Switzerland: UBS size worries former finance minister, must reduce risk
By Reuters
UBS could be seen as being too big for Switzerland following its takeover of Credit Suisse, former Swiss Finance Minister Ueli Maurer said on Saturday, with measures needed to reduce the risks of the enlarged bank.
“If you look at the numbers alone and compare UBS with the Swiss economy, it is too big,” Maurer told newspaper Tages-Anzeiger. “Therefore, the risk must be reduced.”
At around US$1.7 trillion, UBS’s balance sheet is double the size of annual Swiss economic output, giving the bank exceptional weight for a major economy.
Should the bank fail, there are no local rivals left to absorb it, while the cost of nationalisation could severely damage public finances, former government officials have warned.
Reducing risks was primarily the responsibility of shareholders via their choice of board members, Maurer said.
“They must take responsibility, not the taxpayers in the end,” said Maurer, who left office months before the final collapse of Credit Suisse in March 2023.
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By Reuters
UBS could be seen as being too big for Switzerland following its takeover of Credit Suisse, former Swiss Finance Minister Ueli Maurer said on Saturday, with measures needed to reduce the risks of the enlarged bank.
“If you look at the numbers alone and compare UBS with the Swiss economy, it is too big,” Maurer told newspaper Tages-Anzeiger. “Therefore, the risk must be reduced.”
At around US$1.7 trillion, UBS’s balance sheet is double the size of annual Swiss economic output, giving the bank exceptional weight for a major economy.
Should the bank fail, there are no local rivals left to absorb it, while the cost of nationalisation could severely damage public finances, former government officials have warned.
Reducing risks was primarily the responsibility of shareholders via their choice of board members, Maurer said.
“They must take responsibility, not the taxpayers in the end,” said Maurer, who left office months before the final collapse of Credit Suisse in March 2023.
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How can Hong Kong travellers, airlines avoid food poisoning after Cathay cases?
By Fiona Sun
Experts and lawmakers have urged airlines operating in Hong Kong to ensure in-flight meals are safely prepared in accordance with industry standards, after two food poisoning incidents affected dozens of Cathay Pacific Airways passengers.
They also appealed to travellers to be more watchful of the meals they were served during flights and to check the temperature, freshness and smell of the food items before eating them.
Health authorities earlier this week launched an investigation into the two cases involving 36 passengers on two separate flights going from Nepal’s Kathmandu to Hong Kong.
The Centre for Health Protection said on Friday that it believed the two food poisoning clusters were epidemiologically linked.
The latest cluster involved 20 people who arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday on flight CX640, while the other 16 passengers travelling via the same route number landed a day earlier.
The centre said it had collected samples of the food provided on the flights, including bread, fruit, beetroot salad, mutton with rice, chicken with rice and ice cream, as well as food consumed by the passengers at the airport or in Nepal before boarding.
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By Fiona Sun
Experts and lawmakers have urged airlines operating in Hong Kong to ensure in-flight meals are safely prepared in accordance with industry standards, after two food poisoning incidents affected dozens of Cathay Pacific Airways passengers.
They also appealed to travellers to be more watchful of the meals they were served during flights and to check the temperature, freshness and smell of the food items before eating them.
Health authorities earlier this week launched an investigation into the two cases involving 36 passengers on two separate flights going from Nepal’s Kathmandu to Hong Kong.
The Centre for Health Protection said on Friday that it believed the two food poisoning clusters were epidemiologically linked.
The latest cluster involved 20 people who arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday on flight CX640, while the other 16 passengers travelling via the same route number landed a day earlier.
The centre said it had collected samples of the food provided on the flights, including bread, fruit, beetroot salad, mutton with rice, chicken with rice and ice cream, as well as food consumed by the passengers at the airport or in Nepal before boarding.
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Malala goes home while Taliban avoids Muslim girls’ education conference
By Agence France-Presse
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai said she was “overwhelmed” to be back in her native Pakistan on Saturday, as the prime minister launched a global summit on girls’ education in the Islamic world.
The summit has brought together education leaders from Muslim-majority countries, but has been snubbed by Pakistan’s neighbour Afghanistan – the only country in the world where girls’ are banned from school.
