Hong Kong Today
Description:
RTHK's morning news programme. Weekdays 6:30 - 8:00
Presenter:
Carol Musgrave and Ben Tse2024-06-05
Wednesday
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Selected audio segments:
Hong Kong 'on alert' for attempts to disrupt order Listen
Chief Executive John Lee has warned that Hong Kong must remain alert against attempts to endanger national security or disrupt public order. He was commenting on the 35th anniversary of the June 4 incident. Raymond Yeung reports:
Arrests made on June 4 anniversary Listen
Police arrested four people around Causeway Bay, including a 68-year-old woman who was suspected to have committed offences relating to seditious intention under the Basic Law Article 23 national security legislation. Five others were taken back to the police station for investigation but later released. It comes as officers increased their patrols in the area on Tuesday, taking aside a number of people throughout the day. Aaron Tam reports:
Mainland tourist delegation visits Hong Kong Listen
The Tourism Board says an ongoing visit from a mainland trade delegation will give the tourism industry more opportunities and boost Hong Kong's economy. As Hailey Yip reports, representatives from eight mainland cities recently added to the Individual Visit Scheme are taking part in the tour:
Sleeper trains to run between Shanghai, Beijing, HK Listen
Overnight high-speed trains will begin operating between Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong later this month, offering travellers a convenient and cost-effective journey. Tickets will go on sale from Wednesday. Vanessa Cheng reports:
'New overnight trains will bring in more tourists' Listen
Lawmaker Gary Zhang says overnight high-speed trains due to begin operating between Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong can attract more visitors to the SAR. The former MTR engineer also said he expected business travellers to benefit the most. He said a key point was the timing of the service, as a passenger could board the train at night and arrive at their destination by morning, thus saving on the cost of hotel accommodation for one night. Zhang told Carol Musgrave that he did not expect any operational problems as the service was quite mature on the mainland, where sleeper trains had been running for years:
Lawmakers discuss expanding sex offender checks Listen
Lawmakers have expressed support towards government plans to expand checks on sex offender records to cover the self-employed, volunteers and existing workers. Damon Pang reports:
Staff reshuffle prompts infighting at HKU council Listen
Chief Executive John Lee says education authorities will look into reported infighting within the governing council of the University of Hong Kong. The council is said to have approved changes to senior staff without consulting the university president. Kelly Yu reports:
Local universities rise in global rankings Listen
Three of Hong Kong's universities have made it into the top 50 of this year's QS World University Rankings. Both the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University ranked higher than ever before. HKU was up nine places at 17th overall while CUHK climbed 11 places to 36th in the world. Meanwhile, the University of Science and Technology returned to the top 50, ranking 47th, a rise of 13 places. Polytechnic University and City University were just outside the top 50, finishing 57th and 62nd respectively. Baptist University was in 252nd place worldwide. Hailey Yip reports:
What lessons can HK learn from Finnish education system? Listen
The Education University is hosting a two-day conference looking at Finland's education system. Starting on Wednesday, the event by the university's Global Research Institute for Finnish Education brings together more than 150 scholars, educators and practitioners from Hong Kong, the mainland and overseas. They will touch on education reforms, with a focus on the Chinese and Finnish systems. The university's president and institute director, John Lee, told Hailey Yip about how the two educational systems could "inspire" each other, despite different social, economic and cultural landscapes:
Three percent pay rise approved for civil servants Listen
The Executive Council has approved a pay rise of three percent for all civil service staff this year, an amount that is lower than the increase of up to 5.47 percent as recommended by a recent Pay Trend Survey. As Anne Chan reports, officials said they considered various factors before making a decision:
Grassroots group opposes planned rise in water rates Listen
A grassroots group says any plan by the Water Supplies Department to raise charges will hurt low-income households in the pocket. Sze Lai-shan, the deputy director of the Society for Community Organisation, called for subsidies for needy families. She spoke to Anne Chan:
Pneumococcal cases surge in post-Covid era Listen
Infectious disease experts have called on the elderly and children to get pneumococcal vaccines, warning that cases of invasive pneumococcal infection doubled in the first quarter compared to the same period last year. Authorities say Serotype-3 was the dominant cause of invasive pneumococcal disease in the post-vaccine era. Dr Mike Kwan, a specialist in paediatric immunology and infectious diseases, spoke to Kimmy Lau:
Crypto firm JPEX faces civil lawsuit Listen
Cryptocurrency trading company JPEX is facing civil action for the first time after two victims of alleged fraud cases lodged claims at the District Court to recover funds. Altis Wong reports:
QuantumPharm launches billion-dollar IPO in HK Listen
A mainland artificial intelligence drug research firm is the first to take advantage of a new rule aimed at attracting technology firms to list in Hong Kong. As Chloe Feng reports, QuantumPharm plans to raise more than HK$1.1 billion in its initial public offering:
China probe returning from far side of the Moon Listen
China is closer to becoming the first country to return samples from the far side of the Moon. Its Chang'e-6 probe took off from the Moon on Tuesday morning after scooping rock and soil samples from the lunar surface. Jacqueline Guico reports:
Hamas accuses Israel of wanting 'endless' truce talks Listen
A senior Hamas official in Beirut has accused Israel of prolonging truce negotiations, saying it cannot agree to any Gaza peace deal unless Israel commits to a permanent ceasefire and a withdrawal from the strip. It comes as fighting continues in Gaza, with the Israeli army saying it has launched a new operation against Hamas at a refugee camp. Frank Yung reports:
Hunter Biden's federal gun trial commences Listen
Prosecutors in the criminal trial of Hunter Biden have accused him of lying to hide his drug addiction so he could illegally buy a gun. Meanwhile, the defence said the son of President Biden had no intent to deceive. As Frank Yung reports, it is the first time a sitting US President's child has faced a criminal trial:
Modi’s BJP loses majority in shock election result Listen
Early results from India's national election show Prime Minister Narendra Modi's alliance on course for only a narrow victory. His Hindu nationalist BJP is unlikely to secure a majority in its own right, as a landslide predicted by exit polls fails to materialise. It is the first time in a decade that the BJP has failed to secure an overall majority, meaning it will need to rely on its alliance partners. RTHK's correspondent in Delhi, Murali Krishnan, told Annemarie Evans that the vote was influenced by inflation and unemployment:
Nigel Farage doused in milkshake while campaigning Listen
Two people have been arrested after the leader of the Reform UK party, Nigel Farage, had a milkshake thrown over him while launching his election campaign. He was leaving a pub in the Essex seaside town of Clacton. The 60-year-old previously said he would never stand in a general election before making a U-turn on Monday, when he announced his candidacy in the Essex seat. The polarising figure was one of the key champions of Brexit - Britain's exit from the European Union in 2016. He has lost at the ballot box seven times. But RTHK's London correspondent Gavin Grey, told Annemarie Evans that Farage obviously feels this is his best shot yet to become an MP:
Jannik Sinner powers into French Open semis Listen
On the day he secured the world number one ranking in men's tennis, Jannik Sinner has powered into the French Open semifinals. Steve Dunthorne reports:
Rising long jump star hoping to leap into Paris games Listen
China's up-and-coming track-and-field athletes are eyeing the Olympics as the ultimate goal in their careers. Among them is a long jumper who is looking to beat his personal best record and make the leap to Paris, as Frank Yung reports: