Hong Kong leader sets goals on housing, finance, climate in speech - CNA

HONG KONG: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Wednesday (Oct 6) the city was at a new starting point for development under a national security law imposed last year and her priority is to focus on tackling a long-standing housing shortage in the city.

Authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing have long blamed unaffordable housing in the former British colony for deep-rooted social problems that they say helped fuel anti-government protests in 2019.

"Fortunately, the implementation of the national security law and the improvement to our electoral system have restored safety and stability in society. Hong Kong is now ready again for a new start for economic development," Lam said in her annual policy address.

Beijing imposed the law in June last year. It punishes what authorities broadly define as secession, sedition and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in jail.

Critics say it is being used to crush freedoms promised under the "one country, two systems" formula agreed when the city returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Beijing and the city government say the law is needed to safeguard prosperity and stability and guard against outside interference.

She also said the government will strengthen national security education and raise law-abiding and national security awareness of Hong Kong people, in particular the youth, through different activities and approaches.

Lam's focus in her speech was on ensuring affordable housing to the city's 7.5 million people.

"Providing decent accommodation for all is the primary goal of my housing policy. Noting the public concern on the matter, I reviewed the progress and set out my vision on the issue," she said.

The government said it will develop a new metropolitan area in the city's north for people to live, work and travel. The proposed metropolis will cover the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Boundary Control Points Economic Belt, as well as the deeper hinterlands.

A number of development projects planned for or under planning there are estimated to provide about 350,000 residential units.

Additional land of about 600 hectares could be developed within the Northern Metropolis for residential and industrial use, with an estimated provision of 165,000 to 186,000 residential units.

When fully developed, a total of 905,000 to 926,000 residential units will be available to accommodate about 2.5 million people.

The Hong Kong government has also identified about 350ha of land for 330,000 public housing units for the next 10 years from FY2022/23, to meet the estimated public housing demand in this period.

Private home prices hit a record high in July, buoyed by limited housing supply and large flows of capital from mainland Chinese buyers.

Making housing more affordable has been a priority for all of Hong Kong's leaders since 1997, although the prospect of owning a home is still a distant dream for many.

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2021-10-06 06:44:00Z
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MAS examining information in Pandora Papers about Singapore-based Asiaciti Trust - CNA

Out of the 11.9 million leaked documents, nearly two million came from inside Asiaciti Trust – a trust and corporate service provider with operations in Singapore, Hong Kong, the Cook Islands, Dubai, Nevis, New Zealand, Panama and Samoa.

The company was founded by Australian accountant Graeme Briggs in Hong Kong in 1978.

The leaked files, spanning from 1996 to 2019, showed that Asiaciti Trust served at least 25 politicians to set up and manage trusts and shell companies in secrecy jurisdictions, said the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which spearheaded the probe.

These clients include Brazilian politician Eduardo Cunha who was sentenced to 15 years’ jail in 2017 for corruption, tax evasion and money laundering; Thirukumar Nadesan, a member of the Sri Lankan prime minister’s family who has been charged with misappropriating public funds and is yet to stand trial; as well as Nigerian senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.

The senator was kept on as a client by Asiaciti Trust despite allegations that he had helped former Nigerian president Sani Abacha steal billions of dollars from the country, said a report from ABC Australia, one of the media agencies which worked with the ICIJ on the investigation.

The Pandora Papers also shed light on the company’s business dealings with three Russian businessmen. They involved a “complex structure of trusts” worth as much as US$70 million in various assets such as real estate in Moscow, as well as stocks and bonds, according to The Guardian, another media partner of the ICIJ.

These high-profile Russians are Kirill Androsov, a former deputy chief of staff to Russian President Vladimir Putin; Herman Gref, the chief executive of Russian bank Sberbank and a former minister of economics; as well as Evgeny Novitsky, former president of Russia’s largest publicly-traded diversified holding company Sistema.

According to The Guardian, the leaked files showed that Asiaciti Trust’s handling of some transactions involving two of the Russians was cited by MAS as examples of the business failing to properly corroborate the source of its clients’ funds.

The regulator also reportedly criticised the firm’s senior management for failing to set an “appropriate tone, risk appetite and compliance culture for the company”, the same report said.

The Guardian, citing the Pandora Papers, said this “was not the only risky business” that Asiaciti Trust was involved in.

