City Digest

Education secretary doing well in hospital

The Secretary for Education, Michael Suen Ming-yeung, 67, who is battling kidney failure and legionnaires' disease, was in good shape, visitors said after seeing him at Queen Mary Hospital yesterday. His wife brought him his favourite dumplings with noodles and said she hoped he would be home for Christmas Eve. Chief executive hopeful Leung Chun-ying said after chatting with Suen that he was responding quickly to treatment. Leung said he would wait until after Suen's recovery before discussing his work.

Payout by minibus drivers over death race

Two minibus drivers who took part in road racing were ordered by the High Court to pay HK$6 million in compensation to the family of a passenger that was killed in the ensuing accident. Liu Chung-pong and Poon Wing-kay were ordered to compensate the family of Lung Kai-hong, who died at age 58, in the accident on King's Road in October, 2004. Liu and Poon were earlier jailed for five years for dangerous driving. Lung, who ran a fruit-and-vegetable wholesale business, was survived by his wife, 61, and two adult children.

Two jailed for scamming 10 out of HK$300,000

Two fraudsters who cheated 10 victims out of more than HK$300,000 were jailed for 16 months. Lui Yiu-tung, 25, and Lai Wing-yan earlier pleaded guilty in District Court to conspiracy to defraud and using a false instrument. Three accomplices Tse Yim-yan, 19, Tse Yim-ying, 19, and Chan Lok-wah, 18, were sent to a rehabilitation centre. The judge ordered the five to pay HK$14,000 in compensation to the victims.

Officials on lookout for dangerous implants

The Department of Health said it was still contacting the French authorities to confirm if silicone-gel breast implants manufactured by now-defunct French company Poly Implant Prothese, reported to have caused ruptures and suspected related cases of cancer in Europe, have been imported to Hong Kong. Plastic surgery specialist Dr Walter King Wing-keung said he had never heard of the brand being used in Hong Kong, as local plastic surgeons usually used implants from the US.

Elderly cyclist dies after being hit by car

A 79-year-old man cycling near Yuen Long was killed in a traffic accident. Police received a report that he was found lying on Kam Sheung Road near Shek Wu Tong.