Talking points

Our editors will be looking ahead today to these developing stories ...

Legco to quiz police over crime reporting

The city's police chiefs face renewed questioning over the way in which they disclose details of crimes to the public. A special Legislative Council panel meeting will quiz senior officers over why information on a series of sexual molestation attacks was kept from the public for days despite concerns about public safety, leading to criticism of Police Commissioner Andy Tsang Wai-hung's force.

New mainland air service to Taiwan

Direct flights from Nanning , the capital of Guangxi province, and Taichung, a city in central Taiwan, will be launched on Sunday. More direct flights are being launched to connect other mainland cities with Taichung as Taiwan is eager to attract tourists to its scenic spots, many of them near the middle and southern parts of the island.

Carbon pressure awaits China in Durban

China is expected to face international pressure on carbon emissions at the United Nations climate talks starting in Durban, South Africa, on Monday. China has pledged to play a constructive role and issued an annual white paper on its achievements on cutting greenhouse gases earlier this week, but it has given no hint of compromise. Many analysts are pessimistic about the prospects for a major breakthrough at the talks.

Time to go comes again for Yemen's leader

The expected departure of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh from power leaves his battered nation facing an uncertain fate as tribes jockey for power, a secessionist movement rumbles in the south and a resurgent al-Qaeda branch battles security forces. After months of unrest that brought the country to the edge of civil war, Saleh this week signed an agreement in Saudi Arabia to hand over power to his vice-president in return for immunity from prosecution for the deaths of protesters. The deal, backed by the US and Gulf nations, allows Saleh to retain the title of president for three months while elections are organised. Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for 33 years, has broken similar promises.

New scrutiny for Fed balance sheet

Balance-sheet data to be issued by the US Federal Reserve tonight will attract investor interest because the information will shine a light on the central bank's injections of liquidity into the economy. The report was not closely watched previously, but it has come under closer scrutiny since the advent of quantitative easing.

Early turnout for shopping season

Bargain-hunters began camping outside shops yesterday for 'Black Friday', when the US holiday shopping season begins in earnest. Retailers are anxious to see if consumers are willing to spend despite an endless stream of headlines about the fragile economy. Almost 81 per cent of consumers told market research firm NPD that the economy would have an effect on their spending this year, up from 79 per cent last year and 78 per cent in 2009. While the Thomson Reuters-University of Michigan's preliminary reading on US consumer sentiment rose in early November from October, unemployment remains above 9 per cent.