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Japanese boy stabbed in Shenzhen dies of wounds

A 10-year-old boy enrolled in a Japanese school in Shenzhen has died after being stabbed by an assailant on Wednesday, the Japanese government said. The boy was stabbed on his way to school at about 8 am on Wednesday by the suspected 44-year-old assailant, who was arrested on the spot, according to mainland authorities. He died in the early hours of Thursday, Japanese foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa told reporters on Thursday. "I take the incident extremely seriously," Kamikawa said. "This should never happen in any country. Particularly, I sincerely regret that this despicable act was committed against a child on his way to school." Japan has asked China to provide a detailed explanation of the facts and to take strong safety measures, she added. On Wednesday at a regular news conference in Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said China would continue to take effective measures to protect the safety of all foreigners in China. The attack took place near the school on the anniversary of an incident in 1931 that marked the start of Japan’s invasion of China. It was the second such attack near a Japanese educational facility in China in recent months. In June, a man attacked a bus used by a Japanese school in the eastern city of Suzhou, resulting in the death of a Chinese national who tried to shield a Japanese mother and her child from the assailant. (Reuters)

2024-09-19 09:33:00.000000000

Hong Kong stocks open lower in spite of Fed rate cut

The Hang Seng Index fell 26.09 points, or 0.15 percent, to open at 17,633.93 points on Thursday. Overnight Wall Street stocks dipped after the Federal Reserve announced a half a percentage-point interest rate cut. Fed chair Jerome Powell also promised a "careful" approach to lowering rates following progress in countering US inflation. (with additional reporting from Xinhua and AFP)

2024-09-19 09:53:00.000000000

Hezbollah suffers another wave of 'gadget attacks'

A second deadly wave of unprecedented explosions in the strongholds of Lebanon's Hezbollah left it in disarray on Thursday, hours before a major speech by its leader Hassan Nasrallah. The latest batch of device explosions killed 20 people and wounded more than 450 others on Wednesday, officials said, stoking fears of a full-blown war with Israel. The blasts came a day after the simultaneous detonation of pagers used by Hezbollah killed 12 people, including two children, and wounded up to 2,800 others across Lebanon, in an unprecedented attack blamed on Israel. Walkie-talkies used by its members exploded in the latest blasts at Hezbollah's Beirut stronghold, a source close to the group said, with state media reporting similar detonations in south and east Lebanon. "The wave of enemy explosions that targeted walkie-talkies... killed 20 people and wounded more than 450," Lebanon's health ministry said in a statement. There was no comment from Israel, which only hours before Tuesday's explosions had announced it was broadening the aims of its war in Gaza to include its fight against Hamas's ally Hezbollah. "The centre of gravity is moving northward," Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said during a visit to an air base on Wednesday. "We are at the start of a new phase in the war." Amos Harel of the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper said the pager and walkie-talkie blasts had put "Israel and Hezbollah on the brink of all-out war". With tensions in the Middle East spiralling, senior diplomats from the United States, Britain, Germany, France and Italy will meet on Thursday in Paris, ahead of a UN Security Council meeting planned for Friday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will join his counterparts in the French capital after discussing the possibility of a Gaza war truce in Cairo. The White House warned all sides against "an escalation of any kind". Iran-backed Hezbollah has traded near-daily cross-border fire with Israel since Hamas's October 7 attacks sparked the war in Gaza. Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib warned that the "blatant assault on Lebanon's sovereignty and security" was a dangerous development that could "signal a wider war". Hezbollah said Israel was "fully responsible for this criminal aggression" and vowed revenge. Iran's envoy to the UN said the country "reserves the right to take retaliatory measures" after its ambassador in Beirut was wounded. The influx of so many casualties all at once overwhelmed medics. At a Beirut hospital, doctor Joelle Khadra said "the injuries were mainly to the eyes and hands, with finger amputations, shrapnel in the eyes -- some people lost their sight." A doctor at another hospital in the Lebanese capital said he had worked through the night and that the injuries were "out of this world -- never seen anything like it". A source close to Hezbollah, asking not to be identified, said the pagers were "recently imported" and appeared to have been "sabotaged at source". After The New York Times reported that the pagers had been ordered from Taiwanese manufacturer Gold Apollo, the company said they had been produced by its Hungarian partner BAC Consulting KFT. A government spokesman in Budapest said the company was "a trading intermediary, with no manufacturing or operational site in Hungary". The attack dealt a heavy blow to Hezbollah, which already had concerns about the security of its communications after losing several commanders to targeted strikes in recent months. (AFP)

2024-09-19 10:42:00.000000000

Coldplay to perform at Kai Tak Sports Park in April

British rock band Coldplay announced on Thursday that they will perform at Kai Tak Sports Park in April next year. The band revealed on their Instagram page that they will take to the stage at the new 50,000-seat stadium on April 9, 11, and 12. Tickets will go on sale from October 7. The Coldplay concerts will be among the first major events lined up for the HK$30 billion sports park, which is set to open during the first quarter of next year. Chief Executive John Lee has said that many local sports stars and artists are expected to attend the grand opening ceremony next year. A spokesman for the sports park thanked Coldplay and event organisers, adding that it's working hard to be able to "host this type of world class entertainment". "We look forward to welcoming both local and international visitors to this world class precinct," the spokesman said. Coldplay will kick off their Asian tour in January in Abu Dhabi, followed by Mumbai, and will move on to Seoul after their performances in Hong Kong. The band last played in the SAR in 2009, at AsiaWorld-Expo.

