In Brief
HK checkpoints to handle 6.4m travellers during holiday
More than 732,000 holidaymakers have left Hong Kong since Wednesday, while about 390,000 visitors have arrived, according to the Immigration Department. Yesterday was the busiest day, with Lo Wu the most crowded border checkpoint. The Immigration Department estimates that 6.43 million travellers will pass through Hong Kong's border checkpoints by land, sea and air during the Lunar New Year holiday, representing a jump of 11 per cent from last year.
Workers' groups march for poor
Two workers' groups marched to Government House in separate protests, calling for measures to fight inflation and help the poor. Members of the Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood and the Federation of Trade Unions said the government must stabilise prices of daily necessities and close the runaway wealth gap - which is the biggest in Asia. They also urged the authorities to build more public estates to help homebuyers, and to consider subsidising poor families' travel expenses.
950 places for disabled promised
Residential care homes will have 950 new places for the disabled in the next two years, half of them for those suffering from severe disabilities. This was on top of the 11,600 existing subsidised places at residential care homes for the disabled, said Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung. Part of the plan involves turning the former O Pui Shan Boys' Home into a hostel for the severely disabled early next year.
Patient dies from swine flu
A 55-year-old man died from human swine flu at Pok Oi Hospital on the eve of the Lunar New Year. He was one of five people suffering from the virus admitted to the intensive-care units of hospitals since Wednesday.
Rabbit stamps for sale next week
Year of the Rabbit stamps issued by foreign and mainland postal authorities will be available in Hong Kong from next Thursday. The stamps were designed by post offices in the mainland, Canada, Macau, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States.
