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IN BRIEF
(HK Edition)
Updated: 2009-05-27 07:29 Hong Kong ExCo approves grant for West Island MTR MTR Corporation has been handed a capital grant to extend the MTR Island line, from Sheung Wan to Kennedy Town with intermediate stops at Sai Ying Pun and the University of Hong Kong. The Executive Council yesterday approve a grant of HK$12.7 billion to bridge a funding gap for the extension, known as the West Island Line (WIL). In addition to the rail line extension the project includes community facilities such as high speed lifts from Pok Fu Lam Road and Bonham Road down to the Western District. "The WIL project is not financially viable just based on fare revenue. For this particular railway project the government will bridge the funding gap by providing a capital grant," the spokesman said. The project must await approval of the Legislative Council. Once that is granted construction will commence. The project will create 3,000 jobs during the construction period up to 2014 and another 2,000 jobs during the line's operation. Man slays wife, leaps to his own death Police are investigating an apparent murder suicide in Kowloon City Monday night. A 70-year-old man is believed to have fatally bludgeoned his wife before leaping to his death from the couple's flat, the police said. The police said the man was found unconscious, lying on the podium of Po Sing Court at 25 Shek Ku Lung Road in Kowloon City. His wife with serious head injuries was discovered lying in the couple's tenth floor apartment. The couple were certified dead at the scene. Homby Suen Wa-hing, chief inspector of Kowloon City district crime squad, said the police are still trying to establish the reason for the attack. He said neighbors had reported to police that the man suffered bouts of erratic behavior. Continued spread of HIV brings renewed warning The first quarter of 2009 saw 104 new cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), with sexual transmission continuing as the primary mode for spread of the virus. Dr Wong Ka-hing of the Centre for Health Protections (CHP), speaking to reporters, stressed the importance of using condoms and safe sex practices for reducing the risk of HIV. "HIV is the cause of AIDS and without treatment, half of the HIV infected people will progress to AIDS within 10 years,"said Dr Wong. The report also revealed 17 new case of AIDS during the first quarter, forty-one percent of them related to heterosexual contact. He urged people who practice unsafe sex to call the Department of Health hotline, at 2780-2211, to arrange for a free, anonymous and confidential HIV test. Among the 104 new cases, 80 were males and 24 were females. The latest figures bring the number of AIDS cases in Hong Kong since 1984 to 4,151. Anti-smoking lobby responds to opposition The chief of a council opposed to smoking has defended the government's plan to ban puffing in all indoor workplaces and public areas commencing in July despite strong and persistent opposition from some bars and nightclubs. Most indoor workspaces and public areas have been covered by a smoking ban since 2007. Some bars, nightclubs, bathhouses and mahjong rooms however had been granted an exemption until June 30 this year. Recently, some business owners in the affected sectors had renewed pleas for a delay in the imposition of the ban. The pleas were founded on the arguments that the global financial crisis had hurt their business, the emergence of human swine flu had made it worse. China Daily - Agencies (HK Edition 05/27/2009 page1) |