2024-09-19 12:11:00.000000000

'Freshwater fish infection outbreak worrying'

Health authorities said the 40 people infected with Group B streptococcus were spread across all 18 districts in Hong Kong, and the vast majority of patients had touched raw freshwater fish before their infection took hold. Officials reported that a few patients said they might have eaten undercooked fish, while none of them work as fishmongers. A family doctor, Aaron Lee, told RTHK he was worried about this recent infection outbreak involving freshwater fish, which killed two people. "This time, the streptococcus is a little bit invasive. That [ST283] strain will cause sepsis, septic joint infection and also meningitis, even urinal track infection. So it's a bit worrying," Lee told RTHK's Backchat programme. The doctor said patients mostly respond well to treatment with antibiotics. He said people should avoid direct contact with raw fish and avoid using towels from fish stores, especially when they have a hand wound. Lee added folks should wear gloves when handling freshwater fish and wash their hands immediately afterwards.

2024-09-19 13:13:00.000000000

Local banks lower rates following Fed cut

Banking giant HSBC on Thursday said it was cutting its best lending rate in Hong Kong by 25 basis points to 5.625 percent from 5.875 percent effective September 20. Bank of China (Hong Kong) and Standard Chartered also said they were lowering their lending and Hong Kong dollar deposit rates by a quarter of a percentage point, with their cuts effective on Monday. Earlier on Thursday, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority cut the rate to 5.25 percent, hours after a rate cut of the same magnitude by the US Federal Reserve. Mackie Lau, the co-head of treasury markets at Standard Chartered, said he expects the Fed to cut US rates by another half a percentage point in November. However, he said Hong Kong probably won't see much benefit until next year. "In terms of the real economy, it's hard to see any real tangible impact initially, because after all, they are only cutting 50 basis points. I guess the real question is: if the Fed will continue with this momentum, and if they will continue to cut?" "Going into the next year, by the time they bring rate to a more neutral level, then I think the real impact coming from rate cuts will eventually filter through the system." Homeowners and potential property buyers are hoping the rate cut will boost the local market. But Hannah Jeong, the head of valuation and advisory services at CBRE, said while the cut would boost transactions, it would not affect housing prices much. "We're having a large number of unsold units until now. Also, there are a large number of supply in the pipeline coming from different developers," she told RTHK. "So, the housing price will still need to face [a] downward adjustment, possibly till next year, despite the interest rate cut [helping] buyers to be more active. So, we expect there will be more transactions, but the housing price will remain low at this moment." (Additional reporting by Reuters)_____________________________ Last updated: 2024-09-19 HKT 19:00

2024-09-19 12:48:00.000000000

Borrowers urged to be cautious despite rate cut

The Acting Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), Howard Lee, on Thursday urged people to remain cautious when it comes to applying for mortgages or making borrowing decisions, warning that interest rates will remain high for the "foreseeable period of time". Lee's comments came after the US Federal Reserve reduced its key lending rate by half a percentage point. The move was tracked by the HKMA, with banks in the SAR also announcing cuts to their lending rates. "The level of US interest rates, or even the one in Hong Kong, are only some of the factors that will affect the overall economy or the flow of capital... it might also depend on the development of, for example, the real economy and geopolitical tensions," Lee said. "Therefore we can't tell when the eased interest rate, following the Fed rate cut, will have an effect to the economy. It will also depend on other factors. But at least among all the factors, we have one that is a positive." Financial Secretary Paul Chan also appealed for caution, citing uncertainty in the US economy and geopolitics. "Our assessment is that when US interest rates come down, Hong Kong has room to reduce rates. It will be beneficial to the operations of local enterprises as they face less liquidity stress. It will also have a positive impact on the assets market," Chan told reporters ahead of a trip to Beijing. "But at the same time, there are often conflicts in geopolitics and international trade, and we have to be aware of them."

2024-09-19 13:27:00.000000000

'A350 engine defects could have caused major damage'

The engine defect in the Airbus A350 plane that led to the cancellation of dozens of Cathay Pacific flights in early September could have escalated into "extensive damage", according to a probe released on Thursday by the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA). Cathay briefly grounded its fleet of A350s for inspections and repairs after a Zurich-bound plane was forced to turn back to Hong Kong on September 2. The inspection found that components on 15 of the 48-plane fleet of A350s, powered by engines from the British manufacturer Rolls-Royce, had to be replaced. Investigators said a post-flight examination found a "discernible hole in the (fuel) hose", "black soot observed on the aft section of the core engine, indicating signs of a fire" as well as burn marks. "If not promptly detected and addressed, this situation... could escalate into a more serious engine fire, potentially causing extensive damage to the aircraft," said the AAIA's preliminary report. An AAIA spokesperson said the preliminary report had been published to provide factual information established in the investigation's early-evidence collection phase to both the aviation industry and general public in a timely manner, and should be regarded as tentative. "The investigation team is conducting a detailed analysis of the data and information collected in order to determine the circumstances and causes of this occurrence with a view to preventing a recurrence in conjunction with identifying areas for further investigation or lines of inquiry to follow up," the spokesperson said. The AAIA also made a recommendation to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to require Rolls-Royce to "develop continuing airworthiness information, including but not limited to, inspection requirements of the secondary fuel manifold hoses" of the engines in question. Cathay's incident prompted other airlines in Asia to carry out similar checks on their A350-900 and A350-1000 models, which are both powered by Rolls-Royce Trent engines. The EASA also mandated inspections on A350-1000s, of which there are 86 such planes in service worldwide. Qatar Airways is the biggest operator of the 1000 version, with 24 in its fleet, followed by Cathay Pacific and British Airways, which each operates 18. Airbus and Rolls-Royce earlier said they are cooperating with Cathay, but could not comment further pending the investigation. The AAIA, an independent investigation authority formed under the Transport and Logistics Bureau, is responsible for the investigation of civil aircraft accidents and incidents in accordance with the Hong Kong Civil Aviation regulations and with reference to the International Civil Aviation Organisation's standards. (Additional reporting by AFP)

2024-09-19 14:02:00.000000000

Jobseekers urged to steer clear of 'blind ads'

Jobseekers are being warned that fraudsters could be using fake online recruitment adverts to persuade people to hand over personal information which can then be used to scam them. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) on Thursday said people should not provide details like their ID card numbers if responding to "blind ads", where the identity of those behind the post is not clear. Privacy Commissioner Ada Chung said her office checked more than 22,000 recruitment adverts across 13 online platforms and found 23 blind ads from June to September this year. "I would advise jobseekers to be careful and to be vigilant about blind ads because they need to find out who is the employer in question, and they should try to ascertain and verify the information contained in the blind ads carefully before they submit any personal data," Chung said. "The blind ads may be used by fraudsters to perpetuate fraud, and it is actually very risky for them [jobseekers] to submit their personal data in such circumstances." Chung also advised employers to disclose their identity when placing adverts. "They should also refrain from placing blind ads to collect job applicants' personal data. If necessary, they should consider engaging a recruitment agency who is identified in the advertisement to collect personal data from jobseekers," she said. "I think it is to the advantage of the employer as well because it will project a positive corporate image." Chung said the PCPD has started investigations into five organisations that have placed blind ads.

2024-09-19 14:34:00.000000000

Anti-doxxing provisions decreased cases by 90pc

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) on Thursday said the number of doxxing cases uncovered by the PCPD's online patrols this year had dropped by 90 percent compared with the same period when anti-doxxing provisions started in 2022. Privacy Commissioner Ada Chung said they handled 803 doxxing cases in the first eight months of 2022, while only 80 cases this year. She also said that there was a 40 percent decrease in doxxing-related complaints with 421 in the first eight months of 2022, and only 270 this year. "I think that it is primarily because of our ongoing enforcement actions, publicity and education work, coupled with a more congenial atmosphere in society. I believe that this all contributed to a significant decrease in the number of doxxing cases found on the Internet every year since the commencement of the anti-doxing regime in Hong Kong," she said. "I believe that so long as we continue with all these efforts, the numbers will further drop in the years to come." She said the PCPD had initiated 363 criminal investigations with 88 cases referred to the police, and they mounted a total of 58 arrest operations with 59 suspects arrested. "I would say that doxxing is a serious offence and it attracts an immediate custodial sentence. In one of the cases, the court sentenced the defendant in question to eight months imprisonment right away," she said. "This carries a very strong signal to society that doxxing is a serious offence." Chung added their work to crack down on doxxing acts had not affected freedom of speech nor had it affected the lawful operation of online platforms in Hong Kong.

2024-09-19 14:57:00.000000000

Ombusman launches probe into public flats recovery

The Office of the Ombudsman announced on Thursday it had launched an investigation into how the government recovers public rental housing flats, in a bid to speed up the reallocation of units. The Housing Authority aims to take 44 days to refurbish a vacant flat, according to its key performance indicator (KPI). Ombudsman Jack Chan pointed out that even though the average time taken in the past three years was close to the authority's KPI, refurbishment work for some flats took more than two times longer. The longest one took over six months. He was also concerned that procedures for tenancy abuse appeals took too long. Meanwhile, the Ombudsman also revealed it had received complaints about authorities failing to dispose of items of outgoing tenants properly, as well as throwing away tenants' items without consent. The Housing Authority allocated around 23,600 flats in the 2023-24 period, 19,700 of which were recovered units. The public has until October 14 to give their views.

2024-09-19 16:41:00.000000000

HK ranks ninth in World Talent list

Hong Kong has risen to ninth in an annual talent ranking, with the government crediting achievements in education and talent admission schemes for the move up the table. The International Institute for Management Development unveiled its latest World Talent Ranking on Thursday, after researchers assessed data from 67 economies. Researchers ranked the economies based on three talent competitiveness factors: readiness, investment and development, and appeal. Hong Kong's ranking rose to ninth place from 16th last year, putting the SAR back in the top 10 for the first time since 2016. The SAR improved across all three factors with readiness jumping from sixth place to fourth, investment and development from 15th to 13th, and appeal from 32nd to 28th. Hong Kong topped the ranking in the percentage of science graduates. The SAR was also among the top five in availability of finance skills, effectiveness of management education and remuneration of management. A government spokesperson said Hong Kong has sound education infrastructure, renowned universities and outstanding research talent. "The HKSAR Government announced in the 2022 Policy Address an array of admission measures to entice global talent to come to Hong Kong. These include the launch of the Top Talent Pass Scheme, which targets high-income talent and graduates from the world's top universities, as well as enhancement of various talent admission schemes to trawl for outside quality talent to enrich the local talent pool," the spokesperson said in a statement. The spokesman also said that over 360,000 applications were received under various talent admission schemes as of the end of August this year, with nearly 230,000 applications approved. He added that over 150,000 applicants arrived during the same period. "The arrivals of outside quality talent and their family members boost Hong Kong's labour force and inject new momentum into our local economy," he said. "The HKSAR Government established the Hong Kong Talent Engage in end-October 2023 to provide one-stop support services to incoming talent to enable their settlement in Hong Kong." Switzerland kept the top spot on the table, while Singapore rose to second from eighth last year and Luxembourg fell one place to come in third.

2024-09-19 16:13:00.000000000

Officer in fatal shooting acted professionally: police

Police chief Raymond Siu on Thursday said an officer who shot dead a man who allegedly charged at officers while brandishing scissors and a chopper exercised professional judgement to prevent others from being injured. The fatal shooting came as officers responded to reports of domestic violence at a flat in North Point on Sunday night. Calling the case "an unfortunate incident", Siu said the force was saddened by the death of the man, 38, and wanted to offer its condolences to his family. He said the man was 1.5 metres away and officers had to make a split-second decision as to how to react. "For the use of force or other firearms, basically we have strict enforcement guidelines governing our officers, under what sort of circumstances can they use their firearms," the police commissioner said after attending a district council meeting. "Our initial enquiries and review indicate that our officers at the scene have exercised professional judgement with a view to preventing any other person, including the officers themselves or other members of the public, from being seriously injured." Siu said the force is "cautiously" investigating the incident.

2024-09-19 16:55:00.000000000

Man gets 14 months for wearing seditious T-shirt, mask

A man who wore a T-shirt and mask bearing protest slogans has become the first person to be sentenced under Hong Kong's homegrown national security law, getting 14 months behind bars for sedition. Chu Kai-pong, 27, earlier pleaded guilty to "doing an act or acts with seditious intent" under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. He was arrested on June 12 near Shek Mun MTR Station for wearing a T-shirt and a yellow mask bearing the protest slogans. Passing sentence at West Kowloon Court on Thursday, Chief Magistrate Victor So said the slogans were frequently used by protesters in 2019 and Chu had intentionally used them on a "symbolic day" to incite hatred towards authorities. "June 12 is seen as a symbolic day by protesters. The road blockades that occurred in Admiralty and Wan Chai on that day [in 2019] kicked off a series of unrest, hitting society with riots and resulting in the destruction of a large number of public facilities and an imbalance of social order," So wrote in a judgement. "The defendant used a symbolic day to incite others to commemorate the unrest and attempted to reignite the idea of unrest, which posed a huge risk to social order." So noted that Chu had previously been jailed for three months for wearing a similar T-shirt at the airport, saying he showed no remorse by committing the same offence again.

2024-09-19 17:13:00.000000000

China expresses regret over fatal schoolboy stabbing

China on Thursday expressed regret and sadness after a Japanese schoolboy was stabbed to death in Shenzhen. "China expresses its regret and sadness that this kind of unfortunate incident occurred," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said. "We mourn the passing of the boy and express our condolences to his family." Lin described the attack as an isolated case. The boy, 10, was on his way to the Shenzhen Japanese School on Wednesday when he came under attack about 200 metres from the gate. He died later in hospital. A suspect, 44, was arrested at the scene. The victim's father is a Japanese citizen while his mother is a Chinese citizen. "China will provide all necessary assistance to his parents in the aftermath," Lin said. An investigation had been launched and "China and Japan are in communication on the case," he added. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the attack "extremely despicable". "For now, we will strongly urge China to provide an explanation about the facts of what happened," he said. "Since it's been more than a day since the incident happened, we expect them to offer an explanation as soon as possible." Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said she'd instructed Japanese schools in China to review their safety measures. The Foreign Ministry has said China will continue to take effective measures to protect the safety of all foreigners in the country. (Agencies)

2024-09-19 16:44:00.000000000

Hang Seng Index closes above 18,000

Hong Kong stocks ended higher on Thursday with the benchmark Hang Seng Index up 2 percent to 18,013. The Shanghai Composite Index finished up 0.7 percent at 2,736, while the Shenzhen Component Index closed 1.2 percent higher at 8,087. (Xinhua)

2024-09-19 16:59:00.000000000

Jobless rate stays at 3 percent

Hong Kong's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3 percent in the three-month period ending in August. According to official data released on Thursday, the underemployment rate also remained unchanged from the May to July period, at 1.2 percent. The government said that while unemployment had risen in the food and beverage and accommodation sectors, this was offset by new hiring in the insurance, trading, wholesale and transportation industries. "The overall labour market should remain tight in the near term alongside the continued economic growth, though the employment situation in some sectors may be under pressure as their businesses continue to face challenges," Labour Secretary Chris Sun said in a statement.

2024-09-19 17:26:00.000000000

Wine and Dine expected to lure 150,000 people

The Wine and Dine Festival will make its comeback in Hong Kong from October 23 to 27 at the Central Harbourfront with over 300 booths featuring food and drink from 35 countries and regions, organisers said on Thursday. The Hong Kong Tourism Board said the event will span five days instead of four as in previous years and will also open until 11pm each night. Admission tickets start at HK$20 and three types of tasting passes will be available for sale from Friday. Those who purchase tasting passes on or before October 15 will receive a HK$20 discount. Raymond Chan, a general manager with the board, said the fair expected to attract 150,000 people, with 10 percent from outside Hong Kong. “And we have been working with different travel trade partners for an earlier promotion for the Wine and Dine this year. Basically a lot of short-haul markets, especially in mainland China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, even Southeast Asia, [our overseas offices] have started to promote Wine and Dine this year pretty early,” he said. “So we are actually expecting more visitors this year and at the same time there will be cruises [docking in Hong Kong] at the end of [October] and we are working with them to invite their cruise passengers to come to enjoy the Wine and Dine Festival this year.” Chan also reminded people to bring their own cups or they would need to buy one on site, saying no plastic cups would be provided following the government’s plastics ban. Meanwhile, the board also announced that the “Taste Around Town” programme would return in November, when over 300 eateries in the city will offer discounts and exclusive menus featuring Hong Kong flavours during the month-long festival.

2024-09-19 17:24:00.000000000

Man jailed for 10 months over seditious bus graffiti

A man was jailed for 10 months on Thursday for writing graffiti on the back of bus seats found to be seditious under the new domestic security law. Chung Man-kit, 29, pleaded guilty to three counts of “doing an act or acts with seditious intention” under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. The West Kowloon Court heard that he wrote messages threatening national security and advocating "Hong Kong independence" on three occasions between March and April. Chief Magistrate Victor So said the slogans were visible to the public, even though they were written on the back of the seats, and that society would fall into chaos if he wasn’t stopped. "He targeted public transportation and chose the upper level and seats at the back of the bus. This was to avoid being easily spotted by bus staff, but at the same time be visible to passengers on public transportation, thus spreading messages promoting Hong Kong's independence and endangering national security," So wrote in a judgement.

