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RTHK:Video News
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Video news from Hong Kong and around the world.
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204 episodes
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Content provided by RTHK.HK. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by RTHK.HK or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
Video news from Hong Kong and around the world.
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×China said it hopes for cooperation with the United States to resolve trade issues, a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as US president. "China is willing to strengthen dialogue and communication with the United States, properly manage differences and expand mutually beneficial cooperation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular news briefing on Tuesday. "It is hoped that the United States will work with China to jointly promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US economic and trade relations." Trump on Monday warned that he could impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico next month, but appeared to delay any action against China for now. In his inauguration speech, Trump did not target China nor did he immediately impose tariffs as previously promised. At the same time, he directed federal agencies to "investigate and remedy" persistent US trade deficits and unfair trade practices by other countries, and said he might impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico on February 1. Guo also said China will firmly maintain its national interests, but at the same time it is necessary for senior officials of both countries to maintain contact in an appropriate manner. He was responding to a question on whether Beijing would drop its sanctions on the newly confirmed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was among a group of American officials sanctioned by China in 2020 over Hong Kong and Xinjiang issues. On TikTok, Trump on Monday signed an executive order delaying the enforcement of a ban on the popular short-video app, but said he might impose tariffs on China if Beijing does not approve a potential US deal with TikTok. The order kept TikTok operating for 75 days, a relief to the social media platform’s users. Speaking to reporters from the White House, Trump said he was seeking a 50-50 partnership between the US government and ByteDance, though he did not provide details on how this could be achieved. “I guess I have a warm spot for TikTok,” he said. Shou Zi Chew, TikTok’s CEO, attended Trump’s inauguration, seated with American tech heavyweights. The platform went offline before the ban approved by Congress and upheld by the US Supreme Court took effect on Sunday. After Trump promised he would pause the ban, TikTok restored access for existing users. Google and Apple, however, still have not reinstated TikTok to their app stores. Meanwhile, Trump said he could travel to China as soon as this year. Asked by a reporter if he would travel to China this year, the US leader said, "Yeah, could be. I've had the invite." (Agencies) _____________________________ Last updated: 2025-01-21 HKT 16:09…
At least 10 people were killed and another 32 injured after a fire broke out at a hotel at a ski resort in northwestern Turkey on Tuesday. The fire broke out overnight at the hotel's restaurant in the resort of Kartalkaya in Bolu province, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. Two of the victims died after jumping out of the building in a panic, Governor Abdulaziz Aydin told the state-run Anadolu Agency. Private NTV television said some people tried to climb down from their rooms using sheets. There were 234 guests staying at the hotel, Aydin said. Necmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor at the hotel, said he was asleep when the fire erupted and he rushed out of the building. He told NTV television that he then helped some 20 guests out of the hotel. He said the hotel was engulfed in smoke, making it difficult for guests to locate the fire escape. Television images showed the roof and top floors of the hotel on fire. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. NTV television suggested that the wooden cladding on the hotel's exterior may have accelerated the spread of the fire. Kartalkaya is a popular ski resort in the Koroglu mountains, some 300 kilometres east of Istanbul. The fire occurred during the school semester break when hotels in the region are packed. Aydin's office said 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances were sent to the site. (AP)…
Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday expressed his hope for promoting positive relations with Washington after US President Donald Trump returned to office for a second term, while saying Hong Kong would also "prepare for the worst". Lee also warned any political interference would not work. "Any political interference, any inappropriate action against Hong Kong will not work. We believe what we do is for the overall good of Hong Kong," Lee said when asked if he's worried about more sanctions on the SAR. "If there is any attempt to interfere with trials in Hong Kong, or officials or people who are involved in administering justice, it won't work. We are doing it exactly in the same way in protecting our national security as other citizens in their own countries." Lee said he hopes to have a good relationship with the United States, as there are many common interests between the two sides. "With the new president in office, I hope to see that there will be good efforts to promote positive relations, because cooperation and collaboration will only create overall good for the people of Hong Kong and the people of the US. And Hong Kong people and US citizens have always been friends in a lot of areas and we'll continue to work hard on that regard," he said. "But, of course, we will always prepare for the worst, and we will ensure that the rights of our people and companies will be protected." The SAR always seeks to strengthen ties and exchanges with different countries including the United States, the chief executive said, but there should be mutual respect and understanding. Speaking on RTHK's Backchat programme on Tuesday, Alan Lung, co-convenor of The Path of Democracy, said the SAR government may find it challenging to anticipate Trump's thinking. "Our government may not be able to read Trump, and doesn't understand what they [the administration] are worried about," he said. Ross Feingold, Head of Research at Cyrus Consulting, felt the SAR could face an uphill battle when dealing with Washington. "Hong Kong is starting from a disadvantage, and we also have to keep in mind that no matter what he [Trump] says about his personal relationship with [President] Xi Jinping... Secretary of State (Marco) Rubio, who was just confirmed, the foreign policy team, these are people who don't have warm opinions towards Hong Kong."…
Chief Executive John Lee says Hong Kong will strengthen cooperation with other places to try to secure the release of SAR residents being held prisoner in "scam farms" in Southeast Asia. At the moment, 10 Hongkongers are believed to be being forced to take part in fraud after being tricked into travelling to Thailand and neighbouring countries. Lee told reporters ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting on Tuesday that authorities will carry out thorough investigations and work with counterparts overseas to tackle the issue. “There are a lot of players in the whole fight against this crime, including law enforcement agencies in the relevant countries. There are good networks already. The respective countries have already heightened their attention and escalated the government participation in our whole fight," he said. "We will continue to strengthen cooperation in this area, passing intelligence across the players." Lee also called on the public to be aware of different types of scams, including those that have ensnared scores of university students from the mainland. "People may have heard about such cases...but still they think they won't be the victims and so they are not as alert," he said. Police have strengthened cooperation with tertiary institutions to raise awareness of financial scams among students, Lee added.…
Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday said more than 1.4 million mainland arrivals are expected in Hong Kong during the Lunar New Year holiday period. Speaking to reporters before the weekly Executive Council meeting, the CE said the administration will make comprehensive preparations to ensure travellers have a good experience. "The inter-departmental working group, chaired by the chief secretary, will make proper arrangements based on the situation during individual festive periods and the estimated traveller numbers," Lee said. "Regarding cross-border arrangements, we need to discuss and cooperate with mainland authorities. We will look at the actual situation to see whether service hours at border checkpoints need to be extended and how long these should be. We should be announcing the details within this week." Lee said 2025 will open a new page for Hong Kong with more tourists making frequent visits to the city. He said the number of inbound visits saw a huge surge last year, reaching almost 45 million. While mainland arrivals saw a 30 percent year-on-year increase, the growth from Southeast Asia was even more significant. The CE said he expects the growth to continue in the coming year, with more new air routes to be opened. Meanwhile, the chief executive also announced that twin panda cubs at Ocean Park will make their public debut on February 16. Lee said there would be a naming contest for the pandas. "We hope everyone can share the joy of this big family, so having a naming contest will make it even more joyful and warm. Details will be announced soon," he said.…
