University chief defends cuts in education budget
The vice-chancellor of the University of Hong Kong yesterday defended the decision to accept cuts to the tertiary education budget. Tsui Lap-chee said it was not a compromise for university heads to accept the cuts, but a way to allow Hong Kong to move forward. The proposal, accepted on Friday, says there will be no cuts between 2005 and 2007, but a cut in 2007-08 of less than 5 per cent.
Shenzhen backs bid for joint urban planning
Shenzhen's urban planning chief says he supports establishing a government-to-government mechanism to better co-ordinate development on both sides of the border. 'In the past, we had people-to-people co-operation, but with Cepa [the closer economic partnership arrangement] this will gradually change. There will be co-operation between the governments and between people,' Xu Chongguang said.
Wednesday funeral for casino mogul's wife
The funeral of casino mogul Stanley Ho Hung-sun's first wife will be held at Macau's Sao Miguel Cemetery on Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the family says. The burial will follow a funeral mass at Macau's Catholic Cathedral. Clementina Angela Leitao Ho, 80, died after a prolonged illness at the family's home in Hong Kong on Saturday afternoon. She had one son and three daughters with Mr Ho.