2024-09-19 19:03:00.000000000

SAR signs cooperation deal to promote innovation

The SAR government on Thursday signed a cooperation agreement with the nation's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on developing new quality productive forces. Speaking at the signing ceremony in Beijing, Chief Executive John Lee said the SAR should leverage its advantages to promote China's push for high-quality development. "Under the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems', Hong Kong enjoys the unique advantage of being backed by the motherland and connected to the world. Being an international financial, shipping, and trade centre, Hong Kong is currently establishing itself as a hub for international high-end talent," he said. "The SAR government will actively develop new quality productive forces, advance new industrialisation, and promote Hong Kong's better integration into the national industrial innovation system." Meanwhile, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Jin Zhuanglong, said mainland authorities will strengthen its cooperation in developing artificial intelligence, new energy, biomedicine and the digital economy with the SAR.

2024-09-19 21:21:00.000000000

Brazil judge orders X to reimpose block or face fines

Brazil's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered Elon Musk's X to suspend access to the social network, after service was restored despite a ban, or face a daily fine of over US$900,000. Formerly Twitter, the platform was banned last month in Latin America's largest nation, but access to the phone app returned on Wednesday in what the government slammed as a deliberate violation of the suspension order. X said the return of its service was "inadvertent and temporary". Judge Alexandre de Moraes said in a court order that a "recalcitrant" X had "unlawfully, persistently and intentionally" failed to respect judicial orders, and would face a daily fine of 5 million reais, or US$913,000 until it again suspends its service. Moraes also ordered state telecommunications agency Anatel to take all necessary measures to once again block access to the social network. The high-profile judge has been engaged in a long feud with South African-born billionaire Musk, as part of his drive to crack down on disinformation in Brazil. Last month he ordered the suspension of X after Musk refused to remove dozens of right-wing accounts accused of spreading fake news, and then failed to name a new legal representative in the country as ordered. (AFP)

2024-09-19 22:41:00.000000000

Munich to rename stadium street after Beckenbauer

A street next to Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena stadium will be renamed to honour German football great Franz Beckenbauer who died earlier this year, the city council announced on Thursday. Part of the street, currently called Werner Heisenberg Allee, which runs alongside the stadium in the north of the city will be renamed Franz Beckenbauer Platz. The change means the stadium, which is set to host the Champions League final in May 2025, will officially be situated at Franz Beckenbauer Platz 5 – the midfielder's shirt number. Beckenbauer, nicknamed 'Der Kaiser' for his dominant style on the field, was one of the greatest players of all time. He died in January aged 78 and the Munich City Council announced the change will take effect on the first anniversary of his death, on January 7, 2025. "Naming a street is the highest honour that the city of Munich can bestow posthumously and a sign of the deep respect and appreciation that we have for Franz Beckenbauer," mayor Dieter Reiter said in a statement. Beckenbauer won the World Cup both as a player and coach, along with the Euros and the Ballon d'Or. During 13 years with Bayern, the Munich-born midfielder won three European Cups and four German league titles, winning another with Hamburg in 1981-82. Reiter called Beckenbauer "one of the greatest athletes our city has ever produced. "With his sporting successes and his commitment to football, he has left a lasting mark on Germany's sporting landscape. His calm, humorous manner and his way of expressing himself will forever remain part of the Munich attitude to life." Beckenbauer is also set to be honoured with a statue outside the stadium alongside that of fellow Bayern and Germany teammate Gerd Mueller. (AFP)

2024-09-19 22:47:00.000000000

Mpox vaccines administered in Rwanda, first in Africa

Mpox vaccines have been administered in Africa for the first time, with several hundred high-risk individuals vaccinated in Rwanda, the African Union's disease control centre said on Thursday. The first 300 doses were administered on Tuesday near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, said a spokesperson for the AU's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The DRC has been the worst-affected country, with nearly 22,000 cases and more than 700 deaths linked to the virus between January and August. Africa CDC director general Jean Kaseya said vaccinations would start in the DRC in "the first week of October." Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals that can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact. Deadly in some cases, it causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like lesions on the skin. The World Health Organisation last week prequalified an mpox vaccine, MVA-BN, for the first time, paving the way for the United Nations and other international agencies to procure them. The Africa CDC says there has been a total of 29,152 cases and 738 deaths across 15 countries on the continent. "Mpox is not under control," said Kaseya. According to the WHO prequalification, the vaccine can be administered to people over the age of 18 as a two-dose injection given four weeks apart. With most mpox cases and deaths in the DRC in children, the WHO stressed the vaccine could be used "off-label" in infants, children and adolescents, as well as in pregnant and immunocompromised people. "This means vaccine use is recommended in outbreak settings where the benefits of vaccination outweigh the potential risks," the WHO said in a recent briefing. The agency also recommends single-dose use in outbreak settings where supplies of the vaccine are constrained. But more data is needed on vaccine safety and effectiveness in such circumstances, it stressed. It said the currently available data showed that a single dose of the MVA-BN vaccine given before exposure had an estimated 76-percent effectiveness in protecting against mpox, while two doses were estimated to be 82 percent effective. (AFP)

2024-09-19 23:39:00.000000000

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka secures debt deal before vote

Sri Lanka secured a deal on Thursday with international bondholders to finalise a prolonged debt restructure, a key International Monetary Fund demand to repair the island nation's ruined finances. The announcement came two days before Sri Lanka holds its first presidential election since its unprecedented 2022 economic crisis, which saw months of food, fuel and medicine shortages and sparked widespread social upheaval. Creditors holding more than half of international sovereign bonds and foreign private loans to the South Asian nation agreed to a 27-percent haircut on their loans, a government statement said. "Sri Lanka is pleased to report that it has reached an agreement in principle... on the terms of a comprehensive restructuring," it added. The country's austerity measures under the IMF programme have been the central issue during campaigning for Saturday's presidential poll. International Sovereign Bonds account for just over US$12.5 billion of the island's foreign debt, which stood at US$46 billion during Sri Lanka's first government default in 2022. President Ranil Wickremesinghe's government had announced a deal with bondholders in July, but ultimately walked away from it in the belief its provisions were economically unsustainable. As part of Thursday's deal, bondholders also agreed to an 11-percent haircut on overdue interest payments accumulated since the default. The deal will still have to be approved by parliament during its next session in October. Wickremesinghe's two main challengers in Saturday's vote have also vowed to renegotiate any debt deals if elected. The crisis two years ago brought enduring economic hardship and street protests that toppled then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was forced into temporary exile after a mob stormed his compound. Sri Lanka secured a US$2.9-billion bailout from the IMF in 2023 after doubling taxes, withdrawing energy subsidies and raising prices of essentials to shore up state revenue. The IMF has said Sri Lanka had returned to growth after a record 7.8-percent recession in 2022, but warned its economy was still not out of the woods. In June, the government concluded a deal with its bilateral lenders to restructure its official credit amounting to US$6 billion. (AFP)

2024-09-20 01:06:00.000000000

Blinken urges against 'escalatory actions' in Mideast

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday urged against "escalatory actions by any party" in the Middle East, following the explosions of devices of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah blamed on Israel. "France and the United States are united in calling for restraint and urging de-escalation when it comes to the Middle East in general and when it comes to Lebanon in particular," Blinken said after talks in Paris with his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne. Blinken said this was especially important at a time when the international community was continuing work to agree a ceasefire in Gaza to end the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. "We continue to work to get a ceasefire for Gaza over the finish line... We believe that remains both possible and necessary. But meanwhile we don't want to see any escalatory actions by any party that makes that more difficult," Blinken said. Sejourne, making one of his final public appearances ahead of a cabinet reshuffle that will see him sent to Brussels as France's new EU commissioner, said both France and the United States were "very worried about the situation" in the Middle East. He said both the United States and France were coordinating to "send messages of de-escalation" to the parties. "Lebanon would not recover from a total war," he said. Fears of a major war on Israel's northern border have increased after thousands of Hezbollah operatives' communication devices exploded across Lebanon, killing 37 people and wounding nearly 3,000 more across two days. (AFP)

2024-09-20 01:10:00.000000000

EU chief announces US$11bn for nations hit by floods

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday announced 10 billion euros (US$11 billion) in funds for member nations reeling from "heartbreaking" devastation after the floods caused by Storm Boris. The death toll from the storm which struck central and eastern Europe last week rose to 24 on Wednesday and some areas are still under threat from rising waters. Von der Leyen spoke in the Polish city of Wroclaw alongside the leaders of four countries from the flood-hit region. "It was for me on the one hand heartbreaking to see the destruction and the devastation through the floods," she told reporters. "But I must also say it was on the other hand heartwarming to see the enormous solidarity between the people in your countries," she added. Von der Leyen said the European Union had two sources – cohesion funds and the solidarity fund – that it could use to "help with funding to repair and reconstruct" the damage. "At first sight 10 billion euros are possible to mobilise from the cohesion funds for the countries that are affected. This is an emergency reaction now," she added. Cohesion funds usually require co-financing from the member states but in this case von der Leyen said it would be "100 percent European money, no co-financing." "These are extraordinary times and extraordinary times need extraordinary measures." Strong wind and heavy rains struck the region last week, killing five people in Austria, seven in Poland, seven in Romania and five in the Czech Republic. In some places, the water "literally destroyed everything. The landscape is like that after a war, rather than a flood," Polish Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak told reporters on Thursday. The EU chief met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, his Czech counterpart Petr Fiala, Slovakia's Robert Fico, and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in Wroclaw, a historic city of 670,000 people in southwest Poland. Struck by devastating floods in 1997, residents of Wroclaw had become increasingly concerned as the waters rose. They reached their peak early on Thursday. While the water level is lower than it was in 1997, dams could be at risk if the high water lasts for several days. On Thursday, Tusk warned "against an atmosphere of unjustified euphoria and relief... that the worst is behind us." But Wroclaw pensioner Ewa Powazka, 70, was optimistic. "There are sandbags everywhere, something we didn't have in 1997. This time, the city began to prepare a few days ago," she said. "I hope it won't get flooded." Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was not present at the meeting as he cancelled all his international engagements this week because of the storm – even though his country has for now not been badly affected. Romania's prime minister was also absent because of a defence meeting. In Poland, several towns and villages have been devastated by the flood waters which have demolished houses, brought down bridges and heavily damaged road and rail infrastructure. In some areas, residents still lack drinking water and electricity. Grassroots funding initiatives have been organised across the country as local authorities begin to assess damage which could run into the hundreds of millions. The Polish government says it has unblocked 470 million euros of direct aid to people and localities affected by the floods. Austria has said its disaster relief fund will be increased to one billion euros to help flood victims. The heavy rain pounded the Czech Republic on Friday and Saturday and raised river levels mainly in the north and northeast of the EU member. The flooding there – which tore down houses, disrupted road and railway traffic and caused power outages – has since receded, revealing extensive damage. (AFP)

2024-09-20 03:08:00.000000000

Hezbollah chief admits 'unprecedented' blow

The leader of Hezbollah acknowledged on Thursday that his group had suffered a "major and unprecedented" blow after thousands of operatives' communication devices exploded across Lebanon in deadly attacks it blamed on Israel. In his first speech since the attacks, which killed 37 people and wounded nearly 3,000 more across two days, Hassan Nasrallah also struck a defiant tone, vowing that Israel would face a "just punishment." Even as he delivered his televised address, Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier over Beirut. Describing the attacks as a "massacre" and as a possible "act of war," Nasrallah said Israel would face "tough retribution and a just punishment, where it expects it and where it does not." Israel has not commented on the attacks in which Hezbollah operatives' pagers and walkie-talkies exploded in supermarkets, on streets and at funerals, plunging the country into panic. But its defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said on Wednesday, in reference to Israel's border with Lebanon: "The centre of gravity is moving northward." "We are at the start of a new phase in the war," he warned. Hezbollah is an ally of Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has been fighting a war in Gaza since its October 7 attack on Israel. For nearly a year, the focus of Israel's firepower has been on Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas. But its troops have also been engaged in near-daily clashes with Hezbollah militants along its northern border, killing hundreds in Lebanon, most of them fighters, and dozens in Israel. The exchanges of fire have forced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border to flee their homes. Nasrallah vowed to keep up Hezbollah's fight against Israel until a ceasefire in Gaza is reached. "The Lebanese front will not stop until the aggression on Gaza stops" despite "all this blood spilt," he said. (AFP)

2024-09-20 04:12:00.000000000

Dow, S&P 500 end at records as market digests rate cut

Wall Street stocks soared to fresh records on Thursday as markets cheered the Federal Reserve's move to aggressively cut interest rates to protect the labour market. The Dow Jones gained 1.3 percent to 42,025, its first close above 42,000. The S&P 500 also shot to an all-time high, surging 1.7 percent to 5,713, while the Nasdaq jumped 2.5 percent to 18,013. "Lower rates are going to be unanimously good for markets," said Art Hogan of B Riley Wealth Management. The Fed on Wednesday cut its key lending rate by half a percentage point, opting for the larger reduction after also weighing a quarter-point move. Stocks fluctuated in the final two hours of trading on Wednesday after the Fed decision, with some analysts noting a bit of disappointment over Fed Chair Jerome Powell's guidance not to expect large rate cuts on a regular basis. But the market's response on Thursday was unfettered bullishness, with all three indices in positive territory the entire day. "The upside moves reflect a belief that the economy is in good shape and the Fed will cut rates as needed to maintain a solid economic backdrop. This morning's data supported this optimistic view," said a note from Briefing.com that pointed to lower jobless claims. The biggest gainers in the Dow included Apple, Caterpillar, Goldman Sachs and Salesforce. Eight of 11 sectors in the S&P 500 finished higher. (AFP)

2024-09-20 05:14:00.000000000

Maintenance in spotlight after engine defect on A350

A spokesman for the Aircraft Division of the Hong Kong Institute of Engineering on Friday said he suspects a Rolls-Royce engine fire on a Zurich-bound Cathay Pacific plane earlier this month might have been caused by maintenance procedures. Warren Chim was speaking on RTHK's Hong Kong Today programme, a day after the Air Accident Investigation Authority said the defect on Flight CX383 could have sparked a more serious fire, potentially causing extensive damage to the aircraft. "The fuel hoses may be required to be removed so the removal procedures or the cleaning method prescribed by Rolls-Royce may have some problem but it is only a hint based on the emergency air worthiness," Chim said referring to ruptured fuel hoses found in the fuel manifold and a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) emergency air worthiness directive. On September 19, EASA issued an airworthiness directive for Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines fitted on Airbus A350 aircraft. It superseded a September 2 directive, issued in response to the incident on CX383 which departed from Hong Kong on September 2. "In-service and in-shop inspections since then have identified that a specific cleaning process available during engine refurbishment may lead to fuel manifold main fuel hose degradation," the new directive said. After the incident, Cathay cancelled dozens of flights and grounded its A350 fleet for inspection.

2024-09-20 09:15:00.000000000

Ohtani achieves first 50-50 season in MLB history

Shohei Ohtani became the first major league player to exceed 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season during the most spectacular game of a history-making career for the Los Angeles Dodgers star, going deep three times and swiping two bags on Thursday against the Miami Marlins. Ohtani hit his 49th homer in the sixth inning, his 50th in the seventh and his 51st in the ninth. He finished 6 for 6 with 10 RBIs, becoming the first big league player to hit three homers and steal two bases in a game. The Japanese superstar reached the second deck in right-centre on two of his three homers at LoanDepot Park. In the sixth inning, he launched a 1-1 slider from George Soriano 438 feet for his 49th. Ohtani hit his 50th homer in the seventh inning, an opposite-field, two-run shot to left against Marlins reliever Mike Baumann. Then, in the ninth, his 51st traveled 440 feet to right-centre, a three-run shot against Marlins second baseman Vidal Brujan, who came in to pitch with the game out of hand. Ohtani took care of the stolen bases earlier in the game, swiping his 50th in the first and his 51st in the second. The Japanese superstar led off the game with double against Edward Cabrera and swiped third on the front end of a double steal with Freddie Freeman, who reached on a walk. Ohtani has been successful on his last 28 stolen base attempts. He reached the 50-50 milestone in his 150th game. Ohtani was already the sixth player in major league history and the fastest ever to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season – needing just 126 games. Ohtani's previous career high in homers was 46 for the Los Angeles Angels in 2021, when he also made 23 starts on the mound and won his first of two American League MVP awards. (AP)

2024-09-20 08:16:00.000000000

Arsenal draw with Atalanta in Champions League opener

David Raya's goalkeeping heroics ensured that Arsenal were only held to a goalless draw against Italian side Atalanta on Thursday, in a tough start to their campaign in the revamped Uefa Champions League. Mikel Arteta's side left Bergamo with a point after a low-key performance in a red-hot atmosphere at the refurbished Gewiss Stadium. The Premier League side would likely have been defeated had goalkeeper Raya not pulled off an astonishing double save to stop Mateo Retegui from netting first from the penalty spot and then on the rebound early in the second half. Missing Martin Odegaard to a serious ankle injury suffered on international duty with Norway, Arsenal were largely solid but lacked imagination going forward and after having an early spell of dominance never looked like winning. On Sunday Arsenal head to league title rivals Manchester City, where they will need a brighter display than they one they put in on Thursday in northern Italy. Europa League holders Atalanta had the better of a tight game which featured little goalmouth action, and will be encouraged by there efforts in their first Champions League match since being dumped out at the group stage in 2021. (AFP)

2024-09-20 08:22:00.000000000

Head's hundred seals Australia win over England

Travis Head's superb career-best 154 not out saw depleted world champions Australia to a seven-wicket win over England in the first one-day international at Trent Bridge on Thursday. Australia, set 316 for victory, finished on 317-3 with six overs to spare as they went 1-0 up in a five-match series to make it 13 ODI wins in a row against all opponents. Earlier, Marnus Labuschagne was the unlikely hero with the ball as Australia fought back after losing the toss. England, on 201-2 off 30 overs, were set for a colossal total as Ben Duckett eyed a hundred on his home ground. But left-hander Duckett departed for 95 when caught and bowled by part-time leg-spinner Labuschagne, who also removed Harry Brook – out for 39 in his first innings as England captain – in similar fashion soon afterwards. Labuschagne returned ODI-best figures of 3-39 as England, succumbing to spin, lost their last six wickets for 59 runs. First-choice leg-spinner Adam Zampa marked his 100th ODI with 3-49 from his full 10 overs. The win comes even as Australia have several players sidelined by illness and injury, including experienced fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. The series continues at Headingley on Saturday. (AFP)

2024-09-20 08:30:00.000000000

HK stocks open higher after Fed cut boosts US stocks

The Hang Seng Index rose 56.17 points, or 0.31 percent, to open at 18,069.33 points on Friday. Following the Federal Reserve's 50 basis point rate cut, the MSCI World, S&P 500 and Dow all hit new highs on Thursday. The Nasdaq jumped 2.5 percent and the Russell 2000 index of US small caps rose for a seventh day to register its longest winning stretch since March, 2021. China unexpectedly left benchmark lending rates unchanged at the monthly fixing on Friday. The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was kept at 3.35 percent, while the five-year LPR was unchanged at 3.85 percent. In a Reuters survey of 39 market participants conducted this week, 27, or 69 percent, of all respondents expected both rates to be trimmed. (with additional reporting from Xinhua and Reuters)

2024-09-20 10:00:00.000000000

China keeps lending rates steady, surprising analysts

China unexpectedly left benchmark lending rates unchanged at the monthly fixing on Friday, confounding market expectations that were primed for a move after the US Federal Reserve delivered an interest rate cut this week. However, market watchers widely believe further stimulus will be rolled out to prop up an ailing economy, as the Fed's easing offers Beijing leeway to loosen monetary policy without unduly hurting the yuan. The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was kept at 3.35 percent, while the five-year LPR was unchanged at 3.85 percent. "The rate cut is likely to be included in a larger policy package, which is being reviewed by senior officials," said Xing Zhaopeng, senior China strategist at ANZ, referring to Chinese policymakers. "Current economic data and expectations all support a rate cut. And, lowering existing mortgage loan rates also requires further reductions in the 5-year LPR, which may lead to a one-time and significant decline in the LPR in the fourth quarter." A string of disappointing economic data in August, including credit lending and activity indicators, raised the urgency to roll out more stimulus measures to prop up the world's second-biggest economy, market watchers said. Analysts and policy advisers expect Chinese policymakers to step up measures to at least help the economy meet the increasingly challenging 2024 growth target. Faltering Chinese economic activity has prompted global brokerages to scale back their 2024 China growth forecasts to below the government's official target of about five percent. President Xi Jinping last week urged authorities to strive to achieve the country's annual economic and social development goals, state media reported, amid expectations that more steps are needed to bolster a flagging economic recovery. "There is a good chance that the People's Bank of China (PBOC) will lower rates and banks to lower LPRs soon," analysts at Commerzbank said in a note. "Lacklustre growth calls for monetary policy easing, and the Fed rate cuts provide room for PBOC to cut." Monetary policy divergence with other major economies, particularly the United States, and a weakening Chinese yuan have been the key constraints limiting Beijing's efforts to loosen policy over the past two years. But the US central bank's 50-basis-point cut on Wednesday that kicked off an anticipated series of interest rate cuts has unshackled some of China's policy levers, analysts say. (Reuters)

2024-09-20 11:27:00.000000000

'Good transport solutions needed for Coldplay shows'

Officials have been urged to put in place good transport and catering arrangements for Coldplay's concerts at Kai Tak Sports Park next year. On Thursday, the British rock band announced they will perform at the new 50,000-seat stadium in April as part of their Asian tour. It's one of the first major events lined up for the HK$30 billion sports park, which is set to open during the first quarter of next year. On an RTHK programme on Friday, lawmaker Kitson Yang said authorities should come up with ways to control crowds at the venue. "If we rely solely on the Tuen Ma Line for crowd management, I think it might not be enough. Perhaps we could use some paid tour buses to take spectators to Hung Hom Station, where cross-harbour buses and the East Rail Line can help," he said. "We could even direct people to Diamond Hill Station to use the Kwun Tong Line. These are good ways to disperse the crowd. We might even consider paid shuttle services to the border checkpoints." Yang said authorities could also consider inviting Hong Kong's "Four Heavenly Kings" – Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Leon Lai and Aaron Kwok – to perform at Kai Tak, to attract more fans from different places. Meanwhile, tourism sector lawmaker Perry Yiu said while the Coldplay shows are a good start, more efforts are needed to promote restaurants and cultural monuments around the sports park to make tourists stay longer in the city.

2024-09-20 12:23:00.000000000