In Brief
John Tsang to face Legco probe on Lehman minibonds
Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah will be summoned to face lawmakers from the Legislative Council subcommittee investigating the Lehman Brothers minibond saga at an open hearing on Friday. Speaking after a meeting yesterday, the subcommittee's chairman Raymond Ho Chung-tai said the subcommittee would summon Martin Wheatley, the Securities and Futures Commission's chief executive, again next month. He said it also wanted to summon Harold Ko, a former senior manager of investment products at the commission. Sixteen banks sold 43,000 investors HK$15.7 billion in minibonds issued or backed by Lehman Brothers.
Tang's public support plunges since reform package announced
Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen's support has dropped since he announced the constitutional reform consultation package, a survey by the University of Hong Kong's public opinion programme shows. In a random telephone poll conducted with 1,017 people between November 28 and last Saturday, 48 per cent of respondents said they supported him as the chief secretary, two percentage points down from a similar survey conducted last month. The percentage of those who disapproved rose by five points to 15 per cent. Dr Robert Chung Ting-yiu, programme director, said the decline in popularity was probably due to the public consultation on political reform. Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's support remained unchanged at 39 per cent.
Woman, 56, dies of swine flu; another patient is critically ill
A 56-year-old woman who contracted swine flu died in Kwong Wah Hospital yesterday. She had a good health record but developed flu symptoms on November 29 and was admitted to the hospital on Thursday. She was prescribed Tamiflu and antibiotics but remained in critical condition until she died. Meanwhile, a 49-year-old chronic smoker with hypertension is in critical condition at Queen Elizabeth Hospital with swine flu. He developed flu symptoms on November 29 and went to the hospital on Monday.
