City Digest

Unemployment rate shows a slight increase

The unemployment rate rose to 3.4 per cent in the three months December to February, up 0.2 per cent on the November-January period and the highest level since July last year. The figure represents 119,000 people out of work, an increase of 7,300. The main job losses were in decoration, repair and maintenance of buildings, warehousing and support activities for transport, and the retail sector. Employment rose 13,800 to 3.6 million. Secretary for Labour Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said pay rises, strong demand for labour and the minimum wage could have brought more people into the labour market. He warned that the rate could rise further because of staffing reviews after the Lunar New Year.

Dickson Poon donates HK$250m to law school

Hong Kong entrepreneur and philanthropist Dickson Poon donated HK$250 million to King's College London's law school, which will be renamed the Dickson Poon School of Law. It was the largest donation from an individual to a European law faculty, according to the university, and Poon is the first Chinese after whom a European law faculty has been named. The university will match the donation. The money will be used for eight new chair positions and will provide 75 scholarships a year, of which 15 will go to residents of China.

Mainland curator appointed to M+

Mainland curator Dr Pi Li has been appointed to the West Kowloon Cultural District's M+ museum as senior curator from July 3. Pi, who holds a doctorate in art theory from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and is deputy executive director of its art administration department at present, will focus on Chinese contemporary art.

Suicidal man survives after landing on car

A 25-year-old man who jumped from a block of flats at Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po, in a suicide bid landed on a car entering the car park below. The 51-year-old driver escaped injury and the suicidal man was in serious condition in Caritas Medical Centre last night.