Hong Kong Today
Description:
RTHK's morning news programme. Weekdays 6:30 - 8:00
Presenter:
Ben Tse and Janice Lo2025-01-08
Wednesday
Now playing: 足本播放 Play full episode
Selected audio segments:
Govt puts up Tung Chung residential site for sale Listen
Authorities are putting one residential site up for tender this quarter. And as Kelly Yu tells us, officials say it's too early to predict whether the annual land sales income target would be met.
'Officials can consider selling smaller land sites in future' Listen
With developers appearing cautious, how can the government boost land revenue and public coffers? Ryan Ip, Vice-President and Executive Director of Public Policy Institute at Our Hong Kong Foundation spoke to Ben Tse. He said he was surprised the government put the plot of land on sale. He also suggested the government could put up smaller land plots for sale in future.
HK breast milk bank 'has success in recruiting donors' Listen
The Hong Kong Breast Milk Bank says it is making good progress in recruiting donors. The facility says it's received more than 100 calls from potential donors since the launch of its website in November. The milk bank is located at the Hong Kong Children's Hospital and began operation on Monday. The facility's director Dr Rosanna Wong spoke to Sophie Hui.
Govt enhances New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme Listen
Lawmaker Shang Hai-long says he's confident that enhanced measures in a cash-for-residency scheme will attract more wealthy people to Hong Kong. The government announced on Tuesday that applicants for the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme will only need to prove they have a minimum net worth of HK$30 million in the six months before applying, rather than the original period of two years. But Shang, who's also the founder of the Hong Kong Top Talent Services Association, told Elvis Yu that officials should provide more assistance to help investors settle in the SAR.
Pandas will be highlighted at LNY parade Listen
Various local attractions such as the giant panda will feature prominently in the upcoming Lunar New Year parade. The spectacle will be held in Tsim Sha Tsui on the evening of January the 29th, the first day of the Year of the Snake. Vanessa Cheng reports.
Over 3.6k people to attend Asian Financial Forum Listen
The annual Asian Financial Forum, or AFF, is set to return to Hong Kong next week. More than 3,600 finance and business figures from around the world will attend the two-day event that opens on Monday. While the development of artificial intelligence is one of the key topics, the forum will also look at how the SAR can capitalise on its financial strengths to boost economic growth. Patrick Lau, deputy executive director of the Trade Development Council, spoke to Chloe Feng about the upcoming forum.
Death toll in Tibet earthquake rises Listen
A massive rescue and relief operation is underway in freezing conditions after a powerful earthquake rocked the Tibet Autonomous Region in western China. At least 126 people are known to have been killed and 188 injured. President Xi Jinping has ordered an all-out effort to save lives and minimise casualties after the quake struck Tibet's second-largest city Xigaze. Daniel Lee has the details.
Beijing willing to further develop ties with US Listen
China says it's willing to further develop ties with the US under the new Donald Trump government. It says it attaches "great importance" to remarks by the incoming American leader on bilateral relations. Hailey Yip has more.
Meta scraps US-based fact-checking services Listen
Facebook and Instagram owner Meta says it’s scrapping its third-party fact-checking programme and replacing it with Community Notes written by users. The system would be similar to the model used by social media platform X. The company says it decided to end the programme because expert fact-checkers had their own biases, and too much content was being fact-checked. Jamie Clarke has more.
Jimmy Carter honoured in US Capitol Listen
The body of late US president Jimmy Carter has been flown to Washington, where it will lie in state at the US Capitol before a national funeral ceremony later this week. Todd Harding reports.
'Greenland is not for sale' Listen
A Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament says a United States takeover should be rejected after Donald Trump's eldest son Donald Jr arrived in Greenland's capital. The younger Trump is on a private visit, a day after the US President-elect reiterated his interest in taking control of the island, an autonomous territory of Denmark. Aaron Tam reports.
Fiery French far-right politician dies Listen
Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s far-right National Front has died at the age of 96. The politician’s fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism made him a polarising figure in French politics, earning him staunch support as well as widespread condemnation - in a career spanning four decades – as Jamie Clarke reports.
First post-Assad commercial flight lands in Damascus Listen
The first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian Presiden Bashar al-Assad has landed at the Damascus airport. The moment made for emotional scenes inside the airport, as many passengers were Syrian nationals coming home for the first time in a decade. Jamie Clarke has more.
Galapagos island get a boost with yellow iguanas' relocation Listen
More than 500 yellow iguanas have been released into the wild on an island in the Galapagos, in an attempt to restore the region's unique ecosystem. It's one of three species of land iguanas that exist in the Galapagos Islands. Aaron Tam reports.
Colombian cultural heritage celebrated at Pasto's iconic carnival Listen
The Black and White Carnival, one of Colombia's most iconic and vibrant celebrations, has officially drawn to a close in the city of Pasto. Recognised by Unesco as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, the carnival runs annually in the first week of January, offering visitors unique insights into the South American country's rich history and traditions. Daniel Lee reports.