droughts and flooding.
Donaldi said that the shrinkage showed that climate change “is real and happening in Indonesia”.
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Hong Kong boy band Mirror among stars to perform at Kai Tak Sports Park test event
By Wynna Wong
Hong Kong Cantopop boy band Mirror will join a raft of stars performing to a crowd of 5,500 people at Kai Tak Sports Park on Friday for a test event to gauge how smoothly staff can disperse concert crowds and the impact on the local neighbourhood.
The “FWD Presents: Chill Music Festival” will take place at the indoor Kai Tak Arena and feature a star-studded line-up that includes Mirror, Cantopop girl group Collar, and various Thai performers such as Scrubb, Serious Bacon, Atlas, D Gerrard, 4Eve, Jeff Satur and Bowkylion.
Commissioner for Sports George Tsoi Kin-pan said on Wednesday that 5,500 spectators would take part in the coming test event. The arena has seating space for up to 10,000 people.
“The overall configuration between sports events and concert events is completely different,” he said. “For concert events, it involves more set-ups, the stage arrangement, which we did not have during the sports events, there are also rehearsals we are going to test for the concert events.”
“Apart from the above, the spectators’ arrival and dispersal patterns of concert events are quite different from typical sports events,” Tsoi said.
He added that the concert, which will start at 6.30pm, would open venue doors at 4.30pm.
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By Wynna Wong
Hong Kong Cantopop boy band Mirror will join a raft of stars performing to a crowd of 5,500 people at Kai Tak Sports Park on Friday for a test event to gauge how smoothly staff can disperse concert crowds and the impact on the local neighbourhood.
The “FWD Presents: Chill Music Festival” will take place at the indoor Kai Tak Arena and feature a star-studded line-up that includes Mirror, Cantopop girl group Collar, and various Thai performers such as Scrubb, Serious Bacon, Atlas, D Gerrard, 4Eve, Jeff Satur and Bowkylion.
Commissioner for Sports George Tsoi Kin-pan said on Wednesday that 5,500 spectators would take part in the coming test event. The arena has seating space for up to 10,000 people.
“The overall configuration between sports events and concert events is completely different,” he said. “For concert events, it involves more set-ups, the stage arrangement, which we did not have during the sports events, there are also rehearsals we are going to test for the concert events.”
“Apart from the above, the spectators’ arrival and dispersal patterns of concert events are quite different from typical sports events,” Tsoi said.
He added that the concert, which will start at 6.30pm, would open venue doors at 4.30pm.
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Malaysia’s marginalised Sabah sea nomads left homeless after security crackdown
By Hadi Azmi
The plight of indigenous yet stateless sea nomads in Malaysia’s Sabah has again come under the spotlight as authorities return to demolish more homes and villages, urging the community to abandon their traditional lifestyle in exchange for official recognition.
The Bajau Laut, an indigenous seaborne community numbering around 3,000, have lived off eastern Sabah for centuries in wooden homes built over water in what have been gazetted as the Tun Sakaran Marine Park since 2004.
A security crackdown on cross-border crime since June has left around 500 Bajau Laut homeless, after authorities burned down and demolished alleged illegal structures in the park in Semporna district.
On Wednesday, Sabah-based activist group Borneo Komrad reported that state authorities were evicting the community in Budgaya island, off the coast of Semporna, and chopping down fruit trees grown by the community there.
“They have been here for over 50 years. [The marine park] came in only in 2004 and they were guaranteed their traditional rights,” the group said.
“But today they are beng evicted and the Tun Sakaran Marine Park has the power to turn the area into a commercial tourism spot.”
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By Hadi Azmi
The plight of indigenous yet stateless sea nomads in Malaysia’s Sabah has again come under the spotlight as authorities return to demolish more homes and villages, urging the community to abandon their traditional lifestyle in exchange for official recognition.
The Bajau Laut, an indigenous seaborne community numbering around 3,000, have lived off eastern Sabah for centuries in wooden homes built over water in what have been gazetted as the Tun Sakaran Marine Park since 2004.
A security crackdown on cross-border crime since June has left around 500 Bajau Laut homeless, after authorities burned down and demolished alleged illegal structures in the park in Semporna district.
On Wednesday, Sabah-based activist group Borneo Komrad reported that state authorities were evicting the community in Budgaya island, off the coast of Semporna, and chopping down fruit trees grown by the community there.
“They have been here for over 50 years. [The marine park] came in only in 2004 and they were guaranteed their traditional rights,” the group said.
