Protest over columbarium

More than 40 Mei Chung Court residents protested outside a Sha Tin temple after learning there is a columbarium inside the building.

The protestors said, based upon their enquiry to the Land Department, the columbarium at Puguangming Temple, located in Pak Tin Village, Mei Tin Road, was built in violation of the land lease.

The demonstrators called for government intervention to require the temple remove the columbarium, which had disturbed neighbors with lights and burning incense.

Crushed woman dies of accident

A woman who was crushed to death by a 300-pound restaurant sign board in Wan Chai in 2008 was found by a Coroner's Court Monday to have died by accident.

The 450-by-82-cm wooden sign board of a Thai restaurant on Wan Chai Road fell on a pedestrian, 47-year-old Lam Wai-ha, on June 28, 2008.

A lawyer representing the woman criticized the Buildings Department, which found the sign board problematic during an inspection as early as 2000 but took no action other than sending a letter ordering repair.

Knutsford killing trial adjourned

The 28-year-old man charged with murder and attempted murder for killing one man and wounding another in a Tsim Sha Tsui bar brawl appeared in Kowloon Magistracy. The case was adjourned to Friday.

The Chinese American, Gannon Walter Sutter Jow, who has been working as an English teacher in Hong Kong, was arrested on Thursday.

He allegedly stabbed Cheung Kin-lung, 24, in the stomach and a 29-year-old man in the back in a fight between two groups of visitors to a bar on Knutsford Terrace during the early morning of Wednesday. Cheung died of blood loss.

Andrew Li to teach at 2 unis

Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal Andrew Li has been appointed Honorary Professor by both the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). The appointment will take effect from September 1, after Li retires from the office of Chief Justice.

HKU Dean of Law Johannes Chan SC praised Li for establishing a fine reputation of independence for Hong Kong's judiciary and developing a moderate jurisprudence.

Mike McConville, dean of the Faculty of Law at CUHK, said that the appointment of Li was a major milestone in the faculty's development. Li responded that he was honored by the two universities' offers.

John Tsang to visit Taiwan

Financial Secretary John Tsang will visit Taiwan between August 28 and 31 in his capacity as the Honorary Chairperson of the Hong Kong-Taiwan Economic and Cultural Co-operation and Promotion Council (ECCPC) to foster exchanges between the two places.

He was invited by Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council, ECCPC's Taiwan counterpart. Tsang will attend and speak at a joint meeting of the two councils and deliver a keynote speech at a business luncheon hosted by the ECCPC.

China Daily

(HK Edition 08/24/2010 page1)