“The Muslim world including Pakistan faces significant challenges in ensuring equitable access to education for girls,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said at the opening of the summit, backed by the Muslim World League.
“Denying education to girls is tantamount to denying their voice and their choice, while depriving them of their right to a bright future.”
Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui told reporters that the government “had extended an invitation to Afghanistan but no one from the Afghan government was at the conference”.
Yousafzai, who was shot by Pakistani Taliban militants in 2012 when she was a girl, is scheduled to address the conference on Sunday.
“I’m truly honoured, overwhelmed and happy to be back in Pakistan,” she told journalists as she arrived at the conference in the capital Islamabad with her parents.
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By Agence France-Presse
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai said she was “overwhelmed” to be back in her native Pakistan on Saturday, as the prime minister launched a global summit on girls’ education in the Islamic world.
The summit has brought together education leaders from Muslim-majority countries, but has been snubbed by Pakistan’s neighbour Afghanistan – the only country in the world where girls’ are banned from school.
“The Muslim world including Pakistan faces significant challenges in ensuring equitable access to education for girls,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said at the opening of the summit, backed by the Muslim World League.
“Denying education to girls is tantamount to denying their voice and their choice, while depriving them of their right to a bright future.”
Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui told reporters that the government “had extended an invitation to Afghanistan but no one from the Afghan government was at the conference”.
Yousafzai, who was shot by Pakistani Taliban militants in 2012 when she was a girl, is scheduled to address the conference on Sunday.
“I’m truly honoured, overwhelmed and happy to be back in Pakistan,” she told journalists as she arrived at the conference in the capital Islamabad with her parents.
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Biden’s blocking of US Steel deal latest sign of globalisation in retreat
By Anthony Rowley
So much for the concept of a “borderless world of business” espoused in 1990 by Japanese management consultant Kenichi Ohmae, a former senior partner of McKinsey. In his bestselling book, The Borderless World: Power and Strategy in the Interlinked Economy, Ohmae argued national borders had become less relevant to business than ever before.
Ironically, US President Joe Biden’s rejection of the bid by Japanese company Nippon Steel to acquire US Steel seems to disprove Ohmae’s thesis in dramatic fashion.
Nippon Steel is initiating legal action against the US government over the outgoing Biden administration’s blocking of the deal. Both Nippon Steel and US Steel have expressed doubt that the proposed merger threatens US national security, criticising what they call “political interference”.
Biden’s order, meanwhile, is raising concern within the Japanese government and business community that the action will discourage Japanese corporate investment in the United States and weaken bilateral relations between the two countries.
The US$14.1 billion buyout plan is quickly becoming a diplomatic issue, and that is to say nothing of US president-elect Donald Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland from Denmark and exert control over the Panama Canal. Trump also opposes the Nippon Steel attempt to acquire US Steel.
The issues involved go deeper than manifestations of narrow nationalism on the part of either leader. They raise the basic question of whether the abolition of national borders can be achieved from the bottom up – by business interests, for example, as in this case – rather than from the top down by government and the legal establishment.
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By Anthony Rowley
So much for the concept of a “borderless world of business” espoused in 1990 by Japanese management consultant Kenichi Ohmae, a former senior partner of McKinsey. In his bestselling book, The Borderless World: Power and Strategy in the Interlinked Economy, Ohmae argued national borders had become less relevant to business than ever before.
Ironically, US President Joe Biden’s rejection of the bid by Japanese company Nippon Steel to acquire US Steel seems to disprove Ohmae’s thesis in dramatic fashion.
Nippon Steel is initiating legal action against the US government over the outgoing Biden administration’s blocking of the deal. Both Nippon Steel and US Steel have expressed doubt that the proposed merger threatens US national security, criticising what they call “political interference”.
Biden’s order, meanwhile, is raising concern within the Japanese government and business community that the action will discourage Japanese corporate investment in the United States and weaken bilateral relations between the two countries.
The US$14.1 billion buyout plan is quickly becoming a diplomatic issue, and that is to say nothing of US president-elect Donald Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland from Denmark and exert control over the Panama Canal. Trump also opposes the Nippon Steel attempt to acquire US Steel.
The issues involved go deeper than manifestations of narrow nationalism on the part of either leader. They raise the basic question of whether the abolition of national borders can be achieved from the bottom up – by business interests, for example, as in this case – rather than from the top down by government and the legal establishment.
