Talking points
PUBLISHED : Monday, 09 January, 2012, 12:00am
UPDATED : Monday, 09 January, 2012, 12:00am
Our editors will be looking ahead today to these developing stories ...
Chief justice and minister open legal year
Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma Tao-li and Secretary for Justice Wong Yan-lung officiate at the ceremonial opening of the legal year at City Hall, Central, this afternoon. Ma, Wong, the chairman of the Bar Association, Kumar Ramanathan SC, and the president of the Law Society, Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, will deliver speeches at the ceremony.
Geithner to press China, Japan on Iran sanctions
US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner visits Beijing tomorrow to discuss sanctions against Iran and economic issues. He will meet Vice-Premier Wang Qishan on Tuesday and Premier Wen Jiabao the next day before visiting Japan. At the top of his agenda will be seeking collaboration with the two countries to reduce Iran's oil revenue and force it to abandon its suspected nuclear weapons programme. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Geithner would be in Beijing to discuss Sino-US economic relations and the global financial and economic situation, without mentioning sanctions against Iran.
N Korea focus of S Korean president's visit to Beijing
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak (left) visits Beijing to meet top leaders as the two nations monitor North Korea after Kim Jong-il's death. Lee will meet President Hu Jintao , top legislator Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao. Beijing said his visit would boost the nations' bilateral strategic co-operative partnership as they neared their 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties. North Korea is expected to be the focus of the talks. China has often called on Seoul to exert influence on Pyongyang, especially regarding its nuclear programme.
Sarkozy, Merkel meet on euro-zone crisis
French President Nicolas Sarkozy holds talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. Pressure is mounting on the euro zone's two biggest economies to provide leadership in the sovereign debt crisis. Standard & Poor's last month put Germany, France and 13 other euro-zone nations on review for a downgrade, saying 'continuing disagreements among European policymakers on how to tackle' the region's debt crisis risk damaging their financial stability.
Anwar braces for verdict
The verdict in the sodomy trial of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is due. Anwar, 64, is charged with sodomising a 26-year-old former male aide and faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty. Anwar's party has said it is planning to gather 100,000 people outside the court to support their leader, who denies the charges.
Nationwide strike threatens to cripple Nigeria
A nationwide strike, organised by Nigerian labour unions furious at the more than doubling of petrol prices since the end of decades-long subsidy, is scheduled for today. It already bears echoes of a strike in 2003 that saw the country almost entirely shut down. While analysts say the subsidy's end frees up US$8 billion a year needed to help the country, they warn that the way it was carried out only alienates those living in a nation of more than 160 million people where only the wealthy elite benefit from its oil reserves.
Most Popular
Viewed
- 1
![The US objective is not to win trade concessions, but to force a change in China’s whole economic and industrial policy approach]( "The US objective is not to win trade concessions, but to force a change in China’s whole economic and industrial policy approach")
- 2
![A US programme rewards wealthy immigrants with green cards in exchange for investment in real estate projects, but long-time Chinese interest is waning]( "A US programme rewards wealthy immigrants with green cards in exchange for investment in real estate projects, but long-time Chinese interest is waning")
- 3
![This June 2016 photo provided by Alyssa Pladl, shows Katie Pladl and her father Steven Pladl in Richmond, Virginia. Steven Pladl would impregnate and marry Katie, before murdering her and their infant child. Photo: Alyssa Pladl via AP]( "This June 2016 photo provided by Alyssa Pladl, shows Katie Pladl and her father Steven Pladl in Richmond, Virginia. Steven Pladl would impregnate and marry Katie, before murdering her and their infant child. Photo: Alyssa Pladl via AP")
- 4
![Singapore is a modern city, but some of the Singlish words its denizens use have old roots in another language, Malay, of which many are ignorant – to the annoyance of Malays. Photo: Alamy]( "Singapore is a modern city, but some of the Singlish words its denizens use have old roots in another language, Malay, of which many are ignorant – to the annoyance of Malays. Photo: Alamy")
- 5
![The Post turns a spotlight on the ‘disgusting’ insect with apparently remarkable medicinal qualities at the world’s largest breeding facility, where the bugs outnumber the planet’s human population]( "The Post turns a spotlight on the ‘disgusting’ insect with apparently remarkable medicinal qualities at the world’s largest breeding facility, where the bugs outnumber the planet’s human population")
Shared
- 1
![The Post turns a spotlight on the ‘disgusting’ insect with apparently remarkable medicinal qualities at the world’s largest breeding facility, where the bugs outnumber the planet’s human population]( "The Post turns a spotlight on the ‘disgusting’ insect with apparently remarkable medicinal qualities at the world’s largest breeding facility, where the bugs outnumber the planet’s human population")
- 2
![Singapore is a modern city, but some of the Singlish words its denizens use have old roots in another language, Malay, of which many are ignorant – to the annoyance of Malays. Photo: Alamy]( "Singapore is a modern city, but some of the Singlish words its denizens use have old roots in another language, Malay, of which many are ignorant – to the annoyance of Malays. Photo: Alamy")
- 3
![This June 2016 photo provided by Alyssa Pladl, shows Katie Pladl and her father Steven Pladl in Richmond, Virginia. Steven Pladl would impregnate and marry Katie, before murdering her and their infant child. Photo: Alyssa Pladl via AP]( "This June 2016 photo provided by Alyssa Pladl, shows Katie Pladl and her father Steven Pladl in Richmond, Virginia. Steven Pladl would impregnate and marry Katie, before murdering her and their infant child. Photo: Alyssa Pladl via AP")
- 4
![After a US$500 fine for an apple, passenger Crystal Tadlock says Delta should have warned her not to take the fruit off the plane. Photo: Bloomberg]( "After a US$500 fine for an apple, passenger Crystal Tadlock says Delta should have warned her not to take the fruit off the plane. Photo: Bloomberg")
- 5
![A US programme rewards wealthy immigrants with green cards in exchange for investment in real estate projects, but long-time Chinese interest is waning]( "A US programme rewards wealthy immigrants with green cards in exchange for investment in real estate projects, but long-time Chinese interest is waning")
Commented
- 1
![The offending sign at the Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club. Photo: Facebook]( "The offending sign at the Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club. Photo: Facebook")
- 2
![Boss of Lantau outdoor activities company says agreement couldn’t be reached with Mavericks over catering to its core business; restaurant’s co-owner says he wanted to raise food quality, but couldn’t meet demand for steep rent increase]( "Boss of Lantau outdoor activities company says agreement couldn’t be reached with Mavericks over catering to its core business; restaurant’s co-owner says he wanted to raise food quality, but couldn’t meet demand for steep rent increase")
- 3
![With plans in place to turn shipping containers into public housing in Kowloon, we’ve found six other intriguing building alternatives that could be implemented to help ease the city’s growing affordability crisis]( "With plans in place to turn shipping containers into public housing in Kowloon, we’ve found six other intriguing building alternatives that could be implemented to help ease the city’s growing affordability crisis")
- 4
![Poverty forced Hakka people to be creative cooks, and the result was salty, rich and hearty dishes that reinvigorated the body. While the cuisine is still popular in Hong Kong, chefs are unsure how long Hakka culture can endure]( "Poverty forced Hakka people to be creative cooks, and the result was salty, rich and hearty dishes that reinvigorated the body. While the cuisine is still popular in Hong Kong, chefs are unsure how long Hakka culture can endure")
- 5
![Pricerite has been serving the Hong Kong people for more than three decades. It has more than 30 stores around the city. Photo: Antony Dickson]( "Pricerite has been serving the Hong Kong people for more than three decades. It has more than 30 stores around the city. Photo: Antony Dickson")
You may also like
LCSD brings masked theatre performances to Hong Kong
In partnership with: Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Bilingual teaching and small class sizes support a welcoming community at Kingston International School
Sponsored by: Kingston International School
![--ONE TIME USE ONLY-- A general view of 'Chinatown' situated behind the Kings Romans casino in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, Bokeo Province, Laos, 08 November 2017. [15APIL2018 POST MAGAZINE] CREDIT / ALEX HOFFORD](https://cdn2.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/220x137/public/images/methode/2018/04/14/55e07b38-3344-11e8-9019-a420e6317de0_1320x770_224410.JPG?itok=GXWRRoy4 "--ONE TIME USE ONLY-- A general view of 'Chinatown' situated behind the Kings Romans casino in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, Bokeo Province, Laos, 08 November 2017. [15APIL2018 POST MAGAZINE] CREDIT / ALEX HOFFORD")
Comments: