Brazil police investigating after 3 women die in suspected Christmas cake poisoning
By Agence France-Presse
Brazilian police are investigating three deaths and several hospitalisations resulting from a family eating an arsenic-laced Christmas cake, local media reported over the weekend.
Three women died after eating the cake at a family get-together on December 23 in Torres, a small seaside town in southern Brazil.
The woman who baked the cake, along with a 10-year-old girl who also ate it, remain in hospital, receiving treatment for poisoning.
The CartaCapital news website said the ex-husband of the woman who made the cake died in September.
Police initially believed that he died of foodborne illness. But his death was now being re-examined and an exhumation of his body has been ordered, according to CartaCapital.
The news website G1 said police were waiting until the hospitalised woman’s condition improved to question her. Testimony had meanwhile been taken from 15 other people as part of the investigation.
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By Agence France-Presse
Brazilian police are investigating three deaths and several hospitalisations resulting from a family eating an arsenic-laced Christmas cake, local media reported over the weekend.
Three women died after eating the cake at a family get-together on December 23 in Torres, a small seaside town in southern Brazil.
The woman who baked the cake, along with a 10-year-old girl who also ate it, remain in hospital, receiving treatment for poisoning.
The CartaCapital news website said the ex-husband of the woman who made the cake died in September.
Police initially believed that he died of foodborne illness. But his death was now being re-examined and an exhumation of his body has been ordered, according to CartaCapital.
The news website G1 said police were waiting until the hospitalised woman’s condition improved to question her. Testimony had meanwhile been taken from 15 other people as part of the investigation.
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Black box of Azerbaijan crashed plane sent to Brazil for investigation: Kazakh authorities
By Agence France-Presse
The black box from the Azerbaijan Airlines aeroplane that crashed in Kazakhstan this week, believed to have been hit by Russian anti-aircraft missiles, is being delivered to Brazil for investigation, Kazakh authorities said on Sunday.
The Accident Investigation Commission “decided to send the flight recorders to the Center for the Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) in Brazil, which is also the country that manufactures the Embraer aircraft”, the Kazakh transport ministry said in a statement following the crash that left 38 dead.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday the plane had been damaged by accidental shooting from the ground in Russia, adding that some in Russia had lied about the cause of the disaster.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to Aliyev for Wednesday’s “tragic incident” in Russian airspace involving Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243 after Russian air defences engaged Ukrainian attack drones.
A Kremlin statement did not say Russia had shot down the plane, only noting a criminal case had been opened.
“Our plane was shot down by accident,” Aliyev said on state television on Sunday, adding that the plane had come under some sort of electronic jamming and had then been shot at while it was approaching the southern Russian city of Grozny.
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By Agence France-Presse
The black box from the Azerbaijan Airlines aeroplane that crashed in Kazakhstan this week, believed to have been hit by Russian anti-aircraft missiles, is being delivered to Brazil for investigation, Kazakh authorities said on Sunday.
The Accident Investigation Commission “decided to send the flight recorders to the Center for the Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) in Brazil, which is also the country that manufactures the Embraer aircraft”, the Kazakh transport ministry said in a statement following the crash that left 38 dead.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday the plane had been damaged by accidental shooting from the ground in Russia, adding that some in Russia had lied about the cause of the disaster.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to Aliyev for Wednesday’s “tragic incident” in Russian airspace involving Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243 after Russian air defences engaged Ukrainian attack drones.
A Kremlin statement did not say Russia had shot down the plane, only noting a criminal case had been opened.
“Our plane was shot down by accident,” Aliyev said on state television on Sunday, adding that the plane had come under some sort of electronic jamming and had then been shot at while it was approaching the southern Russian city of Grozny.
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Russian man arrested for organising LGBTQ tours dies in custody
By Agence France-Presse
A Russian man detained for organising travel tours for LGBTQ people has died in pre-trial detention, rights groups and Russian state media reported on Sunday.
Andrei Kotov, the director of travel agency Men Travel, was charged last month with taking part and organising “extremist” activities, in the Kremlin’s broad crackdown on anyone deemed not to have a lifestyle that aligns with its “traditional values”.
The OVD-Info rights group cited Kotov’s lawyer as saying investigators told her that the man had died by suicide at dawn on Sunday.
OVD-Info said that 40-year-old Kotov had reported he was beaten during his arrest last month.