President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned nearly everyone criminally charged with participating in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, in a show of solidarity with supporters who stormed the seat of American power in his name. The far-reaching action also cuts short the sentences of 14 members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers organisations, including some who were convicted of seditious conspiracy. The document also directs the US attorney general to drop all pending cases related to the riot. "What they've done to these people is outrageous," Trump, a Republican, told reporters in the Oval Office. "These are the hostages - approximately 1,500 people - for a pardon, full pardon," he said at a signing ceremony shortly after arriving at the White House. "We hope they come out tonight frankly," he said. "They're expecting it." Trump, whose first term as president ended under the cloud of the Capitol assault, has repeatedly played down the unprecedented violence of January 6, even going so far as to describe it as a "day of love." More than 140 police officers were injured in hours of clashes with rioters wielding flagpoles, baseball bats, hockey sticks and other makeshift weapons along with Tasers and canisters of bear spray. The assault on the Capitol followed a fiery speech by then-president Trump to tens of thousands of his supporters near the White House in which he repeated his false claims that he won the 2020 race. He then encouraged the crowd to march on Congress. Trump was charged by special counsel Jack Smith with conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election. But the case never made it to trial, and was dropped under the Justice Department's policy of not prosecuting a sitting president. According to the latest figures from the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, 1,583 people have been charged in connection with the Capitol siege, including 608 accused of assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers. A lawyer for the former leader of the Proud Boys group, Enrique Tarrio, said he expected his client to be released from federal prison. Tarrio is serving a 22-year sentence, the longest of anyone criminally charged in the riot, for seditious conspiracy. He was found guilty of plotting to violently oppose the transfer of power after the 2020 election. A lawyer for Tarrio's co-defendant, Joe Biggs, said he was also told by an intermediary that Biggs is being processed for release. Biggs, who held a senior post in the Proud Boys, was also convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 17 years in prison. The US Constitution gives presidents broad pardon power and there is no legal mechanism for challenging a presidential pardon. Biden, before leaving office on Monday, issued pre-emptive pardons to former Covid pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci, retired general Mark Milley and close family members to shield them from "politically-motivated prosecutions" by the Trump administration. Biden gave similar pardons to former Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney and other members of the congressional committee that investigated the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Just minutes before Trump was sworn in, Biden announced he was issuing pardons to his brother James Biden, James's wife Sara Jones Biden, his sister Valerie Biden Owens, Valerie's husband John Owens, and his brother Francis Biden. "My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me -- the worst kind of partisan politics," Biden said. "Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end." (Agencies)…
Donald Trump was sworn in for a historic second term as US president on Monday, pledging a blitz of immediate orders on immigration and the US culture wars as he caps his extraordinary comeback. With one hand raised in the air, the 47th US president solemnly took the oath of office beneath the huge Rotunda of the US Capitol. Republican Trump and outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden had earlier travelled by motorcade together to the Capitol, where the ceremony was being held indoors - and with a much smaller crowd - for the first time in decades due to frigid weather. Earlier, they and their spouses met for a traditional tea at the White House. "Welcome home," Biden said to Trump as he and First Lady Jill Biden greeted their successors at the front door to the presidential residence. Trump, 78, was a political outsider at his first inauguration in 2017 as the 45th president, but this time around he is surrounded by America's wealthy and powerful. The world's richest man, Elon Musk, Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos and Google CEO Sundar Pichai all had prime seats in the Capitol alongside Trump's family and cabinet members. Musk, who bankrolled Trump's election campaign to the tune of a quarter of a billion dollars and promotes far-right policies on the X social network, will lead a cost-cutting drive in the new administration. While Trump refused to attend Biden's 2021 inauguration after falsely claiming electoral fraud by the Democrat, this time Biden has been keen to restore the sense of tradition. Biden joined former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton at the Capitol. Former first ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush were there but ex-first lady Michelle Obama pointedly stayed away. (AFP)…
The outgoing chairman of the Bar Association, Victor Dawes, said on Monday that while protecting national security is fundamentally important and helps to ensure Hong Kong's economic development, the authorities need to exercise their powers in a proportionate manner. In his speech at a ceremony marking the start of the Legal Year, Dawes said common law and the judicial system are pivotal to the success of Hong Kong and the constitutional order in the city. He cited Lord Hodge, deputy president of the United Kingdom's top court, as saying that the quality of a place's legal institutions is important to investment levels, innovation and economic growth. Dawes said there is no doubt that protecting national security is fundamentally important and essential for economic prosperity and people's well-being. He said there continued to be unfair criticism overseas regarding security matters linked to incidents that took place in Hong Kong in 2019, and some of the criticism was aimed at undermining the SAR's prosperity. The Bar Association chief said it's important for the authorities to exercise powers derived from national security laws in a considered and proportionate manner, to show that Hong Kong, as a jurisdiction, respects the rights of the people. "Ministers and public officers at all levels must be able to show that their powers are exercised in good faith, fairly, and for the purpose for which the powers are conferred," he said. "Businesses must have the confidence that they will be dealt with on a principled and not an arbitrary basis. In this regard, powers under our new national security legislation should be used in a considered and proportionate manner." The president of the Law Society, Roden Tong, said his organisation will do its best to preserve the legal sector's self-regulatory regime, saying this is seen as an important part of the profession's independence. "The independence of the profession will give the public confidence that it can take an objective view and effectively uphold the rule of law," he said. "This is particularly important when our systems are under close scrutiny in the geopolitical climate, and the Law Society will strive to preserve the profession's self-regulatory status." Tong also called on the sector to play a bigger educational role to help tackle misinformation.…
Justice Secretary Paul Lam on Monday hit out at attempts to "exert improper pressure" on overseas judges serving on Hong Kong's top court. In a speech marking the beginning of the Legal Year, he also said people should not overlook the fact that some foreign non-permanent judges (NPJs) have decided to stay on the bench at the Court of Final Appeal. In 2024, five foreign judges decided to step down from the court. There are now 10 NPJs, six of them from overseas. Lam said the "participation of eminent foreign judges" in the work of the top court benefits both the SAR and the common law world as a whole. "It's most regrettable that there were attempts mainly from overseas to exert improper pressures on foreign judges to dissociate themselves from the Hong Kong court. These attempts pose a threat to not only the rule of law in Hong Kong but also the development of common law in general," Lam said. "The government is in full support of the judiciary in its continuous efforts to appoint and retain foreign NPJs in future." He also criticised individuals who "intimidate" national security judges or "interfere" with judicial proceedings. "It's vital to bear in mind that the enforcement of the national security law is subject to the supervision of the Hong Kong court exercising its independent judicial power," Lam said. "Anyone who intimidates judges handling national security cases or interferes with the relevant judicial proceedings in whatsoever manner cannot be genuinely concerned about the rule of law in Hong Kong." He said the homegrown national security law, which took effect in March last year, aims to ensure "the hard-won peace and stability" that Hong Kong enjoys can be preserved. "Unless security is first safeguarded, it will be impossible for Hong Kong to utilise its unique strengths at full strength under the principle of One Country, Two Systems, and serve as an international financial, shipping and trade centre," Lam said.…
Hong Kong's judges have upheld fundamental legal principles in hearing all cases, including national security trials, Chief Justice Andrew Cheung said on Monday. In a speech marking the start of the Legal Year, the SAR's top judge said the city's national security laws have brought with them "cases that attract heightened attention", particularly due to their political sensitivity. But Cheung stressed the same legal principles apply in national security cases as in others. "The presumption of innocence, the requirement that guilt be proved beyond reasonable doubt, and the right to a fair trial are all essential safeguards that remain firmly in place," he said. "Our courts do not merely pay lip service to these fundamental principles. Judges at all levels are expected to, and indeed do, adhere to them in the adjudication of cases." Cheung said tensions often exist between protecting basic rights and safeguarding national