In Brief
Chief secretary's office under fire for 'hiding' Ombudsman report
Lawmakers have questioned whether the administration wing of the chief secretary's office has something to hide, since it has continued to withhold from lawmakers and the public a report by the Ombudsman suggesting an expansion of its jurisdiction.
The administration has publicised its response to the report, saying the Electoral Affairs Commission and the district councils should not be scrutinised by the Ombudsman. It agreed to consider whether six other public bodies should fall within the watchdog's jurisdiction.
But lawmakers said a panel meeting to discuss those decisions yesterday had been rendered meaningless by the administration's refusal to disclose the original Ombudsman report.
Chinachem files claim
Lawyers for the Chinachem Charitable Foundation, which claims to be the sole beneficiary of the estimated HK$100 billion estate of the late Nina Wang Kung Yu-sum, filed a statement of claim in the High Court on Wednesday. The document lays out roughly what the foundation believes it is entitled to and why, according to sources close to the matter. A similar claim is expected to be filed soon by the legal team for Tony Chan Chun-chuen, a close personal friend of Nina Wang who claims to have a more recent will leaving everything to him.
Region to get another cruise ship
Costa Cruises will add a second ship to the region from March 2009 in view of strong business growth. The leading cruise line in Europe started offering Asian cruises on board Costa Allegra in July last year and will add the Costa Classica. The second ship can accommodate 1,680 guests and 590 crew members. The two ships combined provide about 85,000 berths. More than 50,000 people have sailed on the Costa Allegra since it arrived in Asia.