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Chinese embassies in Thailand and Myanmar warn of ‘high-pay’ scams after actor kidnapping
By Enoch Wong
Chinese embassies in Thailand and Myanmar have warned their citizens to beware of recruitment scams offering high pay overseas after the recent rescue of a kidnapped actor.
Wang Xing went missing near the Thailand-Myanmar border on January 3 after being lured there by human traffickers who posed as film producers offering three times the normal market rate.
He was rescued by Thai immigration authorities on Tuesday and has since returned to China.
The incident prompted social media users to come forward with similar cases, saying their friends and relatives had also disappeared near the Myanmar border after being tricked into travelling to Thailand.
Wang’s ordeal has also led some Chinese travellers to reconsider their travel plans to Thailand for the coming Lunar New Year holiday.
China’s embassy in Bangkok on Saturday warned Chinese citizens to be alert to false job offers overseas promising “high salaries” and “free flights and accommodation”.
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By Enoch Wong
Chinese embassies in Thailand and Myanmar have warned their citizens to beware of recruitment scams offering high pay overseas after the recent rescue of a kidnapped actor.
Wang Xing went missing near the Thailand-Myanmar border on January 3 after being lured there by human traffickers who posed as film producers offering three times the normal market rate.
He was rescued by Thai immigration authorities on Tuesday and has since returned to China.
The incident prompted social media users to come forward with similar cases, saying their friends and relatives had also disappeared near the Myanmar border after being tricked into travelling to Thailand.
Wang’s ordeal has also led some Chinese travellers to reconsider their travel plans to Thailand for the coming Lunar New Year holiday.
China’s embassy in Bangkok on Saturday warned Chinese citizens to be alert to false job offers overseas promising “high salaries” and “free flights and accommodation”.
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Trump’s threat to gobble up Greenland tests Nato unity, serves as wake-up call for Europe
By Associated Press
President-elect Donald Trump has tossed expansionist rhetoric at US allies and potential adversaries with arguments that the frontiers of American power need to be extended into Canada and the Danish territory of Greenland, and southward to include the Panama Canal.
Trump’s suggestions that international borders can be redrawn – by force if necessary – are particularly inflammatory in Europe. His words run contrary to the argument European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are trying to impress on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But many European leaders – who’ve learned to expect the unexpected from Trump and have seen that actions do not always follow his words – have been guarded in their response, with some taking a nothing-to-see-here view rather than vigorously defend European Union member Denmark.
Analysts, though, say that even words can damage US-European relations ahead of Trump’s second presidency.
Several officials in Europe – where governments depend on US trade, energy, investment, technology, and defence cooperation for security – emphasised their belief that Trump has no intention of marching troops into Greenland.
“I think we can exclude that the United States in the coming years will try to use force to annex territory that interests it,” Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said.
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By Associated Press
President-elect Donald Trump has tossed expansionist rhetoric at US allies and potential adversaries with arguments that the frontiers of American power need to be extended into Canada and the Danish territory of Greenland, and southward to include the Panama Canal.
Trump’s suggestions that international borders can be redrawn – by force if necessary – are particularly inflammatory in Europe. His words run contrary to the argument European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are trying to impress on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But many European leaders – who’ve learned to expect the unexpected from Trump and have seen that actions do not always follow his words – have been guarded in their response, with some taking a nothing-to-see-here view rather than vigorously defend European Union member Denmark.
Analysts, though, say that even words can damage US-European relations ahead of Trump’s second presidency.
Several officials in Europe – where governments depend on US trade, energy, investment, technology, and defence cooperation for security – emphasised their belief that Trump has no intention of marching troops into Greenland.
“I think we can exclude that the United States in the coming years will try to use force to annex territory that interests it,” Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said.
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90% of Hong Kong pupils fail to exercise for 60 minutes a day, study finds
By Harvey Kong
More than 90 per cent of Hong Kong school students have failed to meet the World Health Organization’s standard of exercising at least 60 minutes a day, a citywide university study has found.
The study, the results of which were shared on Saturday, collected data on the physical activities of 1,476 primary school pupils and 1,929 secondary students.
“Overall, the exercise level of children in Hong Kong is very insufficient,” said Patrick Ip Pak-keung, a clinical professor at the University of Hong Kong’s paediatrics and adolescent medicine department.
The study, conducted by Ip’s department, gathered data using special monitoring bracelets that students wore for several weeks during the 2023-2024 school year.
Researchers found that only 7.4 per cent of study participants managed to do a minimum of 60 minutes of medium to vigorous-intensity physical activity every day, the WHO’s benchmark for those aged five to 17.
The figure stood at 7.9 per cent in the previous school year.
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By Harvey Kong
More than 90 per cent of Hong Kong school students have failed to meet the World Health Organization’s standard of exercising at least 60 minutes a day, a citywide university study has found.
The study, the results of which were shared on Saturday, collected data on the physical activities of 1,476 primary school pupils and 1,929 secondary students.
“Overall, the exercise level of children in Hong Kong is very insufficient,” said Patrick Ip Pak-keung, a clinical professor at the University of Hong Kong’s paediatrics and adolescent medicine department.
The study, conducted by Ip’s department, gathered data using special monitoring bracelets that students wore for several weeks during the 2023-2024 school year.
Researchers found that only 7.4 per cent of study participants managed to do a minimum of 60 minutes of medium to vigorous-intensity physical activity every day, the WHO’s benchmark for those aged five to 17.
The figure stood at 7.9 per cent in the previous school year.
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Furious Los Angeles residents slam firefighters ‘busy’ saving homes of rich and famous
By Agence France-Presse
After being largely reduced to ashes by wildfire, Altadena was being patrolled by National Guard soldiers on Friday.
For residents of this devastated Los Angeles suburb, the arrival of these men in uniform is too little, too late.
“We didn’t see a single firefighter while we were throwing buckets of water to defend our house against the flames” on Tuesday night, said Nicholas Norman, 40.
“They were too busy over in the Palisades saving the rich and famous’s properties, and they let us common folks burn,” the teacher said.
But the fire did not discriminate.
In the upscale Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, the first to be hit by the flames this week, wealthy residents share the same resentment towards the authorities.
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By Agence France-Presse
After being largely reduced to ashes by wildfire, Altadena was being patrolled by National Guard soldiers on Friday.
For residents of this devastated Los Angeles suburb, the arrival of these men in uniform is too little, too late.
“We didn’t see a single firefighter while we were throwing buckets of water to defend our house against the flames” on Tuesday night, said Nicholas Norman, 40.
“They were too busy over in the Palisades saving the rich and famous’s properties, and they let us common folks burn,” the teacher said.
But the fire did not discriminate.
In the upscale Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, the first to be hit by the flames this week, wealthy residents share the same resentment towards the authorities.
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South Korea’s political crisis deepens as generational divide creates rift in family relations
By David D. Lee
Glacial winds cut through Hannam-dong, an upscale neighbourhood in central Seoul home to the official residence of impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, where a single invisible boundary divides thousands of demonstrators braving sub-zero temperatures.
On one side are the supporters of the nationwide movement demanding Yoon’s removal from office. Their calls escalated dramatically after his shocking declaration of martial law on December 3.
On the other, Yoon’s supporters are standing firm, ready to shield him from authorities investigating charges of insurrection and abuse of power.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) made its first attempt to enter the compound on January 3, but was thwarted by about 200 of the president’s bodyguards. Officials insist they will return, with a larger force of 1,000 investigators and police officers, for a second attempt at arresting Yoon.
Talks have centred on holding security personnel legally accountable for blocking that initial raid, but presidential security chief Park Chong-jun resigned on Friday before he could face questioning.
Against this tense backdrop, the sprawling protests reveal an unmistakable generational divide.
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By David D. Lee
Glacial winds cut through Hannam-dong, an upscale neighbourhood in central Seoul home to the official residence of impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, where a single invisible boundary divides thousands of demonstrators braving sub-zero temperatures.
On one side are the supporters of the nationwide movement demanding Yoon’s removal from office. Their calls escalated dramatically after his shocking declaration of martial law on December 3.