security, both of which the judiciary is firmly committed to upholding. "Striking the right balance can be challenging, and outcomes in individual cases may be contentious at times, nor is the interpretation or application of newly enacted statutory provisions always straightforward," he said. "However, it is one thing to disagree with a legal provision or a court decision in applying it, but entirely another to suggest that the justice system has been undermined by political expectations or societal atmosphere." Speaking to the media after the ceremony, Cheung said the city's judges faced threats, and stressed that judicial officers should not be interfered with by any countries, bodies or organisations. "Threatening sanctions against judges simply doing their work goes directly to the question of judicial independence and interfering with judges' work and therefore it is objectionable," he said. "It is objectionable as a matter of principle and it is a direct affront to the rule of law and to judicial independence." The chief justice also said while the departure of foreign judges from the city's top court "caused concerns in some quarters", it has not affected judicial independence. "It is unfortunate that a few of these judges have felt unable to continue their service. They are, of course, entitled to their views, and their decisions ought to be respected. However, their premature departures do not mean a weakening of the quality or independence of the judiciary," Cheung said in his speech. "It is true that, given the current geopolitical headwinds, recruiting overseas judges with the right stature and experience may be less straightforward than it once was. After all, overseas judges are appointed to our highest court on account of their acknowledged eminence and legal expertise, not merely to sustain the system of overseas judges for its own sake." In 2024, five foreign judges decided to step down from the Court of Final Appeal (CFA). Following their exits, there are 10 non-permanent judges (NPJs) left sitting on the top court, six of them from overseas. In comments made to the media, Cheung expressed confidence that the city will be able to recruit more overseas judges. "Given the rather stable number of appeals heard by the CFA in recent years, the number of 10 NPJs – six overseas NPJs, plus four local NPJs – plus possible appointment of further NPJs in the future, would be more than sufficient to allow us to cope with our very steady workload on the court," he said. "I'm reasonably confident of keeping our existing NPJs as well as recruiting new NPJs in the future when we can identify suitable candidates to be appointed." The top judge also said the presence or absence of individual judges will not undermine the integrity of Hong Kong's judicial system. Cheung said the city has faced significant political, social and economic challenges in recent years, which tested the resilience of the territory's legal system and the strengths of its institutions. Despite that, he said, the judiciary continued to uphold the rule of law and ensured that legal procedures remain transparent, fair and independent. _____________________________ Last updated: 2025-01-20 HKT 21:50…
The government department responsible for attracting foreign investment on Monday expressed optimism that American companies will continue to be attracted to set up shop in Hong Kong after Donald Trump begins his second term in office. InvestHK said of the record 539 non-local companies it helped establish or expand in the SAR last year, US firms were the second biggest group, following those from the mainland. The department's director-general, Alpha Lau, said while it remains to be seen what the incoming US administration's policies will be, companies from many American industries will still come to Hong Kong in search of profit. "Because in the end, American companies are very pragmatic, as well as very practical. And the growth is in Asia, and in mainland China," she told a press conference. "So if they want to look for business opportunities and look for growth, then this is where they want to be." Lau said Hong Kong is seen as a testing ground or springboard for foreign companies seeking to enter the mainland market. The director-general expressed optimism that her department can meet the government target of attracting 1,130 companies to the SAR in the three-year period ending this year. The firms last year created more than 6,800 jobs in Hong Kong, with total investment reaching HK$67.7 billion, around 10 percent more than in 2023, InvestHK said. The top five sectors were innovation technology, finance, family offices, tourism and professional services.…
