Talking points
Our editors will be looking ahead today to these developing stories ...
New People's Party chairwoman Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and fellow legislator Michael Tien Puk-sun press labour minister Matthew Cheung Kin-chung to introduce better retirement protection for the elderly. Retirement protection is a controversial issue given doubts about the ability of the existing mandatory provident fund scheme to provide for workers in their old age. There have been calls for the government to introduce a universal pension scheme for Hong Kong residents.
Today is a public holiday for the dragon boat festival. There will be races throughout Hong Kong, including the international dragon boat championships in Stanley. This contest features about 5,000 paddlers from over 278 local and expatriate teams. Another event takes place in Tai O on Lantau, featuring a dragon boat parade through the waterways of the town. The parade is considered part of China's intangible cultural heritage.
India's parliament sits for the first time since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office. Modi won a stunning victory in the recent elections, winning the first majority for a single party in about 30 years. His primary task will be to promote economic growth and create jobs in a country that showed strong prospects but underperformed under the previous Congress government.
Today is the deadline set by Russia's Gazprom for Ukraine to pay in advance for its June gas deliveries. Moscow has threatened to cut deliveries to Ukraine, which risks affecting supplies to the European Union, if Kiev fails to pay. Ukraine has an outstanding debt of US$3.5 billion to Gazprom. Relations have soured between Moscow and Kiev following pro-EU protests that led to the flight of former president Viktor Yanukovych.
Apple holds its annual innovation conference, which will continue until Friday. The conference allows developers and engineers to be the first to know about the company's latest software and technology innovations. All eyes will be on Apple CEO Tim Cook amid concern that the company is failing to introduce new leading-edge products. However, it is expected to debut its new operating system, Apple iOS 8, at the conference.
The 9th Annual Spellbulary Competition takes place at the Hong Kong Library in Causeway Bay. It is the only spelling bee in the city, and features about 100 students aged from six to 12. Organised by the Kelly Yang Project, the contest is aimed at promoting spelling and vocabulary. Winners will receive prizes worth HK$64,000.