“But today they are beng evicted and the Tun Sakaran Marine Park has the power to turn the area into a commercial tourism spot.”
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Hong Kong shelves plan to use ‘smart ballot boxes’ for elections
By Ambrose Li
Hong Kong authorities have shelved the introduction of “smart ballot boxes” to help voters check the validity of their ballot papers in coming elections following concerns raised by lawmakers regarding privacy and secrecy.
Lai Tung-kwok, chairman of the Legislative Council’s panel on constitutional affairs, on Wednesday welcomed the decision, saying that the government had been quick in responding to concerns raised two days earlier.
“The government made a proposal, consulted the Legco and they listened. This is a very good thing. They’re very responsive this time around and the bureau secretary really listened,” Lai said two days after officials briefed lawmakers on the proposal on Monday.
In a reply to the Post on Wednesday, the Constitution and Mainland Affairs Bureau said that the initial intention of “smart ballot boxes” was to help voters check that their ballots were valid to further protect their voting rights.
“After consulting the Legco and the community, the government is willing to heed good advice and has decided to continue to use ballot paper detection machines for voluntary use by voters in the electoral arrangements later on if necessary, instead of promoting the use of smart ballot boxes,” the statement read.
Lai welcomed the revised plan that would allow voters to use optical mark recognition (OMR) machines instead, to voluntarily check their ballot papers.
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By Ambrose Li
Hong Kong authorities have shelved the introduction of “smart ballot boxes” to help voters check the validity of their ballot papers in coming elections following concerns raised by lawmakers regarding privacy and secrecy.
Lai Tung-kwok, chairman of the Legislative Council’s panel on constitutional affairs, on Wednesday welcomed the decision, saying that the government had been quick in responding to concerns raised two days earlier.
“The government made a proposal, consulted the Legco and they listened. This is a very good thing. They’re very responsive this time around and the bureau secretary really listened,” Lai said two days after officials briefed lawmakers on the proposal on Monday.
In a reply to the Post on Wednesday, the Constitution and Mainland Affairs Bureau said that the initial intention of “smart ballot boxes” was to help voters check that their ballots were valid to further protect their voting rights.
“After consulting the Legco and the community, the government is willing to heed good advice and has decided to continue to use ballot paper detection machines for voluntary use by voters in the electoral arrangements later on if necessary, instead of promoting the use of smart ballot boxes,” the statement read.
Lai welcomed the revised plan that would allow voters to use optical mark recognition (OMR) machines instead, to voluntarily check their ballot papers.
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Xi Jinping on his way to Macau for 25th anniversary of return to China
By Kahon ChanWilla Wu
President Xi Jinping will arrive in Macau within hours to kick off a three-day visit which will mark the 25th anniversary of the gaming hub’s return to Chinese administration and conclude with the inauguration of the city’s incoming leader.
Chief executive-designate Sam Hou-fai, incumbent leader Ho Iat-seng and a delegation of top officials are expected to welcome the president at the Macau airport on Wednesday.
Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, was also spotted in Macau ahead of Xi’s arrival.
The president is expected to attend a gala dinner and a variety performance on Thursday evening before he swears in the new leader on Friday morning.
Xi’s visit to Macau is his third as president. His previous trips in 2019 and 2014 included organised meetings with residents.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will also arrive in Macau on Thursday to take part in celebratory events.
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By Kahon ChanWilla Wu
President Xi Jinping will arrive in Macau within hours to kick off a three-day visit which will mark the 25th anniversary of the gaming hub’s return to Chinese administration and conclude with the inauguration of the city’s incoming leader.
Chief executive-designate Sam Hou-fai, incumbent leader Ho Iat-seng and a delegation of top officials are expected to welcome the president at the Macau airport on Wednesday.
Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, was also spotted in Macau ahead of Xi’s arrival.
The president is expected to attend a gala dinner and a variety performance on Thursday evening before he swears in the new leader on Friday morning.
Xi’s visit to Macau is his third as president. His previous trips in 2019 and 2014 included organised meetings with residents.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will also arrive in Macau on Thursday to take part in celebratory events.
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Hong Kong’s first pyrotechnic drone show to light up sky on December 28
By Elizabeth Cheung
Hong Kong will host its first pyrotechnic drone show on December 28, with the event set to feature patterns of giant pandas as the city taps into the bear-driven economy.
The 10-minute drone show, set to be held at 8.15pm at the West Kowloon Cultural District, will mark the conclusion of the first phase of “Panda Go! Fest HK” exhibition which featured 2,500 panda sculptures in various tourist spots this month.
AllRightsReserved, organiser of the panda-themed exhibition, said on Wednesday the show would feature 1,000 drones which would create different panda images and showcase designs with Hong Kong characteristics.
A 3D panda and “Panda Friends and Family Hong Kong” characters that AllRightsReserved created based on the six pandas in the city would be featured in the show.
The show is expected to have seven scenes, including three with pyrotechnic effects.
The pyrotechnics will show waterfall effects in two scenes and flashing effects in one scene. Each scene will last from around 20 to 50 seconds.
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By Elizabeth Cheung
Hong Kong will host its first pyrotechnic drone show on December 28, with the event set to feature patterns of giant pandas as the city taps into the bear-driven economy.
The 10-minute drone show, set to be held at 8.15pm at the West Kowloon Cultural District, will mark the conclusion of the first phase of “Panda Go! Fest HK” exhibition which featured 2,500 panda sculptures in various tourist spots this month.
AllRightsReserved, organiser of the panda-themed exhibition, said on Wednesday the show would feature 1,000 drones which would create different panda images and showcase designs with Hong Kong characteristics.
A 3D panda and “Panda Friends and Family Hong Kong” characters that AllRightsReserved created based on the six pandas in the city would be featured in the show.
The show is expected to have seven scenes, including three with pyrotechnic effects.
The pyrotechnics will show waterfall effects in two scenes and flashing effects in one scene. Each scene will last from around 20 to 50 seconds.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
China-EU trade ties ‘on hold’ ahead of Trump’s White House return: Spanish envoy
By Sylvie Zhuang
Tariff talks between China and the EU are unlikely to progress before US president-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House in January, Spain’s ambassador to Beijing suggested, as she called for improved trade relations with the bloc.
Speaking at Renmin University on Tuesday, Marta Betanzos Roig said that both China and the European Union had put forward tariffs bilaterally but “this is not the last word”.
“I believe that no outcome is to be reached until we see [president-elect] Trump in office,” she said. “We are all waiting to see what is going to be the implementation of all the announcements that he has made concerning tariffs.”
Roig made the remarks during a reflection on the diplomatic relationship between Spain and China, ahead of next year’s 20th anniversary of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.
Trump has already promised massive tariff increases on several countries, including China, and warned the EU member states that they will “pay a big price” if they do not buy enough American products.
Some analysts have suggested that Trump might push the EU to adopt a harder stance on Beijing, while others believe that he could impose tariffs on the bloc, a move that could bring Brussels and Beijing closer together.
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By Sylvie Zhuang
Tariff talks between China and the EU are unlikely to progress before US president-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House in January, Spain’s ambassador to Beijing suggested, as she called for improved trade relations with the bloc.
Speaking at Renmin University on Tuesday, Marta Betanzos Roig said that both China and the European Union had put forward tariffs bilaterally but “this is not the last word”.
“I believe that no outcome is to be reached until we see [president-elect] Trump in office,” she said. “We are all waiting to see what is going to be the implementation of all the announcements that he has made concerning tariffs.”
Roig made the remarks during a reflection on the diplomatic relationship between Spain and China, ahead of next year’s 20th anniversary of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.
Trump has already promised massive tariff increases on several countries, including China, and warned the EU member states that they will “pay a big price” if they do not buy enough American products.
Some analysts have suggested that Trump might push the EU to adopt a harder stance on Beijing, while others believe that he could impose tariffs on the bloc, a move that could bring Brussels and Beijing closer together.
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Drone swarms, stealth fighters, missiles: 10 China military developments in 2024
By SCMP
Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China military stories of the year. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
The Chinese military has created a new information support unit that analysts say will help boost its gathering and sharing of information to support other units.
Miao Hua, one of the top generals in charge of Communist Party work at China’s powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), has been placed under investigation for suspected “serious violations of discipline”, the defence ministry said on Thursday.
Advanced drone combat swarms and the systems to counter them – deemed crucial in a possible war scenario over Taiwan – are among the new weapons on display at China’s giant air show in Zhuhai.
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By SCMP
Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China military stories of the year. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
The Chinese military has created a new information support unit that analysts say will help boost its gathering and sharing of information to support other units.
Miao Hua, one of the top generals in charge of Communist Party work at China’s powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), has been placed under investigation for suspected “serious violations of discipline”, the defence ministry said on Thursday.
Advanced drone combat swarms and the systems to counter them – deemed crucial in a possible war scenario over Taiwan – are among the new weapons on display at China’s giant air show in Zhuhai.
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