Josh Allen scored two touchdowns as the Buffalo Bills punished a slew of mistakes to defeat the Baltimore Ravens 27-25 and set up a blockbuster NFL playoff clash with the Kansas City Chiefs. Bills quarterback Allen barged over for two first-half rushing touchdowns at a snowy Highmark Stadium in New York as the Baltimore opposite number Lamar Jackson and the Ravens were left ruing a string of costly errors. The visitors had a golden chance to tie the game with less than two minutes remaining, but tight end Mark Andrews fluffed a simple catch attempting a two-point conversion to effectively seal the Bills win. "How about that Buffalo Bills defence?" Allen said afterwards. "All year we heard this team has no talent, we're too small, we can't stop the run? We're not good enough to compete?" "We just put our head down and worked hard," he added. "I'm so proud of our defence." The AFC divisional round battle had been hyped as a duel between two of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the NFL, pitting this season's Most Valuable Player front-runner Allen against the Ravens' reigning MVP Jackson. But the quarterback shoot-out largely failed to materialise in a gritty contest that ultimately pivoted on the Ravens' mistakes at key times. A Jackson fumble following a sack by Damar Hamlin led to Allen's opening touchdown in the second quarter that put the Bills 14-7 ahead. Allen then scored his second rushing touchdown in the closing moments of the first half to help put the Bills 21-10 up at the break. The Ravens threatened a comeback with a field goal and a Derrick Henry touchdown in the third quarter that cut the Bills lead to three points. But another Ravens turnover in the fourth quarter, Andrews fumbling under pressure led to a Bills field goal that stretched the hosts lead to 27-19. Baltimore hit back with a superb Isaiah Likely touchdown from Jackson's 24-yard bullet pass, but with overtime looming, Andrews botched the two-point conversion attempt. The Bills will now meet Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City in next week's AFC Championship game, with the winner advancing to the February 9 Super Bowl in New Orleans. It will be the latest instalment of a fierce rivalry between the two teams, who have met three times in the playoffs since 2021 – the Chiefs winning them all. The Bills, however, were one of only two teams to beat the Chiefs in the regular season this year. "We're going to enjoy this tonight and then turn our attention to the Chiefs tomorrow," said Allen. "They're the perennial of what you want to be in the NFL – you've got to beat them to get past them." Meanwhile, running back sensation Saquon Barkley rushed for two long-range solo touchdowns as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Los Angeles Rams 28-22 to reach the NFC Championship game. The Eagles will host NFC East divisional rivals the Washington Commanders next week for a place in the Super Bowl. Philadelphia's power in the running game proved decisive in a game played in heavy snow with Barkley, a candidate for the league's Most Valuable Player, putting up 205 yards on 26 carries. Even before the snow began to fall late in the first quarter, the Eagles exposed the Rams' run defence, opening the scoring on the opening drive of the game when quarterback Jalen Hurts broke out and sprinted 44 yards for the touchdown. The Rams fought back quickly though with quarterback Matthew Stafford leading a 13-play, 67-yard drive which ended with a four-yard touchdown pass to tight-end Tyler Higbee. Los Angeles had spent all week preparing for the threat of Barkley, but they were still unable to stop him when he found a gap and sprinted 62 yards to put the Eagles up 13-7 at the end of the first quarter. The Eagles extended their lead with two field goals in the fourth before Barkley turned on the turbo chargers again with just over four minutes left, with the snow showing no obstacle to his power and speed as he burst 78 yards for his second touchdown. The Rams threatened a remarkable comeback with a quick Colby Parkinson touchdown, but a last gasp drive for a go-ahead touchdown faltered. (AFP)…
Palestinians burst into streets to celebrate and began returning to the rubble of bombed-out homes on Sunday after a ceasefire deal halted fighting in Gaza, while three female hostages freed by Hamas were reunited with their mothers inside Israel. Hamas fighters drove through the southern city of Khan Younis with crowds cheering and chanting. In the north of the territory, bombed into oblivion in the war's most intense fighting, people picked their way on narrow roads through a devastated landscape of rubble and twisted metal. "I feel like at last I found some water to drink after being lost in the desert for 15 months," said Aya, a displaced woman from Gaza City who has been sheltering in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip for over a year. In Tel Aviv, hundreds of Israelis in a square outside the defence headquarters watched a live broadcast from Gaza showing the hostage release on a giant screen. The crowd cheered, embraced and wept as three female hostages could be seen getting into a Red Cross vehicle surrounded by armed Hamas fighters. Soon after, the Israeli military said Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari had been reunited with their mothers at a meeting point inside Israel, close to the kibbutz and nearby music festival where they had been abducted in the October 7, 2023 Hamas raid. The three appeared in good health in a video later released by the military. Damari, who lost two fingers when she was shot the day she was abducted, could be seen smiling and embracing her mother as she held up a bandaged hand. "I would like you to tell them: Romi, Doron and Emily – an entire nation embraces you. Welcome home," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a commander by phone as the hostages were driven across the border. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, buses awaited the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli detention. Hamas said the first group to be freed in exchange for the hostages includes 69 women and 21 teenage boys. The first phase of the truce in the 15-month-old war between Israel and Hamas took effect following a three-hour delay during which Israeli warplanes and artillery pounded the Gaza Strip. That last-minute Israeli blitz killed 13 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel blamed Hamas for being late to deliver the names of hostages it would free, and said it had struck terrorists. Hamas said the holdup in providing the list was technical. "Today the guns in Gaza have gone silent," US President Joe Biden said on his last full day in office, welcoming a truce that had eluded US diplomacy for more than a year. "It was a long road," Biden said. "But we've reached this point today because of the pressure Israel built on Hamas, backed by the United States." The truce calls for fighting to stop, aid to be sent in to Gaza and 33 of nearly 100 Israeli and foreign hostages to go free over the six-week first phase in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. (Reuters)…
The Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau and RTHK on Sunday announced they have jointly produced a series of programmes to promote patriotism and the rule of law. The initiative follows last year's establishment of the Working Group on Patriotic Education, which aims to strengthen education about national history and Chinese culture. The working group's convenor Starry Lee, who is also Hong Kong's sole delegate to the National People's Congress Standing Committee, said there are four major programmes. "The purpose of [these programmes], as a combination of other tasks and events, is to help to build up the cultural awareness of Hong Kong people and their understanding towards our country," she told reporters. Lee added that the working group will cooperate with different government departments and community stakeholders to organise events this year. At a launch ceremony on Sunday, Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Clement Woo, said the programmes will explain the Basic Law and the Constitution through everyday scenarios. Woo said the government has been working hard to help people understand these two documents better through diverse channels and innovative ways. Director of Broadcasting Angelina Kwan, working group member and National People's Congress deputy Cally Kwong, and Basic Law Committee member Simon Lee also attended the ceremony.…
The Airport Authority on Sunday gave assurances that transportation services to and from the airport will not be affected by the development of SKYTOPIA. Earlier, the authority revealed the new expansion of Hong Kong's Airport City, which will include an arts hub, aimed at attracting visitors from both home and abroad. "We have developed an autonomous vehicle system that would link from the border point and also from 11 Skies all the way to the MTR station in Tung Chung, which means that in [the] future, for the people from Hong Kong who want to go to SKYTOPIA, they don't actually have to use the Airport Express link," the authority's chairman Fred Lam told reporters after attending a Commercial Radio show. He said the vehicle system will connect Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge's Hong Kong port with the Airport City by the start of 2026, and be extended to Tung Chung station by 2028. This, he explained, would relieve pressure on the Airport Express line. "We are also developing two autonomous car parks at the restricted area of the border control area. Very soon, cars from Macau and Guangdong will be able to use the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge to reach the airport and also the SKYTOPIA area, this will also alleviate traffic problems in the future," Lam added. The Airport Authority chief also said the development will see the construction of the city’s largest yacht bay, that would provide at least 500 docking spaces, as well a jet fresh market. "I hope the majority of parking spaces will be for yachts from around the Greater Bay Area and even other regions in Asia. We also hope to accommodate larger yachts, such as those longer than 70 metres, so yachts from further away can also come. Our positioning is towards those with better economic conditions, allowing them to drive their yacht and spend a few days in the city," Lam said. He added that the jet fresh market would allow visitors to enjoy the best fruits, meat and seafood from around the world due to the city's strong aviation network, import control and food safety standards. The Airport Authority had said the project would cost about HK$100 billion, including HK$30 billion for infrastructure.…
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