The report pointed to a company presentation done in 2001 where it “explored apparently legitimate ways (to) help a hypothetical Mexican businessman who held offshore assets that ‘have not been declared to Mexican revenue authorities’ and who did not expect to need to bring the money back to Mexico”.

Asiaciti Trust had proposed shutting down existing structures in the Caribbean, while setting up a trust in New Zealand that would own a company in Singapore which would, in turn, hold the businessman’s offshore assets, said The Guardian.

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2021-10-06 09:19:00Z
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Sec school student arrested for allegedly attacking schoolmate with metal rod - STOMP

David Sun
The Straits Times
Oct 5, 2021

A secondary school student was allegedly brutally attacked by a schoolmate with a metal rod, leaving him with a gaping wound in his head.

When the victim was taken to hospital for his injuries, he was found to be positive for Covid-19.

On the day of the alleged attack, on Sept 27, he was dropped off at school by his elder sister at about 6.45am.

An hour later, the boy was allegedly attacked.

The police were called at about 7.45am, and the victim was taken to hospital conscious. He is assisting with police investigations.

"Another student, who allegedly used a pole to hit the student, was arrested for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon," said a police spokesman.

The spokesman declined to reveal the ages of the teens involved.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, the Ministry of Education said the student who was injured has been discharged from hospital and the school is providing support to the students involved.

The sister of the victim said her brother tested positive for Covid-19 after he was swabbed at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where he was receiving treatment for his injuries.

She said they are both quarantined together at home now, and that he is recovering well.

The teen suffered a wound on his scalp that doctors sealed shut using medical glue. This was removed from the teen’s head on Monday (Oct 4), a week after the alleged attack.

The victim's sister, who is in her 20s, said the alleged assailant had purportedly taken the metal rod to school.

She said both teens were not on good terms, and that the school did its best to protect her brother, keeping the two separated.

“I have no idea what’s up with children these days,” she said.

“I cannot imagine what would have happened if the hit was harder.”

She told ST how she was speechless when she received news about the incident over the phone that day.

“I could not move, I could not even say a word, I had only just dropped him off at school,” said the sister, who runs a beauty services business.

“And this wasn’t just any normal pole that was brought into the school, this was a metal pole. How did this even happen?”

She added that she is not seeking punishment for the alleged assailant, but wants to raise awareness about safety in schools, citing the recent incident at River Valley High School.

She suggested that bag checks be done, to prevent students from taking dangerous items to school.

Less than three months ago, a 13-year-old student at River Valley High School was killed in an incident that gripped the nation.

On July 19, a 16-year-old student from the same school allegedly attacked the boy, killing him in a school toilet.

The incident was discussed in Parliament, and it was revealed that an axe that was purchased online was involved in the attack.

The teen has been charged with murder, and his case is currently before the courts.

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2021-10-06 04:57:55Z
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HSA warns against using ivermectin to treat Covid-19 - The New Paper

The use of ivermectin without a doctor's prescription is dangerous, and the drug is not proven as a means of treating Covid-19, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) reiterated yesterday.

In Singapore, it can be prescribed only by doctors and is registered only for the treatment of parasitic worm infections, the HSA wrote in a statement. The advisory was published after the HSA was alerted that members of the public tried to import and use ivermectin to prevent and treat Covid-19.

Last Friday, a 65-year-old grandmother was hospitalised after taking ivermectin on the urging of her friends to protect herself from Covid-19.

VOMITING

After taking four tablets over two days, Madam Wong Lee Tak suffered a 39.3 deg C fever, joint inflammation and vomiting.

Friends from the Church of the Risen Christ had allegedly urged the retiree and her friends not to take any mRNA vaccines and facilitated in ordering ivermectin.

Self-medicating with ivermectin can lead to side effects such as vomiting, diarrhoea, a sudden drop in blood pressure or liver injury, the HSA said.

Madam Wong's daughter, Ms Vanessa Koh, 32, told The Straits Times that messages on her mother's phone revealed that a church member had taken orders for purchases of 1,000 ivermectin pills for $110.

Ms Koh, a bank executive, said her mother is under observation at Sengkang General Hospital and is in a stable condition.

Criminal lawyer James Ow Yong, of Kalco Law, listed several penalties those involved in such cases could face.

Those who give advice without basis or provide ivermectin with such advice may be found guilty of causing hurt by a rash or negligent act. By claiming ivermectin can provide protection from Covid-19, the individual may be found guilty of giving a statement knowing it is false and is likely to endanger public health and safety.

He said the friends may be considered wholesalers selling ivermectin without a licence.

Those found guilty of these crimes can be fined up to $50,000 and/or jailed for up to seven years.

The HSA said it will take strong action against the illegal sale and supply of ivermectin and other medicine.

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2021-10-05 22:00:00Z
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US envoy Sullivan to meet China's top diplomat Yang amid tensions - CNA

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden's national security adviser will hold talks with China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi in Switzerland on Wednesday (Oct 6), upholding a pledge by both countries to boost communication amid a deepening strategic rivalry.

The Zurich meeting comes at a time of heightened tensions between the world's two largest economies over a range of issues including Taiwan. It will be Sullivan's first face-to-face meeting with Yang since their acrimonious exchanges in Alaska in March, which also involved US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The White House said in a statement that the meeting follows up on Biden's Sep 9 call with Chinese President Xi Jinping "as we continue to seek to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the People's Republic of China".

That call ended a nearly seven-month gap in direct communication between the leaders, and they discussed the need to ensure that competition between the two - with relations sinking to their lowest level in decades - does not veer into conflict.

Blinken, currently visiting Paris, held a call with Yang in June, stressing the need for cooperation and transparency over the origins of COVID-19 and raised other contentious topics, including China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper quoted an official familiar with the arrangements for the Zurich meeting as saying the objective is "to rebuild communication channels and implement consensus reached" between Xi and Biden.

With trade tensions also at the top of the US-China agenda, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, in Paris for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development meetings, has said she hopes to hold discussions soon with Chinese counterparts.

On Monday, Tai unveiled the results of a months-long "top-to-bottom" review of China trade policy, pledging to hold "frank" talks with Beijing about its failure to keep promises made in former President Donald Trump's trade deal and end harmful industrial policies.

The Global Times, a Chinese state-run tabloid, said China is willing to build mutually beneficial trade with the United States but will not make concessions on principle and is not afraid of a drawn-out contest.

"The China-US trade war has lasted for more than three-and-a-half years. Instead of being weakened, China's economy has taken a step forward in comparison with the scale of the US," it said.

LITTLE PROGRESS

Talks between officials from the two powers since Biden took office in January have shown little concrete progress. US officials said the Biden-Xi call was a test of whether direct top-level engagement could end a stalemate in ties.

After that call, Biden denied a media report that Xi turned down an offer from Biden for a first face-to-face meeting as leaders.

Since then, the United States has taken a series of steps to strengthen its hand against China in coordination with allies.

These have included the announcement of a trilateral partnership with Britain and Australia, called AUKUS, to provide the latter with nuclear-powered submarines. Biden also hosted a first in-person summit with Australia, India and Japan in which the "Quad" leaders vowed to pursue a free and open Indo-Pacific region "undaunted by coercion."

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2021-10-05 18:06:00Z
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HSA reiterates advice against use of ivermectin to treat Covid-19 - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - The use of ivermectin without a doctor's prescription is dangerous, and the drug is not proven as a means of treatment for Covid-19, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) reiterated on Tuesday (Oct 5).

In Singapore, the drug can only be prescribed by doctors and is registered only for the treatment of parasitic worm infections, HSA wrote in an online statement.

The advisory was published after the HSA was alerted that members of the public tried to import and use ivermectin to prevent and treat Covid-19.

Last Friday, a 65-year-old grandmother was hospitalised after taking ivermectin on the urging of her friends to protect herself from Covid-19.

After taking four 3mg tablets over two days, Madam Wong Lee Tak suffered a 39.3 deg C fever, joint inflammation and vomiting, The Straits Times reported on Monday.

Friends from the Church of the Risen Christ had allegedly urged the retiree and her friends not to take any mRNA vaccines and facilitated in ordering ivermectin.

Self-medicating with ivermectin can lead to side effects such as vomiting, diarrhoea, a sudden drop in blood pressure, or liver injury, HSA said in the statement.

"There have been reports of patients requiring hospitalisation after self-medication with ivermectin," added HSA.

"Consumers are strongly advised not to self-medicate with ivermectin and to consult their doctor for proper treatment of Covid-19."

Madam Wong's daughter, Ms Vanessa Koh, 32, told ST that messages on her mother's phone revealed that a church member had taken orders for purchases of 1,000 ivermectin pills for $110.

Another member shared a photo of a table recommending the drug's dosage by body weight for the "treatment of Covid-19".

