A schizophrenic Pakistani asylum seeker who believed he was a 'messenger of God' was sent to hospital for nine months for the protection of the public after almost killing his flatmate in a knife attack. Muhammad Tariq, 39, was earlier found guilty of wounding Fiaz Muhammad on April 5.

Hint on race case hearing

Equal Opportunities Commission chief Lam Woon-kwong said the first court case over an alleged breach of the new Race Discrimination Ordinance may go to court in the second half of next year. He said the council had granted legal assistance twice recently and the complainants were seeking legal advice.

Slight fall in jobless rate

The jobless rate fell from 4.2 per cent to 4.1 per cent last month. The number of Hongkongers without jobs fell by about 9,900 to 143,300, while total employment rose by10,400 to more than 3.54 million.

Driver aids van theft probe

A man, 35, who reported his delivery van loaded with US$250,000 worth of glass beads had been stolen in a Yau Ma Tei car park last Friday, was arrested in connection with the theft. The empty van was found in a car park in Texaco Road, Tsuen Wan.

Girls held in drugs raid

Two girls, 14 and 17, were among eight people arrested in a raid on a public housing flat in Shek Wai Kok Estate, Tsuen Wan, when a small quantity of Ice and equipment for making the drug were seized.

Drink-drive suspect detained

A motorist, 24, was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving after his BMW crashed into a concrete embankment at the junction of Cotton Tree Drive and Garden Road, Central, at about 12.45am.

Youth leaps to his death

A youth, 17, leapt to his death from his 15-year-old girlfriend's flat in Baguio Villa, Pok Fu Lam.