Talking points
Our editors will be looking ahead today to these developing stories ...
A new group of lawmakers takes the oath of office in the United States, hours after the narrow passage of a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. The November election had the Senate stay in Democratic hands while the Republicans kept a majority in the House. Among the new lawmakers to watch will be Hawaii's Mazie Hirono, the first Asian-American woman in the Senate, and Cuban-American senator-elect Ted Cruz from Texas.
Economists from the University of Hong Kong release their first economic forecast for the city this year, covering the first quarter. The Hong Kong Macroeconomic Forecast is based on research conducted by the APEC Studies Programme of the Hong Kong Institute of Economics and Business Strategy. It aims to provide the community with timely information useful for tracking the short-term fluctuations of the economy.
Two years on from the start of the Arab spring, human rights are in question in a pair of court cases in the country where it all began - Tunisia. Habib Kazdoghli, dean of the humanities faculty at Manouba University, faces a new hearing on charges of violence against a veiled female student, while a court in Tunis will rule on whether to detain Sami Fehri, the head of the Ettounsiya television channel which aired a controversial satire show.
Filmmaker Andrew Lau Wai-keung returns to cinemas with the release of his latest effort, , a star vehicle for Chow Yun-fat. Lau serves as producer and director of photography in the film, released a week after his new directorial effort, . Directed by Wong Jing, is a real-life tale of Shanghai gangsters in the 1920s and 1930s.
Five men face a New Delhi court on charges of murder and gang rape in a fast-track hearing set up after the death of the victim sparked outrage across India. India's Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde says the suspects risk the death penalty if found guilty and the case against them appears very strong. A sixth suspect is thought to be aged 17, meaning he would face a juveniles' court, but he is undergoing a bone test to determine his age.
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying recovers from a day of marches for and against him with his regular dinner with Beijing-loyalist lawmakers at the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce. Leung says the dinners are a way of promoting better communication with the Legislative Council, but previous meetings have seen some lawmakers normally considered to be government-friendly stay away.