Russia’s RIA Novosti state news agency also said Kotov had died by suicide.
Late last month, state media published a video of Kotov being questioned on the floor by security officers.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Agence France-Presse
A Russian man detained for organising travel tours for LGBTQ people has died in pre-trial detention, rights groups and Russian state media reported on Sunday.
Andrei Kotov, the director of travel agency Men Travel, was charged last month with taking part and organising “extremist” activities, in the Kremlin’s broad crackdown on anyone deemed not to have a lifestyle that aligns with its “traditional values”.
The OVD-Info rights group cited Kotov’s lawyer as saying investigators told her that the man had died by suicide at dawn on Sunday.
OVD-Info said that 40-year-old Kotov had reported he was beaten during his arrest last month.
Russia’s RIA Novosti state news agency also said Kotov had died by suicide.
Late last month, state media published a video of Kotov being questioned on the floor by security officers.
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Israel targets Gaza City hospital with missile, killing 7: Palestinian officials
By dpa
The Israeli military killed seven people in a missile attack on a hospital in the eastern part of Gaza City, Palestinian civil defence officials said on Sunday.
The Israeli missile was reported to have hit the fifth floor of Al-Wafaa Hospital, injuring others and prompting a panicked evacuation of the building.
Israeli military officials, offering a different version, said the hospital was not being used at the time of the attack and was instead functioning as the command centre of a Hamas air defence unit which was targeted with a precision attack.
Information from both sides could not be independently verified.
Since the start of the Israel-Gaza war in October 2023, Israel has repeatedly hit Gaza’s hospitals, school buildings and refugee camps with missiles, saying that Hamas fighters and weapons are hidden there.
On Saturday the Israeli military ended a three-day operation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern city of Beit Lahia, during which it said it arrested 240 Hamas fighters.
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By dpa
The Israeli military killed seven people in a missile attack on a hospital in the eastern part of Gaza City, Palestinian civil defence officials said on Sunday.
The Israeli missile was reported to have hit the fifth floor of Al-Wafaa Hospital, injuring others and prompting a panicked evacuation of the building.
Israeli military officials, offering a different version, said the hospital was not being used at the time of the attack and was instead functioning as the command centre of a Hamas air defence unit which was targeted with a precision attack.
Information from both sides could not be independently verified.
Since the start of the Israel-Gaza war in October 2023, Israel has repeatedly hit Gaza’s hospitals, school buildings and refugee camps with missiles, saying that Hamas fighters and weapons are hidden there.
On Saturday the Israeli military ended a three-day operation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern city of Beit Lahia, during which it said it arrested 240 Hamas fighters.
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US tourists in Panama dismiss Trump’s canal claims
By Agence France-Presse
For dozens of US tourists watching a cargo ship pass along the Panama Canal, Donald Trump’s threat to possibly wrest back control of the waterway is nonsensical.
“I think it is 100 per cent Panama’s, yeah, and it should stay such,” said Natalia Glusack, a 47-year-old accountant from California on holiday with her mother.
She was among around 50 Americans standing in a viewing area at a visitors’ centre to watch a 266-metre Danish-flagged freighter move along the canal.
None of those interviewed backed president-elect Trump in his repeated threats that he could seize control of the canal after he returns to the White House next month.
Trump has claimed that American ships are charged “unfair” fees for passing through the canal, and made unsubstantiated allegations that China controls it.
Panama’s government has resolutely rejected Trump’s accusations and his threat.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Agence France-Presse
For dozens of US tourists watching a cargo ship pass along the Panama Canal, Donald Trump’s threat to possibly wrest back control of the waterway is nonsensical.
“I think it is 100 per cent Panama’s, yeah, and it should stay such,” said Natalia Glusack, a 47-year-old accountant from California on holiday with her mother.
She was among around 50 Americans standing in a viewing area at a visitors’ centre to watch a 266-metre Danish-flagged freighter move along the canal.
None of those interviewed backed president-elect Trump in his repeated threats that he could seize control of the canal after he returns to the White House next month.
Trump has claimed that American ships are charged “unfair” fees for passing through the canal, and made unsubstantiated allegations that China controls it.
Panama’s government has resolutely rejected Trump’s accusations and his threat.
