Emily Lau's Tseung Kwan O office hits by vandals
An office of Democratic Party lawmaker Emily Lau Wai-hing in Tseung Kwan O was vandalised yesterday. The office at Kin Fai House, Kin Ming Estate was found to be blocked by a metal chain yesterday morning. Her assistant, shut out of the office, reported the case to the police. Officers collected fingerprint samples at the scene for investigation. Lau condemned the malicious damage, but said she was clueless about the cause of the harassment. 'I welcome any opponents to voice their discontent, as long as they do so in a peaceful, rational and non-violent way.' The harassment was not the first of its kind - two of her offices have previously been sent funeral packets or been smeared with excrement.
Rita Lau heads to Japan for Apec ministerial meeting
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Rita Lau Ng Wai-lan will leave for Yokohama, Japan, today to attend the 22nd Apec ministerial meeting. During the two-day meeting that begins tomorrow, ministers would discuss how to give impetus to the Doha Development Agenda and review the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum's efforts against protectionism, a government spokeswoman said. Lau will also be hosting a reception for Hong Kong business leaders in Japan on Thursday.
Foreign reserves at US$267b
The Monetary Authority announced that the official foreign-currency reserve assets of Hong Kong amounted to US$267 billion at the end of last month, compared to US$266.1 billion at the end of September. The figures make the city the world's ninth-largest holder of foreign currency reserves, after the mainland, Japan, Russia, Taiwan, India, South Korea, Brazil and Switzerland. The reserve assets represent over nine times the currency in circulation.
