Talking Points
Our editors will be looking ahead today to these developing stories ...
Lawmakers resume hostilities in a debate over the budget, with radicals promising to continue their filibuster unless the government pledges to implement a universal pension scheme. Members of People Power and the League of Social Democrats have tabled multiple amendments and say they will continue speaking to them unless the government changes its mind. A total of 710 amendments to the bill are to be debated.
The government body charged with tackling the city's poverty problems meets for the third time. The Commission on Poverty was revived by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying under the leadership of Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and is tasked with, among other things, setting a poverty line for the city and considering ways to improve retirement protection.
Glencore is expected to finalise its US$32 billion acquisition of miner Xstrata, after easing Chinese concerns about its grip on the worldwide supply of copper. Glencore and Xstrata combined account for roughly 7 per cent of global copper supply, and analysts and traders have estimated Glencore controls 10 per cent to 14 per cent of Chinese copper concentrate imports.
An inquest opens into the death of a nurse found dead days after she was duped by two Australian radio hosts making a hoax call to Prince William's pregnant wife, Catherine. Jacintha Saldanha was working at the King Edward VII hospital when she took a call from Mel Greig and Michael Christian, putting them through to a duty nurse who revealed intimate medical details. Greig, who pretended to be Queen Elizabeth during the call, is to give evidence at the London inquest.
The son of slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi faces a new court hearing in the city of Zintan on charges of "undermining state security". Saif-al-Islam's case has turned into an international row between the new Libyan government and the International Criminal Court. While the court and Gaddafi want the trial held in the Hague, the Libyan government wants justice to be done at home.
The gets its moment in the sun as it takes up residence in Victoria Harbour. The enormous yellow inflatable bath toy, which has achieved iconic status since it arrived in Hong Kong last week, will float into its mooring off the Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui, where it will stay until June 9. Created by artist Florentijn Hofman, the duck stands 16.5 metres tall and is weighed down by three three-tonne concrete anchors.