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Tornadoes in Texas and Mississippi kill 2 and injure 6 as severe weather moves east
By Associated Press
At least two people were killed and six more injured as several tornadoes touched down in Texas and Mississippi on Saturday, damaging homes and flipping vehicles as the storm system moved east across Alabama early on Sunday.
The National Weather Service’s severe storm tracker indicated the system was moving east through Alabama into Georgia shortly before 4am. The agency issued severe thunderstorm warnings with the possibility of tornadoes in western Georgia and the northwestern tip of Florida directly above the Gulf of Mexico.
One person died in the Liverpool area, located south of Houston, and four people suffered injuries that were not considered critical, according to Madison Polston of the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office.
There were “multiple touchdown points” in the county between Liverpool, Hillcrest Village and Alvin. Officials knew of around 10 damaged homes but were working to determine the extent of the damage, Polston said.
In Mississippi, one person died in Adams County and two people were injured in Franklin County, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
The National Weather Service said two tornadoes hit around Bude and the city of Brandon, ripping roofs from several buildings.
“These storms are probably going to get a lot worse this evening and overnight the further east you go,” said Josh Lichter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
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By Associated Press
At least two people were killed and six more injured as several tornadoes touched down in Texas and Mississippi on Saturday, damaging homes and flipping vehicles as the storm system moved east across Alabama early on Sunday.
The National Weather Service’s severe storm tracker indicated the system was moving east through Alabama into Georgia shortly before 4am. The agency issued severe thunderstorm warnings with the possibility of tornadoes in western Georgia and the northwestern tip of Florida directly above the Gulf of Mexico.
One person died in the Liverpool area, located south of Houston, and four people suffered injuries that were not considered critical, according to Madison Polston of the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office.
There were “multiple touchdown points” in the county between Liverpool, Hillcrest Village and Alvin. Officials knew of around 10 damaged homes but were working to determine the extent of the damage, Polston said.
In Mississippi, one person died in Adams County and two people were injured in Franklin County, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
The National Weather Service said two tornadoes hit around Bude and the city of Brandon, ripping roofs from several buildings.
“These storms are probably going to get a lot worse this evening and overnight the further east you go,” said Josh Lichter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
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China launches low-altitude economy unit to drive 2025 growth
By Meredith Chen
China has set up a new department to oversee its low-altitude economy, in a landmark boost to the fast-expanding sector as the country seeks new growth drivers for 2025.
China’s top economic planning body introduced the Low-Altitude Economy Development Division on its website on Friday, according to state news agency Xinhua.
The division would be “responsible for formulating and implementing development strategies and medium- to long-term plans” for the sector, as well as “provide relevant policy recommendations”, and “coordinate major issues”, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on its website.
While it is the 30th division to be set up under the NDRC, the one appears to be a rarity in that it focuses on a particular industry.
Other NDRC departments have a wider scope, such as those for foreign investment, the private economy, employment, and national defence.
The low-altitude economy generally refers to both crewed and uncrewed aerial activities below 1,000 metres (3,280 feet), including drone delivery of both goods and passengers.
It also includes the use of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for air taxi and delivery services or in agriculture, for activities like crop-spraying and disease monitoring. The range can be extended to 3,000 metres depending on regional and practical needs.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Meredith Chen
China has set up a new department to oversee its low-altitude economy, in a landmark boost to the fast-expanding sector as the country seeks new growth drivers for 2025.
China’s top economic planning body introduced the Low-Altitude Economy Development Division on its website on Friday, according to state news agency Xinhua.
The division would be “responsible for formulating and implementing development strategies and medium- to long-term plans” for the sector, as well as “provide relevant policy recommendations”, and “coordinate major issues”, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on its website.
While it is the 30th division to be set up under the NDRC, the one appears to be a rarity in that it focuses on a particular industry.
Other NDRC departments have a wider scope, such as those for foreign investment, the private economy, employment, and national defence.
The low-altitude economy generally refers to both crewed and uncrewed aerial activities below 1,000 metres (3,280 feet), including drone delivery of both goods and passengers.
It also includes the use of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for air taxi and delivery services or in agriculture, for activities like crop-spraying and disease monitoring. The range can be extended to 3,000 metres depending on regional and practical needs.
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Thai opposition leader outpolls incumbent in preferred PM survey
By Bloomberg
Thailand’s main opposition party leader has overtaken incumbent Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in a prominent opinion poll as the most preferred leader of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.
Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the People’s Party, was selected by 29.9 per cent of 2,000 respondents as the person they “would support to become prime minister today,” according to the quarterly survey result issued on Sunday by the National Institute of Development Administration. He was seen to be the candidate most likely to continue the party’s ideology and to be most compatible with the new generation, it said.
Thailand’s general election will not be held until at least 2027, but the poll by the Bangkok-based graduate school is widely perceived as a barometer of the country’s political mood. Paetongtarn was picked for the prime ministerial post in August in a parliament vote just days after the removal of her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, by the Constitutional Court in an ethics violation case.
The People’s Party topped the list for the most popular political party with a 37.3 per cent approval rating, edging up from 34.3 per cent in a survey in September. The ruling Pheu Thai Party was in second place with 27.7 per cent, compared to 27.2 per cent in the earlier survey.
The popularity of Paetongtarn, the youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, surged in the September survey as the then-new government approved its version of a cash-handout programme. In that poll, she ranked highest with 31.4 per cent of the vote, while Natthaphong came in third.
In the latest survey, she was second choice for the most preferred prime minister, securing 28.8 per cent of respondents’ support.
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By Bloomberg
Thailand’s main opposition party leader has overtaken incumbent Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in a prominent opinion poll as the most preferred leader of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.
Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the People’s Party, was selected by 29.9 per cent of 2,000 respondents as the person they “would support to become prime minister today,” according to the quarterly survey result issued on Sunday by the National Institute of Development Administration. He was seen to be the candidate most likely to continue the party’s ideology and to be most compatible with the new generation, it said.
Thailand’s general election will not be held until at least 2027, but the poll by the Bangkok-based graduate school is widely perceived as a barometer of the country’s political mood. Paetongtarn was picked for the prime ministerial post in August in a parliament vote just days after the removal of her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, by the Constitutional Court in an ethics violation case.
The People’s Party topped the list for the most popular political party with a 37.3 per cent approval rating, edging up from 34.3 per cent in a survey in September. The ruling Pheu Thai Party was in second place with 27.7 per cent, compared to 27.2 per cent in the earlier survey.
The popularity of Paetongtarn, the youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, surged in the September survey as the then-new government approved its version of a cash-handout programme. In that poll, she ranked highest with 31.4 per cent of the vote, while Natthaphong came in third.
In the latest survey, she was second choice for the most preferred prime minister, securing 28.8 per cent of respondents’ support.
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Why upskilling is so important for China’s workforce
By Seamus McGuinness
For decades, the story of China’s economic dynamism has been characterised by growth and progress. Today, however, the world’s second-largest economy is grappling with new opportunities and enduring challenges.
Its key macroeconomic paint a complex picture: domestic consumption remains weak, inbound foreign direct investment fell to a three-decade low at the end of 2023 and the property market – though showing early signs of a recovery following stimulus measures – remains turbulent. Industrial growth has been modest and, earlier this year, youth unemployment hit record highs after the government reintroduced data. Labour productivity is also in steady decline. The Chinese economy is predicted to experience a medium-term slowdown due to these structural constraints.
The US election outcome could pile further pressure on an already vulnerable economy as China braces for potential trade tariffs.
These indicators paint a sobering portrait of China’s evolving landscape. However, while the headline numbers offer a snapshot of broader trends, do they tell the full story?
Behind these figures lies a human story: the evolving Chinese labour market and workers adapting their upskilling strategies to navigate through an uncertain future, which is changing in the face of rapid technological advancement, demographic shifts, economic globalisation and climate change.
In China, and globally, these forces are not only accelerating transformation but also amplifying worker anxieties about skill relevance, job security and human capital development.
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By Seamus McGuinness
For decades, the story of China’s economic dynamism has been characterised by growth and progress. Today, however, the world’s second-largest economy is grappling with new opportunities and enduring challenges.
Its key macroeconomic paint a complex picture: domestic consumption remains weak, inbound foreign direct investment fell to a three-decade low at the end of 2023 and the property market – though showing early signs of a recovery following stimulus measures – remains turbulent. Industrial growth has been modest and, earlier this year, youth unemployment hit record highs after the government reintroduced data. Labour productivity is also in steady decline. The Chinese economy is predicted to experience a medium-term slowdown due to these structural constraints.
The US election outcome could pile further pressure on an already vulnerable economy as China braces for potential trade tariffs.
