

Hong Kong Today
Description:
RTHK's morning news programme. Weekdays 6:30 - 8:00
Presenter:
Ben Tse and Vicky Wong2023-02-08
Wednesday
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Selected audio segments:
Govt hopes to soon drop remaining Covid barriers
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Acting Chief Executive Eric Chan says the government will discuss with mainland authorities about doing away with the requirement for travellers heading north to declare their health status. Hundreds of thousands of people have crossed the border since check points were fully reopened on Monday, with the digital health declaration the only real source of complaint. Kelly Yu reports:
Research shows drop-off in Covid vaccine efficacy
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University of Hong Kong-led research has found that the effectiveness of both BioNTech and Sinovac in preventing Omicron infections drops substantially over 100 days after vaccination, although they can still prevent severe illness and death. As Maggie Ho reports, this information is important in planning future Covid booster campaigns:
Kai Tak residents protest over light housing plan
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The authorities have called for people's understanding on the light public housing plans, after a group of Kai Tak residents staged a protest outside government headquarters. As Frank Yung reports, the residents are not happy over plans for the temporary housing, which is meant for people who have been queuing for a public rental flat for more than three years:
John Lee on UAE charm offensive
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Chief Executive John Lee has described Hong Kong as a one-stop shop for providing services to Belt and Road ventures. He was speaking from the United Arab Emirates, where he is on the latest leg of his Middle East trip to promote the SAR. Violet Wong reports from Abu Dhabi:
Dubai investors eye HK's 'flexible' finance system
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An international relations academic says there are now more opportunities for Hong Kong businesses in the United Arab Emirates as the country has opened up to foreign investment. Professor Shaojin Chai, from the University of Sharjah in the UAE, said businesses with backgrounds in both mainland China and Hong Kong were very welcome. He also told Violet Wong that the UAE may use the SAR as a springboard into the mainland:
UAE free zones attracting foreign investment
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The representative of a major chamber of commerce in the United Arab Emirates says Hong Kong expertise in professional services is very much needed for industries, such as artificial intelligence and finance, in the country. Si Junjie, Dubai Chamber's chief representative in China, said there was also room for the two cities to cooperate as financial centres. He told Violet Wong that more and more Hong Kong companies had been setting up in Dubai in recent years and they were mostly in trading:
Support aimed at younger dementia sufferers
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The Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing has launched a three-year programme to support middle-aged people with dementia. It says these patients are currently being overlooked by society. The centre says almost 10 percent of all dementia patients develop symptoms, including memory deterioration, before the age of 65, but services are prioritised for the elderly. Its director, Timothy Kwok, told Vanessa Cheng that younger dementia sufferers faced numerous difficulties, including ignorance of their own symptoms:
Young dementia patients need vocational support
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The Alzheimer’s Disease Association says educating family doctors to recognise the early symptoms of dementia will help pick up cases in younger sufferers so they can get specialist help. The group's vice-chairman, David Dai, says figures indicate there could be some 10,000 people in Hong Kong with early onset Alzheimer's. Dr Dai told Ben Tse that many of these patients were probably still working, so vocational support was needed:
Deloitte calls for review of tax regime
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One of the world's leading accountancy firms says the government should be more proactive on keeping Hong Kong's tax regime up to international standards. Deloitte says a regular review of its tax incentive policies is crucial because it plays a key part in attracting global business to the SAR. Doris Chik, a tax partner at Deloitte China, spoke to Ada Au:
Quake rescue efforts continue for second night
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The Hong Kong Red Cross says it will launch an emergency appeal this week to raise funds to help relief efforts in Turkey and Syria, which were hit by massive earthquakes on Monday. Some 7,000 people are known to have died, but thousands more are believed to be trapped in the rubble of buildings. Karen Poon, head of International and Relief Service with the Red Cross, told Vicky Wong that internationally, it hoped to raise over USD$217 million to aid in rescue and rebuilding efforts: