Hong Kong police officer hurts hand after gun fired accidentally in station
By Fiona Sun
A Hong Kong police officer injured her hand and was sent to hospital on Saturday after her gun was accidentally discharged in a station, the Post learned.
The officer was unloading her service pistol at Happy Valley Police Station when it accidentally fired one round at 3pm, a source said.
She injured her fingers and was sent to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai for treatment, the insider said, adding that no one else was hurt.
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By Fiona Sun
A Hong Kong police officer injured her hand and was sent to hospital on Saturday after her gun was accidentally discharged in a station, the Post learned.
The officer was unloading her service pistol at Happy Valley Police Station when it accidentally fired one round at 3pm, a source said.
She injured her fingers and was sent to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai for treatment, the insider said, adding that no one else was hurt.
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Syrians sing songs of victory, revolution a month after Assad’s overthrow
By Associated Press
A packed concert hall in Damascus came alive this week with cheers as Wasfi Maasarani, a renowned singer and symbol of the Syrian uprising, performed in celebration of “Syria’s victory.”
The concert on Wednesday marked Maasarani’s return to Syria after 13 years of exile. While living in Los Angeles, Maasarani had continued to support Syria’s uprising through his music, touring the US and Europe.
The concert organised by the Molham Volunteering Team, a humanitarian organisation founded by Syrian students, also marked a month since a lightning insurgency toppled former President Bashar al-Assad.
Revolutionary songs like those by Maasarani and Abdelbasset Sarout – a Syrian singer and activist who died in 2019 – played a key role in rallying Syrians during the nearly 14-year uprising-turned civil war starting in 2011.
Many opponents of Assad’s rule, like Maasarani, had fled the country and were unsure if they would ever be able to come back.
In the dimly lit concert hall, the crowd’s phone lights flickered like stars, swaying in unison with the music as the audience sang along, some wiping away tears. The crowd cheered and whistled and many waved the new Syrian flag, the revolutionary flag marked by three stars. A banner held up in the hall read, “It is Syria the Great, not Syria the Assad.”
One of Maasarani’s best known songs is “Jabeenak ’Ali w Ma Bintal,” which he first sang in 2012, addressing the Free Syrian Army. It was a coalition of defected Syrian military personnel and civilian fighters formed in 2011 to oppose Assad during the civil war.
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By Associated Press
A packed concert hall in Damascus came alive this week with cheers as Wasfi Maasarani, a renowned singer and symbol of the Syrian uprising, performed in celebration of “Syria’s victory.”
The concert on Wednesday marked Maasarani’s return to Syria after 13 years of exile. While living in Los Angeles, Maasarani had continued to support Syria’s uprising through his music, touring the US and Europe.
The concert organised by the Molham Volunteering Team, a humanitarian organisation founded by Syrian students, also marked a month since a lightning insurgency toppled former President Bashar al-Assad.
Revolutionary songs like those by Maasarani and Abdelbasset Sarout – a Syrian singer and activist who died in 2019 – played a key role in rallying Syrians during the nearly 14-year uprising-turned civil war starting in 2011.
Many opponents of Assad’s rule, like Maasarani, had fled the country and were unsure if they would ever be able to come back.
In the dimly lit concert hall, the crowd’s phone lights flickered like stars, swaying in unison with the music as the audience sang along, some wiping away tears. The crowd cheered and whistled and many waved the new Syrian flag, the revolutionary flag marked by three stars. A banner held up in the hall read, “It is Syria the Great, not Syria the Assad.”
One of Maasarani’s best known songs is “Jabeenak ’Ali w Ma Bintal,” which he first sang in 2012, addressing the Free Syrian Army. It was a coalition of defected Syrian military personnel and civilian fighters formed in 2011 to oppose Assad during the civil war.
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Chinese and Indonesian coastguards pledge deeper cooperation after first high-level talks
By Wendy Wu
The Chinese and Indonesian coastguards held their first senior-level talks this week on boosting maritime security cooperation.
The two sides discussed topics such as setting up regular meetings at all levels, port calls and capability build-up, the China Coast Guard said on Saturday.
“Both sides believe that it is necessary to further deepen pragmatic maritime cooperation, jointly maintain the order of maritime security and properly deal with maritime emergencies,” its statement said.
The talks took place in Beijing during a visit by Vice-Admiral Irvansyah, chief of the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency, that began on Tuesday and ended on Saturday and took place at China’s invitation.
“The meeting is not only a symbol of the close relations between both institutions but also a joint commitment to create a safe, peaceful and prosperous maritime region,” he said, according to the Indonesian coastguard.
The delegation also visited the headquarters of a coastguard unit in the southern city of Guangzhou and inspected operational facilities and a patrol vessel.
China has in recent years stepped up its efforts to engage with Indonesia on the economic and security front amid its growing strategic rivalry with the United States and rising tensions with the Philippines in the South China Sea.
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By Wendy Wu
The Chinese and Indonesian coastguards held their first senior-level talks this week on boosting maritime security cooperation.
The two sides discussed topics such as setting up regular meetings at all levels, port calls and capability build-up, the China Coast Guard said on Saturday.
“Both sides believe that it is necessary to further deepen pragmatic maritime cooperation, jointly maintain the order of maritime security and properly deal with maritime emergencies,” its statement said.
The talks took place in Beijing during a visit by Vice-Admiral Irvansyah, chief of the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency, that began on Tuesday and ended on Saturday and took place at China’s invitation.
“The meeting is not only a symbol of the close relations between both institutions but also a joint commitment to create a safe, peaceful and prosperous maritime region,” he said, according to the Indonesian coastguard.
The delegation also visited the headquarters of a coastguard unit in the southern city of Guangzhou and inspected operational facilities and a patrol vessel.
China has in recent years stepped up its efforts to engage with Indonesia on the economic and security front amid its growing strategic rivalry with the United States and rising tensions with the Philippines in the South China Sea.
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Suspected hitman extradited to Thailand over shooting of Cambodian lawmaker
By Reuters
A suspected hitman accused of killing a Cambodian former opposition lawmaker in a brazen attack in Bangkok was handed over to Thai authorities on Saturday from Cambodia, where he had been arrested after crossing the border.
Thai national Ekkalak Paenoi, 41, faces charges including premeditated murder in the Tuesday shooting death of Lim Kimya, 74, in the Thai capital.
“The suspect confessed to the crime and to being the person in the arrest warrant,” Somprasong Yentuam, assistant national police chief, told reporters. “He looked stressed.”
Ekkalak, a motorcycle taxi driver who police officers told journalists was a former marine, was taken to Bangkok after Thai police coordinated with Cambodian authorities. A Thai court issued the warrant and he was arrested on Wednesday.
Lim Kimya, a Cambodian and French citizen, was killed by a gunman firing three shots, hours after arriving from Cambodia with his wife and brother and travelling to Bangkok by bus, police have said.
He was a member of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, a popular opposition group that was dissolved by a court over an alleged treason plot ahead of a 2018 election. The party dismissed the alleged plot as a fabrication.
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By Reuters
A suspected hitman accused of killing a Cambodian former opposition lawmaker in a brazen attack in Bangkok was handed over to Thai authorities on Saturday from Cambodia, where he had been arrested after crossing the border.
Thai national Ekkalak Paenoi, 41, faces charges including premeditated murder in the Tuesday shooting death of Lim Kimya, 74, in the Thai capital.
“The suspect confessed to the crime and to being the person in the arrest warrant,” Somprasong Yentuam, assistant national police chief, told reporters. “He looked stressed.”
Ekkalak, a motorcycle taxi driver who police officers told journalists was a former marine, was taken to Bangkok after Thai police coordinated with Cambodian authorities. A Thai court issued the warrant and he was arrested on Wednesday.
Lim Kimya, a Cambodian and French citizen, was killed by a gunman firing three shots, hours after arriving from Cambodia with his wife and brother and travelling to Bangkok by bus, police have said.
He was a member of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, a popular opposition group that was dissolved by a court over an alleged treason plot ahead of a 2018 election. The party dismissed the alleged plot as a fabrication.
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Why China’s young jobseekers are being held back by an overseas education
By Dannie Peng
Despite holding degrees from some of the world’s most prestigious universities, many returning Chinese graduates are struggling to find good jobs, and the reason may not just be a spike in competition.
Intensifying geopolitical tensions and national security concerns are also coming into play, according to observers.
Chinese graduates with foreign degrees are being excluded by many provinces in the xuandiaosheng, or “selected and assigned graduates” system, a recruitment programme for the civil service designed to select and train future elite cadres for the ruling Communist Party and government.
In the southern province of Guangdong, for example, graduates from institutions outside mainland China are not eligible to apply for the 2025 round, according to an official notice published in December.
This applies to all US Ivy League schools and other renowned institutions like the University of Cambridge and the National University of Singapore.
Similarly, in the eastern province of Shandong, the latest recruitment policy for assigned graduates, published in October, said 2025 applicants would only be selected from domestic colleges and universities.
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By Dannie Peng
Despite holding degrees from some of the world’s most prestigious universities, many returning Chinese graduates are struggling to find good jobs, and the reason may not just be a spike in competition.
Intensifying geopolitical tensions and national security concerns are also coming into play, according to observers.
Chinese graduates with foreign degrees are being excluded by many provinces in the xuandiaosheng, or “selected and assigned graduates” system, a recruitment programme for the civil service designed to select and train future elite cadres for the ruling Communist Party and government.
In the southern province of Guangdong, for example, graduates from institutions outside mainland China are not eligible to apply for the 2025 round, according to an official notice published in December.
This applies to all US Ivy League schools and other renowned institutions like the University of Cambridge and the National University of Singapore.
Similarly, in the eastern province of Shandong, the latest recruitment policy for assigned graduates, published in October, said 2025 applicants would only be selected from domestic colleges and universities.
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China subway scalper detained over 70 US cents seat-saving scheme during rush hours
By Alice Yan
A man in Shanghai has caused controversy by appraently offering a service that charges people five yuan (7 US cents) for a seat on the city’s subway during rush hours.
The man, surnamed Zhou, who lives and works in the Lingang New Zone in the southeastern part of the city, posted on social media on December 19 that he could offer his seat on subway Line 16 during the morning and evening rush hours.
The apparent scalper has since been placed under administrative detention, but claims he only spread details of the scheme as a rumour to gain online attention, according to the mainland media outlet The Paper.
He earlier said service costs five yuan which covers the underground fee for his single journey, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.
Line 16 is crowded with work commuters in the early hours every day as it connects the suburban Lingang area with downtown.
Zhou said he gets on the train at a terminal station, ensuring him a seat. He said he starts his trip at 7:30am and gets off the train at Huinan Station or Xinchang Station near his office.
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By Alice Yan
A man in Shanghai has caused controversy by appraently offering a service that charges people five yuan (7 US cents) for a seat on the city’s subway during rush hours.
The man, surnamed Zhou, who lives and works in the Lingang New Zone in the southeastern part of the city, posted on social media on December 19 that he could offer his seat on subway Line 16 during the morning and evening rush hours.
The apparent scalper has since been placed under administrative detention, but claims he only spread details of the scheme as a rumour to gain online attention, according to the mainland media outlet The Paper.
He earlier said service costs five yuan which covers the underground fee for his single journey, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.
Line 16 is crowded with work commuters in the early hours every day as it connects the suburban Lingang area with downtown.
Zhou said he gets on the train at a terminal station, ensuring him a seat. He said he starts his trip at 7:30am and gets off the train at Huinan Station or Xinchang Station near his office.
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Hong Kong police launch appeal to find missing man, 72, on Lantau Island
By Edith Lin
Hong Kong police are seeking the public’s assistance in finding a 72-year-old man who has gone missing on Lantau Island.
Ronald Taylor, 72, was last seen on Thursday afternoon leaving his home at 12 Waterfront Road in Tung Chung. He was dressed in a black jacket, blue trousers, brown shoes with a pair of glasses and a black shoulder bag.
His family reported his case to the police on Friday.
The missing man has a height of about 1.8m (5.9 feet) and a weight of 95kg (209lbs), with short grey and white hair as well as a round face and white complexion, according to the force.
Police have urged members of the public with information of Taylor’s whereabouts to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories South at 3661 1176 or 9415 4495 or email [email protected], or contact any police station.
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By Edith Lin
Hong Kong police are seeking the public’s assistance in finding a 72-year-old man who has gone missing on Lantau Island.
Ronald Taylor, 72, was last seen on Thursday afternoon leaving his home at 12 Waterfront Road in Tung Chung. He was dressed in a black jacket, blue trousers, brown shoes with a pair of glasses and a black shoulder bag.
His family reported his case to the police on Friday.
The missing man has a height of about 1.8m (5.9 feet) and a weight of 95kg (209lbs), with short grey and white hair as well as a round face and white complexion, according to the force.
Police have urged members of the public with information of Taylor’s whereabouts to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories South at 3661 1176 or 9415 4495 or email [email protected], or contact any police station.
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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.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
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.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
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.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
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.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
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.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
