Hong Kong: Hong Kong police have earned an average of US$11,000 for each officer in overtime pay during the last six months of anti-government protests, with the total overtime bill coming to more than US$120 million, government figures showed on Friday. Police have covered more than 900 protests since June and worked overtime only in "inevitable circumstances", the government's security bureau said in a written response to questions from pro-democracy lawmakers. The Chinese-ruled city as been convulsed by almost daily and often violent protests since public opposition to a now-withdrawn extradition bill developed into demands for greater freedoms. The security bureau said police overtime since the start of the turmoil has cost the government HK$950 million ($121 million). Some 11,000 police officers were paid overtime, which would mean an average of HK$86,363 per officer. "It's a whopping sum," opposition lawmaker Claudia Mo told Reuters. "Taxpayers would need to pay extra to the … [Read more...] about Counting the Cost of Protest: Hong Kong Police Rack up $120 Million Overtime Bill
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Hong Kong suspends poultry products import from British district due to bird flu outbreak
Video PlayerClose HONG KONG, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong food safety authority announced Friday to suspend the import of poultry products from the Mid Suffolk District of Britain due to a bird flu outbreak. The decision was made in view of a notification from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of low pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Mid Suffolk District of Suffolk County in Britain, said the Center for Food Safety (CFS) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. The CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products, including poultry eggs, from the district with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong. Hong Kong imported about 9,270 tons of chilled and frozen poultry meat and 1.82 million poultry eggs from Britain in the first nine months of this year, according to the HKSAR government's Census and Statistics Department. "The CFS has … [Read more...] about Hong Kong suspends poultry products import from British district due to bird flu outbreak
Tara Sharma Show: Salman Khan warns fans ‘stay out of trouble’, Soni Razdan says parents need to watch for signs for depression
Bollywood actor Tara Sharma is all set to return with the season five of her chat show, The Tara Sharma Show and Salman Khan, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin and Lara Dutta will be seen as her guests, among several others. The first trailer for the show was unveiled Friday morning and it shows all the guests, with a few snippets of their discussion. In the video, Salman says, “Everyone works really hard. The important thing is to work hard in the right direction. And stay out of trouble.” He reiterates, “Stay out of trouble,” perhaps suggesting how he speaks from experience.Alia says, “To create that atmosphere where everybody can say what they want is very important.” Alia will be joined by sister Shaheen Bhatt and mom Soni Razdan on the show. The Bhatts will promote and talk about Shaheen’s first book - I’ve Never Been (un)Happier’ where she talks about her journey of coming to terms with depression … [Read more...] about Tara Sharma Show: Salman Khan warns fans ‘stay out of trouble’, Soni Razdan says parents need to watch for signs for depression
U.S. sets terms for China trade deal, sources say, but Beijing mum
WASHINGTON/BEIJING: Washington has set its terms for a trade deal with China, offering to suspend some tariffs on Chinese goods and cut others in exchange for Beijing buying more American farm goods, U.S. sources said on Thursday. Beijing's silence, however, fuelled questions over whether the two sides can come to a truce in their bitter trade war before a new round of tit-for-tat tariffs takes effect on Sunday. A source briefed on the status of bilateral negotiations said the United States would suspend tariffs on $160 billion in Chinese goods expected to go into effect on Sunday and roll back existing tariffs. In return, Beijing would agree to buy $50 billion in U.S. agricultural goods in 2020, double what it bought in 2017, before the trade conflict started, two U.S.-based sources briefed on the talks said. China's yuan jumped to a 4-1/2 month high against the U.S. dollar and Chinese shares rallied on Friday on hopes the two sides will avoid further escalation of the trade war. … [Read more...] about U.S. sets terms for China trade deal, sources say, but Beijing mum
Top-tier office market tipped to dive next year
Hong Kong's Grade-A office market looks set to plunge by between 15 and 20 percent in 2020 on the back of the city's protracted social unrest, a slowing global economy and the lingering Sino-US trade tensions, predicts real-estate service provider Jones Lang LaSalle. Alex Barnes, head of markets at JLL in Hong Kong, said he expects the vacancy rate for top-tier offices in key urban areas to climb as leasing demand continues to weaken. "Decentralization for more cost-effective options will remain a major trend next year as tenants control real-estate costs in uncertain times," he said. "Central will experience the greatest downward pressure as there's a significant rental gap between Central and other office submarkets." Barnes and two other JLL executives made their predictions in Hong Kong on Thursday with regard to the company's year-end property market review and forecasts. JLL believes the longest bull run in Hong Kong's property market history had ended in the second half of this … [Read more...] about Top-tier office market tipped to dive next year