Albert Ho submits CE nomination

Lawmaker and Democratic Party Chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan filed his nomination papers for the 2012 Chief Executive Election on Tuesday.

Returning Officer, Judge Jeremy Poon Shiu-chor, after reviewing the form, found that Ho had the support of 183 election committee members, and that the nomination was valid. Each CE candidate needs to secure the support of at least 150 Election Committee members. Each Election Committee member can nominate only one candidate.

Hospital denies queue jumping

St Paul's Hospital said it has started an investigation into a woman's complaint that she suffered a miscarriage because other patients jumped the queue while she was waiting for treatment.

At a press conference on Tuesday, the hospital denied any patient had jumped the queue while the woman was waiting. And the allegation that the prolonged waiting caused the miscarriage lacks scientific evidence.

The hospital stressed that it doesn't have any connection to intermediaries who help mainland women to come to Hong Kong to give birth.

Pig samples H1N1 positive

One of 1,500 samples collected for the regular influenza virus surveillance program for pigs at the Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse from mid-October 2011 to January 2012 has tested positive for the human swine influenza virus (pandemic H1N1).

There were 27 samples containing viruses that were essentially swine influenza viruses but had picked up some genes of human swine influenza virus. According to professor JSM Peiris, the University of Hong Kong expert in charge of the surveillance program, given the wide transmission of the pandemic H1N1 virus in humans, detection of the virus in pigs is no surprise. Positive findings might continue to appear from time to time in future, he said.

Travel agency in sex business

Sixteen people were arrested in a case involving a local travel agency that helped mainland prostitutes to conduct business in Hong Kong.

Police said this is the first such case detected in Hong Kong. The agency mainly booked hotel rooms for the prostitutes, who entered Hong Kong illegally.

Five of those arrested were believed to be the mastermind and members of the prostitution racket, including the operator of the travel agency. Police said the racket had been in operation for more than three months, with an average of 10 prostitutes working in various areas. The revenue exceeded HK$2 million per month.

Florists gain from celebration

Florists said flower sales shot up by 20 percent on Tuesday compared to Valentine's Day last year.

The reason is partly because this year's Valentine's Day occurred on a weekday, making sending flowers a preferred method of observing the special day. Flowers, usually priced at more than HK$300, were sold at HK$500-700 a dozen on Tuesday.

China Daily

(HK Edition 02/15/2012 page1)