On the other, Yoon’s supporters are standing firm, ready to shield him from authorities investigating charges of insurrection and abuse of power.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) made its first attempt to enter the compound on January 3, but was thwarted by about 200 of the president’s bodyguards. Officials insist they will return, with a larger force of 1,000 investigators and police officers, for a second attempt at arresting Yoon.
Talks have centred on holding security personnel legally accountable for blocking that initial raid, but presidential security chief Park Chong-jun resigned on Friday before he could face questioning.
Against this tense backdrop, the sprawling protests reveal an unmistakable generational divide.
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Philippines starts Spratly Islands upgrades after months of tension with China
By Alyssa Chen
The Philippines is upgrading facilities on Thitu Island, its only inhabited outpost in the disputed Spratly Islands, in a move seen as an effort to catch up with rival South China Sea claimants.
The latest annual Philippine budget allocated 1.65 billion pesos (US$27 million) to develop the airport as well as 300 million pesos for work on a sheltered port.
More than 1 billion pesos has separately been earmarked for another sheltered port facility on Nanshan Island, which is around 160km (100 miles) east of Thitu Island.
While the upgrades will not dramatically alter the regional balance, analysts said they would help the Philippines boost its limited military reach in the face of Beijing’s increasing pressure in the South China Sea.
The money will help fund the extension of Thitu’s sole airstrip to 1.5km, enough to be used by some variants of the F-16 fighter as well as light combat and transport planes.
Beijing is likely to watch these developments closely – particularly any access given to Philippine allies such as the United States – and some analysts warned that increased air traffic could increase the risk of collisions between Chinese and Philippine military aircraft.
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By Alyssa Chen
The Philippines is upgrading facilities on Thitu Island, its only inhabited outpost in the disputed Spratly Islands, in a move seen as an effort to catch up with rival South China Sea claimants.
The latest annual Philippine budget allocated 1.65 billion pesos (US$27 million) to develop the airport as well as 300 million pesos for work on a sheltered port.
More than 1 billion pesos has separately been earmarked for another sheltered port facility on Nanshan Island, which is around 160km (100 miles) east of Thitu Island.
While the upgrades will not dramatically alter the regional balance, analysts said they would help the Philippines boost its limited military reach in the face of Beijing’s increasing pressure in the South China Sea.
The money will help fund the extension of Thitu’s sole airstrip to 1.5km, enough to be used by some variants of the F-16 fighter as well as light combat and transport planes.
Beijing is likely to watch these developments closely – particularly any access given to Philippine allies such as the United States – and some analysts warned that increased air traffic could increase the risk of collisions between Chinese and Philippine military aircraft.
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Hong Kong customs officer involved in fatal motorbike crash placed on leave
By Kahon Chan
A Hong Kong customs officer has been placed on leave following his arrest over attempting to stop a motorcycle rider who later crashed and died, a disciplined service chief has said, stressing personnel should be responsible for their actions on or off-duty.
Chan Tsz-tat, commissioner of the Customs and Excise Department, also said on Saturday that all his officers had been given “very clear instructions” and “very comprehensive training” to carry out their duties.
“As part of the disciplined services, a customs officer ought to do his part for society, as long as it is legal and safe on- and off-duty,” he told a radio programme.
“Whether one is carrying out his duty in his official capacity or doing anything off-duty, he must be held responsible, and safety is the primary consideration.”
On January 3, the off-duty customs officer attempted to intercept a motorcyclist suspected of fleeing from police in Kowloon Bay.
The rider, surnamed Wong, lost control and crashed into a metal pole. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident has sparked widespread public debate over whether the officer’s actions were appropriate and legal, after dashcam footage of the crash went viral online.
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By Kahon Chan
A Hong Kong customs officer has been placed on leave following his arrest over attempting to stop a motorcycle rider who later crashed and died, a disciplined service chief has said, stressing personnel should be responsible for their actions on or off-duty.
Chan Tsz-tat, commissioner of the Customs and Excise Department, also said on Saturday that all his officers had been given “very clear instructions” and “very comprehensive training” to carry out their duties.
“As part of the disciplined services, a customs officer ought to do his part for society, as long as it is legal and safe on- and off-duty,” he told a radio programme.
“Whether one is carrying out his duty in his official capacity or doing anything off-duty, he must be held responsible, and safety is the primary consideration.”
