Hong Kong Today
Description:
RTHK's morning news programme. Weekdays 6:30 - 8:00
Presenter:
Janice Wong and Carol Musgrave2024-09-10
Tuesday
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Selected audio segments:
Complaints rise over shuttered Physical gym chain Listen
The Consumer Council says it has received 1,000 complaints relating to the closure of Physical Fitness, involving HK$31 million. The gym chain shut its doors on Friday. A lawmaker says he estimates the gym owes staff HK$15 million, while another legislator suggested an upper limit for the number of years that companies can charge for pre-paid contracts. This follows reports that staff were offering contracts that lasted decades. Damon Pang reports:
Legal challenge filed over trousers for female inmates Listen
A policy by the Correctional Services Department requiring women in remand to wear long trousers while being engaged in daytime activities in the summer is facing a legal challenge. According to a writ submitted to the High Court, it amounted to sex discrimination. Vanessa Cheng reports:
Lawmakers to launch survey over illicit cigarette use Listen
A group of lawmakers says the rise in tobacco tax has likely turned smokers to the illicit cigarette market. The comment came ahead of the launch of a survey to gauge public views on how to clamp down on smoking. Frank Yung reports:
'Technology is ready to mark duty-paid cigarettes' Listen
Lawmaker Johnny Ng says the government should go beyond bumping up the duty for tobacco products, which has risen more than 30 percent for two straight years. He said the technology was available to be able to add marks onto duty-paid cigarettes. He told Frank Yunk that the government should confer with all stakeholders on how to implement this kind of technology as soon as possible:
Microplastics found in wild animal faeces Listen
A green group has called on the government and corporations to reduce the use of plastics at source after finding microplastics in the dung of wild animals. Greenpeace campaigner Leanne Tam says the pollution could end up contaminating the food chain. She told Carol Musgrave that the government should speed up the Producer Responsibility Scheme for items, such as plastic bottles:
DAB calls for more inclusive playgrounds Listen
The government has been urged to set up a new department to coordinate policy on outdoor playgrounds for children. The DAB party says playgrounds that offer fun and challenges can encourage children to exercise and make friends. Elvis Yu reports:
Tourism board unveils Mid-Autumn events Listen
The Hong Kong Tourism Board says a series of Mid-Autumn Festival events will enhance the appeal of Hong Kong for both visitors and locals. Vanessa Cheng reports:
Spain's PM asked to help improve strained Sino-EU ties Listen
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says he hopes the European Union can avoid a trade war with Beijing. He met with central government leaders in the capital, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. Azam Khan reports:
Hainan medics make risky baby delivery amid storm Listen
Officials at a hospital in Hainan province have announced they managed to safely deliver a baby that required a rare blood-type transfusion, despite the dangerous conditions brought by Typhoon Yagi over the weekend. Yagi struck Hainan Island on Friday at what turned out to be the most inopportune time for this mother-to-be. Jamie Clarke reports:
Death toll rises in Vietnam from heavy flooding Listen
Vietnam is battling heavy flooding as the death toll from Typhoon Yagi climbs to at least 64. As Elvis Yu reports, the most powerful storm to lash the country in 30 years has also threatened its economy:
Tent schools rise up in months-long Gaza war Listen
Bombings, displacement, and the threat of death in the almost year-long war in Gaza have not deterred Palestinian children from pursuing their education. As Azam Khan reports, some Palestinian teachers have been setting up tent schools:
Pope gets rousing welcome in East Timor Listen
Pope Francis has arrived in East Timor for a visit that will include an open-air mass which is expected to attract more than half of the country's 1.3 million people. Asia's youngest nation is the third leg of his four-country tour of the Asia Pacific region. Jacqueline Guico reports:
UK's Princess Kate completes chemotherapy Listen
Britain's Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, says she has finished her course of preventive chemotherapy for cancer and will be carrying out a handful of public engagements later this year. But she said her path to full recovery would be long. Azam Khan reports:
Peter Nygard gets 11 years for Toronto sex assaults Listen
Former fashion mogul Peter Nygard has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. The Canadian national was convicted last year on four counts of sexual assault but was acquitted of a fifth count of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement. Jamie Clarke reports:
Consumer prices rise but producer prices stuck in deflation Listen
Mainland consumer prices last month grew at their fastest pace in half a year, while producer prices registered their biggest fall in four months. Raymond Yeung reports:
China Renaissance plunges as trading resumes in HK Listen
Shares of boutique investment bank, China Renaissance, fell as much as 72 percent to a record low when they resumed trading on Monday. Trading was halted 17 months ago during a probe involving its then-chairman and CEO Bao Fan. China Renaissance pared some losses in afternoon trading and closed 66 percent lower, at HK$2.45/share. Jacqueline Guico reports:
China sees sales of hydrogen-powered cars accelerate Listen
The latest data from the central government shows in the first seven months of this year, sales of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles reached 3,422 on the mainland. That reflects a year-on-year increase of 25.5 percent. Authorities are working to advance the country's green transition drive by promoting trucks run on hydrogen, a convenient and clean-burning fuel. Jamie Clarke reports:
Mainland car sales fall for fifth straight month Listen
Car sales on the mainland fell for the fifth straight month in August although sales of electric and hybrid models rose, helped by subsidies for owners trading in more polluting vehicles. Hailey Yip reports:
Couche-Tard's offer of talks rejected by 7-Eleven operator Listen
Japan's Seven & i, the operator of 7-Eleven, says Couche-Tard's low takeover bid was the reason it would not agree to advisor talks between the companies or to sign a non-disclosure agreement. On Sunday, Canadian retailer Couche-Tard, which owns the Circle K convenience stores, said it was willing to engage in confidential discussions with Seven & i on the US$38.5 billion takeover offer it made and that it remains keen on pursuing a buyout. If it went ahead, the all-cash deal would be the largest buyout of a Japanese firm by a foreign company. Altis Wong reports:
Huawei books three million pre-orders for tri-fold phone Listen
Apple has unveiled its iPhone 16, with new artificial-intelligence features. But it could be upstaged by a triple-folding smartphone by China's Huawei The Chinese tech giant's website showed it already had more than three million pre-orders for its Z-shaped tri-fold phone. The official announcement by Huawei is scheduled for later on Tuesday. Azam Khan reports:
Google's AI game engine recreates Doom Listen
Software engineers at Google have recently unveiled a new generative AI model which could revolutionise the video game industry. In a demonstration video, researchers showed how the model, called GameNGen, recreated the classic first-person shooter Doom - without relying on the original code or graphics. So how does the tool work and will it work for other types of games? And will we see the technology be used in future to create new games from scratch? Elvis Yu and Raj Shroff find out in Tech Tuesday: