Talking points
Our editors will be looking ahead today to these developing stories ...
Lawmakers will debate long-awaited plans to overhaul Hong Kong's decades-old rape and sexual offences laws. The Law Reform Commission recommended in September that the law be brought into line with the English model, to include offences between two males. The commission's paper, to be discussed by the Legislative Council's justice panel, also calls for photographs taken up women's skirts to be considered a form of sexual assault
While Cathay Pacific staff in Hong Kong debate industrial action over pay, unions representing the staff of Spain's leading airline, Iberia, begin the first of six days of strikes over the company's plans to lay off 4,500 workers. The stoppage resumes from Monday to Friday next week, disrupting the plans of travellers wanting Christmas in the Spanish sun.
The iPhone 5 is launched on the mainland, giving gadget lovers a first official chance to grab the must-have smartphone - although plenty have made their way in via unofficial means. The phones will be launched with Apple's carrier partners, China Unicom and China Telecom. But the mainland carriers will block some functions, including access to Facebook and YouTube apps.
Love notes written by cartoonist Charles Schulz, creator of the Peanuts strip, go on sale at Sotheby's in New York. Schulz's infatuation with Tracey Claudius, 23 years his junior, was often reflected in his comic strips. The 44 letters totalling 56 pages, including 22 original drawings, primarily of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Lucy, are expected to fetch a total of US$350,000. Many are signed "Sparky", a Schulz nickname.
China Machinery Engineering, a state-controlled engineering contractor in the power sector, announces prices for a Hong Kong listing that is expected to raise about US$380 million. The company has secured at least five cornerstone investors, including Nanjing Turbine & Electric Machinery and Xi Lian International, as well as Hong Kong-listed companies such as property developer China Overseas. Trading is expected to start a week from today.
The Hong Kong Ballet marks the festive season with the premiere of a new version of that most festive of shows, , choreographed by Australian Terence Kohler. There have been many versions of the ballet since it premiered in 1892. But the basic storyline tells of a little girl, Clara, who is given a wooden nutcracker by her godfather, Drosselmeyer, on Christmas Eve and the magical journey that follows for her. The ballet is at the Cultural Centre's Grand Theatre on various dates until December 26.