These indicators paint a sobering portrait of China’s evolving landscape. However, while the headline numbers offer a snapshot of broader trends, do they tell the full story?
Behind these figures lies a human story: the evolving Chinese labour market and workers adapting their upskilling strategies to navigate through an uncertain future, which is changing in the face of rapid technological advancement, demographic shifts, economic globalisation and climate change.
In China, and globally, these forces are not only accelerating transformation but also amplifying worker anxieties about skill relevance, job security and human capital development.
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Syria’s Jewish community continues to dwindle post-Assad
By Associated Press
In this Damascus suburb, the handful of remaining Jews in Syria can again make pilgrimages to one of the world’s oldest synagogues where people from throughout the region once came to pray.
Syria’s 13-year civil war left the synagogue partially destroyed. Walls and roofs have collapsed. Some artefacts are missing. A marble sign in Arabic at the gate says it was first built 720 years before Christ.
Since insurgents overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in early December, people have been able to safely visit the widely destroyed Jobar suburb that was pounded for years by government forces while in the hands of opposition fighters.
Syria was once home to one of the world’s largest Jewish communities. Those numbers have shrunk dramatically, especially after the state of Israel was created in 1948.
Today, only nine Jews live in Syria, according to the head of the community, almost all older men and women. The community believes that no Syrian Jews will remain in the country in a few years.
One of the people visiting the Jobar Synagogue, also known as Eliyahu Hanavi synagogue, on Thursday was grey-haired Bakhour Chamntoub, the head of the community in Syria.
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By Associated Press
In this Damascus suburb, the handful of remaining Jews in Syria can again make pilgrimages to one of the world’s oldest synagogues where people from throughout the region once came to pray.
Syria’s 13-year civil war left the synagogue partially destroyed. Walls and roofs have collapsed. Some artefacts are missing. A marble sign in Arabic at the gate says it was first built 720 years before Christ.
Since insurgents overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in early December, people have been able to safely visit the widely destroyed Jobar suburb that was pounded for years by government forces while in the hands of opposition fighters.
Syria was once home to one of the world’s largest Jewish communities. Those numbers have shrunk dramatically, especially after the state of Israel was created in 1948.
Today, only nine Jews live in Syria, according to the head of the community, almost all older men and women. The community believes that no Syrian Jews will remain in the country in a few years.
One of the people visiting the Jobar Synagogue, also known as Eliyahu Hanavi synagogue, on Thursday was grey-haired Bakhour Chamntoub, the head of the community in Syria.
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‘Boring billion’ to biodiversity boom: China-US team charts early evolutionary upheaval
By Holly Chik
Chinese and US scientists have shed new light on a dull stretch in the planet’s history known as the “boring billion”, and they say their study on this period could help us understand extraterrestrial life, predict future evolution and prepare for catastrophic events.
The researchers spent six years building a global palaeobiology database of early life forms, mapping out biodiversity trends from 2 billion to 500 million years ago. They published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Science on December 20.
Between 1.8 billion and 800 million years ago, things on Earth were rather uneventful. Oxygen levels were low, climate changes were minimal and living things did not evolve much.
According to the scientists, the earliest organisms found during these billion boring years, such as bacteria, lived long and stable lives, but there was also a slow yet steady increase in the number of species during the period.
The boring billion was followed by a global freeze that shook up biodiversity and the evolution of life on Earth.
The scientists found that two global glaciation events between 720 and 635 million years ago disrupted the evolution of eukaryotes – organisms whose cells have a clearly defined nucleus, which include animals, plants and fungi.
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By Holly Chik
Chinese and US scientists have shed new light on a dull stretch in the planet’s history known as the “boring billion”, and they say their study on this period could help us understand extraterrestrial life, predict future evolution and prepare for catastrophic events.
The researchers spent six years building a global palaeobiology database of early life forms, mapping out biodiversity trends from 2 billion to 500 million years ago. They published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Science on December 20.
Between 1.8 billion and 800 million years ago, things on Earth were rather uneventful. Oxygen levels were low, climate changes were minimal and living things did not evolve much.
According to the scientists, the earliest organisms found during these billion boring years, such as bacteria, lived long and stable lives, but there was also a slow yet steady increase in the number of species during the period.
The boring billion was followed by a global freeze that shook up biodiversity and the evolution of life on Earth.