Ms Koh, who works as a bank executive, said her mother was later removed from the Telegram chats with her friends from church, who also allegedly erased all conversations with her.

She said her mother is under observation at Sengkang General Hospital and is in a stable condition.

Criminal lawyer James Ow Yong, of Kalco Law, listed several penalties those involved in such cases could face.

He said those who give advice without basis or provide ivermectin with such advice may be found guilty of causing hurt by a rash or negligent act under the Penal Code.

By claiming that ivermectin can provide protection from Covid-19 while knowing or having reason to believe that the claim is false, the individual may be found guilty of communication of a false statement.

The charge falls under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, or Pofma.

Even if ivermectin was ordered from an overseas supplier, Mr Ow Yong added, an individual making the consolidated order may be considered to be a wholesaler selling ivermectin without a licence.  

Under the Penal Code, those who delete chat histories or evidence relating to the incident may be liable for the obstruction of justice.

In summary, those found guilty of these crimes can be fined up to $50,000 and/or jailed for up to seven years.

Mr Ow Yong said that while there are laws in place, members of the public should exercise discernment and verify information and their sources before acting on advice given to them.

"Ultimately, prevention is better than cure... especially when their personal health and safety is at stake," he added.

Ivermectin garnered attention late last year after early research indicated its potential in treating Covid-19. But the World Health Organisation in March warned that evidence was inconclusive and that more studies were needed.

Responding to reports of people in Mississippi taking ivermectin to treat Covid-19, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) famously tweeted on Aug 21: "You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it."

At the time, more than 70 per cent of recent calls to the state's poison centre came after people took ivermectin bought at livestock supply centres, Mississippi's health department reported on Aug 20.

The FDA wrote on its website that current data does not show that ivermectin is effective against Covid-19 and that clinical trials to test this theory are under way.

Often used against parasites in livestock, the drug is also dangerous when taken in large doses, it added.

In Singapore, the HSA has repeatedly warned in previous cases of groups ordering ivermectin to treat Covid-19 that it is dangerous and illegal.

The HSA added that it will take strong action against the illegal sale and supply of ivermectin and other medicine.

Those convicted of selling these drugs illegally can face a penalty of up to $50,000 and/or imprisonment of up to two years.

Members of the public who have information on the illegal sale of medicine may contact HSA's enforcement branch on 68663485.

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2021-10-05 11:46:21Z
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Tsai Ing-wen warns of 'catastrophic consequences' if Taiwan falls - CNA

TAIPEI: Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen warned of "catastrophic consequences" if the island were to fall to China and vowed to "do whatever it takes" to guard against threats in an article published on Tuesday (Oct 5). 

Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by China, which views the self-ruled democratic island as its territory to be re-taken one day, by force if necessary.

President Xi Jinping has described the seizure of Taiwan as "inevitable" and Beijing has ramped up military, diplomatic and economic pressure since Tsai's 2016 election, as she views the island as "already independent" and not part of a "one China".

Nearly 150 Chinese warplanes had breached Taiwan's ADIZ since Friday when Beijing marked its National Day with its then-biggest aerial show of force, buzzing the island with 38 planes.

Tsai warned a failure to defend Taiwan would be "catastrophic" for both the island and the wider region in an article she wrote for Foreign Affairs published on Tuesday.

"They should remember that if Taiwan were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace and the democratic alliance system," Tsai said.

"It would signal that in today's global contest of values, authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy."

Taiwan hopes for peaceful coexistence with China, she said, but "if its democracy and way of life are threatened, Taiwan will do whatever it takes to defend itself".

Tsai's government on Monday urged Beijing to stop "irresponsible provocative actions" after a record 56 Chinese jets including nuclear-capable bombers crossed into Taiwan's air defence identification zone.

"Amid almost daily intrusions by the People's Liberation Army, our position on cross-strait relations remains constant: Taiwan will not bend to pressure," Tsai added.

The ADIZ is not the same as Taiwan's territorial airspace but includes a far greater area that overlaps with part of China's own air defence identification zone and even includes some of the mainland.

In the last two years, Beijing has begun sending large sorties into Taiwan's defence zone to signal dissatisfaction at key moments - and to keep Taipei's ageing fighter fleet regularly stressed.

Last year, a record 380 Chinese military jets made incursions into Taiwan's defence zone. The number as of October this year has already exceeded 600.

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2021-10-05 07:39:00Z
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