Ferry grounded in heavy fog

A ferry carrying some 40 passengers from Central to Mui Wo, Lantau Island ran aground off Peng Chau island on Tuesday morning.

Marine police and firemen helped rescue the passengers. No injuries were reported, except a man complaining of minor discomfort.

The New World First Ferry Services dispatched another ferry to transport passengers to their destination and refunded their fares to compensate for the delay of over one hour. The company blamed heavy fog for the incident.

Under the influence of the humid and warm maritime airstream, thick fog rose in several coastal areas around the city. The lifesaving services at Hap Mun Bay Beach and Kiu Tsui Beach in Sai Kung District were suspended for more than one hour due to low visibility.

Annual review of minimum wage

The Bills Committee on the Minimum Wage Bill of the Legislative Council has passed a motion calling for the minimum wage to be reviewed annually.

Liberal Party lawmaker Tommy Cheung said that composition of the Statutory Minimum Wage Commission should be specified, saying a balance of interests wouldn't be achieved otherwise.

Nurse accuses hospital of fraud

A nurse at the private St Teresa's Hospital has accused the hospital management of ordering nurses to falsely declare that they have completed required procedures.

At a press briefing held by Hong Kong Non-Public Organizations and Private Nursing Staff Association, reporters were handed a statement from the nurse alleging that the hospital directed nurses to sign documents affirming that they had completed ward rounds or dispensed medicines that, in fact, was not done. The statement said the checks, which are meant to be supervised by a second nurse, were not carried out because there were insufficient nursing staff. The nurse also claimed that she had received a warning letter for failing to obtain a signature from a colleague stating that the checks had been undertaken.

8 in 10 in HK rate themselves happy

Eight in 10 Hong Kong people consider themselves happy, according to a survey by Hong Kong Shue Yan University in March. The finding represents an increase of 7 percent over last year. The researcher attributed the increase to the economic recovery.

Of the 850 people interviewed on phone, nearly half said the economy is better than last year, as compared with 4 percent in 2009.

But the survey indicated a widening "happiness" gap between the rich and poor. Among people with monthly household incomes below HK$8,000, 66 percent said they're happy. Eighty-nine percent of those with monthly household incomes above HK$30,000 claimed they were happy.

HK$625,000 for training injury

A police officer who broke his leg during training and was forced to work at civilian posts was granted HK$625,000 compensation in the High Court Tuesday.

The court heard earlier that Yip Chung-man fell off an armored vehicle during Police Tactical Unit training in 1998. He suffered a bone fracture and had to transfer to a civilian post. Claiming HK$1.8 million of damages, Yip said the injury gave pain if he walked for more than 15 minutes and deprived him of promotion opportunities.

China Daily

(HK Edition 04/14/2010 page1)