Talking points

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

John Tong receives red hat in St Peter's

Pope Benedict puts his stamp on the institution that will elect his successor by installing 22 new cardinals. Among those being formally installed in a grand ceremony in St Peter's Basilica is Hong Kong's Bishop John Tong Hon (left), who will become the seventh Chinese cardinal in the church's history. Eighteen of the 22 are under the age of 80, including 72-year-old Tong, and can take part in the conclave that elects a new pope, bringing to 63 the 'elector cardinals' named by Benedict, compared to the 62 appointed by his predecessor, John Paul II.

Chief executive candidates attend forum

The three main contenders for chief executive are scheduled to attend a forum this afternoon at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre hosted by the group ForeseeHK, which represents social workers. If he attends, the embattled Henry Tang Ying-yen will be the first to speak - on 'teenagers' participation in civil society'. The Democrats' Albert Ho Chun-yan is next, on the ageing population, followed by Leung Chun-ying, on poverty.

Whitney Houston's childhood church holds funeral

The funeral of pop diva Whitney Houston takes place in the New Jersey Baptist church whose choir she sang in as a child. Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder will sing at the ceremony. Houston's publicist said invitations were sent to Houston's ex-husband, Bobby Brown, her co-star in The Bodyguard, Kevin Costner, and Oprah Winfrey. Large screens will be set up outside the church to allow fans of the singer, who died last Saturday at the age of 48, to watch the ceremony. It will also be streamed live on the internet.

Ex-central banker addresses finance forum

Former central banker Wu Xiaoling (left), deputy chairwoman of the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress, addresses a forum hosted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The talk follows this week's pledge by the People's Bank of China to eliminate risks to financial stability, amid the state-directed banking system's attempts to clean up US$1.7 trillion in debts amassed by local governments and remove the risks of underground banks.

Weather threatens start of yacht race's next leg

The Volvo Ocean Race holds the in-port race of its stopover in Haitang Bay, Hainan, before the fleet of six boats heads for Auckland, New Zealand, tomorrow on the fourth stage of the round-the-world event - weather permitting. Fierce winds in the South China Sea have forced organisers to consider delaying a leg for the first time in the race's history.

Court delivers verdicts in football bribery trial

The intermediate court in Tieling, Liaoning province, hands down verdicts on charges of bribery and corruption against a former football official and several club managers, two days after four referees were jailed in Dandong , also in Liaoning, for up to seven years on similar charges, including 2002 World Cup referee Lu Jun (left). Wang Po, former general manager of Shaanxi Guoli, has been charged with bribe-taking and fraud, and Yang Yimin, former deputy chief of the Chinese Football Administration Centre, is accused of taking 1.25 million yuan (HK$1.54 million) in bribes.