New coronavirus being monitored

Secretary for Food and Health Ko Wing-man said there's no need to raise the epidemic risk level in Hong Kong for the time being because of the SARS-like virus emerging in the Middle East.

The World Health Organization issued an alert after detecting a novel coronavirus infection in two patients from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Ko said initial testing found the novel coronavirus is not the 2003 SARS coronavirus. He said the Health Department will step up surveillance at border control points and watch for feverish patients. Doctors have also been urged to report suspected cases.

CE judgment reserved

The High Court, on Tuesday, reserved its decision on whether to extend the deadline for challenging the election victory of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying (CE).

The defeated CE candidate Albert Ho Chun-yan filed a petition in July to challenge the poll results, on the grounds that Leung had made a false statement about illegal structures at his Peak home. Ho said Leung had implied there were no illegal structures at his own home when he attacked rival Henry Tang over the issue in a public debate. Later it was discovered that there were illegal structures at Leung's home.

Leung's counsel said Ho didn't file the petition until Leung had assumed office, missing the statutory seven-day deadline to file such a petition. Ho's counsel said the illegal structures at Leung's home were not discovered until June.

Smuggled geoducks seized

The customs and marine police foiled a speedboat smuggling attempt in Lau Fau Shan, seizing 1,170 kilograms of geoduck with a total value of about HK$410,000 and a high-powered speedboat.

Officers on an anti-smuggling patrol found four men conveying some boxes by trolley to the Lau Fau Shan Pier and loading them onto two high-powered speedboats, berthed there around 11 pm on Monday. Officers took action and seized the goods at the scene.

The four suspects fled with the speedboats. A police launch gave chase. One of the speedboats left Hong Kong waters towards Shenzhen while the suspects on another speedboat jumped overboard and fled after the speedboat ran aground in the shallow water off Lau Fau Shan.

The officers seized one speedboat and 45 cartons of geoduck at the scene. No arrests were made.

Old Chinese banyan removed

An old and valuable tree in North District in the New Territories has been removed to ensure public safety after it was found at risk of collapse, a spokesman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said on Tuesday.

Listed on the Register of Old and Valuable Trees, the 22-meter-tall Chinese banyan tree, was located on Jockey Club Road.

The health of the tree was found to be unsatisfactory in 2010. The cavity at its base and its roots showed signs of decay and of attacks by fungus. A series of remedial measures were taken, including trimming of the tree crown and clearing dead branches and application of fungicide, as well as using cables to stabilise the tree. But the tree did not show signs of improvement.

China Daily

(HK Edition 09/26/2012 page1)