The scientists found that two global glaciation events between 720 and 635 million years ago disrupted the evolution of eukaryotes – organisms whose cells have a clearly defined nucleus, which include animals, plants and fungi.
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Jailed Kurdish leader says ‘ready’ to support Turkey peace drive
By Agence France-Presse
Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), is “ready to make a call” to back a new initiative by the Turkish government to end decades of conflict, Turkey’s pro-Kurd party said on Sunday.
Two lawmakers from the DEM party made a rare visit to Ocalan on Saturday on his prison island, the first by the party in almost a decade, amid signs of easing tensions between the Turkish government and the PKK.
On Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government approved DEM’s request to visit the founder of the PKK, which is designated a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies.
Ocalan has been serving a life sentence on the island of Imrali south of Istanbul since 1999.
The government’s approval of the visit comes two months after the head of Turkey’s nationalist MHP party, Devlet Bahceli, extended Ocalan a shock olive branch, inviting him to parliament to renounce terror and disband his group, a move backed by Erdogan.
“I have the competence and determination to make a positive contribution to the new paradigm started by Mr Bahceli and Mr Erdogan,” Ocalan said, according to a DEM statement on Sunday.
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By Agence France-Presse
Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), is “ready to make a call” to back a new initiative by the Turkish government to end decades of conflict, Turkey’s pro-Kurd party said on Sunday.
Two lawmakers from the DEM party made a rare visit to Ocalan on Saturday on his prison island, the first by the party in almost a decade, amid signs of easing tensions between the Turkish government and the PKK.
On Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government approved DEM’s request to visit the founder of the PKK, which is designated a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies.
Ocalan has been serving a life sentence on the island of Imrali south of Istanbul since 1999.
The government’s approval of the visit comes two months after the head of Turkey’s nationalist MHP party, Devlet Bahceli, extended Ocalan a shock olive branch, inviting him to parliament to renounce terror and disband his group, a move backed by Erdogan.
“I have the competence and determination to make a positive contribution to the new paradigm started by Mr Bahceli and Mr Erdogan,” Ocalan said, according to a DEM statement on Sunday.
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Hong Kong’s winter flu season expected to peak mid-January, expert says
By Emily Hung
Hong Kong’s winter flu season is expected to peak in mid-January, a respiratory disease expert has predicted, noting holidaymakers were returning from countries experiencing H1N1 outbreaks.
David Hui Shu-cheong, a professor of respiratory medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, on Sunday urged high-risk groups including children and elderly residents to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
The latest data from the Centre for Health Protection indicated overall influenza activity remained low, but there had been an uptick in the percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for flu at public laboratories.
The positivity rate increased from 1.09 per cent in the week of December 8 to 1.35 per cent in the week of December 15, Hui said.
“It’s very likely local flu activity will continue to rise,” he said in a television interview. “Many residents have also recently gone to Japan, mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore, which are having an outbreak of H1N1. In South Korea, there is even a co-circulation of H1N1 and H3N2, and it’s possible for holidaymakers to bring the virus back home as they return.
He said Hong Kong would likely reach the baseline threshold of 4.94 per cent in just “a few weeks”, he said. The percentage of positive influenza test results indicates the typical level of influenza activity in a population.
“It’s therefore very likely for us to see a peak in January.”
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By Emily Hung
Hong Kong’s winter flu season is expected to peak in mid-January, a respiratory disease expert has predicted, noting holidaymakers were returning from countries experiencing H1N1 outbreaks.
David Hui Shu-cheong, a professor of respiratory medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, on Sunday urged high-risk groups including children and elderly residents to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
The latest data from the Centre for Health Protection indicated overall influenza activity remained low, but there had been an uptick in the percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for flu at public laboratories.
The positivity rate increased from 1.09 per cent in the week of December 8 to 1.35 per cent in the week of December 15, Hui said.
“It’s very likely local flu activity will continue to rise,” he said in a television interview. “Many residents have also recently gone to Japan, mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore, which are having an outbreak of H1N1. In South Korea, there is even a co-circulation of H1N1 and H3N2, and it’s possible for holidaymakers to bring the virus back home as they return.
He said Hong Kong would likely reach the baseline threshold of 4.94 per cent in just “a few weeks”, he said. The percentage of positive influenza test results indicates the typical level of influenza activity in a population.
“It’s therefore very likely for us to see a peak in January.”
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Hong Kong gears up for expected influx of arrivals ahead of new year
By Ng Kang-chung
Hong Kong checkpoints had logged nearly 260,000 arrivals by Sunday afternoon as border officers geared up for an anticipated peak influx of holidaymakers coming to celebrate the new year.
The Immigration Department had projected that the number of arrivals using land control points during the Christmas and New Year holiday period would peak on Sunday, with an estimated 626,000 entries.
As of 4pm on Sunday, immigration officers at all 13 control points had dealt with 553,293 people, comprising 259,584 arrivals and 293,709 departures, according to provisional data from the department.
The busiest crossings were the two rail-based border control points – Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau spur line. Up to 4pm, the former had recorded 95,372 people, while the latter cleared 89,085 arriving and departing passengers.
The third-busiest control point was the land-based Shenzhen Bay crossing. It handled 67,469 people arriving and departing.
Among the arrivals, 81,195, or more than 31 per cent, were from mainland China. They mostly entered via the Lok Ma Chau spur line checkpoint and express rail link in West Kowloon. The two crossings respectively handled 18,092 and 19,185 incoming mainlanders up to 4pm.
Hong Kong will ring in 2025 with a fireworks display at Victoria Harbour on New Year’s Eve and a series of countdown and celebratory activities.
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By Ng Kang-chung
Hong Kong checkpoints had logged nearly 260,000 arrivals by Sunday afternoon as border officers geared up for an anticipated peak influx of holidaymakers coming to celebrate the new year.
The Immigration Department had projected that the number of arrivals using land control points during the Christmas and New Year holiday period would peak on Sunday, with an estimated 626,000 entries.
As of 4pm on Sunday, immigration officers at all 13 control points had dealt with 553,293 people, comprising 259,584 arrivals and 293,709 departures, according to provisional data from the department.
The busiest crossings were the two rail-based border control points – Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau spur line. Up to 4pm, the former had recorded 95,372 people, while the latter cleared 89,085 arriving and departing passengers.
The third-busiest control point was the land-based Shenzhen Bay crossing. It handled 67,469 people arriving and departing.
Among the arrivals, 81,195, or more than 31 per cent, were from mainland China. They mostly entered via the Lok Ma Chau spur line checkpoint and express rail link in West Kowloon. The two crossings respectively handled 18,092 and 19,185 incoming mainlanders up to 4pm.
Hong Kong will ring in 2025 with a fireworks display at Victoria Harbour on New Year’s Eve and a series of countdown and celebratory activities.
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China’s ‘city of the future’ Xiongan takes another step towards ambitious goals
By Vanessa Cai
China’s futuristic megacity of Xiongan – a signature project of President Xi Jinping – has taken yet another step towards completion with a reinforced urban management structure.
The Xiongan New Area, about 100km (62 miles) south of Beijing, now has 25 government agencies to guide its continued expansion, city authorities said after a meeting on Saturday.
Among these are four district management committees, and 21 municipal departments – similar to existing urban centres, according to details posted on the Xiongan city website.
The departments will oversee sectors including education and healthcare, technological innovation, industrial development and administrative approvals.
“A city management system that matches high-quality construction, high-level management, and high-quality relocation and development has been essentially established,” Xiongan authorities said in a statement on the website.
Xiongan New Area, dubbed as China’s “city of the future”, was announced by the top Communist Party leadership in 2017, who described it as “a strategy crucial for a millennium to come”.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Vanessa Cai
China’s futuristic megacity of Xiongan – a signature project of President Xi Jinping – has taken yet another step towards completion with a reinforced urban management structure.
The Xiongan New Area, about 100km (62 miles) south of Beijing, now has 25 government agencies to guide its continued expansion, city authorities said after a meeting on Saturday.
Among these are four district management committees, and 21 municipal departments – similar to existing urban centres, according to details posted on the Xiongan city website.
The departments will oversee sectors including education and healthcare, technological innovation, industrial development and administrative approvals.
“A city management system that matches high-quality construction, high-level management, and high-quality relocation and development has been essentially established,” Xiongan authorities said in a statement on the website.
Xiongan New Area, dubbed as China’s “city of the future”, was announced by the top Communist Party leadership in 2017, who described it as “a strategy crucial for a millennium to come”.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
