Talking Points

Financial chief heads to Beijing

Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah leaves for Beijing with the head of the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, Professor Chan Ka-keung, and Monetary Authority chief Norman Chan Tak-lam. They are expected to discuss expansion of renminbi offshore business in Hong Kong with various departments and organisations.
 

Special meeting discusses old-age allowance

The Legislative Council's welfare panel holds a special meeting to discuss the proposed HK$2,200 old-age allowance. More than 50 concern groups and individuals are expected to attend.
 

Central Asian ministerial conference convenes

The 11th Ministerial Conference on Central Asia Regional Economic Co-operation (CAREC) takes place today and tomorrow in Wuhan , Hubei , chaired by Finance Minister Xie Xuren . It will focus on expanding multilateral co-operation, establishing a CAREC institute and implementing the CAREC 2020 Strategy.
 

McIlroy takes on Woods at Jinsha Lake

The world's top two golfers, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, go head to head in the "Duel at Jinsha Lake" in Zhengzhou , with former number one Tiger Woods hoping the 18-hole shoot-out will usher in the beginning of many battles between the two. "It's going to be a lot of fun going head to head with Rory," said Woods. "We've all seen how talented he is."
 

D-day for Greece on next tranche of aid

Euro-zone ministers and officials hold a series of potentially critical meetings on Greece this week to decide if it has done enough to get its next tranche of aid and so avoid bankruptcy. The ministers are also looking at a Greek request for the terms of the bailout to be extended by two years to 2016, allowing it to spread the pain of austerity measures it has agreed to in return for help. A meeting today will review Greece's progress to see if it has met terms that allow payment of the next €31.5 billion (HK$316 billion) of aid.
 

US Supreme Court tackles eavesdropping law

A debate over how freely the US government can eavesdrop on international communications reaches a climax in the US Supreme Court. At issue is a law passed in 2008 allowing the monitoring of the overseas communications of individuals without the need for a warrant for each target. The government says it needs flexible surveillance power to help prevent strikes by foreign militants. But a group of lawyers, journalists and human rights organisations has challenged the law, saying thousands or even millions of Americans are probably being monitored merely because they are in contact with people overseas.