On January 3, the off-duty customs officer attempted to intercept a motorcyclist suspected of fleeing from police in Kowloon Bay.
The rider, surnamed Wong, lost control and crashed into a metal pole. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident has sparked widespread public debate over whether the officer’s actions were appropriate and legal, after dashcam footage of the crash went viral online.
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South Korea says Jeju Air jet black boxes stopped recording 4 minutes before crash
By Agence France-Presse
The black boxes holding the flight data and cockpit voice recorders for the crashed Jeju Air flight that left 179 people dead stopped recording four minutes before the disaster, South Korea’s transport ministry said on Saturday.
The Boeing 737-800 was flying from Thailand to Muan, South Korea, on December 29 carrying 181 passengers and crew when it belly-landed at the Muan airport and exploded in a fireball after slamming into a concrete barrier.
“The analysis revealed that both the CVR and FDR data were not recorded during the four minutes leading up to the aircraft’s collision with the localiser,” the transport ministry said in a statement, referring to the two recording devices.
The localiser is a barrier at the end of the runway that helps with aircraft landings and was blamed for exacerbating the crash’s severity.
The damaged flight data recorder had been deemed unrecoverable for data extraction by South Korean authorities, who sent it to the United States for analysis at the US National Transportation Safety Board laboratory.
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By Agence France-Presse
The black boxes holding the flight data and cockpit voice recorders for the crashed Jeju Air flight that left 179 people dead stopped recording four minutes before the disaster, South Korea’s transport ministry said on Saturday.
The Boeing 737-800 was flying from Thailand to Muan, South Korea, on December 29 carrying 181 passengers and crew when it belly-landed at the Muan airport and exploded in a fireball after slamming into a concrete barrier.
“The analysis revealed that both the CVR and FDR data were not recorded during the four minutes leading up to the aircraft’s collision with the localiser,” the transport ministry said in a statement, referring to the two recording devices.
The localiser is a barrier at the end of the runway that helps with aircraft landings and was blamed for exacerbating the crash’s severity.
The damaged flight data recorder had been deemed unrecoverable for data extraction by South Korean authorities, who sent it to the United States for analysis at the US National Transportation Safety Board laboratory.
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German firms hire private detectives to investigate if sick staff are genuinely unwell
By Yating Yang
German companies are hiring private detectives to investigate whether employees on long-term sick leave are genuinely ill, viewing it as an effective way to dismiss unproductive workers during economic hardship.
The practice has sparked a heated discussion on social media in China.
One such private detective agency, Lentz Group, located near Frankfurt’s main railway station, is experiencing a surge in business in this niche market, according to AFP.
Marcus Lentz, the founder of the agency, revealed that the company receives approximately 1,200 commissions annually, around double the figure of a few years earlier.
According to the federal statistics agency Destatis, German workers averaged 15.1 days of sick leave in 2023, up from 11.1 days in 2021.
This high rate of absenteeism is estimated to have reduced Germany’s GDP by 0.8 per cent in 2023, contributing to an economic contraction of 0.3 per cent.
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By Yating Yang
German companies are hiring private detectives to investigate whether employees on long-term sick leave are genuinely ill, viewing it as an effective way to dismiss unproductive workers during economic hardship.
The practice has sparked a heated discussion on social media in China.
One such private detective agency, Lentz Group, located near Frankfurt’s main railway station, is experiencing a surge in business in this niche market, according to AFP.
Marcus Lentz, the founder of the agency, revealed that the company receives approximately 1,200 commissions annually, around double the figure of a few years earlier.
According to the federal statistics agency Destatis, German workers averaged 15.1 days of sick leave in 2023, up from 11.1 days in 2021.
This high rate of absenteeism is estimated to have reduced Germany’s GDP by 0.8 per cent in 2023, contributing to an economic contraction of 0.3 per cent.
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Hong Kong minister says unvaccinated child, 4, sent to intensive care with flu
By William Yiu
An unvaccinated four-year-old child has been admitted to an intensive care unit with flu and a pneumococcal infection, Hong Kong’s health minister has said, stepping up pressure on schools to join the city’s vaccination drive.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also stressed that the pupil’s school had not arranged for on-site flu vaccinations offered by health authorities, arguing institutions had no justifiable reason to opt out of the government scheme.
“The child did not receive the flu shot and the child’s school did not join the [government’s] flu vaccination programme,” he said on a radio programme on Saturday.
Lo warned that six children died during last year’s flu season and had been among 35 severe cases admitted to hospital.
The minister said the latest data showed the public hospital admission rate for flu cases had already exceeded the flu season threshold.
The vaccination rate had increased by 5 per cent from the previous flu season, he noted.
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By William Yiu
An unvaccinated four-year-old child has been admitted to an intensive care unit with flu and a pneumococcal infection, Hong Kong’s health minister has said, stepping up pressure on schools to join the city’s vaccination drive.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also stressed that the pupil’s school had not arranged for on-site flu vaccinations offered by health authorities, arguing institutions had no justifiable reason to opt out of the government scheme.
“The child did not receive the flu shot and the child’s school did not join the [government’s] flu vaccination programme,” he said on a radio programme on Saturday.
Lo warned that six children died during last year’s flu season and had been among 35 severe cases admitted to hospital.
The minister said the latest data showed the public hospital admission rate for flu cases had already exceeded the flu season threshold.
The vaccination rate had increased by 5 per cent from the previous flu season, he noted.
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Hong Kong urged to spend ‘smarter’, after IMF backs city’s saving efforts
By Kahon Chan
Hong Kong lawmakers and experts have called for “smarter” spending after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recognised the government’s gradual financial consolidation path was appropriate for sustaining an economic recovery.
They issued the call on Saturday, a day after a report from the UN agency lauded the local government’s efforts to create a digital finance ecosystem and a green finance landscape that would safeguard the city’s international status.
The IMF said Hong Kong’s economy was “recovering gradually after a protracted period of setbacks” and projected GDP growth of 2.7 per cent for both 2024 and 2025.
But the organisation cautioned that the pickup of domestic demand would likely be offset by weakening external demand, including from mainland China.
“A sharper-than-expected slowdown in mainland China, due to the escalation of trade tensions or a deeper and more protracted adjustment in the property market, would further weaken confidence,” the IMF said.
“Slowing growth in major economies will weaken external demand for Hong Kong’s services and goods.”
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By Kahon Chan
Hong Kong lawmakers and experts have called for “smarter” spending after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recognised the government’s gradual financial consolidation path was appropriate for sustaining an economic recovery.
They issued the call on Saturday, a day after a report from the UN agency lauded the local government’s efforts to create a digital finance ecosystem and a green finance landscape that would safeguard the city’s international status.
The IMF said Hong Kong’s economy was “recovering gradually after a protracted period of setbacks” and projected GDP growth of 2.7 per cent for both 2024 and 2025.
But the organisation cautioned that the pickup of domestic demand would likely be offset by weakening external demand, including from mainland China.
“A sharper-than-expected slowdown in mainland China, due to the escalation of trade tensions or a deeper and more protracted adjustment in the property market, would further weaken confidence,” the IMF said.
“Slowing growth in major economies will weaken external demand for Hong Kong’s services and goods.”
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Australian court nullifies marriage after bride says she thought it was Instagram ‘prank’
By Business Insider
A couple in Australia had their marriage annulled after the bride testified in court that she thought the ceremony was part of a “prank” video orchestrated by the groom for social media clout.
In a family court judgment from October, which was made public this month, a judge declared the couple’s December 2023 marriage void.
The bride, 24, filed for the annulment in May 2024, arguing that the marriage to the groom, in his 30s, was a sham because she did not offer real consent.
She said she thought she was merely playing the role of a bride for a video that the groom, a social media influencer with over 17,000 followers, would post on Instagram.
The Guardian Australia was the first to report on the judgment.
The couple, both originally from the same country, met on a dating platform in September 2023.
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By Business Insider
A couple in Australia had their marriage annulled after the bride testified in court that she thought the ceremony was part of a “prank” video orchestrated by the groom for social media clout.
In a family court judgment from October, which was made public this month, a judge declared the couple’s December 2023 marriage void.
The bride, 24, filed for the annulment in May 2024, arguing that the marriage to the groom, in his 30s, was a sham because she did not offer real consent.
She said she thought she was merely playing the role of a bride for a video that the groom, a social media influencer with over 17,000 followers, would post on Instagram.
The Guardian Australia was the first to report on the judgment.
The couple, both originally from the same country, met on a dating platform in September 2023.
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University of Michigan ends Chinese partnership after intense pressure from US lawmakers
By Bochen Han
The University of Michigan is ending its long-standing partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, becoming the latest major United States research institution to sever ties with a Chinese counterpart under pressure from lawmakers.
The announcement was made on Friday, three months after the House select committee on China sent a letter to the University of Michigan’s president, Santa Ono, arguing that the Chinese university played a “critical role in the Chinese Communist Party’s military-civil fusion strategy”.
The joint institute drew the attention of US lawmakers when five Chinese University of Michigan students were charged in October with misleading authorities about their activities near a remote military site.
In a statement, Ono said the University of Michigan must “prioritise our commitment to national security” even as “international academic partnerships have deeply enriched our academic offerings and strengthened the global education of our students”.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, known for its strength in science and engineering, is not on any US government blacklists, although the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a Canberra-based think tank, listed it as “high-risk” in its defence-related tracker of Chinese universities.
The partnership between two top-ranking public universities involved a joint institute that placed American students in China and Chinese students in the US. Established in 2005, the institute offered English-language engineering degree programmes.
The provost’s office at the University of Michigan said the institute had offered global learning experiences to over 1,000 undergraduates, and would work to ensure current students can complete their degrees without disruptions.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Bochen Han
The University of Michigan is ending its long-standing partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, becoming the latest major United States research institution to sever ties with a Chinese counterpart under pressure from lawmakers.
The announcement was made on Friday, three months after the House select committee on China sent a letter to the University of Michigan’s president, Santa Ono, arguing that the Chinese university played a “critical role in the Chinese Communist Party’s military-civil fusion strategy”.
The joint institute drew the attention of US lawmakers when five Chinese University of Michigan students were charged in October with misleading authorities about their activities near a remote military site.
In a statement, Ono said the University of Michigan must “prioritise our commitment to national security” even as “international academic partnerships have deeply enriched our academic offerings and strengthened the global education of our students”.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, known for its strength in science and engineering, is not on any US government blacklists, although the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a Canberra-based think tank, listed it as “high-risk” in its defence-related tracker of Chinese universities.
The partnership between two top-ranking public universities involved a joint institute that placed American students in China and Chinese students in the US. Established in 2005, the institute offered English-language engineering degree programmes.
The provost’s office at the University of Michigan said the institute had offered global learning experiences to over 1,000 undergraduates, and would work to ensure current students can complete their degrees without disruptions.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Hong Kong scientists turn kombucha ingredient into plastic substitute
By Sammy Heung
The laboratory at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s department of chemistry is filled with the rich aroma of tea as Professor Ngai To and his students get down to work.
They produce copious quantities of kombucha, the fizzy, fermented drink made from sweetened black tea which has become popular with claims of health benefits.
But the team’s focus is not on the trendy drink itself or concocting new flavours.
Ngai and his students hope an essential ingredient for brewing kombucha can create a new environmentally friendly material to replace plastic food packaging and even natural leather.
Kombucha is made by fermenting tea and sugar with bacteria and yeast, a days-long process that uses a pancake-shaped gelatinous mass called “Scoby” – which stands for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast”.
The team has used that to produce bacterial cellulose, a type of polymer that can be used as a biodegradable packaging material that disintegrates in soil within three to five months.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Sammy Heung
The laboratory at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s department of chemistry is filled with the rich aroma of tea as Professor Ngai To and his students get down to work.
They produce copious quantities of kombucha, the fizzy, fermented drink made from sweetened black tea which has become popular with claims of health benefits.
But the team’s focus is not on the trendy drink itself or concocting new flavours.
Ngai and his students hope an essential ingredient for brewing kombucha can create a new environmentally friendly material to replace plastic food packaging and even natural leather.
Kombucha is made by fermenting tea and sugar with bacteria and yeast, a days-long process that uses a pancake-shaped gelatinous mass called “Scoby” – which stands for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast”.
The team has used that to produce bacterial cellulose, a type of polymer that can be used as a biodegradable packaging material that disintegrates in soil within three to five months.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
